Defining the visual appearance of user-interface controls

US7398472B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Microsoft Corporation · US

Inventors

• Robert E. Corrington · Kirkland, US
• Song Zou · Issaquah, US
• Kathryn G Rasmussen · Edmonds, US
• Thomas J. Layson · Monroe, US
• Gamage I. Viriththamulla · Kenmore, US
• Derek R. Westcott · Kirkland, US
• Diane Shambaugh · Redmond, US
• Jalayne Taber Boni · Shoreline, US
• Seung Yang · Woodinville, US
• Paul Cutsinger · Redmond, US
• Robert D. Rugge · Everett, US
• Douglas Koenig · Redmond, US
• Nathan William Bower · West Lafayette, US
• Mun (Scott) Ying Leong · Redmond, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 9, 2004
• Grant date: Jul 8, 2008
• Expiry date: Dec 6, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F8/38
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Systems and methods for defining at least one visual-display characteristic of at least one user-interface control are disclosed. In accordance with various embodiments of the invention, a dialog template specifies at least one style selector for the at least one user-interface control. A transformation module extracts the at least one style selector from the dialog template. A style sheet defines at least one visual-display-characteristic value that is applicable to the at least one user-interface control and that is associated with the at least one style selector. A style sheet-parsing engine uses the at least one style selector to retrieve the at least one visual-display-characteristic value from the style sheet. And a user-interface-control-drawing module draws the at least one user-interface control in accordance with the at least one visual-display-characteristic value retrieved by the style sheet-parsing engine.