Display state and/or cell based user interface provision method and apparatus
“An User Interface provision method involving the use of display state and/or display cells, and apparatuses equipped to practice the method, are described herein.”
1. A method comprising:
receiving by a client device, from a remote server, a plurality of display state definitions defining a plurality of instantiations of a user interface of an application for a plurality of display states of the user interface, wherein (1) at least one of the plurality of instantiations of the user interface corresponds to a multidimensional display state, the at least one instantiation defined by two or more of the plurality of display state definitions, and (2) at least two of the plurality of display state definitions including pluralities of display cell definitions correspondingly defining pluralities of display cells of at least one of the plurality of instantiations of the user interface, the at least two display state definitions being associated with a display state variable of a first of a plurality of display state dimensions, the display state variable being common to both, and each of the at least two display state definitions being associated with a different one of a plurality of discrete unequal display state values of the common display state variable, at least one display cell definition of one of the pluralities of display cell definitions having a transition rule that sets the common display state variable in response to user interaction with the display cell specified by the at least one display cell definition, said setting to facilitate determining by the client device a display state of the user interface;
examining locally by the client device, one or more display state variables of the display state dimensions to determine a current display state of the user interface; and
provisioning by the client device, a current instantiation of said user interface in accordance with one or more of the display state definitions associated with the determined current display state.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each display state definition has one or more display cell definitions correspondingly defining one or more display cells of at least one instantiation of the user interface, and said determining is locally made by said client device in accordance with a second display cell definition of a second of the display state definitions of the user interface for a second rendered display cell of an immediately preceding instantiation of the user interface for corresponding to an immediately preceding display state of an immediately preceding instantiation of the user interface, with which corresponding display cell a user interacted, said second display cell definition including a state transition rule that sets at least one of the one or more display state variables of the display state dimensions to at least one display state values to facilitate the client device in determining the current display state as the display state of the user interface in the event a user interacts with the corresponding second rendered display cell.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said provisioning comprises generating by said client device a first display cell of the current instantiation of the user interface in accordance with a first of said one or more display cell definitions of one of said one or more display state definitions associated with said current display state.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said provisioning further comprises generating by said client device a second display cell of the current instantiation of the user interface in accordance with a second of said one or more display cell definitions of the same or another of said one or more display state definitions associated with said current display state.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said provisioning comprises generating by said client device a portion of the current instantiation of the user interface with constituting contents inherited from a pseudo instantiation of the user interface.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said current display state is multi-dimensional.
7. A method comprising:
transmitting by a server to a remote client device, a plurality of display state definitions defining a plurality of instantiations of a user interface of an application for a plurality of display states of the user interface, wherein (1) at least one of the plurality of instantiations of the user interface corresponds to a multidimensional display state, the at least one instantiation defined by two or more of the plurality of display state definitions, and (2) at least two of the plurality of display state definitions including pluralities of display cell definitions specifying constituting contents for pluralities of corresponding display cells of at least one of the plurality of instantiations of the user interface, the at least two display state definitions being associated with a display state variable of a first of a plurality of display state dimensions, the display state variable being common to both, and each of the at least two display state definitions being associated with a different one of a plurality of discrete unequal display state values of the common display state variable, at least one display cell definition of one of the pluralities of display cell definitions having a transition rule that sets the common display state variables in response to user interaction with the display cell specified by the at least one display cell definition, said setting to facilitate determining by the remote client device a display state of the user interface; and
transmitting by the server to said remove client device, said constituting contents for said pluralities of display cells for rending an instantiation of the plurality of instantiations of said user interface on said remote client device in accordance with one of said pluralities of display cell definitions.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the constituting contents are constituting contents of a pseudo instantiation of the user interface to be inherited during said rendering.
9. An article of manufacture comprising:
a storage medium; and
a plurality of programming instructions stored in the storage medium and configured to implement a user interface provision function equipped to receive from a remote server a plurality of display state definitions defining a plurality of instantiations of a user interface of an application for a plurality of display states of the user interface, wherein (1) at least one of the plurality of instantiations of the user interface corresponds to a multidimensional display state, the at least one instantiation defined by two or more of the plurality of display state definitions, and (2) at least two of the plurality of display state definitions including pluralities of display cell definitions correspondingly defining pluralities of display cells of at least one of the plurality of instantiations of the user interface, the at least two display state definitions being associated with a display state variable of a first of a plurality of display stat dimensions, the display state variable being common to both, and each of the at least two display state definitions being associated with a different one of a plurality of discrete unequal display state values of the common display state variable, at least one display cell definition of one of the pluralities of display cell definitions having a transition rule that sets the common display state variables in response to user interaction with the display cell specified by the at least one display cell definition, said setting to facilitate determining by the client device a display state of the user interface, to determine a current display state of the user interface, and to provision a current instantiation of said user interface in accordance with one or more of the display state definitions associated with the determined current display state.
10. The article of claim 9 , wherein said programming instructions equip said user interface provision function to perform said provisioning of the current instantiation of the user interface, by generating a portion of the current instantiation of the user interface with constituting contents inherited from a pseudo instantiation of the user interface.
11. The article of claim 9 , wherein said current display state is multi-dimensional.
12. The article of claim 9 , wherein the user interface provision function is a part of a selected one of a browser and an operating system.
13. The article of claim 9 , wherein each of said plurality of display state definitions has one or more display cell definitions correspondingly defining one or more display cells of at least one instantiation of the user interface, and said programming instructions further equip said user interface provision function to make said determination in accordance with a second display cell definition of a second of the display state definitions of the user interface for a second rendered display cell of an immediately preceding instantiation of the user interface for corresponding to an immediately preceding display state of an immediately preceding instantiation of the user interface, with which corresponding display cell a user interacted, said second display cell definition including a state transition rule that sets at least one of one or more display state variables of the display state dimensions to at least one display state values to facilitate the client device in determining the current display state as the display state of the user interface in the event a user interacts with the corresponding second rendered display cell.
14. The article of claim 13 , wherein said programming instructions further equip said user interface provision function to perform said provisioning of the current instantiation of the user interface, by generating a first display cell of the current instantiation of the user interface in accordance with a first of said one or more display cell definitions of one of said one or more display state definitions associated with said current display state.
15. The article of claim 14 , wherein said programming instructions further equip said user interface provision function to perform said provisioning of the current instantiation of the user interface, by generating a second display cell of the current instantiation of the user interface in accordance with a second of said one or more display cell definitions of the same or another of said one or more display state definitions associated with said current display state.
16. A client device comprising:
a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions to implement a user interface provision function equipped to receive from a remote server a plurality of display state definitions defining a plurality of instantiations of a user interface of an application for a plurality of display states of the user interface, wherein (1) at least one of the plurality of instantiations of the user interface corresponds to a multidimensional display state, that at least one instantiation defined by two or more of the plurality of display state definitions, and (2) at least two of the plurality of display state definitions including pluralities of display cell definitions correspondingly defining pluralities of display cells of at least one of the plurality of instantiations of the user interface, the at least two display state definitions being associated with a display state variable of a first of a plurality of display state dimensions, the display state variable being common to both, and each of the at least two display state definitions being associated with a different one of a plurality of discrete unequal display state values of the common display state variable, at least one display cell definition of one of the pluralities of display cell definitions having a transition rule that sets the display state variables in response to user interaction with the display cell specified by the at least one display cell definition, said setting to facilitate determining by the client device a display state of the user interface, to determine a current display state of the user interface, and to provision a current instantiation of said user interface in accordance with one or more of the display state definitions associated with the determined current display state; and
a processor coupled to the storage medium to execute the programming instructions.
17. The client device of claim 16 , wherein said programming instructions equip said user interface provision function to perform said provisioning of the current instantiation of the user interface, by generating a portion of the current instantiation of the user interface with constituting contents inherited from a pseudo instantiation of the user interface.
18. The client device of claim 16 , wherein said current display state is multi-dimensional.
19. The client device of claim 16 , wherein the client device is a device selected from a group consisting of a wireless telephone, a palm sized computing device, and a notebook sized computing device.
20. The client device of claim 16 , wherein each of said plurality of display state definitions has one or more display cell definitions correspondingly defining one or more display cells of at least one instantiation of the user interface, and said programming instructions further equip said user interface provision function to make said determination in accordance with a second display cell definition of a second of the display state definitions of the user interface for a second rendered display cell of an immediately preceding instantiation of the user interface for corresponding to an immediately preceding display state of an immediately preceding instantiation of the user interface, with which corresponding display cell a user interacted, said second display cell definition including a state transition rule that sets at least one of one or more display state variables of the display state dimensions to at least one display state values to facilitate the client device in determining the current display state as the display state of the user interface in the event a user interacts with the corresponding second rendered display cell.
21. The client device of claim 20 , wherein said programming instructions further equip said user interface provision function to perform said provisioning of the current instantiation of the user interface, by generating a first display cell of the current instantiation of the user interface in accordance with a first of said one or more display cell definitions of one of said one or more display state definitions associated with said current display state.
22. The client device of claim 21 , wherein said programming instructions further equip said user interface provision function to perform said provisioning of the current instantiation of the user interface, by generating a second display cell of the current instantiation of the user interface in accordance with a second of said one or more display cell definitions of the same or another of said one or more display state definitions associated with said current display state.
23. A server comprising:
a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions to implement a user interface provision function equipped to transmit to a remote client device,
a plurality of display state definitions defining a plurality of instantiations of a user interface of an application for a plurality of display states of the user interface, wherein (1) at least one of the plurality of instantiations of the user interface corresponds to a multidimensional display state, the at least one instantiation defined by two or more of the plurality of display state definitions, and (2) at least two of the plurality of display state definitions including pluralities of display cell definitions specifying constituting contents for pluralities of corresponding display cells of at least one of the plurality of instantiations of the user interface, the at least two display state definitions being associated with a display state variable of a first of a plurality of display state dimensions, the display state variable being common to both, and each of the at least two display state definitions being associated with a different one of a plurality of discrete unequal display state values of the common display state variable, at least one display cell definition of one of the pluralities of display cell definitions having a transition rule that sets the common display state variables in response to user interaction with the display cell specified by the at least one display call definitions, said setting to facilitate determining by the remote client device a display state of the user interface, and
said constituting contents for said plurality of display cells for rendering an instantiation of the plurality of instantiations of said user interface on said remote client device in accordance with one of said pluralities of display cell definitions; and
at least one processor coupled to the storage medium to execute the programming instructions.
24. The server of claim 23 , wherein the constituting contents are constituting contents of a pseudo instantiation of the user interface to be inherited during said rendering.