Palette-based color selection within a user interface theme

Abstract

Methods and devices that enable the customization of colors in a user interface by using a palette to define colors are provided. The palette includes strings that have color values assigned to them. The strings are referred to in style sheets where color attributes are specified, such that colors can be redefined in the palette rather than in the style sheet.

1 . A method of defining a user interface theme of a graphical user interface of an electronic device, comprising:
 generating the graphical user interface in accordance with a first theme defined by a first theme file which defines one or more visual attributes of one or more interface elements of the graphical user interface, wherein the first theme file comprises a first color palette which defines one or more color values and a first style sheet which defines one or more colors attributes of one or more interface elements of the graphical user interface by reference to the one or more color values of the first color palette;   receiving selection input to change the user interface theme to a second theme; and   re-generating, in response to the selection input, the graphical user interface in accordance with the second theme, wherein the second theme is defined by a second theme file which defines one or more visual attributes of one or more interface elements of the graphical user interface, wherein the second theme file comprises a second color palette which defines one or more color values and a reference to the first theme file so as to inherit color attributes of one or more interface elements of the graphical user interface from the first theme file which are not defined by the second theme file.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the re-generating causes the color attributes defined by the first color palette to be replaced with the color attributes defined by the second color palette. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the graphical user interface comprises displaying the graphical user interface on a display screen of the electronic device with the color attributes defined by the first theme file, and wherein re-generating the graphical user interface comprises re-displaying the graphical user interface on the display screen of the electronic device with the color attributes of the interface elements attributes defined by the second theme file. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first color palette includes a plurality of variable strings each of which has an assigned color value, and wherein at least one of the color attributes defined by the first style sheet is specified by reference to a variable string in the first color palette. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the second color palette includes a plurality of variable strings each of which has an assigned color value, wherein the variable strings of the second color palette are the same as the variable strings of the first color palette, and wherein at least one of the color attributes defined by the second style sheet is specified by reference to a variable string in the second color palette. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the re-generating causes the color attributes defined by the variable strings in the first color palette to be replaced with the color attributes defined by the variable strings in the second color palette. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the variable strings comprise a primary color string representing a primary color of the graphic user interface, a secondary color string representing a secondary color of the graphic user interface, and a tertiary color string representing a tertiary color of the graphic user interface, each of the primary, secondary and tertiary color strings having assigned different RGB triplet values. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the color attributes of the interface elements of the first style sheet are defined by one of a standard color reference having a non-variable value, an RGB triplet, and a reference to one of the variable strings. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the color attributes of at least one of the interface elements of the first style sheet are defined in the first style sheet by a standard color reference having a non-variable value or RGB triplet. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second theme file comprises a second style sheet which includes the reference to the first theme file so as to inherit color attributes of one or more interface elements of the graphical user interface from the first theme file which are not defined by the second theme file. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the color attributes include foreground and background color attributes. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the color values assigned to the variable strings comprise RGB triplet values. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first theme file is pre-loaded on the electronic device, and the second theme file is downloaded onto the electronic device over a wireless network, wherein the second theme file self-executes upon being downloaded onto the electronic device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the downloading of the second theme file causes the user interface theme to change to the second theme. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is enabled for wireless communications and the second color palette comprises color values which customize the graphical user interface to a color scheme set by a carrier that operates a home wireless network of the electronic device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first theme file and second theme file are XML (eXtensible Markup Language) files. 
     
     
         17 . An electronic device, comprising:
 a processor;   a display screen coupled to the processor for displaying a graphical user interface of the electronic device;   a memory coupled to the processor having stored thereon: (i) a first theme file which defines one or more visual attributes of one or more interface elements of the graphical user interface, wherein the first theme file comprises a first color palette which defines one or more color values and a first style sheet which defines one or more colors attributes of one or more interface elements of the graphical user interface by reference to the one or more color values of the first color palette; and (ii) a second theme file which defines one or more visual attributes of one or more interface elements of the graphical user interface, wherein the second theme file comprises a second color palette which defines one or more color values and a reference to the first theme file so as to inherit color attributes of one or more interface elements of the graphical user interface from the first theme file which are not defined by the second theme file;   wherein the processor is configured for: generating the graphical user interface on the display screen in accordance with a first theme defined by the first theme file; receiving selection input to change the user interface theme to a second theme defined by the second theme file; and re-generating, in response to the selection input, the graphical user interface on the display screen in accordance with the second theme.   
     
     
         18 . A method of defining a user interface theme of a graphical user interface of an electronic device, comprising:
 generating the graphical user interface in accordance with a first theme defined by a first theme file which defines one or more visual attributes of one or more interface elements of the graphical user interface,
 wherein the first theme file comprises a first color palette which defines one or more color values and a first style sheet which defines one or more colors attributes of one or more interface elements of the graphical user interface by reference to the one or more color values of the first color palette, 
 wherein the first color palette includes a plurality of variable strings each of which has an assigned color value, and wherein at least one of the color attributes defined by the first style sheet is specified by reference to a variable string in the first color palette. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the variable strings comprise a primary color string representing a primary color of the graphic user interface, a secondary color string representing a secondary color of the graphic user interface, and a tertiary color string representing a tertiary color of the graphic user interface, each of the primary, secondary and tertiary color strings having assigned different RGB triplet values. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the color attributes of the interface elements of the first style sheet are defined by one of a standard color reference having a non-variable value, an RGB triplet, and a reference to one of the variable strings. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein at least one of the color attributes of at least one of the interface elements of the first style sheet are defined in the first style sheet by a standard color reference having a non-variable value or RGB triplet. 
     
     
         22 . A method of generating a user interface theme to customize a user interface theme of an electronic device, comprising:
 generating a first theme file which sets one or more visual attributes of one or more interface elements of a graphical user interface of the electronic device, the first theme file comprising an instruction set, a color palette which and a reference to another theme file so as to inherit color attributes of the other theme file not set by the first theme file; and   sending the first theme file to the electronic device, wherein the first theme file self-executes upon being downloaded onto the electronic device.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the self-executing comprises re-generating the graphical user interface on the display of the electronic device in accordance with the first theme file. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the color palette includes variable strings each of which has an assigned color value, wherein the re-generating causes color values set by variable strings in a color palette of the other theme file to be replaced with new color values set by the variable strings in the color palette of the first theme file. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the instruction set comprises XML (eXtensible Markup Language).