Mobile client application for managing user interface components

Abstract

A mobile client application for managing user interface components. Mobile device screen user interface components are defined using XML documents stored at a server. Each user interface component has associated actions including draw when displayed and drawing aspect when selected. A main canvas is initialized to manage all images, text, and widgets. An XML parser pushes the user interface components to the main canvas as they are parsed and retrieved from the server. Drawing occurs after all components have been parsed and created in the main canvas. The entire canvas is drawn but only a portion of the canvas is displayed at any time. Scrolling of user interface component elements is managed by tracking selected items on the screen, and offsetting the main canvas by the number of pixels required to draw the selected element on the screen.

1 . A method for displaying on a mobile device a user interface with a plurality of user interface components comprising:
 (a) receiving at said mobile device at least one XML document defining a plurality of user interface components for a screen on said mobile device;   (b) initializing at said mobile device a canvas object for holding said plurality of user interface components at said mobile device;   (c) parsing at said mobile device said XML documents defining user interface components wherein parsing a XML document comprises:
 i. extracting a token from said XML document; 
 ii. creating at said mobile device in said canvas object a user interface component based on said token; 
 iii. adding properties for said user interface component to said canvas object including a number of pixels for said user interface component; and 
 iv. repeating steps i-iii until an end for said XML document is reached; 
   (d) drawing all of said user interface components of said canvas object in a canvas memory;   (e) receiving at said device a key event;   (f) using said key event, selecting a subset of user interface components from said canvas memory for display on a screen on the mobile device;   (g) displaying said subset of user interface components on said screen for said mobile device; and   (h) updating said screen on said mobile device by:
 i. selecting a new user interface component from said canvas object; and 
 ii. drawing said new user interface component on said screen according to said number of pixels for said new user interface component. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said user interface components are selected from the group consisting of an input text box, an edit box, a string, an image, a button, an action button, and a radio button. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said key event is selected from the group consisting of key up, key down, and accept. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 (i) receiving an accept key event; 
 (j) determining a selected user interface component on said screen in response to said key event; 
 (k) selecting a new subset of user interface components from said canvas memory; and 
 (l) updating said screen with said new user interface components from said canvas memory. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein properties for said user interface component comprises position data, title, name, and size. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein position data for said user interface component comprises X and Y coordinates. 
     
     
         7 . A method for providing user interface components of a user interface to a mobile device comprising:
 (a) creating a plurality of XML documents defining user interface components for a screen on said mobile device;   (b) transferring from a server to said mobile device a client application for execution at said mobile device, said client application adapted to receive and parse said XML documents;   (c) transferring from said server to said mobile device a URL for accessing said XML documents defining said user interface components;   (d) receiving from said mobile device at said server a request for at least one of said XML documents associated with said URL;   (e) transferring from said server to said mobile device said at least one XML document wherein said client application responds by:
 (1) initializing at said mobile device a canvas object for holding a plurality of user interface components at said mobile device; 
 (2) parsing at said mobile device said XML document to:
 (i) extract a token from said XML document; 
 (ii) create at said mobile device in said canvas object a user interface component based on said token; 
 (iii) add properties for said user interface component to said canvas object including a number of pixels for said user interface component; and 
 (iv) repeating steps i-iii until an end for said XML document is reached; 
 
   (3) drawing all of said user interface components of said canvas object in a canvas memory;   (4) receiving at said mobile device a key event;   (5) using said key event, selecting a subset of user interface components from said canvas memory; and   (6) displaying said subset of user interface components on said screen for said mobile device; and   (7) updating said screen on said mobile device by:
 (i) selecting a new user interface component from said canvas object; and 
 (ii) drawing said new user interface component on said screen according to said number of pixels for said new user interface component. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said user interface components are selected from the group consisting of an input text box, an edit box, a string, an image, a button, an action button, and a radio button. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said key event is selected from the group consisting of key up, key down, and accept. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein step (e) further comprises:
 (8) receiving an accept key event; 
 (9) determining a selected user interface component on said screen in response to said key event; 
 (10) selecting a new subset of user interface components from said canvas memory; and 
 (11) updating said screen with said new user interface components from said canvas memory. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7  wherein properties for said user interface component comprising position data, title, name, and size. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein position data for said user interface component comprises X and Y coordinates. 
     
     
         13 . A method for displaying user interface components on a mobile device comprising:
 (a) receiving at a mobile device a URL for accessing at least one XML document defining a plurality of user interface components;   (b) initializing at said mobile device a canvas object for holding said plurality of user interface components at said mobile device;   (c) adding said user interface components from said XML document to said canvas object until an end for said XML document is reached;   (d) drawing all of said user interface components of said canvas object in a canvas memory;   (e) receiving at said device a key event;   (f) using said key event to select a subset of user interface components from said canvas memory for display on a screen on the mobile device;   (g) displaying said subset of user interface components on said screen for said mobile device; and   (h) updating said screen on said mobile device by:
 (i) selecting a new user interface component from said canvas object; and 
 (ii) drawing said new user interface component on said screen according to a number of pixels for said new user interface component. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said user interface components are selected from the group consisting of an input text box, an edit box, a string, an image, a button, an action button, and a radio button. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said key event is selected from the group consisting of key up, key down, and accept. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 (i) receiving an accept key event; 
 (j) determining a selected user interface component on said screen in response to said key event; 
 (k) selecting a new subset of user interface components from said canvas memory; and 
 (l) updating said screen with said new user interface components from said canvas memory. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  wherein properties for said user interface component comprises position data, title, name, and size. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein position data for said user interface component comprises X and Y coordinates.