Combining server-side and client-side user interface elements

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for combining server-supplied user interface elements with client-supplied user interface elements. The server-supplied user interface elements can be received by a client device and inserted into a client-supplied object model, such as a Document Object Model (DOM). The object model can then be used to render a page, such as a webpage. By injecting server-supplied user interface elements into a client object model, the client can intelligently combine UI elements from a server with UI elements from a client. In the situation where there are conflicting or overlapping UI elements, the client device can modify the object model to eliminate such conflicts or overlaps.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A user device capable of combining server-supplied user interface elements with client-supplied user-interface elements, comprising:
 a processor;   a display;   an input device; and   memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the user device to:
 receive server-supplied user interface elements and style information from a server computer; 
 insert the server-supplied user interface elements into a client-supplied object model, wherein the object model also includes client-supplied user interface elements; and 
 render, for viewing by a user of the device on the display, a page using the object model so that both one or more of the client-supplied user interface elements and one or more of the server-supplied user interface elements appear together on the rendered page, wherein the rendering further comprises:
 comparing at least one client-supplied user interface element with at least one server-supplied user interface element and, if there is a match, suppressing at least one client-supplied user interface element or at least one user interface element received from the server computer; 
 applying the style information to both the one or more of the client-supplied user interface elements and the one or more of the server-supplied user interface elements. 
 
   
     
     
         22 . The user device of  claim 21 , wherein the server-supplied user interface elements and style information are in HTML. 
     
     
         23 . The user device of  claim 21 , wherein the inserting includes searching on a division tag in the client-supplied object model and inserting the user interface elements and style information from the server computer into the division tag. 
     
     
         24 . The user device of  claim 21 , wherein the object model is a Document Object Model used for HTML and further including the server computer for transmitting the user interface elements. 
     
     
         25 . The user device of  claim 21 , wherein the user interface elements received from the server computer are cached and stored locally on the client device. 
     
     
         26 . The user device of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the user device to receive server-supplied content from the server computer and insert the server-supplied content in the client-supplied object model. 
     
     
         27 . The user device of  claim 26 , wherein the server-supplied content is XML data. 
     
     
         28 . The user device of claim  1 , wherein the user device is a mobile device and the input device is a touch screen. 
     
     
         29 . A method for allowing a server computer to control aspects of the look and feel of a user interface on a mobile user device comprising:
 receiving server-supplied user interface elements and style information from a server computer;   searching on a division tag in a client-supplied object model used to render a page on a display on the mobile user device, wherein the client-supplied object model contains client-supplied user interface elements;   inserting the server-supplied user interface elements into a client-supplied object model used to render a page on the display, wherein the inserting comprises inserting at least one of the server-supplied user interface elements into the division tag, based on the results of the searching; and   rendering, for viewing by a user of the mobile user device, the page using the object model so that both one or more of the client-supplied user interface elements and one or more of the server-supplied user interface elements appear on the rendered page, wherein the rendering further comprises applying the style information to both the one or more of the client-supplied user interface elements and the one or more of the server-supplied user interface elements.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the rendering further comprises comparing at least one client-supplied user interface element with at least one server-supplied user interface element and, if there is a match, suppressing at least one client-supplied user interface element or at least one user interface element received from the server computer. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the server-supplied user interface elements and style information are in HTML. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the object model is a Document Object Model used for HTML and further including the server computer for transmitting the user interface elements. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the user interface elements received from the server computer are cached and stored locally on the mobile user device. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising receiving server-supplied content from the server computer and inserting the server-supplied content in the client-supplied object model. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the server-supplied content is XML data. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the rendering further comprises rendering the server-supplied content. 
     
     
         37 . A method for applying server-supplied style information to a combination of server-supplied user interface elements and client-supplied user-interface elements, comprising:
 in response to user interaction with an input device on a client device, receiving the server-supplied user interface elements and style information from a server computer;   adding the server-supplied user interface elements to a client-supplied object model that contains client-supplied user interface elements, wherein the object model is used to render a page on a display of the client device;   for viewing by the user, rendering the page using the client-supplied object model, wherein the rendering comprises:
 comparing at least one client-supplied user interface element with at least one server-supplied user interface element and, if there is a match, suppressing at least one client-supplied user interface element or at least one user interface element received from the server computer; 
 applying the style information to both one or more of the client-supplied user interface elements and one or more of the server-supplied user interface elements; and 
 displaying together on the rendered page the one or more of the client-supplied user interface elements and the one or more of the server-supplied user interface elements. 
   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the rendering further comprises expanding the area on the display for the client-supplied user interface elements. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein adding includes searching on a division tag in the client-supplied object model and adding the user interface elements and style information from the server computer into the division tag. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising caching the server-supplied user interface elements at the client device.