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Method and system for generating user-interface output sequencesRelated Patent Categories: Electrical Computers And Digital Processing Systems: Support, Digital Data Processing System Initialization Or Configuration (e.g., Initializing, Set Up, Configuration, Or Resetting)Method and system for generating user-interface output sequences description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060075214, Method and system for generating user-interface output sequences. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/437,560, which was filed Nov. 10, 1999, entitled "METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR GENERATING USER-INTERFACE OUTPUT SEQUENCES", which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/583,589, which was filed Jan. 5, 1996, entitled "METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR GENERATING USER-INTERFACE OUTPUT SEQUENCES". The entireties of the above-noted applications are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] The present invention relates generally to data processing systems, and, more particularly, to generating user interface output. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] An application program may want to generate user interface output for communicating with a user. The user interface output may include animation, audio, and textual elements. In addition, typically, the user interface output includes a combination of these elements. One example of user interface output is animation. In particular, animation is simulation of movement produced by displaying a series of successive frames on a display screen. The series of successive frames is called an animation sequence. Each frame contains all animation elements that make up a particular instance in the animation sequence. For example, an animation sequence may include a series of successive frames which result in displaying an animated bird flying. A particular frame may be one in which the bird is in the air. The frame may contain animation elements, such as a picture of the animated bird with its wings outstretched, trees in the background, and clouds in the air. [0004] In addition, a user interface output state includes a set of conditions which defines aspects of that state. The conditions relate to animation, audio, and textual elements of the user interface output state. A user interface output state is captured by the set of values of the conditions. A user interface output sequence contains one or more user interface output states. Upon receiving an action to perform, the user interface output sequence may transition from a first user interface output state to a second user interface output state. [0005] In particular, a first user interface output state may be captured by the set of values of a first set of conditions, and a second user interface output state may be captured by the set of values of a second set of conditions. For example, a first user interface output state may display an animated bird sleeping. The conditions for this first user interface output state may define whether the bird's eyes are open or closed, whether the bird is singing or snoring, and whether the bird is sitting on a perch or flying. The respective values for these conditions may be that the bird has its eyes closed, that the bird is snoring, and that the bird is sitting on a perch. A second user interface output state may be one in which the animated bird is singing, and the conditions for this second user interface output state may define whether the animated bird's eyes are open or closed, whether the animated bird is singing or snoring, and whether the animated bird is sitting on a perch or flying. The respective values for these conditions in the second user interface output state may be that the animated bird's eyes are open, that the animated bird is singing, and that the animated bird is sitting on a perch. Upon receiving an action indicating that the animated bird should be singing, the user interface output sequence may transition from the first user interface output state to the second user interface output state. In order to transition from the first user interface output state to the second user interface output state, the user interface output sequence may display the animated bird opening its eyes, singing instead of snoring, and sitting on a perch. [0006] Typically, elements of user interface output have ordering requirements. For example, when a user interface output sequence displays an animated bird snoring, the snoring audio element should occur concurrently with the display of the animated bird asleep and with the motion of the animated bird's breathing. Additionally, when transitioning from displaying an animated bird sleeping to showing the animated bird flying, the snoring should be stopped before the animated bird starts to fly. [0007] An application program may want to generate user interface output. In order to do so, the application program specifies a series of low-level commands. The low-level commands may be instructions of a particular computer programming language or instructions stored in a user interface output script. Each low-level command specifies a particular task for the user interface output sequence to perform. For example, one low-level command may be to have an animated bird flap its wings and another low-level command may be to have an animated bird open its eyes. In order to generate user interface output, the application program typically requires detailed knowledge about a first state of the user interface output, a second state that the user interface output should be in, and the low-level commands which should be invoked to transition from the first state to the second state. [0008] For example, if an application program wants to display an animated bird flying, the application program first determines the current state of the user interface output. For this example, the animated bird is initially asleep, snoring, while sitting on a perch. The application program determines whether the animated bird is currently asleep. If the animated bird is asleep, the application program invokes low level commands to wake up the animated bird. For example, the low-level commands may include commands to open the bird's eyes and to stop the bird from snoring. Then the application program invokes low level commands to have the animated bird fly. In order to have the animated bird fly, the application program invokes low level commands such as making the animated bird's wings flap and making the animated bird rise off of the perch. [0009] Because of the level of detail required to generate user interface output, developing an application program to generate user interface output is a time consuming process. Also, when an application program requires detailed knowledge to generate user interface output, if the user interface output is to be changed, complex changes to the application program are required. This is also time consuming and expensive. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a method is practiced in a data processing system including a display device and a processing means running an application program. In accordance with this method, a user interface output controller is provided for generating a user interface output sequence. In addition, an event is received from the application program at the user interface output controller where the event specifies a goal to be achieved by the user interface output controller. Then, a user interface output sequence is generated at the user interface output controller in response to receiving the event. The user interface output sequence achieves the goal in response to the event. Moreover, the user interface output sequence is executed at the user interface output controller so as to display the user interface output sequence on the display device. [0011] In accordance with an additional aspect of the present invention, a user interface output system is provided for controlling the generation of a user interface output sequence. A specification is provided which identifies goal user interface output states. Goal user interface output states identify user interface output states for the user interface output system to establish. The specification also identifies operators which specify actions to be performed by the user interface output sequence. A compiler is provided for compiling the specification, which results in a user interface output controller. The user interface output controller includes plans, and each of the plans has a series of operators, a goal user interface output state, and a start user interface output state that identifies a current user interface output state of the user interface output sequence. The operators transform the start user interface output state into the goal user interface output state. While the application program is running on the processing means, the user interface output controller is provided with an event which is received from the application program, where the event identifies one of the goal user interface output states. Then, the start user interface output state of the user interface output sequence is determined. Next, one of the plans is retrieved based on the determined start user interface output state of the user interface output sequence and the identified one of the goal user interface output states. Then, each of the series of operators provided by the retrieved plan is performed to transform the determined start user interface output state into the identified one of the goal user interface output states so as to display the series of operators on the display device. [0012] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a user interface output controller for generating a user interface output sequence is provided. The user interface output sequence includes a first user interface output state and a second user interface output state, where the first user interface output state and the second user interface output state each include a set of conditions representing values which capture that state. Operators which identify actions which transform the first user interface output state to the second user interface output state are also provided. In accordance with this method, an event is received from the application program at the user interface output controller, where the event specifies a goal to be achieved by the user interface output sequence. Next, it is determined whether any of the conditions precede the event. When there are conditions which precede the event, the conditions which precede the event are established. Then, the provided operators are performed to transform the first user interface output state into the second user interface output state, which establishes the event. Next, it is determined whether any of the conditions temporally follow the event. When there are conditions which temporally follow the event, the conditions which temporally follow the event are established. [0013] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a data processing system includes a processing means for running an operating system and includes a display device displaying a user interface output state. The data processing system also includes an application program which has events, where each of the events specifies a goal to be achieved to change the user interface output state. The data processing system also includes for each of the events, an implementation of the event, where the implementation includes commands which direct the actions of the user interface output state. The data processing system further includes a user interface output controller for controlling the display of a user interface output sequence. The user interface output controller has means for receiving one of the events from the application program. The user interface output controller also has means for retrieving the implementation of the received one of the events where the implementation includes a series of commands for achieving the goal specified by the received one of the events. In addition, the user interface output controller has means for selecting each of the commands in the retrieved implementation, and means for executing each of the selected commands to achieve the goal specified by the received one of the events in the user interface output on the display device so as to display the user interface output sequence on the display device. [0014] In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a data processing system includes a display device for displaying a user interface output sequence. The data processing system also includes a processing means for running an application program. The data processing system has means for providing a user interface output system for controlling the generation of the user interface output sequence. The data processing system also has means for providing a specification identifying goal user interface output states, which identify user interface output states for the user interface output system to establish, and operators which specify actions to be performed by the user interface output sequence. In addition, the data processing system has means for compiling the specification to generate a user interface output controller. Also, the data processing system has means for storing the user interface output controller in memory. The user interface output controller includes means for receiving an event from the application program, where the event identifies one of the goal user interface output states. In addition, the user interface output controller includes means for determining a current user interface output state in the user interface output sequence. Also, the user interface output controller has means for determining a sequence of operators which transform the determined current user interface output state into the identified one of the goal user interface output states. Moreover, the user interface output controller has means for performing the sequence of operators to transform the determined current user interface output state into the identified one of the goal user interface output states so as to display the sequence of operators on the display device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a data processing system which is suitable for practicing the preferred embodiment of the present invention. [0016] FIG. 2 illustrates the steps performed by the user interface output controller upon receiving an event from an application program in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. [0017] FIG. 3 illustrates a sample state machine in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. [0018] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the steps performed by the user interface output system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. [0019] FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are flowcharts illustrating the steps performed by the user interface output system using a planning methodology to determine a user interface output sequence from each start user interface output state to each goal user interface output state in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Continue reading about Method and system for generating user-interface output sequences... 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