Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Micorsoft Corpration

David M Nadalin

Michael John Novak

Kipley J Olson

Kevin P Larkin

Frank G Sanborn

Daniel F Plastina

Patrick Nelson

Andrew L Silverman

Jonathan Marshall Cain

Dennis A Kiilerich

Khurshed Mazhar

Tedd Dideriksen

Phillip Feng Lu

Michael M Tse

Kevin Warne

Methods and systems for creating and rendering skins are described. In one described embodiment skins can be defined as sets of script files, art files, media files, and text files. These files can be used to create new and different skin appearances, layouts and functionalities. The files are organized for use using a hierarchical tag-based data structure, an example of which is an XML data structure. The data structure is processed to provide an object model. The object model can be a scriptable object model that enables script to execute to provide an interactive, dynamic skin that can respond to internal and external events. In one embodiment, a computer architecture used for rendering the skin includes a layout manager that processes an intermediate representation of the XML data structure to provide the scriptable object model. Various components of the scriptable object model can include a script engine for receiving and executing script, and one or more rendering elements. Each rendering element represents a different skin element and can be individually configured to respond to script via the script engine. The inventive systems and techniques can provide a robust, dynamic skin that can be rendered and re-rendered at runtime. In other embodiments, properties associated with a skin's elements can be synchronized with other skin element properties or state that is associated with a software application. Synchronization can take place through the use of keywords that can be used in connection with the XML data structure. Synchronizations can be one- or two-way synchronizations.

Methods and systems for creating and using skins

A method for managing a group of owned and for-purchase media items in response to a single user action. The method treats the owned media items and the for-purchase media items similarly with respect to the user's interaction with them, facilitating a user paradigm-shift from thinking about two stores of media items to a single store of media items available for use. A media item grouping generic to both types of media items is provided, permitting sharing of media item collections between users having different access rights with respect to the media items.

Like processing of owned and for-purchase media

Radio client/server architectures and graphical user interfaces for toolbars and explorer bars utilized in conjunction with Web browsers providing streaming-media content are disclosed. In one aspect of the present invention, the graphical user interface is of a Web browser with a radio toolbar that displays one or more buttons capable of controlling a source of streaming media. The graphical user interface can also include a menu bar, a standard-buttons toolbar, an address toolbar, horizontal or vertical explorer bars, a links toolbar and/or a status bar. The architecture aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of computer-executable components. One component is a radio server that plays a radio source of streaming-media. Another component is an interface for communicating with the radio server. A third component is at least one radio-client that communicates through the interface in order to provide instructions to the radio server.

Windows radio toolbar

Methods and systems for creating and rendering skins are described. In one described embodiment, a method of providing a skin model for use in rendering a skin comprises receiving a skin definition file that contains information associated with a skin, and one or more other files that are associated with the skin; providing at least some of the one or more other files directly into computer memory, without the files entering a computer file system; and processing the skin definition file to provide a hierarchical data structure that describes the skin.

Methods and systems for creating skins

Methods and systems for creating and rendering skins are described. In one described embodiment, a skin-organizing method comprises providing one or more file types that define different aspects of a skin; and organizing the files types using a hierarchical tag-based structure.

Methods and systems for creating and rendering skins are described. In one described embodiment skins can be defined as sets of script files, art files, media files, and text files. These files can be used to create new and different skin appearances, layouts and functionalities. The files are organized for use using a hierarchical tag-based data structure, an example of which is an XML data structure. The data structure is processed to provide an object model. The object model can be a scriptable object model that enables script to execute to provide an interactive, dynamic skin that can respond to internal and external events. In one embodiment, a computer architecture used for rendering the skin includes a layout manager that processes an intermediate representation of the XML data structure to provide the scriptable object model. Various components of the scriptable object model can include a script engine for receiving and executing script, and one or more rendering elements. Each rendering element represents a different skin element and can be individually configured to respond to script via the script engine. The inventive systems and techniques can provide a robust, dynamic skin that can be rendered and re-rendered at runtime.

Methods and systems for creating and rendering skins are described. In one described embodiment, a skin is defined using at least one skin definition that defines the skin in a hierarchical tag-based language.

Methods and systems for creating and rendering skins are described, whereby an XML data structure comprises multiple tag pairs, individual tag pairs being associated with and referencing information that can be utilized to render a skin.

Systems for creating and rendering skins are described. In one described embodiment, a system is configured to provide multiple skin elements that comprise part of a user interface that is executing under the influence of a software application. The system synchronizes a property of at least one of the skin elements with a state associated with the software application such that a change in the state of the software application causes a change in the property of the one skin element. In one embodiment, synchronization takes place using an XML data structure.

Systems for creating and rendering skins are described. In one described embodiment, a system is configured to provide multiple skin elements that comprise part of a user interface and synchronize a property of at least a first of the skin elements with a property of a second of the skin elements such that a change in the property of the second of the elements causes a change in the property of the first of the elements. The system synchronizes properties by describing synchronization between the properties using an XML data structure.

Methods and system for enhancing user experience when rendering digital media content. Defining a visible region of the window in which a media player user interface (UI) is presented to clip undesirable portions of the window provides an improved media player UI. Further aspects are directed to enhancing user experience when rendering digital media content in full screen presentation mode.

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

David M Nadalin