Persistent state database for operating system services
AssigneeApple Computer, Inc.
InventorsYan Arrouye, Sean J. Findley, Keith L. Mortensen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A database is used to store user interface state information. The database is accessed by a key having a service ID field, a caller ID field, and a caller context ID field. The caller context ID is used to identify the context in the application program from which the user interface is called. In this manner, the system can differentiate between calls from different portions of the application program which can have different user expectations of the desirable user interface state.
Claims32
A method comprising:
- calling a shared service program from an application program, the application program providing context information to the shared service program;
- accessing stored state information of the shared service program using a key comprising a number of data fields including a service ID field identifying the shared service program, a caller ID field identifying the application program, and a caller context ID field containing the context information provided by the application program;
- and
- using the stored state information in the database to set the state of the shared service program.
A computer-readable medium containing a program which executes the following procedure:
- as a result of a call of a shared service program from an application program, producing a key comprising a number of data fields including a service ID field identifying the shared service program, a caller ID field identifying the application program, and a caller context ID field containing context information provided by the application program;
- accessing stored state information for the shared service program using a key comprising a number of data fields including a service ID field identifying the shared service program, a caller ID field identifying the application program, and a caller context ID field containing the context information provided by the application program;
- and
- using the stored state information in the database to set the state of the shared service program.
A method comprising:
- opening an user interface in a first context of an application program;
- manipulating the user interface;
- upon exiting the user interface, storing information concerning the state of the user interface;
- thereafter, opening the user interface in a second context of the application program, wherein the second context is different from the first context;
- manipulating the user interface in a different fashion than in the first manipulating step;
- exiting the user interface;
- and
- thereafter, opening the user interface in the first context of the application program, wherein the system uses the stored information to set the state of the user interface similar to the state of the user interface before the first exiting step.
A computer-readable medium containing a program which executes the following procedure:
- upon opening a user interface in a first context of an application program and exiting the user interface, storing state information concerning the state of the user interface;
- and
- thereafter, even when the user interface has been opened, manipulated and exited in a second context of the application program, upon reopening the user interface in the first context of the application program, using the stored state information to set the state of the user interface similar to the state of the user interface before the storing step.
A method comprising:
- opening an user interface;
- selecting at least one object from user interface;
- upon exiting the user interface, storing information about the state of the user interface wherein the stored information includes an indication of the at least one selected object;
- and
- thereafter, opening the user interface a second time using the stored state information in the database to set the state of the user interface, wherein the user interface displays a representation of the at least one selected object.
A computer-readable medium containing a program which executes the following procedure:
- upon exiting a user interface from which at least one object is selected, storing information about the state of the user interface, the stored state information including an indication of the at least one selected object;
- and
- upon opening the user interface a second time, using the stored state information in the database to set the state of the user interface, wherein the user interface displays a representation of the at least one selected object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.