UI Extender Module for Third-Party Application Overlay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional operating systems and applications restrict third-party applications from arbitrarily modifying their user interfaces, limiting the ability to extend functionality beyond native capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A user interface extender module generates UI extensions that can be arbitrarily attached to a target application's UI, providing additional functionality by synchronizing with the target application's graphical properties and events, even without explicit API access, allowing for enhanced features and capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional operating systems and applications restrict third-party applications from arbitrarily modifying their user interfaces, then the stability and security of the system is maintained, but the adaptability and functionality extension capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a user interface extender module as an intermediary component that operates between the target application and the third-party application. This module intercepts and processes UI events, allowing third-party applications to extend functionality without directly modifying the target application's interface. The extender module maintains system stability while enabling adaptability by serving as a controlled mediation layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the user interface extension functionality into a separate, independent module that can be dynamically loaded and unloaded. This segmentation allows the system to maintain its core stability while permitting optional extensions. The extender module is distinct from both the target application and the third-party application, enabling independent management and control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If third-party applications are allowed to arbitrarily attach user interface objects to the target application's UI, then the adaptability and functionality are improved, but the device complexity and integration difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal user interface extender module that can work with multiple different target applications through a standardized interface. The module provides multi-functional capabilities including event interception, coordinate transformation, and UI object management. This universality reduces integration complexity by providing a single, consistent mechanism for extending various applications rather than requiring application-specific integration code.
Solution Approach 2:
The extender module automatically performs coordinate transformations and position adjustments based on UI events it intercepts. When the target application's UI changes (such as window resizing or moving), the extender module self-adjusts the position and dimensions of attached UI objects without requiring manual intervention. This self-service capability reduces the complexity of maintaining synchronized UI extensions.
3Ease of operation
If the UI extension synchronously updates with the target application's UI changes, then the visual integration and user experience are improved, but the processing overhead and system resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The extender module implements event-driven periodic updates by listening for specific UI events from the target application. Rather than continuously monitoring and updating UI extensions, the module only processes updates when triggered by relevant events such as window resize, move, or focus changes. This event-based periodic action maintains visual integration quality while significantly reducing processing overhead compared to continuous synchronization.
Solution Approach 2:
The extender module creates lightweight copies or representations of the target application's UI state rather than maintaining full synchronization of all UI elements. It selectively replicates only the necessary information (such as window position and size) needed to maintain the appearance of attached UI objects, reducing the computational burden while preserving visual integration.
Data Source
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AI summary
Described embodiments enable generation of user interface (UI) extensions to a UI of a separate application. For example, a method may include receiving system notifications from the operating system indicating UI events associated with a UI state of the operating system. Responsive to a system notification for a target UI object or application, the method includes generating or updating a UI sub-state for the target application including target UI objects based on graphical properties of the target UI object as defined in the system notification. The method further includes generating a UI extension for a target UI object of the target application based on the graphical properties of the target UI object in the updated UI sub-state. The UI extension can be an overlay controlled by a separate process from the target application, and thus can be arbitrarily attached to the UI of the target application.