User interface overlay system

Abstract

A method and system for providing an overlay window for an application to display augmentation data over the user interface of the application is provided. An overlay system includes an overlay component and an engine component that interface with the application and a presentation manager used by the application to provide the application window. When the overlay system starts up, it initializes the overlay component and the engine component. The overlay component tracks the portion of the application that is currently visible and displays augmentation data in an overlay window over the application window. The engine component provides augmentation functionality that generates the augmentation data and generates the overlay window based on the augmentation data. When the visible portion of the application data changes, the overlay component requests the engine component to generate the overlay window for the currently visible application data.

1 . A computing device for providing an overlay window for an application, the application using a presentation manager for providing its user interface to a user, the user interface displaying data of the application, comprising:
 an overlay component that
 registers with the presentation manager to receive events of the user interface of the application; 
 registers with the application to receive events of the application; 
 tracks the data of the application that is currently visible on the user interface; and 
 when an event indicates a change in the data of the application that is currently visible, displays an overlay window to overlay the visible data of the application with overlay elements; and 
   an engine component that
 provides a mechanism through which augmentation data for the application is collected and stored separately from the data of the application; 
 receives requests from the overlay component to generate an overlay window with overlay elements; and 
 when a request is received from the overlay component, generates an overlay window with overlay elements derived from the augmentation data. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computing device of  claim 1  wherein the display of an overlay window includes requesting the engine component to generate an overlay window. 
     
     
         3 . The computing device of  claim 1  wherein the overlay component interacts with different engine components that provide different functionality for generating augmentation data. 
     
     
         4 . The computing device of  claim 1  wherein the engine component registers to receive events from the application and notifies the overlay component when an event of the application occurs. 
     
     
         5 . The computing device of  claim 1  wherein the overlay component registers to receive events relating to a window through which the application provides its user interface. 
     
     
         6 . The computing device of  claim 5  wherein the overlay component displays the overlay window using a layering feature of the presentation manager. 
     
     
         7 . The computing device of  claim 1  wherein the engine component provides a display object for each area of the user interface over which the overlay window is to overlay with an overlay element. 
     
     
         8 . The computing device of  claim 7  wherein the engine component provides to the overlay component a display object for each area of the user interface that is visible and that is to be overlaid with an overlay element. 
     
     
         9 . The computing device of  claim 8  wherein the overlay component invokes methods of the provided display objects to generate the overlay window. 
     
     
         10 . A method for providing an overlay window for an application, the application using a presentation manager for providing its user interface to a user, the user interface displaying data of the application, the method comprising:
 registering with the presentation manager to receive events of the user interface of the application;   registering with the application to receive events of the application;   tracking the data of the application that is currently visible on the user interface; and   when an event indicates a change in the data of the application that is currently visible,
 requesting an engine component to generate an overlay window with overlay elements of the engine component; and 
 displaying the generated overlay window to overlay the visible data of the application. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  including registering to receive events from the engine component, the events relating to the application. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein overlay elements are derived from augmentation data and the engine component stores augmentation data separately from the data of the application. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the requesting of the engine to generate an overlay window includes retrieving from the engine component references to display objects for areas of the user interface over which the overlay window is to overlay. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the requesting of the engine to generate an overlay window includes invoking a method of referenced display objects to generate overlay elements of the overlay window. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the overlay window is displayed using a layering feature of the presentation manager. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10  wherein at least some events of the presentation manager are received as a result of subclassing with a window of the user interface of the application. 
     
     
         17 . A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for controlling a computer to provide an overlay window for an application, the application using a presentation manager for providing its user interface to a user, the user interface displaying data of the application, by a method comprising:
 providing a user interface through which augmentation data for the application is collected and stored separately from the data of the application;   receiving from an overlay component a request to generate an overlay window when the presentation manager indicates that a different portion of the data of the application is now visible; and   when the request is received from the overlay component, generating an overlay window with an overlay element derived from the augmentation data,   wherein the overlay component displays the overlay window over the displayed data of the application.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17  wherein the overlay component determines that a different portion of the data of the application is now visible based on events from the presentation manager and the application. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17  including providing to the overlay component references to display objects for areas of the user interface over which the overlay window is to overlay so that the overlay component can invoke methods of the display objects to generate the overlay window. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17  including registering to receive events of the application and notifying the overlay component when an event occurs that should result in generation of a new overlay window. 
     
     
         21 . A method in a computing device for providing an overlay window for an application, the application using a presentation manager for providing its user interface to a user, the user interface displaying data of the application, the method comprising:
 registering with the presentation manager to receive events of the user interface of the application;   registering with the application to receive events of the application;   tracking the data of the application that is currently visible on the user interface of the application; and   when an event indicates a change in the data of the application that is currently visible,
 generating an overlay window based on augmentation data associated with the data of the application that is currently visible to augment the data of the application that is currently visible; and 
 displaying the generated overlay window to overlay and augment the data of the application that is currently visible 
   wherein when visibility of data of the application changes, the overlay window is regenerated and redisplayed so the currently visible data is augmented based on augmentation data associated with the currently visible data.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein augmentation data is stored separately from the data of the application. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the generating of the overlay window includes retrieving references to display objects for areas of the user interface over which the overlay window is to overlay. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein a method of the referenced display objects is invoked to generate portions of the overlay window. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the overlay window is displayed using a layering feature of the presentation manager. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21  wherein at least some events of the presentation manager are received as a result of subclassing with a window of the user interface of the application. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the overlay window includes an overlay element for receiving user input relating to the augmentation data.