	US 7,466,315 B2
	Visual and scene graph interfaces
Joseph S. Beda, Seattle, Wash. (US); Gerhard A. Schneider, Seattle, Wash. (US); Kevin T. Gallo, Woodinville, Wash. (US); Adam M. Smith, Kirkland, Wash. (US); Eric Vandenberg, Seattle, Wash. (US); and Donald B. Curtis, Bellevue, Wash. (US)
Assigned to Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash. (US)
Filed on Oct. 23, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/693,673.
Application 10/693673 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/402268, filed on Mar. 27, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2004/0189645 A1, Sep. 30, 2004
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06T 11/20 (2006.01); G09G 5/00 (2006.01); G06F 3/00 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 345—440 [345/419; 719/328]

36 Claims

1. In a computing environment in which program code is received for one or more objects, a computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a function call corresponding to the program code in a high level graphics markup language at a visual application programming interface layer in a format which enables the function call to be placed directly to the application program interface layer, wherein the application programming interface layer includes a high-level composition and animation engine which further includes a caching data structure comprising a scene graph of hierarchically-arranged objects;

responding to the function call by causing data in the scene graph to be modified;

invoking a visual manager to traverse the scene graph and render at least one object to a rendering target; and

displaying the scene graph on a display.