Abstract: A new peripheral architecture is provided that allows a UI document to be embedded into a peripheral. The UI document is sent to a portable media player when the peripheral is plugged into the portable media player. The portable media player interprets this UI document to allow a user to interact with the accessory. The peripheral does not interpret this UI document but it does respond to interactions with the portable media player as the portable media player interprets the documents in response to user interactions.

Abstract: A method for authoring a graphical user interface (GUI) includes providing a widget builder interface for editing a template widget and receiving user input of widget properties for the template widget. The widget properties including a widget type, one or more widget parameters, and one or more images. The method further includes saving the widget properties and the one or more images into a widget file conforming to a standard image file format.

Abstract: In an embedded system, for instance in a household appliance, in addition to the usual embedded microprocessor/microcontroller there is provided another processor which actually executes a user interface HTML document for accepting user input, for instance from a keypad and controlling the display device, for instance an LCD. The embedded microprocessor hosts the user interface document, responds to requests from the other processor, keeps track of changes in variables shared with the other processor, and executes the control device functionality. The other processor renders the graphical user interface to the display and interacts with the user by executing local functions to operate on the memory and i/o resources of the embedded processor as described by the user interface document served to it.