Prior art

The patent US9235428, titled "User interface method and system for application programs implemented with component architectures," has a priority date of February 1, 1999. To identify the most relevant prior art for anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102, we examine the "Patent Citations" listed in the patent document, focusing on patents with a priority date before February 1, 1999.

Based on this analysis, the following prior art references are considered most relevant:

Most Relevant Prior Art for US9235428

1. US6038395A

   • Full Citation: US6038395A, "System and method for implementing proxy objects in a visual application builder framework"
   • Publication Date: March 14, 2000.
   • Priority Date: December 16, 1994.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a system that uses component proxy objects within a visual application builder framework. These proxy objects act as visual representations of real components and serve as intermediaries between the visual builder and the real components to facilitate application creation. The aim is to simplify the development process by abstracting the complexity of underlying components.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent potentially anticipates elements of independent claims 1 and 9 of US9235428, particularly concerning the "proxy" aspect. The "component proxy object" acting as a "visual representation" and an "intermediary" to a "visual builder" (which can be considered a type of renderer) aligns with the concept of the proxy in US9235428 appearing to the renderer as a single monolithic application and providing components for rendering. It addresses the abstraction of underlying components by a proxy for presentation in a GUI-building context. However, it does not explicitly detail a "workflow manager" or the proxy's specific role in determining whether to render a new layout or update a present layout during application execution in response to context changes, as comprehensively described in US9235428.

2. US6473407B1

   • Full Citation: US6473407B1, "Integrated proxy interface for web based alarm management tools"
   • Publication Date: October 29, 2002.
   • Priority Date: September 5, 1997.
   • Brief Description: This patent discloses an integrated proxy interface designed for web-based alarm management tools. It enables the consolidation and presentation of diverse alarm information from various sources through a unified web interface. The use of a "web-based" system and a "proxy interface" to abstract underlying data sources for a user interface is a key aspect.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is highly relevant to the "renderer" being a DHTML browser (as described in US9235428's detailed description) and the "proxy" providing components. The "integrated proxy interface" presenting unified information from various "alarm sources" (analogous to components) to a "web-based client" (analogous to a DHTML renderer) could anticipate the proxy's function of appearing monolithic to the renderer and providing components necessary for rendering. It addresses both the proxy concept and its application within a web-based UI context. Similar to US6038395A, the explicit mechanisms for a "workflow manager" or detailed determination of "new layout" versus "updating present layout" based on application context are not as clearly articulated from the provided abstract and title for direct anticipation of those specific claim elements. However, the core system architecture for a web-based, proxy-driven component GUI is strongly suggested for claims 1 and 9.

3. US6385661B1

   • Full Citation: US6385661B1, "System and method for dynamic generation of remote proxies"
   • Publication Date: May 7, 2002.
   • Priority Date: October 19, 1998.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method for dynamically generating proxy objects for remote components or objects, particularly in distributed computing environments. Dynamic generation allows for flexible adaptation and interaction with objects across a network.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent directly addresses the "dynamic" nature of proxies in a component architecture, which is foundational to the flexibility of the proxy in US9235428. It potentially anticipates elements of claims 1 and 9 related to the "proxy" providing components, especially when those components are distributed or their availability changes. The ability to dynamically generate proxies supports the idea of the proxy adapting to and providing different sets of components for rendering. While it focuses on the proxy generation mechanism rather than the specific UI rendering or workflow management, the dynamic component provision aspect is relevant.

Note: Other cited patents with priority dates after February 1, 1999 (e.g., US7512896B2, US6766333B1, US7711984B2) cannot serve as anticipatory prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102 for US9235428. Additionally, US7117446B2 and US20020167543A1 are family members of US9235428 and thus not considered prior art for anticipation.