An Apple patent (number 2012013147) for a resolution independent user interface design has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. It relates generally to graphical user interface design and more particularly to a means for specifying a graphical user interface object in a procedural and largely display resolution independent manner.

Per the patent, graphical user interface material map objects are specified by a collection of attribute-value pairs, the collection of which comprises a complete description of the material map and may be used by a rendering engine to create a visual representation of the material map at any resolution.

That is, material map representations in accordance with the invention are resolution independent. Another benefit of representing material maps in accordance with the invention is that they may be encrypted to prevent unauthorized inspection or use.

Here's Apple's summary of the invention: "n one embodiment, the invention provides a method to represent a graphical user interface object's material map in a procedural and, therefore, resolution independent manner. The method includes receiving values for each of a plurality of attributes associated with a material map object, associating a value for each of the plurality of attributes, and storing the plurality of attributes and their associated values in a file. The file may be a "flat" file or a hierarchically-ordered file.

"The collection of attribute-value pairs comprise a complete description of the graphical user interface object's material map and may be used by a rendering module to create a visual representation of the material map at any number of resolutions. In addition, because material maps in accordance with the invention are represented procedurally, they may be encrypted to prevent unauthorized inspection or use. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that methods in accordance with the described invention may be embodied in programs, program modules or applications that may be stored in any media that is readable and executable by a computer system."

Mark Zimmer is the inventor.

Along the same line is patent number 20120128262 for representing high-resolution media content in a lower resolution system is disclosed. For a first portion of a high-resolution media content which is associated with a content boundary that does not align with an interval boundary of the lower resolution system, a new media content file that includes at least said first portion of the high-resolution media content is created.

The new media content file and a second file comprising at least a second portion of the original media content file, which second portion begins at a first interval boundary and ends at a second interval boundary of the lower resolution system, are provided to the lower resolution system. Aaron Eppolito is the inventor.