User experience adaptation

• US 10,031,556 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2012
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Panay, Panos C., Drasnin, Sharon, McCormack, Michael D., Inman, John E., Seixeiro, Steve, Reed, Anthony Christian, Groene, Ralf, Johnson, Jeffrey Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): BORROMEO, JUANITO C
• Application Number:
  US13/492,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20130332628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,237 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1669 Detachable keyboards

Abstract

User experience adaptation techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an apparatus includes a connection portion configured to be removably physically and communicatively with a computing device, a housing physically connected to the connection portion and providing an outer surface having one or more characteristics that are viewable by a user, and memory disposed within the housing and configured to communicate data to the computing device via the connection portion, the data usable by the computing device to dynamically adapt a user interface displayable by a display device of the computing device to mimic the one or more physical characteristics of the housing.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a connection portion configured to be removably physically and communicatively connected with a computing device;

a housing physically connected to the connection portion and providing an outer surface having one or more physical characteristics that are viewable by a user, the housing communicatively connected to the connection portion ; and

memory disposed within the housing and configured to communicate data to the computing device via the connection portion, the data directly identifying the one or more physical characteristics to enable the computing device to dynamically adapt a user interface displayable by a display device of the computing device to mimic the one or more physical characteristics of the housing described by the data.

2. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the data is sufficient by itself to be usable by the computing device to dynamically adapt the user interface.

3. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the connection portion is configured to be removably physically connected to the computing device through use of one or more magnets.

4. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the housing includes one or more input portions configured to communicate an input to the computing device via the connection portion.

5. An apparatus as described in claim 4, wherein the input device is configured as a keyboard or game controller.

6. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the housing includes a flexible outer surface having at least one color and the data is usable by the computing device to configure the user interface according to that color.

7. A method comprising:

receiving data directly describing a color of a peripheral device at a computing device from the peripheral device that is removably communicatively and physically attachable to the computing device, the peripheral device communicatively connected to the computing device; and

using the data, including the color, to adapt a user experience implemented in software of the computing device according to a location of the computing device.

8. A method as described in claim 7, wherein the adaptation of the user experience involves altering sounds that are output by the computing device.

9. A method as described in claim 7, wherein the adaptation of the user experience includes:

application of multiple layers of overlaid graphics over background colors of a user interface;

incorporation of a theme, logo, brand, slogan, advertisement, names or other visual patterns complimentary to a background color;

or

conveyance of a meaning, purpose or association to an end user that corresponds with one or more characteristics of a device that causes selection of the device by the end user over other devices having similar functionality but dissimilar characteristics.

10. A method as described in claim 9, wherein the application is performed for a user interface of an operating system to change a physical appearance based on the data.

11. A method as described in claim 7, wherein the peripheral device is an input device.

12. A method as described in claim 7, wherein the peripheral device is configured to be removably physically connected to the computing device using one or more magnets.

13. A method as described in claim 12, wherein the peripheral device includes a flexible hinge to enable at least a portion of the peripheral device to work as a cover for a display device of the computing device.

14. A method as described in claim 7, further comprising receiving an indication at the computing device that the peripheral device has been disconnected from the computing device, and responsive to the receiving, removing the adaptation of the user experience caused by the data.

15. A device comprising:

a connection portion configured to form a communicative coupling with a computing device; and

a portion that is secured to the connection portion containing memory having data directly identifying visual characteristics of the device, the data configured to be communicated through the connection portion to the computing device to enable the computing device to configure a display to continue the one or more visual characteristics of the device onto the display.

16. A device as described in claim 15, wherein the portion that is secured to the connection portion includes a flexible material that covers a plurality of pressure sensitive keys that are configured to provide inputs and the display is configured to continue one or more visual characteristics of the flexible material.

17. A device as described in claim 15, wherein the computing device is configured to cause the display to continue the one or more visual characteristics of the device that do not involve a display of a representation of the device.

18. A device as described in claim 16, wherein the computing device is configured to cause the display to continue the one or more visual characteristics of the device by displaying a graphic that is also formed on the flexible material.

19. A device as described in claim 18, wherein the graphic is a brand, logo, theme, slogan, or name.

20. A device as described in claim 15, wherein the data includes a description of the one or more visual characteristics.