Automatic detection of user preferences for alternate user interface model

• US 10,168,855 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2016
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Baughman, Aaron K., Buchanan, David W., Farrell, Robert G., Kalyanpur, Aditya A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weber, Joy M
• Application Number:
  US15/134,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20160231874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method for automatic detection of user preferences for alternate user interface model includes operating a digital device with an active user interface model and receiving one or more input signals from a user of the digital device. The method includes comparing the one or more input signals with one or more latent user interface models and determining if one of the latent user interface models has a higher likelihood given the one or more input signals than the active user interface models. The method also includes responsively substituting the latent user interface with the highest likelihood given the one or more input signals for the active user interface model.

Claims

1. A method for automatic detection of user preferences for an alternate user interface model, the method comprising:

operating, by a processer, a digital device with an active user interface model, wherein the digital device includes a touchscreen that displays a user interface that comprises a layout, and wherein the active user interface model is a first mapping of input gestures to a first set of operations to be executed by a processor of the digital device in response;

receiving, repeatedly, a series of input gestures from a user of the digital device via the touchscreen, wherein the series of input gestures is received for at least a predetermined number of times over a predetermined duration;

determining a first likelihood ratio by comparing the series of input gestures with the first set of input gestures associated with the active user interface model;

determining a second likelihood ratio by comparing the series of input gestures with a second set of input gestures associated with a latent user interface model, wherein the latent user interface model is a second mapping of input gestures to a second set of operations to be executed by the processor of the digital device in response, the second set of operations being distinct from the first set of operations;

determining the higher likelihood ratio from the first likelihood ratio and the second likelihood ratio; and

substituting the latent user interface model for the active user interface model, in response to the second likelihood ratio being higher, wherein substituting the latent user interface model with the highest likelihood does not alter the layout of the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the latent user interface model is a plurality of latent user interface models, and the method further comprises, determining if one of the latent user interface models has a higher likelihood ratio than the first likelihood ratio of the active user interface models, wherein determining a likelihood ratio includes recognizing statistical properties of a sequence of user inputs that corresponds to one of the latent user interface models.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the user before substituting the latent user interface model with the highest likelihood given the series of input gestures for the active user interface model.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the series of input gestures are limited to input gestures received during a threshold time period.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising soliciting input from a user to determine an initial user interface model to be used as the active user interface model.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving one or more predictive signals for use in determining if the latent user interface model has a higher likelihood ratio given the series of input gestures than the active user interface model.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a user interface control options to the user in response to substituting the latent user interface model for the active user interface model.

8. A computer program product for automatic detection of user preferences for an alternate user interface model, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium for storing instructions for execution by a processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

operating a digital device with an active user interface model, wherein the digital device includes a touchscreen that displays a user interface that comprises a layout, and wherein the active user interface model is a first mapping of input gestures to a first set of operations to be executed by a processor of the digital device in response;

receiving a repeated series of input gestures from a user of the digital device via the touchscreen;

determining a first likelihood ratio by comparing the series of input gestures with the first set of input gestures associated with the active user interface model;

determining a second likelihood ratio by comparing the series of input gestures with a second set of input gesture associated with a latent user interface model, wherein the latent user interface model is a second mapping of input gestures to a second set of operations to be executed by the processor of the digital device in response, distinct from the first set of operations;

determining the higher likelihood ratio from the first likelihood ratio and the second likelihood ratio; and

substituting the latent user interface model for the active user interface model, in response to the second likelihood ratio being higher, wherein substituting the latent user interface model with the highest likelihood does not alter the layout of the user interface.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the latent user interface model is a plurality of latent user interface models, and the method further comprises, determining if one of the latent user interface models has a higher likelihood ratio than the first likelihood ratio of the active user interface models, wherein determining a likelihood ratio includes recognizing statistical properties of a sequence of user inputs that corresponds to one of the latent user interface models.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising notifying the user before substituting the latent user interface model with the highest likelihood given the series of input gestures for the active user interface model.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the series of input gestures are limited to input gestures received during a threshold time period.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising soliciting input from a user to determine an initial user interface model to be used as the active user interface model.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising receiving one or more predictive signals for use in determining if the latent user interface model has a higher likelihood ratio given the series of input gestures than the active user interface model.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising displaying a user interface control option after substituting the latent user interface model for the active user interface model.

15. An apparatus for automatic detection of user preferences for an alternate user interface model, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor communicably coupled with the memory, the processor configured to;

operate a user interface of a digital device with an active user interface model, wherein the digital device includes a touchscreen that displays a user interface that comprises a layout, and wherein the active user interface model is a first mapping of said user interface to a first set of operations to be executed by a processor of the digital device in response to input gestures from the user;

receive a repeated series of input gestures from a user of the digital device via the user interface;

calculate a correlation value between the series of input gestures with a latent user interface model wherein the latent user interface model is a second mapping of said user interface to a second set of operations to be executed by the processor of the digital device in response to the input gestures, the second set of operations being distinct from the first set of operations; and

substitute the active user interface model with the latent user interface model in response to the correlation value exceeding a threshold value, wherein substituting the latent user interface model maintains said layout of the user interface displayed on the touchscreen.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the threshold value is adjusted to a minimum value when the digital device has been dormant for a threshold time period.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to notify the user before substituting the active user interface model with the latent user interface model.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to solicit input from the user to determine an initial user interface model to be used as the active user interface model.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to display a user interface control option after substituting the latent user interface model for the active user interface model.