System and methods for a run time configurable user interface controller

• US 10,248,438 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2009
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fluffy Spider Technologies Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Fluffy Spider Technologies Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nash, Brett S., Karp, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thatcher, Paul A
• Application Number:
  US12/561,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20110066962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,484 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions

Abstract

The present invention relates to interface control systems and methods, for use with consumer electronic devices. User Interfaces, which are normally predefined at the time of manufacture, are entirely specific to the appliance by virtue of the underlying kernel or operating system. The present system includes means for providing information to and receiving information from a user to establish control over the user interface. The means for providing and receiving the information may be controlled, at least in part, by an alterable database that is separate from both the operating system and applications. This allows the database to be changed without making any changes to the underlying operating system or applications. The alterable database may be in a script form, and may be configured by the user at any time during normal operation of the apparatus. The system may invoke or modify the information contained in the alterable database in response to stimuli external to the alterable database. The alterable database may also cause flags to be set. These flags may result in a limit to the operation of the apparatus, a limit to the operation of the applications, or an alteration of information referenced by the alterable database.

Claims

1. A method for reskinning a user interface of a consumer electronics device, the method comprising:

intercepting data between an application and input and output drivers within the consumer electronics device, wherein the input and output drivers control at least one of video, audio and tactile interfaces, and wherein the at least one interface includes a plurality of input key variables;

accessing a database for at least one key variable of the plurality of input key variables to determine a key type for the at least one key variable, wherein the key type is either a table or a function;

transforming the intercepted data by use of a set of configuration files, wherein the set of configuration files are alterable by a user and in response to a plurality of external source cues, wherein the plurality of external source cues include a limited power indicator, time, location and ringer alert style, and wherein the transforming includes applying a function to the intercepted data when the key type is a function, and when the key type is a table retrieving additional data from a second database that associates value tuples to the key and incorporating said additional data with the intercepted data; and

executing scripted user interface components using the set of configuration files and the external source cues to generate a uniquely customized interface, wherein the transformed intercepted data replaces objects presented in the interfaces with replaced objects responsive to the set of configuration files, wherein a subset of the replaced objects are consolidated into a single output that includes animations or stepwise alterations responsive to timers and I/O watching files causing at least one of the animations and alterations to move as time progresses, battery levels change and signal strength varies, and wherein the background is at least one of animated and altered to include moving objects based upon timers, and differing images displayed according to if unread messages or missed calls are present.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining if a transparency cue is present, wherein the transparency cue specifies that the data should remain unmodified, and if the transparency cue is present, then forwarding the data to its original destination.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining if a limited power indicator is present, wherein the limited power indicator is conditioned upon power level of the consumer electronics device, and if the limited power indicator is present, then;

modifying the data according to a limited theme, wherein the limited theme includes a plurality of programmable limited scripts, wherein the plurality of programmable limited scripts includes scripts for a high contrast color scheme and reduced screen illumination, and outputting the modified data to the original destination; and

else, if the limited power indicator is absent, modifying the data according to a preferred theme, wherein the preferred theme includes a plurality of programmable preferred scripts, and outputting the modified data to the original destination; and

wherein the preferred theme and the limited theme are stored within the database.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the configurable database is read by an interpreter.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the configurable database is compiled to bytecode.

6. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the configurable database incorporates both current and prior versions of the limited and preferred scripts, and wherein an error in the current version of one of the scripts causes reversion to the prior version of that script.

7. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the preferred and limited scripts include information that describes the format, layout or content of the modified data.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the preferred and limited scripts reference at least one of scaling, skewing, transformation, animation and alteration information.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising intercepting data between an operating system and the input and output drivers of the consumer electronics device.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the objects moving in the background are cloud images, animals and a sun, and wherein sky in the background coloration is altered according to time of day, and further wherein animated stars are displayed during night hours.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising monitoring ambient noise on a microphone of the consumer electronics device and modifying ringer volume and cadence responsive to the level of ambient noise and time of day.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving a tactile input from a user via at least one accelerometer of the tactile interface, with an acceleration signature matching a finger tapping the consumer electronics device, to acknowledge an event occurring on the consumer electronics device.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the executed scripted user interface components include receiving input of a number dialed by the user, displaying the number in a first size, decreasing the number from the first size to a second size responsive to a timer, and moving the second sized number in a number string for dialing.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transformed intercepted data includes non-uniform scaling of images, wherein the images are divided into nine discrete sections, and each section is scaled in size independently.

15. An apparatus for reskinning a user interface of a consumer electronics device, the apparatus comprising:

a microprocessor or series of microprocessors executing instructions which include;

intercepting data between an application and input and output drivers within the consumer electronics device, wherein the input and output drivers control at least one of video, audio and tactile interfaces, and wherein the at least one interface includes a plurality of input keys;

accessing a database for at least one key of the plurality of input keys to determine a key type for the at least one key, wherein the key type is either a table or a function, and wherein the key type is determined by a single bit flag;

transforming the intercepted data by use of a set of configuration files, wherein the set of configuration files are alterable by a user and in response to a plurality of external source cues, wherein the plurality of external source cues include a limited power indicator, time, location and ringer alert style, and wherein the transforming includes applying a function to the intercepted data when the key type is a function, and when the key type is a table retrieving additional data from a second database that associates value tuples to the key and incorporating said additional data with the intercepted data; and

executing scripted user interface components using the set of configuration files and the external source cues to generate a uniquely customized interface, wherein the transformed intercepted data replaces objects presented in the interfaces with replaced objects responsive to the set of configuration files, wherein a subset of the replaced objects are consolidated into a single output that includes animations or stepwise alterations responsive to timers and I/O watching files causing at least one of the animations and alterations to move as time progresses, battery levels change and signal strength varies, and wherein the background is at least one of animated and altered to include moving objects based upon timers, and differing images displayed according to if unread messages or missed calls are present.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions also include determining if a transparency cue is present, wherein the transparency cue specifies that the data should remain unmodified, and if the transparency cue is present, then forwarding the data to its original destination.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions further include:

determining if a limited power indicator is present, wherein the limited power indicator is conditioned upon power level of the consumer electronics device, and if the limited power indicator is present, then;

modifying the data according to a limited theme, wherein the limited theme includes a plurality of programmable limited scripts, wherein the plurality of programmable limited scripts includes scripts for a high contrast color scheme and reduced screen illumination, and outputting the modified data to the original destination; and

else, if the limited power indicator is absent, modifying the data according to a preferred theme, wherein the preferred theme includes a plurality of programmable preferred scripts, and outputting the modified data to the original destination; and

wherein the preferred theme and the limited theme are stored within the database.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the configurable database is read by an interpreter.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the configurable database is compiled to bytecode.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the configurable database incorporates both current and prior versions of the limited and preferred scripts, and wherein an error in the current version of one of the scripts causes reversion to the prior version of that script.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the preferred and limited scripts include information that describes the format, layout or content of the modified data.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the preferred and limited scripts reference at least one of scaling, skewing, transformation, animation and alteration information.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions also include intercepting data between an operating system and the input and output drivers of the consumer electronics device.