Customized user interface based on user profile information

• US 20040034646A1
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wassom, John Thurston Jr., Kimball, Jeffrey David, Dolan, Christina Ann Rank
• Granted Patent: US 7,353,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A user interface including one or more references to content is customized. Several user profiles are provided from which a user may be associated. Each user profile includes user profile information. The user profile associated with a user to whom a user interface will be provided is accessed. A user interface is configured for the user, based at least in part upon the user profile accessed as being associated with the user. Access to content is enabled based on user manipulation of the configured user interface.

Claims

1. A method of customizing a user interface, the method comprising:

providing several user profiles from which a user may be associated, each user profile comprising user profile information;

accessing the user profile associated with a user to whom a user interface will be provided;

configuring a user interface for the user based at least in part upon the user profile accessed as being associated with the user, the user interface including one or more references to content; and

enabling access to content based on user manipulation of the configured user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the user profile information comprises age.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the user profile information comprises a level of maturity.

4. The method of claim 3 in which the level of maturity comprises a child maturity level.

5. The method of claim 3 in which the level of maturity comprises a young teen maturity level.

6. The method of claim 3 in which the level of maturity comprises a mature teen maturity level.

7. The method of claim 3 in which the level of maturity comprises an adult maturity level.

8. The method of claim 3 in which the level of maturity is selected based upon configuration data associated with an identity of the user.

9. The method of claim 1 in which configuring the user interface comprises populating the user interface with pre-designated references to content based upon the user profile.

10. The method of claim 9 in which enabling access to content comprises blocking access to other than the pre-designated references.

11. The method of claim 1 in which configuring the user interface comprises automatically configuring the user interface.

12. The method of claim 1 in which configuring the user interface comprises configuring the user interface in response to a user action.

13. The method of claim 1 in which configuring the user interface comprises configuring the user interface in anticipation of user navigation to the user interface.

14. The method of claim 1 in which configuring the user interface comprises configuring the user interface in response to user navigation to the user interface.

15. The method of claim 1 in which enabling access to content comprises customizing a set of user interface controls displayed to the user.

16. The method of claim 1 in which enabling access to content comprises customizing a pointer associated with a user interface control.

17. The method of claim 16 in which the appearance of the user interface control is not changed.

18. The method of claim 1 in which the user profile information is supplied by a master user.

19. The method of claim 18 in which the user is the master user.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the user profile.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating the user profile.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising updating the user interface.

23. The method of claim 1 in which configuring a user interface comprises configuring a user interface by a host system and enabling access to content comprises enabling access to content by a host system.

24. The method of claim 1 in which configuring a user interface comprises converting a user interface control of a first user to a user interface control of a second user;

the first user being associated with a first user profile; and

the second user being associated with a second user profile.

25. A computer program for customizing a user interface, the computer program comprising:

a module to provide several user profiles from which a user may be associated, each user profile comprising user profile information;

a module to access the user profile associated with a user to whom a user interface will be provided;

a module to configure a user interface for the user based at least in part upon the user profile accessed as being associated with the user, the user interface including one or more references to content; and

a module to enable access to content based on user manipulation of the configured user interface.

26. The computer program of claim 25 in which the user profile information comprises age.

27. The computer program of claim 25 in which the user profile information comprises a level of maturity.

28. The computer program of claim 27 in which the level of maturity comprises at least one of a child maturity level, a young teen maturity level, a mature teen maturity level, and an adult maturity level.

29. The computer program of claim 27 in which the level of maturity is selected based upon configuration data associated with an identity of the user.

30. The computer program of claim 25 in which the module to configure the user interface comprises a module to populate the user interface with pre-designated references to content based upon the user profile.

31. The computer program of claim 30 in which the module to enable access to content comprises a module to block access to other than the pre-designated references.

32. The computer program of claim 25 in which the module to configure the user interface comprises a module to automatically configure the user interface.

33. The computer program of claim 25 in which the module to configure the user interface comprises a module to configure the user interface in anticipation of user navigation to the user interface.

34. The computer program of claim 25 in which the module to configure the user interface comprises a module to configure the user interface in response to user navigation to the user interface.

35. The computer program of claim 25 in which the module to enable access to content comprises a module to customize a set of user interface controls displayed to the user.

36. The computer program of claim 25 in which the module to enable access to content comprises a module to customize a pointer associated with a user interface control.

37. The computer program of claim 36 in which the appearance of the user interface control is not changed.

38. The computer program of claim 25 in which the user profile information is supplied by a master user.

39. The computer program of claim 38 in which the user is the master user.

40. The computer program of claim 25 further comprising a module to store the user profile.

41. The computer program of claim 25 further comprising a module to update the user profile.

42. The computer program of claim 41 further comprising a module to update the user interface.

43. The computer program of claim 25 in which the module to configure a user interface comprises a module to configure a user interface by a host system and the module to enable access to content comprises a module to enable access to content by a host system.

44. The computer program of claim 25 in which the module to configure a user interface comprises a module to convert a user interface control of a first user to a user interface control of a second user;

the first user being associated with a first user profile; and

the second user being associated with a second user profile.

45. A computer program for customizing a user interface, the computer program comprising:

a module to provide several attribute types from which a user may be associated;

a module to access an attribute type associated with a user to whom a user interface will be provided;

a module to render a first user interface, in which the first user interface is available for display to a first user having a first attribute type accessed as being associated with the first user; and

a module to render a second user interface, in which the second user interface is available for display to a second user having a second attribute type accessed as being associated with the second user.

46. The computer program of claim 45 in which the first attribute type is indicative of an adult maturity level.

47. The computer program of claim 45 in which the second attribute type is indicative of a child maturity level.

48. The computer program of claim 45 in which the child maturity level includes at least one of a mature teen, a teen, and a pre-teen.

49. A customized user interface comprising:

a first user interface available for display to a first user having a first attribute type, the first attribute type being one of several attribute types from which a user may be associated, the first attribute type being associated with the first user and being accessed to provide the user interface; and

a second user interface available for display to a second user having a second attribute type, the second attribute type being one of several attribute types from which a user may be associated, the second attribute type being associated with the second user and being accessed to provide the user interface.

50. The user interface of claim 49 in which the first attribute type is indicative of an adult maturity level.

51. The method of claim 49 in which the second attribute type is indicative of a child maturity level.

52. A method of customizing a user interface, the method comprising:

providing several user characteristics from which a user may be associated;

accessing a user characteristic associated with a user to whom a user interface will be provided;

providing a user interface based at least in part upon the user characteristic accessed as being associated with the user, in which the user interface comprises at least one control; and

enabling access to information or services based on the user characteristic.

53. The method of claim 52 in which the user characteristic comprises age.

54. The method of claim 52 in which the user characteristic comprises a level of maturity.

55. The method of claim 54 in which the level of maturity comprises a child maturity level.

56. The method of claim 54 in which the level of maturity comprises one of a young teen maturity level, a mature teen maturity level, and an adult maturity level.

57. The method of claim 54 in which the level of maturity is selected based upon configuration data associated with an identity of the user.

58. A computer program for customizing a user interface, the computer program comprising:

a module to provide several user characteristics from which a user may be associated;

a module to access a user characteristic associated with a user to whom a user interface will be provided;

a module to provide a user interface based at least in part upon the user characteristic accessed as being associated with the user, in which the user interface comprises at least one control; and

a module to enable access to information or services based on the user characteristic.

59. The computer program of claim 58 in which the user characteristic comprises age.

60. The computer program of claim 58 in which the user characteristic comprises a level of maturity.