Wireless system having a dynamically configured multimodal user interface based on user preferences

• US 20040235463A1
• Filed: 05/19/2003
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Patel, Ashish Raojibhai
• Granted Patent: US 7,203,486 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A wireless system is provided for dynamically configuring a multimodal user interface based on user preferences to communicate with a local appliance. An appliance node is operably linked to the local appliance and configured to transmit interface format data of the local appliance for reception by the portable terminal when in the transmit vicinity of the appliance node. The portable terminal transmits an interface request therefrom in response to the reception of the interface format data. A server node is configured to receive the interface request from the portable terminal for identifying a user interface for use in interacting with the appliance. The server node transmits the identified user interface or the information for generating user interface to the portable terminal and the portable terminal presents the user interface or generates the user interface based on provided information to a user via a display of the portable terminal wherein the user may interact with the appliance in accordance with the identified user interface.

Claims

1. A wireless system for dynamically configuring a multimodal user interface at a portable terminal to communicate with a local appliance, comprising:

an appliance node operably linked to the local appliance and configured to transmit interface format data of the local appliance for reception by the portable terminal when in the vicinity of the appliance node, the portable terminal transmitting an interface request therefrom in response to the reception of the interface format data;

a server node configured to receive the interface request from the portable terminal for identifying a user interface or user preference based information for delivery to the portable terminal for use in interacting with the appliance, the server node transmitting the identified user interface or information for generating the user interface to the portable terminal and the portable terminal presenting the user interface or generating the user interface based on user preference based information to a user via a display of the portable terminal wherein the user may interact with the appliance in accordance with the identified user interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the identified user interface is configured at the portable terminal in accordance with predetermined user preferences.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable terminal presents the user with a selection screen of the display when in the vicinity of two or more appliances to allow the user to select one appliance of the two or more appliances transmitting an interface request.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable terminal further comprises:

a client manager for receiving and transmitting data between the portable terminal, the appliance node, and the server node.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the client manager provides user preferences to the server node for use in selecting the user interface.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a gateway node for receiving the transmitted format data from the portable terminal for providing the transmitted format data to the server node and for receiving the identified user interface from the server node for provision to the portable terminal.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the preference data stored at the portable terminal includes a preferred language of the user for presenting the user interface in the preferred language.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface data is transmit in accordance with the wireless fidelity (WI-FI) I.E.E.E. 802.11 standard.

9. A wireless system for dynamically configuring a multimodal user interface at a portable terminal to communicate with a local appliance, comprising:

an appliance node operably linked to the local appliance and configured to be receive a polling signal of the portable terminal when the portable terminal is in the vicinity of the appliance node, the local appliance being responsive to the polling signal for transmitting an identification signal to the portable terminal, the portable terminal transmitting an interface format data request therefrom in accordance with the identification signal;

a server node configured to receive the interface format data request from the portable terminal for identifying a user interface or user preference based information for delivery to the portable terminal for use in interacting with the appliance, the server node transmitting the identified user interface or information for generating the user interface to the portable terminal and the portable terminal presenting the user interface or generating the user interface based on user preference based information to a user via a display of the portable terminal wherein the user may interact with the appliance in accordance with the identified user interface.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the identified user interface is configured at the portable terminal in accordance with predetermined user preferences.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the portable terminal presents the user with a selection screen of the display when in the vicinity of two or more appliances to allow the user to select one appliance of the two or more appliances transmitting an interface request.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the portable terminal further comprises:

a client manager for receiving and transmitting data between the portable terminal, the appliance node, and the server node.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the client manager provides user preferences to the server node for use in selecting the user interface.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a gateway node for receiving the transmitted format data from the portable terminal for providing the transmitted format data to the server node and for receiving the identified user interface from the server node for provision to the portable terminal.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the preference data stored at the portable terminal includes a preferred language of the user for presenting the user interface in the preferred language.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the interface data is transmitted in accordance with the wireless fidelity (WI-FI) I.E.E.E. 802.11 standard.

17. A method of dynamically configuring a multimodal user interface at a portable terminal to communicate with a local appliance based upon user preferences, comprising the steps of:

transmitting interface format data from an appliance node operably linked to the local appliance;

receiving the interface format data at the portable terminal when in the vicinity of the appliance node;

transmitting an interface request from the portable terminal in response to the reception of the interface format data;

receiving the interface request from the portable terminal at a server node for identifying a user interface or user preference based information for delivery to the portable terminal for use in interacting with the appliance;

transmitting from the server node the identified user interface or information for generating the user interface to the portable terminal; and

presenting the user interface or generating the user interface based on user preference based information to a user via a display of the portable terminal wherein the user may interact with the appliance in accordance with the identified user interface.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of:

querying the user via the portable terminal to opt to transmit transaction data to the server node upon completion of interaction with the appliance.

19. A method of dynamically configuring a multimodal user interface at a portable terminal to communicate with a local appliance based upon user preferences, comprising the steps of:

receiving a polling signal of the portable terminal at an appliance node operably linked to the local appliance when the portable terminal is in the vicinity of the appliance node;

transmitting an identification signal to the portable terminal;

transmitting an interface format data request from the portable terminal in accordance with the identification signal;

receiving the interface format data request from the portable terminal at a server node for identifying a user interface or user preference based information for delivery to the portable terminal for use in interacting with the appliance;

transmitting the identified user interface or information for generating the user interface from the server node to the portable terminal; and

presenting the user interface to a user via a display of the portable terminal wherein the user may interact with the appliance in accordance with the identified user interface.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of:

querying the user via the portable terminal to opt to transmit transaction data to the server node upon completion of interaction with the appliance.

21. A computer readable carrier including computer program instructions that cause a computer to dynamically configure a multimodal user interface at a portable terminal to communicate with a local appliance, the method comprising steps of:

transmitting interface format data from an appliance node operably linked to the local appliance;

receiving the interface format data at the portable terminal when in the vicinity of the appliance node;

transmitting an interface request from the portable terminal in response to the reception of the interface format data;

receiving the interface request from the portable terminal at a server node for identifying a user interface or user preference based information for delivery to the portable terminal for use in interacting with the appliance;

transmitting from the server node the identified user interface or information that helps in generating the user interface to the portable terminal; and

presenting the user interface or generating the user interface based on user preference based information to a user via a display of the portable terminal wherein the user may interact with the appliance in accordance with the identified user interface.

22. A computer readable carrier including computer program instructions that cause a computer to dynamically configure a multimodal user interface at a portable terminal to communicate with a local appliance, the method comprising steps of:

receiving a polling signal of the portable terminal at an appliance node operably linked to the local appliance when the portable terminal is in the vicinity of the appliance node;

transmitting an identification signal to the portable terminal;

transmitting an interface format data request from the portable terminal in accordance with the identification signal;

receiving the interface format data request from the portable terminal at a server node for identifying a user interface or user preference based information for delivery to the portable terminal for use in interacting with the appliance;

transmitting the identified user interface or information for generating the user interface from the server node to the portable terminal; and

presenting the user interface or generating the user interface based on user preference based information to a user via a display of the portable terminal wherein the user may interact with the appliance in accordance with the identified user interface.