Method, system and program product for customizing a user interface

• US 20050044508A1
• Filed: 08/21/2003
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stockton, Marcia L.
• Application Number:
  US10/645,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20050044508A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/811
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Method, system and program product for customizing a user interface. A group of users of the application can be defined. For each user in the group, a use count for one or more user interface elements is recorded. The recorded use counts can be used to calculate a use weight for the group of users, which is then used to modify the corresponding user interface element.

Claims

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

recording a use count for a user interface element for each user in a group of users;

obtaining a use weight for the user interface element based on the use counts for the group of users; and

modifying the user interface element for each user in the group of users based on the use weight.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining the group of users to include a plurality of users; and

associating a server with the group of users.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining the use count from each user at the server; and

resetting the use count for each user.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising requesting the use count from each user.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising obtaining the use weight from the server at each user.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising requesting the use weight from the server during initialization of the application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the use weight comprises one of:

a neutral value, a positive likelihood value, and a negative likelihood value.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the use weight comprises a byte.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the user interface element to incorporate use data.

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

defining a group of users to include a plurality of users;

associating a server with the group of users;

obtaining a use count for a user interface element for each user in the group of users at the server;

calculating a use weight for the user interface element based on the use counts for the group of users at the server; and

modifying the user interface element for each user in the group of users based on the use weight.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

recording the use count at a user device for each user;

communicating the use count from each user device to the server; and

communicating the use weight from the server to each user device.

12. A system for customizing a user interface, the system comprising:

a definition system for defining the group of users;

a communication system for obtaining a use count for a user interface element for each user in a group of users; and

a calculation system for calculating a use weight for the user interface element based on the use counts for the group of users.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a modification system for modifying the user interface element for each user in the group of users based on the use weight.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a recordation system for recording the use count for each user.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a configuration system for configuring the user interface element to incorporate use data.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the communication system further communicates the use weight to a user device for each user.

17. A program product stored on a recordable medium for customizing a user interface, which when executed comprises:

program code for defining the group of users;

program code for obtaining a use count for a user interface element for each user in a group of users; and

program code for calculating a use weight for the user interface element based on the use counts for the group of users.

18. The program product of claim 17, further comprising program code for modifying the user interface element for each user in the group of users based on the use weight.

19. The program product of claim 17, further comprising program code for recording the use count for each user.

20. The program product of claim 17, further comprising program code for configuring the user interface element to incorporate use data.