Method to enhance user interface and target applications based on context awareness

• US 20060107219A1
• Filed: 05/26/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baudino, Daniel A., Ahya, Deepak P.
• Application Number:
  US10/853,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20060107219A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/745
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548

Abstract

A method (100) to enhance user interface and target applications based on context awareness can include tracking (102) the number of times an event occurs during a given time, tracking (104) the time between user initiated events, generating (112) a pattern from the tracking steps, associating (113) the pattern with a user profile, and configuring (116) the user interface and the operation of an application based on the user profile. The tracking steps can track usage of the user interface at different times, dates, locations or in different environments or contexts as detected by changes in time of day, date, location, environmental input, user habit, or user application. The pattern can optionally be generated (114) dynamically corresponding with changes in the user profile. In this regard, the method can dynamically adapt (118) configurable options based on a detected change in context.

Claims

1. A method to enhance user interface and target applications based on context awareness, comprising the steps of:

tracking events initiated by a user on a device having a user interface and at least one application;

tracking the number of times an event occurs during a given time;

tracking the time between user initiated events;

generating a pattern from the tracking steps;

associating the pattern with a user profile; and

configuring the user interface and the operation of the at least one application based on the user profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of tracking usage of the user interface at different times, dates, and locations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the pattern occurs dynamically and the method further comprises the step of changing the user profile dynamically as the pattern changes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises the step of dynamically adapting configurable options on at least one among a main menu on a user interface, a sub-menu on a user interface, a menu for an application, and a sub-menu for an application based on a detected change in context.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the change in context is selected among a change in time of day, date, location, user biometric input, external environmental input, user habit, and user application and wherein the configurable options are selected among hot/soft keys, menus, shortcuts, and quick links.

6. A method of optimizing a user interface based on applications and environment, comprising the steps of:

tracking a user'"'"'s habits and a user'"'"'s environment;

generating a dynamic user profile based on the user'"'"'s habits and the user'"'"'s environment; and

dynamically identifying performance enhancements for use of the user interface and applications based on the dynamic user profile.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises the step of reducing accessibility of unused functions in at least one among the user interface and the applications.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises the step of reassigning resources to a preferred application based on the dynamic user profile.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of reassigning resources comprises the step of reassigning application memory for an application currently given priority by the dynamic user profile.

10. A dynamically enhanced user interface, comprising:

an event tracker;

a time tracker;

an environmental tracker; and

a user pattern profile generator receiving inputs from the event tracker, the time tracker and the environmental tracker and dynamically generating a user pattern profile in response to said inputs.

11. The user interface of claim 10, wherein the environmental tracker comprises at least one among a light sensor, a biometric sensor, a weather sensor, and a location sensor.

12. The user interface of claim 10, wherein the user interface further comprises a time of day tracker, wherein the user pattern profile generator further uses inputs from the time of day tracker to generate the user pattern profile.

13. The user interface of claim 10, wherein the user interface further comprises a configurable option manager that manages the presentation of the user interface in response to the user pattern profile generator.

14. The user interface of claim 13, wherein the user interface further comprises an application manager that manages the functions of an application in response to the user pattern profile generator.

15. The user interface of claim 13, wherein the configurable option manager comprises a soft/hot key manager that manages the display of soft/hot keys on a graphical user interface of the user interface.

16. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

tracking events initiated by a user on a device having a user interface and at least one application;

tracking the number of times an event occurs during a given time

tracking the time between user initiated events;

generating a pattern from the tracking steps; and

associating the pattern with a user profile.

17. The machine readable storage of claim 16, wherein the machine readable storage is further programmed to cause the machine to track usage of the user interface at different times, dates, and locations.

18. The machine readable storage of claim 16, wherein the machine readable storage is further programmed to cause the machine to dynamically generate the pattern and further programmed to change the user profile dynamically as the pattern changes.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 18, wherein the machine readable storage is further programmed to cause the machine to dynamically adapt hot/soft keys on at least one among a main menu on a user interface, a sub-menu on a user interface, a menu for an application, and a sub-menu for an application based on a detected change in context.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 19, wherein the machine readable storage is further programmed to cause the machine to determine the detected change in context by detecting a change among a change in time of day, date, location, user biometric input, external environmental input, user habit, and user application.