User interface design and evaluation system and hand interaction based user interface design and evaluation system

• US 20060199167A1
• Filed: 12/05/2005
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kim, Yong Wan, Kim, Hyun Bin, Yang, Ung Yeon, Son, Wook Ho
• Granted Patent: US 7,464,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/365
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30

Abstract

A user interface design and evaluation system and a hand-interaction-based user interface design and evaluation system are provided. The user interface design and evaluation system includes: a user interface design unit, a human model interaction design unit, a user interface prototype simulation unit, a human model simulation unit, and a user interface evaluation unit. In order to develop a user interface in consideration of usability of a user, the system provides a usability evaluation feedback system performing optimization of an interface design based on a motion simulation of a body model and user interface model. Through this, an optimum interface design is derived and by reducing the initial usage difficulty of the new interface for a user, the user can easily use the new interface and work performance of the user can be enhanced. In addition, by supporting fast prototyping and evaluation in a new product development stage, efficient production of a product having a short life cycle can be actively implemented.

Claims

1. A user interface design and evaluation system based on interaction, comprising:

a user interface design unit designing a user interface object and a user interface, and providing a motion property to each unit object;

a user interface prototype simulation unit managing interaction information to be exchanged by an internal object of the user interface with the outside, and information related to usability evaluation, and performing simulation of the designed use interface;

a human model design unit designing a human model in relation to a human body to be evaluated for user interface usability, and authoring a motion characteristic model of the designed human model;

a human model simulation unit managing information at a time when the human model interacts with the user interface object, and performing simulation; and

a user interface usability evaluation unit managing contents-based input data that are the contents of a usability evaluation experiment using the generated user interface model and human model, and by using the simulated result of the user interface prototype and the simulated result of the human model, performing a usability evaluation experiment of the user interface prototype in relation to the human model and evaluating the usability of the designed user interface model.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface design unit supports design of an interface object, and by using an available input and output interface tool, designs a 2-dimensional and/or 3-dimensional user interface and provides a motion property to each of unit objects.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the user interface design unit simulates the motion of a designed user interface according to a predetermined method, and verifies a designed model.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface prototype simulation unit modifies shape information that is physical data of a user interface design;

manages interaction information to be exchanged by the internal object of the user interface with the outside, when an external object, including a human body, interacts with a user interface element object;

sets initial values of the interface in relation to usability evaluation;

provides reference information for changing the structure of the interface by receiving predetermined feedback data;

updates evaluation elements of internal elements of the interface; and

performs simulation by linking model data defined in the user interface design unit, the user interface shape information, the user interface interaction information, and the usability evaluation information of the user interface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the human model design unit supports design of a basic human body model of a human being by forming and displaying a human body with using graphic data;

designs a human body model for a user interface usability evaluation experiment;

authors a motion characteristic model of the human body model designed according to a human body anatomy and a movement analysis theory; and

simulates the motion of the designed human body model and verifies the designed model, by using motion data of a normal human body, or using motion data of a state in which predetermined constraints are added, or generating arbitrary motion data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the human model simulation unit changes, when necessary, the shape information of the human body model whose design is completed;

when interaction with a user interface object is performed, authors information which is to be received by the human body model and elements affecting a corresponding object;

sets initial values of the human body model in relation to usability evaluation;

updates internal parameters of a human body simulation model by receiving predetermined feedback data; and

performs simulation by linking model data defined in the human model design unit with human model shape information, human model interaction information and the human model usability evaluation information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface usability evaluation unit manages contents-based input data that are the contents of a usability evaluation experiment using the generated user interface model and human model;

divides the data selected from the input data into units appropriate to a usability evaluation experiment operation, and provides the divided data to the user interface prototype simulation unit;

evaluates usability, by processing a usability evaluation experiment using predetermined input data, the simulation result of the user interface prototype simulation unit, and the simulation result of the human model simulation unit; and

sets relations for exchanging interaction information designed in each simulation unit.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the user interface usability evaluation unit outputs to a user, the result of an optimum user interface design in relation to the human body model obtained by processing the resulting values of the evaluation result;

and

together with the optimized user interface design result, outputs moving pictures of a situation in which the user interface is used by the body model.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface prototype simulation unit exchanges predetermined feedback data information with the user interface usability evaluation unit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the human model simulation unit exchanges predetermined feedback data information with the user interface usability evaluation unit.

11. A user interface design and evaluation system based on hand interaction, comprising:

a hand model preparation unit designing human body anatomical parameters that are measuring criteria of a usability evaluation experiment, parameters related to an ergonomic analysis, internal constraints and external constraints, and providing motion characteristics to the shape of a designed model;

an input data preparation unit for evaluation experiment managing a database for evaluating usability of a user interface, and providing input data to be used in usability evaluation simulation, from the database;

a model preparation unit designing the external shape of an interface performing direct interaction with a user, and when an interaction with a user interface unit object by using the hand is performed, defining interaction information to be exchanged between two objects, changing the motion property value of the interface, and updating evaluation elements of the internal element of the interface; and

a usability evaluation simulation unit performing usability evaluation, including hand model and user interface simulation results, by using the resulting data from these units, and obtaining an optimum user interface design result.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a unit comparing the usability evaluation result of the usability evaluation simulation unit with a predetermined reference value,

wherein if the usability evaluation result is not greater than the reference value in the comparison unit, the usability evaluation result is transferred to the model preparation unit and the external shape of the user interface is designed again.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the input data preparation unit for evaluation experiment manages a database appropriate to a purpose of evaluating usability of a user interface, focused on a predetermined utilization scenario;

generates input information items by a method for selecting input data appropriate to an evaluation simulation from the database, or a method for generating a random numbers; and

provides the input data after dividing and/or combining input data so that the input data corresponds to a minimum interaction unit of a human model and a user interface model to be used in the usability evaluation simulation.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the model preparation unit designs the external shape of the interface directly performing an interaction with the user;

allows the property of the designed model in relation to an interaction unit object to be changed in a multi-dimensional area, including spatial and temporal properties, according to an object based design method;

defines the motion property of an interaction object, focusing on input and output;

sets shape information matching with a predetermined experiment criterion;

defines interaction information to be exchanged between objects when an interaction with a user interface unit object by using the hand is performed;

sets the initial values of an interface related to user interface usability evaluation;

changes interface motion property values; and

updates evaluation elements of internal elements of the interface.