Input/Output Device, Input/Output Method, and Program

• US 20080005700A1
• Filed: 11/16/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Morikawa, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/841
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

An input/output device enables a system to adapt its operation to the user'"'"'s learning the system without interfering with what the user has already learned about operating the system. In an input/output device enabling a system to adapt to how frequently the user uses particular functions, a storage unit 12 accumulates information about the operations the user performs, a user learning evaluation unit 13 determines if the user has learned each function based on the input operation history accumulated by the storage unit 12, and a menu display position adjustment unit 14 leaves the menu display position unchanged for any function the user learning evaluation unit 13 determines the user has learned, and rearranges the menu display positions of only those functions the user learning evaluation unit 13 determines the user has not learned in descending order of the frequency of execution based on the input operation history stored by the storage unit 12.

Claims

1. An input/output device for selecting an item displayed on screen through a sequence of operations and then executing a function corresponding to the selected item, comprising:

an input means that is operated by a user;

a storage means for storing an input operation history of user operations input to the input means;

a display position adjusting means for adjusting the display positions of items based on the input operation history stored in the storage means;

an output means for outputting the items to the screen display positions adjusted by the display position adjusting means; and

a user learning evaluation means for determining if the user has learned the selection sequence for items selected by the user based on the input operation history stored in the storage means;

wherein the display position adjusting means prohibits changing the screen display position of items that the user learning evaluation means determines the user has learned, and adjusts the display position of items that the user learning evaluation means determines the user has not learned.

2. The input/output device described in claim 1, wherein the user learning evaluation means calculates from the input operation history stored in the storage means how many times the function of a selected item has been executed, determines that the user has learned any item for which the calculated function execution count is greater than or equal to a reference value, and determines that the user has not learned any item for which the calculated function execution count is less than the reference value.

3. The input/output device described in claim 1, wherein the user learning evaluation means calculates from the input operation history stored in the storage means the ratio that the function of a selected item has been executed, determines that the user has learned any item for which the calculated function execution ratio is greater than or equal to a reference value, and determines that the user has not learned any item for which the calculated function execution ratio is less than the reference value.

4. The input/output device described in claim 1, wherein the user learning evaluation means detects from the input operation history stored in the storage means the type of buttons used to execute a function, determines that the user has learned any item for which the detected buttons include a numeric button, and determines that the user has not learned any item for which the detected buttons include the enter button.

5. The input/output device described in claim 1, wherein the user learning evaluation means calculates an operating time interval from the input operation history stored in the storage means, determines that the user has learned any item for which the calculated operating time interval is less than a reference value, and determines that the user has not learned any item for which the operating time interval is greater than or equal to the reference value.

6. The input/output device described in claim 1, wherein the user learning evaluation means calculates a display screen switching interval from the input operation history stored in the storage means, determines that the user has learned any item for which the calculated display screen switching interval is less than a reference value, and determines that the user has not learned any item for which the display screen switching interval is greater than or equal to the reference value.

7. The input/output device described in claim 5, wherein the user learning evaluation means adjusts the reference value according to the length of a message displayed on screen.

8. The input/output device described in claim 1, wherein the user learning evaluation means detects where the user is looking, determines that the user has not learned any item the user selects by looking at the screen, and determines that the user has learned any item the user selects by not looking at the screen.

9. The input/output device described in claim 1, wherein the user learning evaluation means determines that the user has not learned items for which the user'"'"'s actions change when the screen display is changed, and determines that the user has learned items for which the user'"'"'s actions did not change.

10. The input/output device described in claim 1, wherein the display position adjusting means adjusts the display position of items that the user learning evaluation means determines the user has not learned by rearranging the display positions of the items in descending order of the frequency of execution based on the input operation history stored in the storage means.

11. An input/output method for selecting an item displayed on screen through a sequence of operations and then executing a function corresponding to the selected item, comprising steps of:

(a) a user performing an operation;

(b) accumulating an input operation history of user operations performed in step (a);

(c) determining for items selected by the user if the user has learned the selection sequence based on the input operation history stored in step (b);

(d) prohibiting changing the screen display position of items that step (c) determines the user has learned, and adjusting the display position of items that step (c) determines the user has not learned based on the input operation history stored in step (b); and

(e) outputting the items to the screen display positions adjusted in step (d).

12. A program for causing a computer to execute the input/output method described in claim 11.