Method for Adaptive User Interface in Mobile Devices

• US 20080146245A1
• Filed: 12/13/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Appaji, Anuradha K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,731,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72472 wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/22 Traffic simulation tools or models
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A system and method for providing a zone-based user interface (UI) on a mobile device are provided. The method includes defining usage zones and associating at least one user interface with each one of the defined usage zones. When the mobile device is within one of the defined usage zones, displaying the associated user interface.

Claims

1. A method for providing a zone-based user interface (UI) on a mobile device, comprising:

defining usage zones;

associating at least one user interface with each one of the defined usage zones; and

when the mobile device is within one of the defined usage zones, displaying the associated user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically determining a location of at least one zone by utilizing a sensing technique selected from the group consisting of triangulation, global positioning system (GPS), and satellite radar.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the UIs include access to applications, the applications are remotely executable and locally accessible.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

manually selecting a location of at least one usage zone associated with a UI by entering at least one of map coordinates, a radius, a starting and an ending point; and

geographically traversing an area within the at least one usage zone, wherein the mobile device determines the boundary of the usage zone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein zones further comprises selecting a default UI that is activated when the mobile device is not within any of the defined usage zones.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

manually selecting a location of at least one usage zone associated with a UI by entering at least one of map coordinates, a radius, a starting and an ending point; and

activating the at least one usage zone by defining a starting and ending time period for which the at least one usage zone is valid, wherein the at least one usage zone includes a time aspect such that when the handset enters the usage zone, the time aspect determines whether the usage zone is active.

7. A handset comprising:

a display;

a processor;

a memory;

a first user interface related to a first geographic area; and

a second user interface related to a second geographic area, wherein the processor is programmed to provide the first user interface to the display when the handset is in the first geographic area, and responsive to the handset moving to the second geographic area, the processor programmed to provide the second user interface to the display.

8. The handset of claim 7, the processor further programmed to:

determining whether a user is actively using the handset;

preventing a transition from the first user interface to the second user interface to prevent user disruption, if the user is actively using the handset; and

promoting a transition from the first user interface to the second user interface when the handset moves from the first geographic area to the second geographic area, if the user is not actively using the handset.

9. The handset of claim 8, wherein determining whether a user is actively using the handset comprises determining whether the user is online or accessing an application.

10. The handset of claim 7, wherein the first and second user interfaces enable access to applications and features of the handset, the applications and features related to the geographical area.

11. The handset of claim 10, wherein the user applications are remotely executable and locally accessible.

12. The handset of claim 11, wherein the user applications are WebOS applications.

13. A system for adaptive user interface for a mobile device, comprising:

a storage device to store instructions that when processed by a processor promote;

defining usage zones,

associating at least one user interface with each one of the defined usage zones, and

when the mobile device is within one of the defined usage zones, displaying the corresponding user interface.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a telecommunications network, comprising:

a first network server servicing a first service area;

a second network server servicing a second service area;

a processor on the mobile handset to execute the instructions to display the at least one user interface on a display of the mobile handset when the mobile handset is within one of the defined usage zones; and

a handoff agent, such that when the mobile device is locally accessing an application executing on the first server and the mobile device moves from the first to the second service area, the handoff agent promotes a handoff of execution of the application from the first server to the second server to prevent disrupting the mobile device'"'"'s use of the application.

15. The telecommunications network of claim 14, wherein the at least one user interface is further defined as a first and second user interfaces that provide access to different applications, the different applications executable on one or more of the plurality of network servers.

16. The telecommunications network of claim 15, wherein the first and second user interfaces is one selected from a group consisting of a home user interface, an office user interface, and a commute user interface.

17. The telecommunications network of claim 16, wherein the geographic zones include a home zone and an office zone.

18. The telecommunications network of claim 17, further comprising a third geographic zone defined as a commute zone.

19. The telecommunications network of claim 17, wherein the home zone comprises one of the different applications selected from a group consisting of home theater, office intranet, key office contacts, reminders and family schedule and the office zone comprises one of the different applications selected from the group consisting of email, office suite, family contacts, and emergency contacts.

20. The telecommunications network of claim 18, wherein the commute zone comprises one of the different applications selected from a group consisting of maps, weather, traffic, family schedule, family contacts, emergency contacts, and office intranet.