Method and System for Customizing User Interface by Editing Multimedia Content

• US 20080214147A1
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SK Planet Co., Ltd. (SK Telecom Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jongbae, Kim, Hoojong
• Granted Patent: US 8,165,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and a system for customizing a user interface by editing multimedia content, in which, when a user customizes the user interface displayed on a mobile communication terminal according to the preference of the user, the user edits the multimedia content to be used for the user interface, and uses the edited multimedia content for the user interface.

Claims

1. A method for customizing a user interface by editing multimedia content, which customizes a user interface according to a preference of a user and changes the user interface by using a theme pack content, in a system including a wireless access network, a mobile communication network and a content-providing server,

the wireless access network being a ground-based infrastructure for wirelessly exchanging data with a mobile communication terminal based on a predetermined protocol, having handoff and radio resource management functions, and relaying the theme pack service in which the user interface of the mobile communication terminal is altered according to the preference of the user,

the mobile communication network being a set of communication equipment for providing voice telephone and data exchange services to a plurality of subscribers through a switching center, and relaying the theme pack service to the mobile communication terminal,

the content-providing server providing the mobile communication terminal with a theme pack content corresponding to multimedia content necessary for using the theme pack service, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) interworking with the content-providing server;

(b) generating the theme pack content selectively formed according to the preference of the user through the content-providing server;

(C) downloading the theme pack content; and

(d) changing the user interface by using the theme pack content.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step (b) includes the sub-steps of:

(b1) uploading the multimedia content stored in the mobile communication terminal for generation of the theme pack content;

(b2) editing the multimedia content provided in a finished product by a content provider according to the preference of the user, thereby generating the theme pack content.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step (d) includes the sub-steps of:

(d1) separating an original background screen image and an original menu configuration image from the user interface, and temporarily storing separated original background screen image and original menu configuration image in a virtual area of a program storage provided in the mobile communication terminal;

(d2) extracting an alteration background screen image from the theme pack content, overlapping the alteration background screen image with the original menu configuration image, and transparently processing an overlapping portion; and

(d3) applying ring tone and effect sound included in the theme pack content to the user interface.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the method, only an original menu configuration image is altered using the theme pack content without altering an original background screen image forming the user interface, or both the original background screen image and the original menu configuration image are altered using the theme pack content for display.

5. A system for customizing a user interface by editing multimedia content, which customizes a user interface according to a preference of a user and changes the user interface by using a theme pack content, in a system including a wireless access network and a mobile communication network,

the wireless access network being a ground-based infrastructure for wirelessly exchanging data with a mobile communication terminal based on a predetermined protocol, having handoff and radio resource management functions, and relaying the theme pack service in which the user interface of the mobile communication terminal can be altered according to the preference of the user,

the mobile communication network being a set of communication equipment for providing voice telephone and data exchange services to a plurality of subscribers through a switching center, and relaying the theme pack service to the mobile communication terminal,

the system including a content-providing server for providing the mobile communication terminal with a theme pack content corresponding to multimedia content necessary for using the theme pack service.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the theme pack content includes all or a part of a background screen image, ring tone, effect sound forming the user interface according to the preference of the user.

7. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein, when changing the user interface by using the theme pack content provided from the content-providing server, the mobile communication terminal employs a portion in which a background screen image overlaps with an original menu configuration image as a transparently processed dual structure, and generates the user interface.

8. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the content-providing server generates the theme pack content by using the multimedia content uploaded through a wired/wireless terminal accessible to an Internet, transmits the generated theme pack content to the mobile communication terminal, and causes the user interface to be altered according to the preference of the user.