Scalable User Interface

• US 20080313555A1
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Speicher, Ashley C., Bowra, Todd, Fang, Nicholas J., Prabhu, Sudhakar V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,082,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234363 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25825 involving client display capabilities, e.g. screen resolution of a mobile phone optimising the visualisation of content during browsing in the Internet G06F16/9577; processing of terminal status or physical abilities in wireless networks H04W8/22; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64769 for rate control flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server

Abstract

The scaling of a user interface according to network or device limitations is disclosed. One embodiment provides a method of scaling a user interface, comprising sending a user interface over a network to a networked device, detecting a performance limitation of the user interface in at least one of the network or the networked device, and scaling a parameter of the user interface in response to the detected limitation to improve the performance of the user interface. In this manner, a user interface may be scaled in response to limitations on performance and end-user experience can be improved.

Claims

1. A method of scaling a user interface, the method comprising:

sending a user interface over a network to a networked device;

detecting a performance limitation of the user interface caused by at least one of the network or the networked device; and

scaling a parameter of the user interface in response to the detected limitation to improve the performance of the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein scaling a parameter includes at least one of adjusting a color bit depth, an alpha channel, graphic resolution, an encoding scheme, and the level or fidelity of an animation displayed in the user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance limitation includes at least one of a network latency, a network throughput limitation, or a client bandwidth utilization limitation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein scaling a parameter involves adjusting the parameter during encoding of user interface data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein scaling a parameter involves adjusting the parameter by transrating user interface data that has been encoded.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically scaling a parameter of the user interface in response to the detected performance limitation or end of said limitation as network or device performance changes.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving detailed profiling data of performance limitations in the network or in the device; and

adjusting multiple parameters of the user interface in response to the detailed profiling data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein if the networked device is displaying user interface and audio/video data, the method further comprising:

determining if the user interface or the audio/video data is a secondary experience;

adjusting a parameter of the user interface if the user interface is the secondary experience; and

adjusting a parameter of the audio/video data if the audio/video data is the secondary experience.

9. A system comprising:

a network device including a user interface to access media;

a performance detection module configured to determine a performance limitation of the user interface caused by at least one of a network or the network device; and

a performance control module in communication with the network device and the performance detection module, the performance control module being configured to adjust a parameter of the user interface in response to a performance limitation detected by the performance detection module to improve the performance of the user interface.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the scaled parameter includes at least one of a color bit depth, an alpha channel, graphic resolution, an encoding scheme, and the level or fidelity of an animation displayed in the user interface.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the performance limitation includes at least one of a network latency, a network throughput limitation, or a client bandwidth utilization limitation.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the parameter of the user interface is adjusted during encoding of user interface data.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the parameter of the user interface is adjusted after the user interface data has been encoded.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the performance control module is configured to adjust a parameter of the user interface dynamically in response to the detected limitation or end of said limitation as network or device performance changes.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the performance control module is further configured to receive detailed profiling data of performance limitations in the network or in the device and adjust multiple parameters of the user interface in response to the detailed profiling data.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein if the networked device displays user interface and audio/video data, the performance module is further configured to determine if the user interface or the audio/video data is a secondary experience, to adjust a parameter of the user interface or the audio/video data if the user interface is the secondary experience, and to adjust a parameter of the audio/video data if the audio/video data is the secondary experience.

17. A computing device, comprising:

memory;

a processor; and

instructions stored in memory and executable by the processor to;

send a user interface over a network to a networked device,

receive a detected performance limitation of the user interface caused by at least one of the network or the networked device; and

scale a parameter of the user interface in response to the detected limitation to improve the performance of the user interface.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the scaled parameter includes at least one of a color bit depth, an alpha channel, graphic resolution, an encoding scheme, and the level or fidelity of an animation to be displayed in the user interface.

19. The computing device of claim 17, further comprising instructions to receive detailed profiling data of performance limitations in the network or in the device, and to adjust multiple parameters of the user interface in response to the detailed profiling data.

20. The computing device of claim 17, wherein if the networked device displays a user interface and audio/video data, the computing device further comprising instructions to determine if the user interface or the audio/video data is a secondary experience, to adjust a parameter of the user interface if the user interface is the secondary experience, and to adjust a parameter of the audio/video data if the audio/video data is the secondary experience.