APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONVERTING USER INTERFACE

• US 20090064315A1
• Filed: 09/02/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Yong-Soo, HONG, Sang-Mo
• Granted Patent: US 10,469,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

An apparatus and a method are provided for automatically converting a user interface (UI). A Bluetooth-automatic authentication function is performed so as to automatically convert a current set UI to a stored UI corresponding to an authenticated Bluetooth terminal. In order to automatically convert UI of a terminal which is automatically authenticated in a short communication mode, at least one terminal ID for automatic authentication and UI configuration information corresponding to the terminal ID are set. When a terminal ID for automatic authentication is searched in a short distance communicating mode, a terminal corresponding to the searched terminal ID is automatically authenticated. The present UI configuration information corresponding to the automatically authenticated terminal is automatically applied to a current terminal UI, so that a current UI such as a main screen and a main menu category can be automatically converted to a preset UI corresponding to each authenticated Bluetooth terminal.

Claims

1. A method for automatically converting a user interface (UI) of a terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

setting at least one terminal ID for automatic authentication, and UI configuration information corresponding to the terminal ID;

automatically authenticating a terminal corresponding to the at least one terminal ID for automatic authentication when the at least one terminal ID is searched while a short distance communication mode is performed; and

converting an original UI to a preset UI corresponding to the automatically authenticated terminal in such a manner that the UI configuration information corresponding to the automatically authenticated terminal is automatically applied to the original UI.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the UI configuration information comprises main screen information or main menu category information.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a communicating connection with the automatically authenticated terminal is cut off for a predetermined time period after the UI conversion is performed; and

converting the preset UI to the original UI when the communicating connection with the automatically authenticated terminal is cut off.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the automatic authentication step automatically authenticates the terminal corresponding to the at least one searched terminal ID and notifies a user that the terminal has been automatically authenticated.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the automatic authentication step comprises:

searching the at least one terminal ID for automatic authentication when the short distance mode is performed;

determining whether at least two terminal IDs for automatic authentication are searched; and

automatically authenticating a terminal corresponding to a terminal ID when one preset terminal ID for automatic authentication is searched.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the step of determining whether at least two terminal IDs are searched comprises:

displaying at least two terminal IDs having UI configuration information on a screen, when at least two terminal IDs for automatic authentication are searched; and

automatically authenticating a terminal corresponding to one of the at least two terminal IDs, when the one terminal ID is selected from among the displayed at least two terminal IDs.

7. An apparatus for automatically converting user interface (UI) of a terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a memory unit for storing at least one terminal ID for automatic authentication, and UI configuration information corresponding to the at least one terminal ID; and

a controller, which automatically authenticates a terminal corresponding to the at least one terminal ID when the at least one terminal ID for automatic authentication is searched while short communication mode is performed, determines the UI configuration information corresponding to the automatically authenticated terminal through the memory unit, automatically applies the UI configuration information to a current terminal UI, and converts an original UI to a preset UI corresponding to the automatically authenticated terminal.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the UI configuration information comprises terminal main screen information and main menu category information.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controller determines whether a communicating connection with the automatically authenticated terminal for a predetermined period time is cut off after the UI conversion is performed, and converts the preset UI to the original UI, when the communication connection with the automatically authenticated terminal is cut off.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controller automatically authenticates the terminal corresponding to the at least one searched terminal ID and notifies the user that the terminal has been automatically authenticated.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controller searches the at least one terminal ID for automatic authentication while short distance communicating mode is performed, determining whether at least two terminal IDs for automatic authentication are searched, and automatically authenticates a terminal corresponding to one terminal ID, when one terminal ID for automatic authentication is searched.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a display unit displaying data; and

a key input unit including a plurality of keys, the key input unit outputting a key signal corresponding to an inputted key,

wherein the controller displays at least two terminal IDs having UI configuration information among the searched terminal IDs on the display unit when at least two terminal IDs are searched, and the controller automatically authenticates a terminal corresponding to a selected terminal ID when one of the at least two terminal IDs displayed is selected through the key input unit.