METHOD OF DRIVING AN INTERACTIVE SYSTEM AND USER INTERFACE SYSTEM

• US 20100138779A1
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Benien, Christian, Portele, Thomas, Marschiner, Jens Friedemann
• Granted Patent: US 8,689,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

The invention describes a method of driving an interactive system (1) comprising a user interface system (2) with an inherently sequential input/output modality (12) and comprising a plurality of applications (A1, A2, A3, . . . , An). In this method a first application (A1, A2, A3, . . . , An) is currently controlling the input/output modality (12) for performing an interaction with the user (U), wherein, at least for a certain period of time, a focus level is assigned to the first application (A1, A2, A3, An). The current interaction process of the first application (A1, A2, A3, . . . , An) is only terminated or paused and the control of the input/output modality (12) for performing an interaction is only transferred to a second application (A1, A2, A3, . . . , An) when an application-switching command (ASC) is received from the user (U) and according to the focus level of the first application (A1, A2, A3, . . . , An). Furthermore, an appropriate user interface system (2) with an inherently sequential input/output modality (12) and an interactive system (1) comprising such a user interface system (2) is described.

Claims

1. A method of driving an interactive system (1) comprising a user interface system (2) with an inherently sequential input/output modality (12) and comprising a plurality of applications (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n),

wherein a first application (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n) is currently controlling the inherently sequential input/output modality (12) for performing an interaction with the user (U),

wherein, at least for a certain period of time, a focus level is assigned to the first application (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n) and

wherein the current interaction process of the first application (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n) is only terminated or paused, and the control of the inherently sequential input/output modality (12) for performing an interaction is only transferred to a second application (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n) when an application-switching command (ASC) is received from the user (U) and according to the focus level of the first application (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n).

2. A method according to claim 1,

wherein a second application (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n), which is currently not interactive and which intends to perform an interaction with the user (U), sends a notification request to an interaction control unit (3), and

wherein the interaction control unit (3) issues a notification (N) to the user (U) according to the focus level of the first application (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n), which notification (N) is issued so that it is distinguishable from any output signals (OS) of the interaction of the first application (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n).

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein, if the current interaction is assigned to a first focus level, the interaction control unit (3) does not issue a notification (N) to the user (U) until a current interaction process of the first application (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n) is terminated or has reached a possible point of interruption.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein a current focus level of an interactive application (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n) is automatically determined.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the focus level is automatically determined based on information pertaining to the current interaction process.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the inherently sequential input/output modality (12) of the user interface is speech-based.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the notification (N) is issued using an optical signaling element (13).

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein, upon a request (NAR) by the user (U), an information (NI) is rendered by the user interface system (2) pertaining to the application (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n) which has issued the notification (N).

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the notification (N) is issued depending on the current user (U) of the interactive system (1).

10. A user interface system (2) with an inherently sequential input/output modality (12), which can be used by a plurality of applications (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n) of an interactive system (1), independently of each other, for interacting with a user (U) of the interactive system (1),

comprising

an assigning unit (5) for assigning, at least for a certain period of time, a focus level to a first, currently interactive application (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n), which is currently controlling the inherently sequential input/output modality (12) for interacting with the user (U),

a means (12, 4) for receiving an application-switching command from the user (U) and

an interaction control unit (3) which is realized in such a way that the current interaction process of the first application (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n) is only terminated or paused, and the control of the inherently sequential input/output modality (12) for performing an interaction is only transferred to a second application (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n) when an application-switching command (ASR) is received from the user (U), and according to the focus level of the first application (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n).

11. A user interface system according to claim 10, comprising

a means for receiving a notification request from a second application (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n), which is currently not interactive and which intends to perform an interaction with the user (U), and means (6, 13) for outputting a corresponding notification (N) to the user upon receiving a notification request, which notification is issued so that it is distinguishable from any output signals (OS) of the interaction of the first application (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n),

whereby the interaction control unit (3) is realized in such a way that a notification (N) to the user is issued according to the current focus level of the first application.

12. An interactive system (1), comprising a user interface system (2) according to claim 10 and comprising a plurality of applications (A₁, A₂, A₃, . . . , A_n) using, independently from each other, the inherently sequential input/output modality (12) for performing interactions with a user (U) of the interactive system (1).