USER INTERFACE UTILITY ACROSS SERVICE PROVIDERS

• US 20140157134A1
• Filed: 12/04/2012
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ilan Kleinberger
• Inventors: KLEINBERGER, Ilan
• Granted Patent: US 9,575,633 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail

Abstract

Providing a user interface utility across service providers includes determining an active service associated with a particular service provider from a plurality of predetermined related services associated with respective service providers stored in a memory. A utility corresponding to the plurality of predetermined related services is formatted for display on a display device, and a function selected in the utility for the active service associated with the particular service provider is executed. The function is common to each of the plurality of predetermined related services. The same utility is displayed for each of the plurality of predetermined related services associated with respective service providers, which are different from each other.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

formatting for display on a display device a utility corresponding to a plurality of predetermined related services associated with respective service providers;

determining an active service associated with a particular service provider from the plurality of predetermined related services stored in a memory;

receiving a selection of a function of the utility, wherein the function is common to each of the plurality of predetermined related services; and

executing the function of the utility in the active service associated with the particular service provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a selection of a function comprises receiving a voice command, sensing a touch, determining a location of an input device or an input device cursor on the display device, or determining an input device gesture or movement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the utility comprises a plurality of functions and at least one of the plurality of functions is common to each of the plurality of predetermined related services.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of functions are functions executed most frequently for the plurality of predetermined related services.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the same utility is displayed for each of the plurality of predetermined related services associated with respective service providers which are different from each other.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indicating a location of the function in the service, upon receipt of an input, that corresponds to the function of the utility.

7. A system, comprising:

a storage unit configured to store a plurality of predetermined related services associated with respective service providers;

a formatting unit configured to format for display on a display device a utility corresponding to the plurality of predetermined related services;

a receiver configured to receive a selection of the function in the utility, wherein the function is common to each of the plurality of predetermined related services;

a determination unit configured to determine an active service associated with a particular service provider from the plurality of predetermined related services associated with respective service providers; and

a function execution unit configured to execute the function of the utility in the active service associated with the particular service provider.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the receiver is configured to:

receive a voice command, sense a touch, determine a location of an input device or an input device cursor on the display device, or determine an input device gesture or movement.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the utility comprises a plurality of functions and at least one of the plurality of functions is common to each of the plurality of predetermined related services.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of functions are functions executed most frequently for the plurality of predetermined related services.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the same utility is displayed for each of the plurality of predetermined related services associated with respective service providers which are different from each other.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

an indicator configured to indicate a location of the function in the service, upon receipt of an input, that corresponds to the function of the utility.

13. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to format for display a utility corresponding to the plurality of predetermined related services;

computer readable program code configured to determine a selection of a function in the utility, wherein the function is common to each of the plurality of predetermined related services;

computer readable program code configured to determine an active service associated with a particular service provider from the plurality of predetermined related services associated with respective service providers;

computer readable program code configured to execute the function of the utility in the active service associated with the particular service provider.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the selection of the function is determined based on a voice command, a touch, a location of an input device or an input device cursor on the display device, or an input device gesture or movement.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the utility comprises a plurality of functions and at least one of the plurality of functions is common to each of the plurality of predetermined related services.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the plurality of functions are functions executed most frequently for the plurality of predetermined related services.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the same utility is displayed for each of the plurality of predetermined related services associated with respective service providers which are different from each other.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to indicate a location of the function in the service, upon receipt of an input, that corresponds to the function of the utility.