Method and apparatus for improved graphical user interface having anthropomorphic characters

• US 5,886,697 A
• Filed: 03/07/1997
• Issued: 03/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Frank, Edward H., Clanton, Charles H. III, Warth, Chris, Palrang, Joseph M., Naughton, Patrick J., Gosling, James A., Sheridan, R. Michael, LaValle, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US08/813,675
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 345/348, 345/349, 345/350, 345/351, 345/977
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/25 Remote control device with display
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/26 Remote control device with touch screen display
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 : for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 : PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 : having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 : home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 : User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 : Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 : involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 : for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 : for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/43622 : Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 : for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 : End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/977 : Dynamic icon, e.g. animated or live action

Abstract

An intuitive graphical user interface is based upon a geographic map structure, and includes a system for controlling remote external electronic devices. In the defined graphical user interface, each space of the geographic map structure is rendered on a touch screen display as a graphic image of a geographic space. Within each space are colored cartoon-like icons called "objects" which can be selected and manipulated by the user. Certain objects, referred to as portals, transport the user from one space to another space when Selected. Other objects, referred to as buttons, perform associated actions or functions when Selected. The graphical user interface is displayed on a hand-held display device used to control remote devices. Each remote electronic device transmits a user interface program object that defines a graphical user interface to the display device. The hand-held display devices displays the graphical user interface associated with the remote device when a user selects an icon associated with the remote device on the display device'"'"'s touch screen display.

Claims

1. A computer system having a graphical user interface comprising:

a graphics display screen; and

a processor, including

a display element configured to display on the graphics display screen, an animated anthropomorphic graphic character that reacts in response to an occurrence of a data processing event,

a state element configured to convey state information regarding a state of the graphical user interface by changing a visual appearance of the anthropomorphic graphic character on the graphics display screen, and

an assist element configured to convey help information regarding a feature of the graphical user interface by displaying the anthropomorphic graphic character emulating an operation of said feature.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said state element includes

an appearance changing element configured to change the appearance of the anthropomorphic graphic character when said state information indicates that the graphical user interface is currently operating in a diagnostic mode.

3. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein said appearance changing element further includes

an appearance element for displaying the animated anthropomorphic graphic character in a doctor'"'"'s uniform when the graphical user interface is operating in the diagnostic mode.

4. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said state element includes

an appearance changing element configured to display the anthropomorphic graphic character in different clothing according to the state of the graphical user interface.

5. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said state element includes

an appearance changing element configured to display the anthropomorphic graphic character with different facial expressions.

6. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said state element includes

an appearance changing element configured to display the anthropomorphic graphic character with different props.

7. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said processor further includes

a background display element configured to depict on the graphics display screen

a plurality of regions representing storage locations for information, and

a graphics display element configured to depict a plurality of graphic objects representing functions performed by the processor on information in the regions, and

a control element configured to move the objects between the regions to apply the represented functions on the information in the regions.

8. The computer system according to claim 7, wherein said control element further includes

an auxiliary control element configured to display a briefcase symbolizing a selection of objects for movement between the regions.

9. A method for interacting with a user of a graphical user interface on a computer system having a graphics display screen and a processor, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying an anthropomorphic graphic character on the graphics display screen;

animating said anthropomorphic graphic character in response to an occurrence of an event in the computer system;

displaying said anthropomorphic graphic character emulating an operation of a feature of the graphical user interface; and

changing a visual appearance of said anthropomorphic graphic character to convey state information of the graphical user interface to the user.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said animating step further includes the substep of

causing an appendage of the anthropomorphic graphic character to make a waving motion in response to an occurrence of a high priority event.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said animating step further includes the substep of

producing sounds to notify said user of a high priority event.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein said animating step further includes the substep of

animating the anthropomorphic graphic character in response to a receipt of an electronic message.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein said visual appearance changing step further includes the substep of

displaying the anthropomorphic graphic character in a doctor'"'"'s uniform when the graphical user interface is operating in a diagnostic mode.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein said visual appearance changing step further includes the substep of

displaying the anthropomorphic graphic character in different clothing according to the state information of the graphical user interface.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein said visual appearance changing step further includes the substep of

displaying the anthropomorphic graphic character with different facial expressions.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein said visual appearance changing step further includes the substep of

displaying the anthropomorphic graphic character with different props.

17. The method according to claim 9, further including the steps of

displaying a plurality of background regions on the graphics display screen representing storage locations for information, and

displaying a plurality of graphic objects on the graphic display screen representing functions performed by the processor on information in the regions, and

moving the graphic objects between the regions to apply the represented functions on the information in the regions.