Customizable user interfaces

• US 6,564,170 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Halabieh, Abdul
• Primary Examiner(s): ASSOUAD, PATRICK J
• Application Number:
  US09/751,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 702/181, 702/186, 709/224, 709/223, 345/736, 345/737, 345/738, 345/733
• US Class Current: 702/181
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/88 Monitoring involving counting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

The invention describes a system and method which monitors user-selected events on a monitored computing environment for customizing a responsive user interface. The system records user actions into an event log and counts the number of occurrences of each individual event and the total number of events. A processing unit then calculates a first degree probability for each event. The number of events sharing the same first degree probability are then counted and used by processing unit to calculate the second degree probability for the events. The processing unit analyzes the first and second degree probability data to determine groups of correlated user-selected events. Based on these groupings, a user interface (UI) assembler selects interface modules from a UI module database, which correspond to the events in a particular group, to assemble a user interface customized to the user'"'"'s selected actions or events.

Claims

1. A system for customizing user interfaces based on user-selected events comprising:

an event log for tracking said user-selected events;

a processor for calculating;

a first degree probability of said user-selected events occurring; and

a second degree probability of said user-selected event, having a same first degree probability, occurring;

an analyzer for analyzing said second degree probability with respect to said first degree probability to determine divisions of said user-selected events having said same first degree probability; and

an interface assembler for assembling said user interface responsive to said divisions of said user-selected events.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said event log tracks said user-selected events while said user accesses an application monitored by said system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said processor calculates said first degree probability based on a frequency of said user-selected event occurring in relation to a corresponding total of substantially all events tracked by said event log.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said processor calculates said second degree probability based on a number of said user-selected events occurring, having said same first degree of probability, in relation to a corresponding total of substantially all user-selected events tracked by said event log.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a database of user interface modules corresponding to each potential user-selected event, wherein said interface assembler determines a combination of said modules using said user-selected events contained in said divisions.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said interface assembler selects said combination of modules corresponding to said divisions of user-selected events having a highest first degree probability in relation to other of said divisions.

7. A method for customizing user interfaces in a monitored computing environment comprising the steps of:

monitoring user actions in said monitored computing environment;

calculating a first degree probability of each of said user actions;

calculating a second degree probability of each of said user actions;

analyzing said second degree probability with respect to said first degree probability;

determining groups of user actions having a same first degree probability using said analyzed second degree probability;

assembling said user interface responsive to an immediate user action and said group of user actions in which said immediate user action is grouped.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said monitoring step comprises the steps of:

reading a click stream transmitted from a computer device used to access said computing environment;

counting a frequency of a single user action of said user actions; and

counting a number of substantially all monitored user actions in said monitored computing environment.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said calculating said first degree probability comprises the step of:

calculating a ratio of said determined frequency of single user actions to said number of substantially all monitored user actions.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said calculating said second degree probability comprises the steps of:

determining a number of said user actions which have said same first degree probability;

determining a number of substantially all monitored user actions in said monitored computing environment;

calculating a ratio of said number of said user actions, having said same first degree probability, to said number of substantially all monitored user actions.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said analyzing step comprises the step of plotting a graph of said second degree probability with respect to said first degree probability.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said determining groups step comprises the steps of:

reading data from said graph of said second degree probability with respect to said first degree probability; and

grouping said user actions displayed on said graph according to said same first degree probability.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein said assembling step comprises the steps of:

reading said immediate user action;

determining said group into which said immediate action is grouped;

constructing said user interface to provide said user choices for each of said user actions contained in said determined group.

14. A computer program product having a computer readable medium with computer program logic thereon for monitoring a computing environment and customizing user interfaces, said computer program product comprising:

code for storing events selected by a user accessing said monitored computing environment;

code for calculating a first degree probability of each of said stored events;

code for calculating a second degree probability of each of said stored events;

code for evaluating said second degree probability with respect to said first degree probability;

code for selecting groups of events having a same first degree probability;

code for building said user interface responsive to;

a triggering of one of said events; and

said group of events in which said triggered event is grouped.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein said code for storing comprises:

code for receiving a click stream transmitted from a computer device used to access said computing environment; and

code for placing events corresponding to said received click stream into a memory.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein said code for calculating said first degree probability comprises:

code for measuring a frequency of a single event;

code for measuring a number of substantially all stored events in said monitored computing environment; and

code for calculating a ratio of said measured frequency of said single events to said number of substantially all stored events.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein said code for calculating said second degree probability comprises:

code for measuring a number of said events having said same first degree probability;

code for measuring a number of substantially all recorded events in said monitored computing environment;

code for calculating a ratio of said number of said events, having said same first degree probability, to said number of substantially all stored events.

18. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein said code for evaluating comprises code for plotting a graph of said second degree probability with respect to said first degree probability.

19. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein said code for selecting groups comprises:

code for analyzing data from said graph of said second degree probability with respect to said first degree probability; and

code for grouping said events on said graph according to said same first degree probability.

20. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein said code for building comprises:

code for receiving said triggered event;

code for determining said group into which said triggered event is grouped;

code for constructing said user interface to provide said user choices for each of said events contained in said group;

code for maintaining a database of interface modules; and

code for relating each of said interface modules with each possible event, wherein said user interface is built using said interface modules related to each of said events contained in said group.