Interactive-type user interface device having root scenario

• US 6,714,223 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2001
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Asami, Katsushi, Sasaki, Mikio
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US09/788,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20010032274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 345/854, 345/853, 345/778, 345/767, 345/727, 345/779, 345/841, 345/804, 345/771, 345/769, 715/501.1, 709/318, 709/329, 709/312, 701/200, 701/208, 701/211, 701/36, 701/48
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An interactive-type user interface device for a navigation system or the like in a car enables switching of application programs (APs) in the course of a single interaction with simple scenario descriptions for realizing interactive processing. A scenario for realizing interactive processing by a controller includes a root scenario and a plurality of AP scenario groups, each corresponding to a different AP. In each AP scenario group, only information for acquiring information needed by the respective AP is described. Processing for starting the APs and processing for loading the respective AP scenario groups are described together in the root scenario. Each AP scenario group includes an AP root scenario and multiple AP scenarios. Dialogue information relating to a predetermined topic for realizing interactive processing is described in each AP scenario, while information for branching to the AP scenarios is described in the AP root scenario.

Claims

1. An interactive-type user interface device for use with respect to a plurality of applications, the device comprising:

control means for acquiring information needed by the applications through an interaction with a user and sending the information to the applications, by executing interactive processing based on application scenario groups provided in one-to-one association with the applications, wherein;

a root scenario is provided separately from the application scenario groups for realizing application branch processing which selects and starts an application corresponding to inputted information and loads the application scenario group associated with that application;

the control means is capable of executing interactive processing based on another of the application scenario groups part-way through the interactive processing based on one of the application scenario groups, by executing application branch processing based on the root scenario;

each of the application scenario groups describes therein at least dialogue information made up of request information for making an input request requesting information needed by the respective application, expected input information expected to be inputted in response to the input request, and branch information corresponding to the expected input information;

the control means carries out, as the interactive processing, input request processing based on the request information, comparison processing which compares inputted information with the expected input information, and branch processing based on results of this comparison; and

the interactive processing is interrupted and application branch processing is executed based on the root scenario, when an application scenario group information is input part-way through interactive processing, the application scenario group information not among the expected input information.

2. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 1, wherein:

the control means re-executes the interrupted interactive processing and provides a prompt to re-input information, if an application corresponding to the inputted information cannot be selected in the application branch processing.

3. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 1, wherein:

the control means transfers the inputted information between the interactive processing and the application branch processing when necessary, and uses it in both types of processing.

4. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 1, wherein each of the application scenario groups includes:

application scenarios, each describing therein dialogue information relating to a predetermined topic and being for realizing unit interactive processing constituting a part of the interactive processing; and

an application root scenario for realizing interactive branch processing for branching the inputted information to unit interactive processing of the different application scenarios.

5. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 4, wherein:

the control means interrupts the unit interactive processing and executes the interactive branch processing based on the application root scenario, when an application scenario inputted information not among the expected input information of that application scenario is inputted part-way through the unit interactive processing.

6. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 5, wherein:

the control means executes application branch processing based on the root scenario, if branching corresponding to the inputted information is impossible on the basis of the interactive branch processing.

7. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 5, wherein:

the control means transfers the inputted information between the unit interactive processing and the interactive branch processing when necessary, and uses it in both types of processing.

8. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 1, wherein:

the control means is capable of executing the interrupted interactive processing after interrupting interactive processing based on an application scenario group to execute interactive processing based on another application scenario group, after finishing the interactive processing based on this other application scenario group.

9. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 8, wherein:

the control means provides an inquiry whether or not to execute the interrupted interactive processing and determines whether or not to execute the interrupted interactive processing on the basis of information inputted in response to the inquiry.

10. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 1, wherein:

the inputted information is capable of being inputted as an information set made up of multiple pieces of information; and

the control means can acquire the pieces of information in bloc in the interactive processing, when the inputted information is inputted as an information set.

11. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 10, wherein:

the control means divides the inputted information into operation request information indicating an operation of an application and accompanying information relating to the operation request information and first executes processing based on the operation request information, when the inputted information is inputted as an information set.

12. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 1, further comprising:

table storing means storing a classifying attribute table for classifying the inputted information,

wherein the control means acquires a classifying attribute corresponding to the inputted information on the basis of the table stored in the table storing means, and executes the comparison processing using the classifying attribute.

13. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 12, wherein:

the table storing means further stores a sub-classifying attribute table for differentiating pieces of operation request information belonging to the same classification; and

the control means acquires, when necessary, a sub-classifying attribute in addition to the classifying attribute of the operation request information, and executes the comparison processing using the classifying attribute and the sub-classifying attribute.

14. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the request information, the expected input information and the branch information constituting the dialogue information is capable of being described outside the respective application scenario group;

pointing information for pointing to the information described outside is described in the application scenario group; and

the control means loads the information described outside on the basis of the pointing information, and makes an input request or performs branching based on the expected input information.

15. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 14, wherein:

the request information, the expected input information or the branch information corresponding with the expected input information is capable of being described in the application scenario group in addition to the pointing information for pointing to information described outside; and

the control means makes an input request or performs branching based on the expected input information on the basis of information read out using the pointing information and information described in the application scenario group.

16. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 1, wherein:

the control means is capable of rewriting at least one of the request information, the expected input information and the branch information.

17. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 1, further comprising:

common data storing means for storing the inputted information,

wherein the control means stores the inputted information in the common data storing means and is capable of acquiring the inputted information by referring to the common data storing means in interactive processing based on another application scenario group.

18. An interactive-type user interface device for use with respect to a plurality of applications, the device comprising:

control means for acquiring information needed by the applications through an interaction and sending the information to the applications, by executing interactive processing based on application scenario groups provided in one-to-one association with the applications, wherein;

a root scenario is provided separately from the application scenario groups for realizing application branch processing which selects and starts an application corresponding to inputted information and loads the application scenario group associated with the started application;

the control means is capable of executing interactive processing based on another of the application scenario groups part-way through the interactive processing based on one of the application scenario groups, by executing application branch processing based on the root scenario;

each of the application scenario groups describes therein at least dialogue information made up of request information for making an input request requesting information needed by the respective application, expected input information expected to be inputted in response to the input request, and branch information corresponding to the expected input information;

the control means carries out, as the interactive processing, input request processing based on the request information, comparison processing which compares inputted information with the expected input information, and branch processing based on results of this comparison;

at least one of the request information, the expected input information and the branch information constituting the dialogue information is capable of being described outside the respective application scenario group;

pointing information for pointing to the information described outside is described in the application scenario group; and

the control means loads the information described outside on the basis of the pointing information, and makes an input request or performs branching based on the expected input information.

19. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 18, wherein:

the inputted information is capable of being inputted as an information set made up of multiple pieces of information, and

the control means can acquire the pieces of information in bloc in the interactive processing, when the inputted information is inputted as an information set.

20. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 18, further comprising:

table storing means storing a classifying attribute table for classifying the inputted information,

wherein the control means acquires a classifying attribute corresponding to the inputted information on the basis of the table stored in the table storing means, and executes the comparison processing using the classifying attribute.

21. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 18, wherein:

the request information, the expected input information or the branch information corresponding with the expected input information is capable of being described in the application scenario group in addition to the pointing information for pointing to information described outside; and

the control means makes an input request or performs branching based on the expected input information on the basis of information read out using the pointing information and information described in the application scenario group.

22. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 18, wherein:

the control means is capable of rewriting at least one of the request information, the expected input information and the branch information.

23. An interactive-type user interface device as in claim 18, further comprising:

common data storing means for storing the inputted information,

wherein the control means stores the inputted information in the common data storing means and is capable of acquiring the inputted information by referring to the common data storing means in interactive processing based on another application scenario group.