Reactive user interface control based on environmental sensing

• US 6,971,072 B1
• Filed: 05/13/1999
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stein, Mitchell Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MYLINH T
• Application Number:
  US09/311,432
• Time in Patent Office: 2,392 Days
• Field of Search: 345/700, 345/727, 345/764, 345/765, 345/866, 345/756, 715/700, 715/727, 715/764, 715/866, 715/756, 715/788, 715/800, 715/765, 382/276
• US Class Current: 715/866
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0261 in the context of movement of objects on the screen or movement of the observer relative to the screen

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for reactively controlling one or more user interfaces associated with a device based on sensed conditions in an environment associated with at least one of the user interfaces are provided. A method of controlling at least one user interface associated with a device includes sensing conditions in an environment which includes the at least one user interface of the device. Then, the method includes presenting data at the at least one user interface as a function of the sensed conditions. For example, the sensing step may include detecting a proximity of a user with respect to the user interface such that the presenting step includes presenting data at the user interface as a function of the detected proximity. The proximity of the user to the user interface may be measured as a distance value between the user and the user interface such that data is presented at the user interface in a different manner or mode based on the distance value. The methods and apparatus also provide for detecting the identity of the user.

Claims

1. A method of controlling at least one user interface associated with a device, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing conditions in an environment which includes the at least one user interface of the device;

presenting data at the at least one user interface, wherein presentation of the data varies between two or more presentation modes as a function of changes in the sensed conditions such that the presentation mode corresponds to the sensed condition in a manner which enhances the ability of a user to perceive the data;

wherein the sensing step includes detecting a proximity of a user with respect to the at least one user interface and the presenting step further includes presenting data as a function of the detected proximity of the user; and

wherein the sensing step further includes detecting an identity of the user in the environment based on at least one attribute associated with the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute is a biometric attribute.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein a second user interface of the device is an audio speaker.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting step further includes determining whether the user is one of two or more zones with respect to the at least one user interface and the presenting step further includes presenting the data in different modes depending on which zone the user is determined to be in.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one user interface is a visual display and the presenting step includes selecting different sizes for the presented data depending on which zone the user is determined to be in.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a second user interface is an audio speaker and the presenting step includes causing an audible representation of the data to be presented at the audio speaker depending on which zone the user is determined to be in.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute is a biometric attribute.

3. Apparatus for controlling at least one user interface associated with a device, the apparatus comprising:

at least one sensor which senses conditions in an environment that includes the at least one user of the device;

at least one processor coupled to the at least one sensor and operative to present data at the at least one user interface, wherein presentation of the data varies between two or more presentation modes as a function of changes in the sensed conditions such that the presentation mode corresponds to the sensed condition in a manner which enhances the ability of a user to perceive the data;

wherein the at least one sensor detects a proximity of a user with respect to the at least one user interface and the at least one processor presents data as a function of the detected proximity of the user;

wherein the at least one user interface is a visual display; and

wherein the at least one processor performs the sensing operation by detecting an identity of the user in the environment based on at least one attribute associated with the user.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one attribute is a biometric attribute.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a size associated with the presented data increases as a distance measure assigned to the detected proximity of the user increases.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a size associated with the presented data decreases as a distance measure assigned to the detected proximity of the user decreases.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein a size associated with the presented data decreases as a distance measure assigned to the detected proximity of the user decreases.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the formatting step further includes adjusting content detail assoiciated with the data presented on the visual display as a function of the detected proximity of the user.

14. Apparatus for controlling at least one user interface associated with a device, the apparatus comprising:

at least one sensor which senses conditions in an environment that includes the at least one user interface of the device; and

at least one processor coupled to the at least one sensor and operative to present data at the at least one user interface, wherein presentation of the data varies between two or more presentation modes as a function of changes in the sensed conditions such that the presentation mode corresponds to the sensed condition in a manner which enhances the ability of a user to perceive the data;

wherein the at least one sensor detects a proximity of a user with respect to the at least one user interface and the at least one processor presents data as a function of the detected proximity of the user;

wherein the at least one user interface is a visual display; and

wherein the at least one processor performs the sensing operation by detecting an identity of the user in the environment based on at least one attribute associated with the user.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one sensor detects a proximity of a user with respect to the at least one user interface and the at least one processor presents data as a function of the detected proximity of the user.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor performs the presentation operation by formatting the data on the visual display as a function of the detected proximity of the user.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor performs the formatting operation by sizing the data presented on the visual display as a function of the detected proximity of the user.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein a size associated with the presented data is increased by the at least one processor as a distance measure assigned to the detected proximity of the user increases.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein a size associated with the presented data is decreased by the at least one processor as a distance measure assigned to the detected proximity of the user decreases.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor performs the formatting operation by adjusting content detail associated with the data presented on the visual display as a function of the detected proximity of the user.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a second user interface of the device is an audio speaker.

22. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the at least one processor performs the presentation operation by causing an audible representation of the data to be presented at the audio speaker as a function of the detected proximity of the user.

23. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor performs the detection operation by determining whether the user is ine one of two or more zones with respect to the at least one user interface and the presentation operation by presenting the data in different modes depending on which zone the user is determined to be in.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one user interface is a visual display and the presentation operation includes selecting different sizes for the presented data depending on which zone the user is determined to be in.

25. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein a second user interface is an audio speaker and the presentation operation includes causing an audible representation of the data to be presented at the audio speaker depending on which zone the user is determined to be in.

26. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one attribute is a biometric attribute.