Environment modification using system and usage data

• US 8,005,729 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Clark, Jeremy, Kim, Ye-Jeong, Ulm, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart; Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAYLES, ASHFORD S
• Application Number:
  US11/394,447
• Time in Patent Office: 1,972 Days
• Field of Search: 705/30, 715/765, 455/557
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72472 wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs

Abstract

Environment modification using system and usage data is described, including receiving environmental data from one or more sources, the environmental data being associated with an environment, determining a change in the environmental data by comparing a current value for the environmental data to a mean value for the environmental data, the change being expressed as a delta value, and applying the delta value to the environmental data to evolve the environment.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

displaying, by an electronic device, a user interface for the electronic device, wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of graphical images that corresponds to a same visual theme, wherein the visual theme is user-selectable from a plurality of visual themes;

wherein one of the plurality of graphical images corresponds to usage data and includes a visual characteristic that indicates a current status of the usage data, wherein the usage data indicates transmissions to or transmissions from the electronic device, or types of applications used or launched on the electronic device by a user of the electronic device;

wherein another one of the plurality of graphical images corresponds to electronic device system data and includes a visual characteristic that indicates a current status of the electronic device system data;

receiving updated usage data and determining that the updated usage data meets a user-specific threshold;

in response to determining that the updated usage data meets the user-specific threshold, modifying the visual characteristic of said one of the plurality of graphical images corresponding to usage data to indicate a new status for the usage data that reflects the updated usage data;

receiving updated electronic device system data and determining a status change in the electronic device system data;

and

in response to determining the status change in the electronic device system data, modifying the visual characteristic of said other one of the plurality of graphical images corresponding to the electronic device system data to indicate a new status for the electronic device system data that reflects the updated electronic device system data;

wherein modifying the visual characteristic of said one of the plurality of graphical images and modifying the visual characteristic of said other one of the plurality of graphical images are displayed as changes in said same visual theme.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage data is associated with user behavior.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user behavior indicates a first call quantity, the first call quantity comprising calls made by a user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user behavior indicates a second call quantity, the second call quantity comprising calls received by a user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage data indicates a number of calls made by a user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage data indicates a number of messages received by a user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device system data indicates one or more characteristics associated with the electronic device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more characteristics comprises a battery level indication.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more characteristics further comprises a network condition.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more characteristics further comprises a communication signal strength.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more characteristics further comprises a memory storage capacity level.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage data indicates a number of messages sent by a user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying the visual characteristic of said one of the plurality of the graphical images corresponding to usage data comprises expanding the size of said one of the plurality of the graphical images to indicate an increase in usage.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of graphical images is an icon.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of graphical images is an avatar.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual theme is a landscape.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual theme is a cityscape.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual theme is an athletic arena.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual theme is an aquatic scene.

20. A method, comprising:

displaying, by an electronic device, a user interface for the electronic device, wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of graphical images that corresponds to a same visual theme, wherein the visual theme is user-selectable from a plurality of visual themes;

wherein one of the plurality of graphical images corresponds to usage data and includes a visual characteristic that indicates a current status of the usage data, wherein the usage data indicates transmissions to or transmissions from the electronic device, or types of applications used or launched on the electronic device by a user of the electronic device;

receiving updated usage data and determining that the updated usage data meets a user-specific threshold, wherein the updated usage data represents an increase in usage;

and

in response to determining that the updated usage data meets the user-specific threshold, modifying the visual characteristic of said one of the plurality of graphical images corresponding to usage data to indicate a new status for the usage data that reflects the updated usage data;

wherein modifying the visual characteristic of said one of the plurality of graphical images is displayed as a change in said same visual theme.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the increased usage data corresponds to an increase in a number of calls made by a user.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the increased usage data corresponds to an increase in the number of messages received by a user.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein said modifying the visual characteristic of said one of the plurality of the graphical images corresponding to usage data comprises enlarging the visual size of said one of the plurality of the graphical images to indicate the increase in usage.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein enlarging the visual size of the graphical image is specified by a user preference.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving updated electronic device system data and determining a status change in the electronic device system data;

and

in response to determining the status change in the electronic device system data, modifying the visual characteristic of said other one of the plurality of graphical images corresponding to the electronic device system data to indicate a new status for the electronic device system data that reflects the updated electronic device system data;

wherein modifying the visual characteristic of said other one of the plurality of graphical images is displayed as a change in said same visual theme.

26. A system, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the memory comprises program instructions executable by the processor to;

display, by an electronic device, a user interface for the electronic device, wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of graphical images that corresponds to a same visual theme, wherein the visual theme is user-selectable from a plurality of visual themes;

wherein one of the plurality of graphical images corresponds to usage data and includes a visual characteristic that indicates a current status of the usage data, wherein the usage data indicates transmissions to or transmissions from the electronic device, or types of applications used or launched on the electronic device by a user of the electronic device;

wherein another one of the plurality of graphical images corresponds to electronic device system data and includes a visual characteristic that indicates a current status of the electronic device system data;

receive updated usage data and determine that the updated usage data meets a user-specific threshold;

in response to determining that the updated usage data meets the user-specific threshold, modify the visual characteristic of said one of the plurality of graphical images corresponding to usage data to indicate a new status for the usage data that reflects the updated usage data;

receive updated electronic device system data and determine a status change in the electronic device system data;

and

in response to determining the status change in the electronic device system data, modify the visual characteristic of said other one of the plurality of graphical images corresponding to the electronic device system data to indicate a new status for the electronic device system data that reflects the updated electronic device system data;

wherein modifying the visual characteristic of said one of the plurality of graphical images and modifying the visual characteristic of said other one of the plurality of graphical images are displayed as changes in said same visual theme.

27. A system, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the memory comprises program instructions executable by the processor to;

display an environment which comprises a user interface for an electronic device, wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of graphical images which correspond to a visual theme, wherein, dependent on user preferences, at least two of the plurality of graphical images each correspond to respective data, wherein a visual characteristic of each one of the at least two graphical images indicates a current status of the respective, wherein at least one of the plurality of graphical images corresponds to user activity data which indicates cumulative user interaction with the electronic device, and wherein at least one of the plurality of graphical images corresponds to data for the electronic device;

receive input which indicates a change in status for the user activity data, wherein the change in status indicates an increase in user activity; and

in response to receiving the input, change the visual characteristic of the graphical image which corresponds to user activity data to indicate a new status for the user activity data, wherein said changing comprises enlarging the visual size of the graphical image to indicate the increase in user activity, wherein said changing is dependent on the user preferences.

28. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions executable to:

display, by an electronic device, a user interface for the electronic device, wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of graphical images that corresponds to a same visual theme, wherein the visual theme is user-selectable from a plurality of visual themes;

wherein one of the plurality of graphical images corresponds to usage data and includes a visual characteristic that indicates a current status of the usage data, wherein the usage data indicates transmissions to or transmissions from the electronic device, or types of applications used or launched on the electronic device by a user of the electronic device;

wherein another one of the plurality of graphical images corresponds to electronic device system data and includes a visual characteristic that indicates a current status of the electronic device system data;

receive updated usage data and determine that the updated usage data meets a user-specific threshold;

in response to determining that the updated usage data meets the user-specific threshold, modify the visual characteristic of said one of the plurality of graphical images corresponding to usage data to indicate a new status for the usage data that reflects the updated usage data;

receive updated electronic device system data and determine a status change in the electronic device system data;

and

in response to determining the status change in the electronic device system data, modify the visual characteristic of said other one of the plurality of graphical images corresponding to the electronic device system data to indicate a new status for the electronic device system data that reflects the updated electronic device system data;

wherein modifying the visual characteristic of said one of the plurality of graphical images and modifying the visual characteristic of said other one of the plurality of graphical images are displayed as changes in said same visual theme.

29. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions executable to

display, by an electronic device, a user interface for the electronic device, wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of graphical images that corresponds to a same visual theme, wherein the visual theme is user-selectable from a plurality of visual themes;

wherein one of the plurality of graphical images corresponds to usage data and includes a visual characteristic that indicates a current status of the usage data, wherein the usage data indicates transmissions to or transmissions from the electronic device, or types of applications used or launched on the electronic device by a user of the electronic device;

receive updated usage data and determine that the updated usage data meets a user-specific threshold, wherein the updated usage data represents an increase in usage;

and

in response to determining that the updated usage data meets the user-specific threshold, modify the visual characteristic of said one of the plurality of graphical images corresponding to usage data to indicate a new status for the usage data that reflects the updated usage data, wherein said modifying comprises enlarging the visual size of said one of the plurality of graphical images to indicate the increase in usage;

wherein modifying the visual characteristic of said one of the plurality of graphical images is displayed as a change in said same visual theme.