Apparatus, method, and computer program product for affecting an arrangement of selectable items

• US 8,312,373 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Nielsen, Peter Dam, Kraft, Christian, Bick, Andrew, Quainton, Simon, Steeves, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): LONG, ANDREA NATAE
• Application Number:
  US11/874,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• Field of Search: 715/702, 715/744
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus that includes a processing unit configured to monitor a quality of user performance in selecting one or more selectable items that are presented on a display. The processing unit is further configured to cause the one or more selectable items to be presented on the display in a modified arrangement based at least in part on the quality of user performance in respectively selecting the one or more selectable items. For example, the processing unit can be configured to cause the selectable items to be presented in a modified arrangement based at least in part on noted frequency of user error in respectively selecting the selectable items and/or on noted rate of user selection in respectively selecting the selectable items. Also provided are corresponding methods and computer program products.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, direct the apparatus at least to:

monitor a quality of user performance in selecting one or more selectable items that are presented on a display;

cause the one or more selectable items to be presented on the display in a modified arrangement based at least in part on the quality of user performance in respectively selecting the one or more selectable items; and

cause the one or more selectable items to be presented in the modified arrangement based at least in part on an identification of one or more applications being concurrently executed on the apparatus;

wherein monitoring the quality of user performance in selecting one or more selectable items that are presented on the display includes monitoring unsuccessful selection attempts that do not result in a selection of any selectable items.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus directed to cause the one or more selectable items to be presented on the display, the display being a touch screen;

wherein the apparatus being directed to monitor the quality of user performance includes being directed to monitor the quality of user performance in manually selecting the one or more selectable items from said touch screen; and

wherein the apparatus being directed to cause the one or more selectable items to be presented includes being directed to cause the one or more selectable items to be presented on the touch screen in a modified arrangement based at least in part on the quality of user performance in respectively manually selecting the one or more selectable items.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further directed to cause a size of at least one of the one or more selectable items to be modified based at least in part on the quality of user performance in selecting the at least one of the one or more selectable items.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the apparatus is further directed to:

cause a graphical display region to be displayed simultaneously with the one or more selectable items; and

cause a size of the graphical display region to be modified inversely with the size of the at least one of the one or more selectable items.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the apparatus is further directed to cause the sizes of the graphical display region and the at least one of the one or more selectable items to be adjusted within limits selected by a user.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further directed to cause the one or more selectable items to be presented in a modified arrangement based at least in part on noted frequency of user error in respectively selecting the one or more selectable items.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further directed to cause the one or more selectable items to be presented in a modified arrangement based at least in part on noted rate of user selection in respectively selecting the one or more selectable items.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further directed to cause the one or more selectable items to be presented in a modified arrangement based on the quality of user performance in respectively manually selecting the one or more selectable items and in a manner that is adjustable by the user.

9. A method comprising:

causing one or more selectable items to be displayed;

monitoring, by a processor, a quality of user performance in selecting the one or more selectable items;

causing automatic displaying of the one or more selectable items in a modified arrangement based at least in part on the quality of user performance in respectively selecting the one or more selectable items; and

causing the one or more selectable items to be presented in the modified arrangement based at least in part on an identification of one or more applications being concurrently executed;

wherein monitoring the quality of user performance in selecting one or more selectable items that are presented on the display includes monitoring unsuccessful selection attempts that do not result in a selection of any selectable items.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said causing automatic displaying of the one or more selectable items in the modified arrangement includes causing automatic displaying of the one or more selectable items in the modified arrangement based at least in part on noted frequency of user error in respectively selecting the one or more selectable items.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein said causing automatic displaying of the one or more selectable items in the modified arrangement includes causing automatic displaying of the one or more selectable items in the modified arrangement based at least in part on noted rate of user selection in respectively selecting the one or more selectable items.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions stored therein, the computer-readable instructions comprising:

first instructions for causing one or more selectable items to be displayed;

second instructions for monitoring a quality of user performance in selecting the one or more selectable items;

third instructions for causing automatic modifying of an arrangement of the one or more selectable items based at least in part on the quality of user performance in respectively manually selecting the one or more selectable items; and

fourth instructions for causing the one or more selectable items to be presented in the modified arrangement based at least in part on an identification of one or more applications being concurrently executed;

wherein said second instructions for monitoring a quality of user performance in selecting the one or more selectable items include instructions for monitoring unsuccessful selection attempts that do not result in a selection of any selectable items.

13. A computer program product according to claim 12, wherein said third instructions include instructions for causing automatic modifying of an arrangement of the one or more selectable items based at least in part on noted frequency of user error in respectively selecting the one or more selectable items.

14. A computer program product according to claim 12, wherein said third instructions include instructions for causing automatic modifying of an arrangement of the one or more selectable items based at least in part on noted rate of user selection in respectively selecting the one or more selectable items.

15. An apparatus comprising:

means for monitoring a quality of user performance in selecting one or more selectable items that are presented on a display;

means for causing the one or more selectable items to be presented on the display in a modified arrangement based at least in part on the quality of user performance in respectively selecting the one or more selectable items; and

means for causing the one or more selectable items to be presented in the modified arrangement based at least in part on an identification of one or more applications being concurrently executed;

wherein said means for monitoring the quality of user performance in selecting one or more selectable items that are presented on the display include means for monitoring unsuccessful selection attempts that do not result in a selection of any selectable items.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said means for causing the one or more selectable items to be presented includes means for causing the one or more selectable items to be presented in a modified arrangement based at least in part on noted frequency of user error in respectively selecting the one or more selectable items.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said means for causing the one or more selectable items to be presented includes means for causing the one or more selectable items to be presented in a modified arrangement based at least in part on noted rate of user selection in respectively selecting the one or more selectable items.