Method and system for mapping a virtual human machine interface for a mobile device

• US 8,495,494 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2008
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Roundtree, Brian, Russell, Jake Armstrong
• Primary Examiner(s): Belousov, Andrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Takele, Meseker
• Application Number:
  US12/102,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20080256447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,926 Days
• Field of Search: 715/705, 715/704, 709/217, 707/999.1
• US Class Current: 715/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A system and method for mapping input elements with actions performed by a mobile device is described. In some cases, the system creates an input map that is accessible by a generic guide script running on a mobile device. The guide script may access the input map in order to present tutorial information specific to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for use with a mobile device, the method comprising:

for multiple, different models of mobile devices

identifying a first hardware feature for a mobile device, the mobile device selected from the multiple, different models of mobile devices,

wherein the mobile device receives user input via the first hardware feature; and

determining that a guide script running on the mobile device provides instructions to a user of the mobile device for a first action;

associating, after the determining, the first hardware feature with the first action performed by the mobile device;

storing the association in a list stored locally on the mobile device,

wherein the list is accessed by the guide script, wherein the guide script that does not contain device specific information;

identifying a second hardware feature for the mobile device,

wherein the mobile device also receives user input via the second hardware feature; and

associating the second hardware feature with a second action performed by the mobile device; and

storing the association in the list stored locally on the mobile device;

wherein, for at least a first mobile device of the different models of mobile devices and a second mobile device of the different models of mobile devices, the association of the first hardware feature with the first action for the first mobile device differs from the association of the first hardware feature with the first action for the second mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to provide instructions related to the first action to a user;

retrieving the association between the first hardware feature and the first action performed by the mobile device; and

displaying instructions to the user based on the retrieved association, wherein the displayed instructions include information associated with the first action and information identifying the first hardware feature.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first action relates to transmitting information from the mobile device to another mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first action relates to performance of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first action relates to a non-calling feature of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hardware feature is a key on a keypad of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hardware feature is an input element displayed by a screen of the mobile device.

8. A system for presenting a tutorial to a user of a mobile device of a first model, the system comprising:

an input map component,

wherein the input map component determines that a script provides instructions to a user of the mobile device for the first action,

wherein the input map component includes one or more first data structures, created after the determining, that relate possible actions performed by the mobile device of the first model with corresponding user input elements that receive user input in order to perform the possible actions, such that the first data structures of the mobile device of the first model are different from one or more second data structures of a second mobile device of a model different from the first model, and

wherein the relations in the first data structures are different from the relations in the second data structures;

a tutorial component,

wherein the tutorial component is configured to execute the script stored on the mobile device of the first model that generates a tutorial for a user of the mobile device of the first model, and,

wherein the script is a generic guide script that can be used on multiple device models and is used to retrieve one or more of the possible actions from the input map component based at least in part of a current or previous state of the mobile device of the first model; and

a display component,

wherein the display component is configured to display the tutorial to the user, and,

wherein the displayed tutorial includes information associated with the retrieved one or more possible actions and information associated with the corresponding input elements.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the information associated with the corresponding element includes information visually identifying the corresponding input element.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the information associated with the retrieved one or more possible actions includes information instructing a user how to implement the one or more possible actions.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the data structure relates at least one action performed by the mobile device with corresponding coordinates of the input element that facilitates performance of the action.

12. An article of manufacture comprising a tangible computer-readable memory storing computer-executable code, wherein the computer-executable code, when executed by at least one computer, performs a method of:

for each of multiple, different models of mobile devices,

accepting at least one input element from one mobile device, selected from the multiple, different models of mobile devices;

identifying functions performed by the one mobile device model from the multiple, different models of mobile devices;

associating, after the determining, at least one input element, of multiple input elements for the one mobile device model, with performance of each of the identified functions in response to when the device would receive input from the user via the input element;

generating a correlation of the identified functions with the associated input elements of the one mobile device model,

wherein the correlation of the identified functions with the associated input elements of the one mobile device model differ from a correlation of the identified functions to other associated input elements for another of the multiple mobile device models; and

providing the generated correlation for storage within the multiple, different models of mobile devices,

wherein the correlation is accessible to the tutorial scripts, the tutorial scripts generic to the multiple, different models and configured to perform tutorials on mobile device models based at least in part on the generated correlations stored within the mobile device models.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12 wherein the correlation includes touchscreen coordinate information, touchscreen location information, or touchscreen gesture information to correlate of a sequence of movements performed on a touchscreen to actions performed by the mobile device.