Prioritized user interface

• US 8,589,812 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pasquale, Theodore, Joseph, Kurt M., Mills, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUMAR, ANIL N
• Application Number:
  US11/926,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20080046830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,213 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72472 wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use

Abstract

Prioritized user interfaces are disclosed. A user interface may include a menu including a plurality of selectable items displayed in respective menu positions. A menu position of at least one of the plurality of selectable items is assigned based on a prioritization level of the at least one selectable item. The prioritization level is based at least partially on a selection metric for the at least one selectable item. The user interface may also include a menu locator indicating a location of a menu within a multi-level menu structure. The menu locator may include a first indicator of a position within a first level of the multi-level menu structure and a second indicator of a position within a second level of the multi-level menu structure.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage device, comprising instructions executable by logic to perform operations comprising:

displaying, at a mobile device, a graphical user interface with a menu that comprises;

a plurality of selectable items displayed in respective menu positions; and

a menu locator indicating a location of a menu within a multi-level menu structure, the menu locator including at least a first indicator and a second indicator, wherein the first indicator corresponds to a position within a first level of the multi-level menu structure, wherein the second indicator corresponds to a position within a second level of the multi-level menu structure, wherein the first indicator and the second indicator are displayed concurrently prior to selection of a particular selectable item within the second level of the multi-level menu structure;

in response to a selection of a first selectable item at the first level of the multi-level menu structure, updating the second indicator to indicate a first position within the second level of the multi-level menu structure corresponding to the first selectable item;

tracking at least one selection metric for at least one selectable item of the plurality of selectable items;

determining a prioritization level for the at least one selectable item, the prioritization level at least partially based on the at least one selection metric;

determining a modified menu position within the menu for the at least one selectable item based on a change in the prioritization level for the at least one selectable item; and

in response to detecting a restart of the electronic mobile device, updating the graphical user interface to present the at least one selectable item at the modified menu position in the menu.

2. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise modifying the graphical user interface to display one or more of a plurality of secondary selectable items in the menu in response to receiving data indicating selection of the at least one selectable item.

3. The computer-readable storage device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise tracking one or more second selection metrics for at least one of the plurality of secondary selectable items.

4. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise accessing a template with fields representing assignable menu positions, wherein at least one selectable item is displayed in the menu corresponding to a field within the template, and wherein at least one of the fields is a blank field that is not linked to the at least one selectable item.

5. The computer-readable storage device of claim 4, wherein the method operations further comprise linking the at least one selectable item at the modified menu position to a different field of the template.

6. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

modifying the graphical user interface to display one or more of a plurality of secondary selectable items in the menu in response to receiving data indicating selection of the at least one selectable item;

accessing a primary template having fields representing assignable menu positions, wherein the at least one selectable item is displayed in the menu corresponding to at least one of the fields within the template, the at least one of the fields additionally linked to a secondary template; and

accessing the secondary template having fields representing dependent menu positions linked to the respective secondary selectable items.

7. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise accessing a preset display template linking the plurality of selectable items to fixed menu positions in the menu.

8. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise modifying the graphical user interface to present a particular level of the multi-level menu structure according to a menu address received via input to the mobile device.

9. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the restart of the mobile device occurs when the mobile device is powered on after the mobile device has been powered off.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining the prioritization level for the at least one selectable item based on different weights assigned to each of a plurality of selection metrics for the at least one selectable item, wherein the plurality of selection metrics includes frequency of selection, timing of selection, preceding selection, following selection, or any combination thereof.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the menu locator includes a plurality of indicators, the plurality of indicators including the first indicator, the second indicator, and at least one additional indicator corresponding to a position within a third level of the multi-level menu structure, wherein the first indicator, the second indicator, and the at least one additional indicator third indicator are displayed concurrently prior to selection of a particular selectable item within the second level of the multi-level menu structure and prior to selection of a particular selectable item within the third level of the multi-level menu structure, and wherein each of the plurality of indicators represents a corresponding position within the multi-level menu structure as one of a letter and a numerical value.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise linking the at least one selectable item at the modified menu position to a different field of the template.

11. A device comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

displaying, at a mobile device, a graphical user interface with a menu that includes an available menu option displayed in a menu location, wherein the menu location is based on a first template that is associated with the menu, wherein the menu includes a menu locator indicating a location of the menu within a multi-level menu structure, the menu locator including at least a first indicator and a second indicator, wherein the first indicator corresponds to a position within a first level of the multi-level menu structure, wherein the second indicator corresponds to a position within a second level of the multi-level menu structure, wherein the first indicator and the second indicator are displayed concurrently prior to selection of a particular selected item within the second level of the multi-level menu structure, and wherein the menu location correspond to a location within the first level of the multi-level menu structure;

in response to a selection of an available menu option at the first level of the multi-level menu structure, updating the second indicator to indicate a first position within the second level of the multi-level menu structure corresponding to the available menu option;

tracking a selection metric for the available menu option;

determining a prioritization level for the available menu option based on the selection metric for the available menu option;

determining a modified menu location for the available menu option based on a change in the prioritization level for the available menu option using the selection metric, wherein the modified menu location for the available menu option is stored at a second template that is associated with the menu; and

in response to detecting a restart, updating the graphical user interface to present the available menu option based on the modified menu location stored within the second template.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the restart of the device occurs when the device is powered on after the device has been powered off.

13. A method comprising:

displaying, at a mobile device, a graphical user interface with a menu that comprises;

a plurality of selectable items displayed in respective menu positions; and

a menu locator indicating a location of the menu within a multi-level menu structure, the menu locator including at least a first indicator and a second indicator, wherein the first indicator corresponds to a position within a first level of the multi-level menu structure, wherein the second indicator corresponds to a position within a second level of the multi-level menu structure, wherein the first indicator and the second indicator are displayed concurrently prior to selection of a particular selectable item within the second level of the multi-level menu structure;

in response to a selection of a first selectable item at the first level of the multi-level menu structure, updating the second indicator to indicate a first position within the second level of the multi-level menu structure corresponding to the first selectable item;

tracking at least one selection metric for at least one selectable item of the plurality of selectable items;

determining a prioritization level for the at least one selectable item, the prioritization level at least partially based on the at least one selection metric;

determining a modified menu position within the menu for the at least one selectable item based on a change in the prioritization level for the at least one selectable item; and

in response to detecting a restart of the mobile device, updating the graphical user interface to present the at least one selectable item at the modified menu position in the menu.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the menu locator includes a third indicator corresponding to a position within a third level of the multi-level menu structure.