Method for adaptive user interface in mobile devices

• US 8,731,610 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2006
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Appaji, Anuradha K.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US11/610,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20080146245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,715 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/557, 455/414.1, 701/400, 701/418, 701/500, 715/778, 715/764, 370/401, 340/539
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72472 wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/22 Traffic simulation tools or models
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A system and method for providing a zone-based user interface (UI) on a mobile device are provided. The method includes defining usage zones and associating at least one user interface with each one of the defined usage zones. When the mobile device is within one of the defined usage zones, displaying the associated user interface.

Claims

1. A method for providing a zone-based user interface (UI) on a mobile device, comprising:

defining usage zones;

associating at least one user interface with each one of the defined usage zones;

responsive to identifying the mobile device is within a defined zone of the defined usage zones, determining whether a user is actively using the mobile device;

responsive to identifying the mobile device is within the defined zone and determining that the user is not actively using the mobile device, automatically displaying the user interface associated with the defined zone;

responsive to identifying the mobile device is within the defined zone and determining that the user is actively using the mobile device, preventing display of the user interface associated with the defined zone, and at least one of;

manually selecting a location of at least one usage zone associated with a UI by entering at least one of map coordinates, a radius, a starting point, or an ending point; and

geographically traversing an area within the at least one usage zone, wherein the mobile device determines the boundary of the usage zone.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically determining a location of at least one zone by utilizing a sensing technique selected from the group consisting of triangulation, global positioning system (GPS), and satellite radar.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the UIs include access to applications, the applications are remotely executable and locally accessible.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one user interface is further defined as first and second user interfaces that provide access to different applications, and the first and second user interfaces are different interfaces selected from a group comprising a home user interface, an office user interface, or a commute user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein zones further comprises selecting a default UI that is activated when the mobile device is not within any of the defined usage zones.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

manually selecting a location of at least one usage zone associated with a UI by entering at least one of map coordinates, a radius, a starting and an ending point; and

activating the at least one usage zone by defining a starting and ending time period for which the at least one usage zone is valid, wherein the at least one usage zone includes a time aspect such that when the mobile device enters the usage zone, the time aspect determines whether the usage zone is active.

7. A mobile device comprising:

a display;

a processor; and

a memory configured to store data of a first user interface related to a first geographic area and a second user interface related to a second geographic area,

wherein the processor is configured to provide the first user interface to the display when the mobile device is in the first geographic area, to automatically provide the second user interface to the display in response to identifying that the mobile device moved to the second geographic area, to determine whether a user is actively using the mobile device, to prevent a transition from the first user interface to the second user interface in response to determining that the user is actively using the mobile device, and to promote a transition from the first user interface to the second user interface in response to identifying that the mobile device moves from the first geographic area to the second geographic area and determining that the user is not actively using the mobile device, and

wherein the user applications are remotely executable and locally accessible.

8. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the first and second user interfaces are different interfaces selected from a group comprising a home user interface, an office user interface, or a commute user interface.

9. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein determining whether a user is actively using the mobile device comprises determining whether the user is online or accessing an application.

10. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the first and second user interfaces enable access to applications and features of the mobile device, the applications and features related to the respective geographical areas.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the memory is configured to store data of a third user interface related to a third geographic area and wherein the first, second, and third geographic areas are different areas selected from a group comprising a home geographic area, an office geographic area, or a commute geographic area.

12. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the user applications are WebOS applications.

13. A system for adaptive user interface for a mobile device, comprising:

a storage device configured to store instructions that when processed by a processor promote;

defining usage zones,

associating at least one user interface (UI) with each one of the defined usage zones,

activating an override UI display flag if a user is actively using the mobile device;

responsive to identifying the mobile device is within a defined zone of the defined usage zones and the override UI display flag is not active, automatically displaying the user interface associated with the defined zone; and

responsive to determining the mobile device is within the defined zone and that the override UI display flag is active, preventing the display of the user interface associated with the defined zone; and

a handoff agent, such that when the mobile device is locally accessing an application executing on a first server servicing a first service area and the mobile device moves from the first to a second service area serviced by a second network server, the handoff agent is configured to promote a handoff of execution of the application from the first server to the second server to prevent disrupting the mobile device'"'"'s use of the application.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a telecommunications network, comprising:

a first network server servicing a first service area;

a second network server servicing a second service area;

a processor on the mobile device configured to execute the instructions to promote display of the at least one user interface on a display of the mobile device when the mobile device is within one of the defined usage zones.

15. The telecommunications network of claim 14, wherein the at least one user interface is further defined as a first and second user interfaces that provide access to different applications, the different applications executable on one or more of the plurality of network servers.

16. The telecommunications network of claim 15, wherein the first and second user interfaces are selected from a group consisting of a home user interface, an office user interface, and a commute user interface.

17. The telecommunications network of claim 16, wherein the defined usage zones include defined geographic areas comprising a home zone and an office zone.

18. The telecommunications network of claim 17, further comprising a third geographic zone defined as a commute zone.

19. The telecommunications network of claim 17, wherein the home zone comprises one of the different applications selected from a group consisting of home theater, office intranet, key office contacts, reminders and family schedule and the office zone comprises one of the different applications selected from the group consisting of email, office suite, family contacts, and emergency contacts.

20. The telecommunications network of claim 18, wherein the commute zone comprises one of the different applications selected from a group consisting of maps, weather, traffic, family schedule, family contacts, emergency contacts, and office intranet.