Controls and indicators with on-screen cognitive aids

• US 8,739,035 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2006
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Trethewey, Jim
• Primary Examiner(s): Pesin, Boris
• Assistant Examiner(s): GREENE, SABRINA LETICIA
• Application Number:
  US11/545,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20080092043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,785 Days
• Field of Search: 715/705, 715/710, 715/711, 715/714, 715/734, 715/736, 715/764, 715/772
• US Class Current: 715/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The invention relates to an applet for a mobile computing device, comprising an element to detect user input and perform appropriate associated actions, and to provide a cognitive aid for users of the mobile computing device. The invention also relates to a method for controlling operation of a mobile computing device, comprising detecting user input and performing appropriate associated actions and providing a cognitive aid for users of the mobile computing device. The invention further relates to a cognitive aid for a mobile computing device having a display screen, the cognitive aid being displayed on the display screen and including an on-screen and/or an audio tip, and being associated with an input vehicle of the mobile computing device. The cognitive aid provides relevant information to the user regarding the input vehicle. The invention still further relates to a method for assisting users of a mobile computing device having a display screen. The method comprises providing a vehicle for user input to the mobile computing device and providing a cognitive aid on the display screen, the cognitive aid being associated with the user input vehicle. The cognitive aid provides relevant information to the user regarding the user input vehicle.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, using a device driver and a processor of a mobile computing device, user input at an input interface operatively associated with the mobile computing device;

performing, using the device driver and the processor of the mobile computing device, appropriate actions associated with the user input, wherein the device driver includes an ACPI-to-HID mapper driver; and

responsive to said detecting the user input, providing, using the processor of the mobile computing device, a cognitive aid at an output interface operatively associated with the mobile computing device, wherein the cognitive aid includes information explaining one or more functionalities of the input interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cognitive aid comprises an on-screen tip.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the on-screen tip can be displayed or hidden by the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the on-screen tip can be displayed in a full mode or an expanded mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein an on-screen tip is provided for each of a type of user input.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the type of user input comprises button presses.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input comprises button presses.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an applet operatively associated with the processor for detecting the user input and providing the cognitive aid.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing a configuration file defining details of user input implementation, wherein the details are associated with an operation of a device driver of the mobile computing device and are read by the applet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the input interface is associated with at least one of a button, a switch, a transducer, a dial, a knob, and a slider.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the cognitive aid comprises an audio tip.

12. A mobile computing device comprising:

a processor;

an input interface;

an output interface; and

a storage device including a set of instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

detect user input at the input interface of the mobile computing device using a device driver, wherein the device driver includes an ACPI-to-HID mapper driver;

perform appropriate functions based on the user input, wherein the appropriate functions control an operation of the mobile computing device; and

responsive to a detection of the user input, provide a cognitive aid at the output interface of the mobile computing device, wherein the cognitive aid includes information explaining one or more functionalities of the input interface.

13. The mobile computing device of claim 12, wherein the input interface comprises at least one of a switch, a transducer, a dial, a knob, and a slider.

14. The mobile computing device of claim 12, wherein the output interface includes a display screen, and the cognitive aid is a visual aid.

15. The mobile computing device of claim 14, wherein the visual aid comprises an on-screen tip.

16. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the on-screen tip can be displayed or hidden by the user.

17. The mobile computing device of claim 16, wherein the on-screen tip can be displayed in a full mode or an expanded mode.

18. The mobile computing device of claim 12, wherein the cognitive aid is an audio aid.

19. The mobile computing device of claim 12, wherein the input interface includes one or more buttons.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 19, wherein at least one of the one or more buttons includes a touch-sensitive button.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium holding computer executable instructions thereon, the computer-executable instructions being associated with an applet of a mobile computing device, and the computer-executable instructions when executed by one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to perform a method comprising:

detecting, using a device driver, user input at an input interface operatively associated with a mobile computing device;

performing, using the device driver, appropriate actions associated with the user input, wherein the appropriate functions control an operation of the mobile computing device, and wherein the device driver includes an ACPI-to-HID mapper driver; and

responsive to said detecting the user input, providing a cognitive aid at an output interface operatively associated with the mobile computing device, wherein the cognitive aid includes information explaining one or more functionalities of the input interface.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the cognitive aid comprises an on-screen tip.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein an on-screen tip is provided for each of a type of user input.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the type of user input comprises button presses.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the user input comprises button presses.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein a configuration file defines details of user input implementation, wherein the details are associated with an operation of a device driver of the mobile computing device and are read by the applet.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the input interface is associated with at least one of a button, a switch, a transducer, a dial, a knob, and a slider.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the cognitive aid comprises an audio tip.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the on-screen tip can be displayed or hidden by the user.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the on-screen tip can be displayed in a full mode or an expanded mode.