User interface generation apparatus for generating user interfaces of mobile terminals

• US 8,739,074 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2009
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Kinoshita, Kenta
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): VARGA, WILSON V
• Application Number:
  US13/060,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20110154228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863, 715/716, 715/864
• US Class Current: 715/864
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/06 Use of more than one graphics processor to process data before displaying to one or more screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers
• 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: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface

Abstract

A user interface generation apparatus is provided, the apparatus being capable of changing a composition of a compound UI by a simple operation even after compound of user interfaces of a plurality of application programs. The user interface generation apparatus includes a control unit, if an input unit receives a second input while the control unit controls to display a compound user interface object group, for performing re-compound processing of the compound user interface object group according to a position where the input unit starts receiving the second input and a position where the input unit ends receiving the second input and controlling to display a re-compound user interface object group.

Claims

1. A user interface generation apparatus on a mobile device for generating user interfaces of mobile terminals, the user interface generation apparatus comprising:

a memory unit capable of storing an application program;

a control unit, based on the application program stored in the memory unit,

for controlling, when receiving instruction to generate one user interface pertaining to a remote appliance, to display a stand-alone user interface object group corresponding to the one user interface, and

for controlling, when receiving instruction to generate a plurality of user interfaces each pertaining to a different remote appliance, to display a compound user interface object group by performing compound processing on user interface objects extracted from stand-alone user interface object groups corresponding to the plurality of user interfaces respectively, the compound user interface object group including only a portion of available user interface objects from each stand-alone user interface object group;

a display unit for displaying the stand-alone user interface object group or the compound user interface object group; and

an input unit, arranged at a front face of the display unit in relation to the display unit, for receiving a first input by a first input means and a second input by a second input means, wherein

the first input is an area input or a point input, and the second input is the other of the area input or the point input, the point input defining an input that contacts the input unit with a contact area less than a predetermined threshold, and the area input defining an input that contacts the input unit with a contact area greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold,

if the input unit receives the first input, the control unit executes a function of a user interface object corresponding to a reception position of the first input, and

if the input unit receives the second input while the control unit controls to display the compound user interface object group, and if the input unit receives the first input to select a user interface object in the compound user interface object group during continuous pressing down of the second input, the control unit controls to display a compound user interface object group on which re-compound processing is performed to change the user interface object selected by the first input with another user interface object from among the available user interface objects of the stand-alone user interface object group for the remote appliance corresponding to the first input.

2. The user interface generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first input selects a user interface object included in a predetermined area of the compound user interface object group.

3. The user interface generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs the re-compound processing by additionally displaying the user interface object selected by the first input to the compound user interface object group.

4. The user interface generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs the re-compound processing by replacing the user interface object selected by the first input with a user interface object with a low priority among user interface objects included in the user interface object group.

5. The user interface generation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit performs the re-compound processing by additionally displaying the user interface object selected by the first input to the compound user interface object group.

6. The user interface generation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit performs the re-compound processing by replacing the user interface object selected by the first input with a user interface object with a low priority among user interface objects included in the user interface object group.