Dynamic update of a user interface based on collected user interactions

• US 8,984,441 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2007
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Eyer, Mark, Douma, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuyetlien
• Assistant Examiner(s): Posigian, David S
• Application Number:
  US11/952,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20090150814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,658 Days
• Field of Search: 715811-813, 715/816, 704/3
• US Class Current: 715/811
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

While a user is using the electronic device, user interaction information for keystrokes, button pushes, and activation of functional controls may be recorded. The user interaction information is stored and when the electronic device is connected to a network, the user interaction information is sent over the network to a user interface analyzer. The user interface analyzer analyzes the user interaction information to determine patterns of usage regarding a hierarchy of menu items for the user interface. The analysis may show that a user interface may be improved for better usability. The user interface on the electronic device may be dynamically changed to alter the menu hierarchy, or the analysis may be used to improve future generations of products. For example, menu items may be positioned such that the user can more easily access menu items that are used more frequently.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing use of a user interface, the method comprising:

determining user interaction information at an electronic device while a user is

using the electronic device, the determining occurring independently of whether the device is connected to a network;

storing a log of the determined user interaction information in the electronic device;

after a connection between the electronic device and a network is detected, transmitting the stored log over the network to a user interface analyzer;

analyzing the user interaction information at the user interface analyzer to determine patterns of usage regarding navigating a hierarchy of menu items in the user interface of the electronic device by identifying multiple keystrokes and ascertaining whether the multiple key strokes are associated with a common keystroke sequence, wherein the hierarchy of menu items comprises first and second branches of menu items;

determining, at the user interface analyzer, a possible function that the user was searching for, the determining of the possible function being based on the analysis of the user interaction information revealing that during a navigation of the first branch of menu items, the user did not select any menu item triggering the possible function, and that during a subsequent navigation of the second branch of menu items, the user did select one menu item in the hierarchy of menu items, the selected item triggering the possible function;

storing an analysis result for the determination of the possible function at the user interface analyzer; and

using the stored analysis result to change the hierarchy of menu items to facilitate selection of the menu item triggering the possible function, wherein the user interface analyzer sends interface adjustment information to the electronic device over the network to allow the electronic device to change the hierarchy of menu items based on the stored analysis result by changing a location of the menu item triggering the possible function from the second branch of the menu items to the first branch of menu items based on the interface adjustment information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises:

identifying that a first group of the multiple keystrokes occurred during a period of time, defining a first sequence of keystrokes, and that a second group of the multiple keystrokes occurred outside of the period of time, defining a second sequence of keystrokes;

determining the first sequence of keystrokes down the hierarchy of menu items; and

determining the second sequence of keystrokes, wherein at least one keystroke in the second sequence is up the hierarchy of menu items, wherein the possible function is determined based on the first sequence and the second sequence.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein one or more time stamps as to when keystrokes in at least one of the first sequence and the second sequence occur are used to determine if the user was looking for the possible function.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the possible function is offered by the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a notification message to the user to indicate that the hierarchy of menu items is to be changed.

6. A method for analyzing use of a user interface of an electronic device, the method comprising:

determining, at the electronic device, user inputs for the user interface while a user is using the electronic device, the determining occurring independently of whether the device is connected to a network;

storing a log of the determined user interaction information in the electronic device based on the user inputs;

after a connection between the electronic device and a network is detected, transmitting the stored log over the network to a user interface analyzer to allow the user interface analyzer to analyze the user interaction information to determine patterns of usage regarding navigating a hierarchy of menu items for the user interface of the electronic device by identifying multiple keystrokes and ascertaining whether the multiple key strokes are associated with a common sequence, wherein the hierarchy of menu items comprises first and second branches of menu items;

receiving, at the electronic device, user interface adjustment information sent over the network from the user interface analyzer; and

adjusting a location of a menu item in the hierarchy of menu items from the second branch to the first branch based on the user interface adjustment information, wherein selection of a possible function that the user was searching for, prior to the adjusting, during a navigation of the first branch of menu items is facilitated by the adjustment of the menu item, wherein the possible function is determined by the analysis of the user interaction information by the user interface analyzer revealing that during the navigation of the first branch of menu items, the user did not select any menu item triggering the possible function, and that during a subsequent navigation of the second branch of menu items, the user did select one menu item in the hierarchy of menu items, the selected item triggering the possible function.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user interaction information comprises information for at least one of a first sequence of keystrokes down the hierarchy of menu items and a second sequence of keystrokes, wherein at least one keystroke in the second sequence is up the hierarchy of menu items.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the interface adjustment information is used by the electronic device to changes a location of a menu item in the hierarchy of menu items in response to acceptance of the location change by the user.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the possible function is offered by the electronic device.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving, at the electronic device, a notification message to indicate that the hierarchy of menu items is to be changed.

11. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

control logic encoded in one or more computer-readable storage media for execution by the one or more processors, and when executed being operable to;

determine user interaction information at an electronic device while a user is using a user interface of the electronic device, the determining occurring independently of whether the device is connected to a network;

store a log of the determined user interaction information in the electronic device;

after a connection between the device and a network is detected, transmit the stored log over the network to a user interface analyzer;

analyze the user interaction information at the user interface analyzer to determine patterns of usage regarding navigating a hierarchy of menu items in the user interface of the electronic device by identifying multiple keystrokes and ascertaining whether the multiple key strokes are associated with a common keystroke sequence, wherein the hierarchy of menu items comprises first and second branches of menu items;

determine at the user interface analyzer a possible function that the user was searching for, the determining of the possible function being based on the analysis of the user interaction information revealing that during a navigation of the first branch of menu items, the user did not select any menu item triggering the possible function, and that during a subsequent navigation of the second branch of menu items, the user did select one menu item in the hierarchy of menu items, the selected item triggering the possible function;

store an analysis result for the determination of the possible function at the user interface analyzer; and

use the stored analysis result to change the hierarchy of menu items to facilitate selection of the menu item triggering the possible function, wherein the user interface analyzer sends interface adjustment information to the electronic device over the network to allow the electronic device to change the hierarchy of menu items based on the stored analysis result by changing a location of the menu item triggering the possible function from the second branch of the menu items to the first branch of menu items based on the interface adjustment information.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control logic when executed that is operable to analyze further comprises control logic when executed that is operable to:

identify that a first group of the multiple keystrokes occurred during a period of time, defining a first sequence of keystrokes, and that a second group of the multiple keystrokes occurred outside of the period of time, defining a second sequence of keystrokes;

determine the first sequence of keystrokes down the hierarchy of menu items; and

determine the second sequence of keystrokes, wherein at least one keystroke in the second sequence is up the hierarchy of menu items, wherein the possible menu item function is determined based on the first sequence and the second sequence.

13. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

control logic encoded in one or more computer-readable storage media for execution by the one or more processors, and when executed being operable to;

determine, at the apparatus, user inputs for a user interface while a user is using

the apparatus, the determining occurring independently of whether the apparatus is connected to a network;

store, in the apparatus, a log of user interaction information based on the user inputs;

after a connection between the apparatus and a network is detected, send the stored log of user interaction information over the network to a user interface analyzer to allow the user interface analyzer to analyze the user interaction information to determine patterns of usage regarding navigating a hierarchy of menu items for the user interface of the apparatus by identifying multiple keystrokes and ascertaining whether the multiple key strokes are associated with a common keystroke sequence, wherein the hierarchy of menu items comprises first and second branches of menu items;

receive, at the apparatus, user interface adjustment information sent over the network from the user interface analyzer; and

adjust a location of a menu items in the hierarchy of menu items from the second branch to the first branch based on the user interface adjustment information, wherein selection of a possible function that the user was searching for, prior to the adjusting, during a navigation of the first branch of menu items is facilitated by the adjustment of the menu items, wherein the possible function is determined by the analysis of the user interaction information by the user interface analyzer revealing that during the navigation of the first branch of menu items, the user did not select any menu item triggering the possible function, and that during a subsequent navigation of the second branch of menu items, the user did select one menu item in the hierarchy of menu items, the selected item triggering the possible function.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the user interaction information comprises information for at least one of a first sequence of keystrokes down the hierarchy of menu items and a second sequence of keystrokes, wherein at least one keystroke in the second sequence is up the hierarchy of menu items.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the interface adjustment information is used by the electronic device to changes a location of a menu item in the hierarchy of menu items in response to acceptance of the location change by the user.