Translating user interfaces of applications

• US 9,348,666 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2013
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Utherverse Gaming LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Brian Shuster, Gary Shuster
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary Stephen, Shuster, Brian Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): NABI, REZA U
• Application Number:
  US13/919,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20130339872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 715/746
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3281 wherein game attributes are transferred between players, e.g. points, weapons, avatars
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence

Abstract

A user interface translation system can provide functionality of translating at least a portion of a user interface of a primary application. The user interface translation system may, for instance, add an overlay interface over a portion of the primary application. The primary application can conduct all the processing tasks. The overlay interface can correspond to user interfaces of well-known applications that users may prefer. In certain embodiments, users can select from a list of overlay interfaces. The user interface translation system can receive user control input from the overlay interface and map the received input to a corresponding command for the primary application. The user interface translation system can also train users to adapt to a change in user interface over a period of time or usage.

Claims

1. A computing system for translating user interfaces, the system comprising:

one or more hardware processors configured to execute a plurality of software modules, the software modules including at least;

an overlay interface generator module configured to generate an overlay user interface associated with a secondary application, the overlay user interface configured for display in place of at least a portion of a user interface of a primary application, said overlay user interface comprising a plurality of user interface controls; and

a translator module configured to;

receive a user control input corresponding to a particular user interface control of the plurality of user interface controls;

translate the received particular user control input to a corresponding one or more commands associated with the primary application, wherein the corresponding one or more commands are selected such that execution of the one or more commands results in substantially the same output as execution of a command associated with the particular user interface control by the secondary application; and

initiate execution of the corresponding one or more commands by the primary application; and

a training module configured to;

modify, over a period of time, the overlay user interface from corresponding to the secondary application to a user interface substantially similar to the user interface of the primary application,

wherein said modification comprises modifying an arrangement of the plurality of user interface controls of the overlay user interface, and

wherein the period of time depends at least on a usage pattern of the plurality of user controls of the overlay user interface.

2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the overlay interface generator module is further configured to generate the overlay user interface associated with the secondary application by running said secondary application.

3. The computing system of claim 1, wherein display in place of at least a portion of a user interface of a primary application comprises rendering the overlay user interface instead of the said portion of the user interface of the primary application.

4. The computing system of claim 1, wherein display in place of at least a portion of a user interface of a primary application comprises rendering the overlay user interface over the said portion of the user interface of the primary application.

5. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the period of time depends at least on the usage time of the overlay user interface.

6. The computing system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of user interface controls of the overlay user interface is maintained in substantially the same location based at least partially on an efficiency calculation.

7. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the overlay interface generator module is further configured to distinguish a user interface control of the overlay user interface based at least partly on a determination that the user interface control is not substantially similar to the corresponding user interface control of the primary application.

8. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the user control input is received via an accessibility device.

9. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the user control input is received by a non-contact input.

10. A method of translating user interfaces, the method comprising:

generating an overlay user interface associated with a secondary application, the overlay user interface configured for display alongside at least a portion of a user interface of a primary application, said overlay user interface comprising a plurality of user interface controls;

receiving a user control input corresponding to a particular user interface control of the plurality of user interface controls;

translating, by a computing system having one or more computer processors, the particular user interface control to a corresponding one or more commands associated with the primary application, wherein the corresponding one or more commands are selected such that execution of the one or more commands results in substantially the same output as execution of a command associated with the particular user interface control by the secondary application;

initiating execution of the corresponding one or more commands by the primary application; and

executing a training module configure to;

modify, over a period of time, the overlay user interface from corresponding to the secondary application to a user interface substantially similar to the user interface of the primary application;

wherein said modification comprises modifying an arrangement of the plurality of user interface controls of the overlay user interface, and

wherein the period of time depends at least on the usage pattern of the plurality of user controls of the overlay user interface.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the period of time depends at least on usage characteristics of the overlay user interface, the primary application, the secondary application, and/or respective user interface controls.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of user interface controls of the overlay user interface is maintained in substantially a same location based at least partially on an efficiency calculation.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising distinguishing a user interface control of the overlay user interface based at least partly on a determination that the user interface control is not substantially similar to a corresponding user interface control of the primary application.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the user control input is received via an accessibility device or a non-contact input.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said translating and initiating execution are performed in real-time or substantially real-time.

16. A computing system for translating user interfaces, the system comprising:

one or more hardware processors configured to execute a plurality of software modules, the software modules including at least;

an overlay interface generator module configured to generate an overlay user interface associated with a secondary application, the overlay user interface configured for display in place of at least a portion of a user interface of a primary application, said overlay user interface comprising a plurality of user interface controls; and

a translator module configured to;

receive a user control input corresponding to a particular user interface control of the plurality of user interface controls;

translate the received particular user control input to a corresponding one or more commands associated with the primary application, wherein the corresponding one or more commands are selected such that execution of the one or more commands results in substantially the same output as execution of a command associated with the particular user interface control by the secondary application; and

initiate execution of the corresponding one or more commands by the primary application; and

a training module configured to;

modify, over a period of time, the overlay user interface from corresponding to the secondary application to a user interface substantially similar to the user interface of the primary application,

wherein said modification comprises modifying an arrangement of the plurality of user interface controls of the overlay user interface, and

wherein at least one of the plurality of user interface controls of the overlay user interface is maintained in substantially the same location based at least partially on an efficiency calculation.

17. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the period of time depends at least on the usage pattern of the plurality of user controls of the overlay user interface.

18. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the period of time depends at least on usage characteristics of the overlay user interface, the primary application, the secondary application, and/or respective user interface controls.

19. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the user control input is received by a non-contact input.