Method and apparatus of providing a customized user interface

• US 9,383,887 B1
• Filed: 06/24/2010
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: Khafizov, Farid, Khafizova, Margarita
• Primary Examiner(s): Sun, Li
• Application Number:
  US12/822,292
• Time in Patent Office: 2,203 Days
• Field of Search: 715/800, 715/788, 715/765, 715/835
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A method and apparatus of providing a user with a customized user interface is disclosed. One example may include generating a window display area based on at least one predefined user preference, and displaying the window display area in a specified location of the user. The method may also include prompting the user to select at least one particular application that may be associated with the window display area, and prompting the user to customize the window attributes by modifying the window display area. Other operations may include saving the customized window display area in a memory of a computing device once the user has completed the customizing of the window attributes.

Claims

1. A method of providing a user with a customized user interface, the method comprising:

generating a new window display area based on at least one predefined user preference;

displaying the new window display area in a user specified location of a display operated by the user;

prompting the user to select at least one particular application to be associated with the new window display area, and prompting the user to customize window attributes of the new window display area by modifying the new window display area;

prompting the user to create a predefined geometric figure or shape by entering input gestures on a surface of the new window display area;

detecting the input gestures and corresponding coordinates and determining a pressure, speed, and size of the input gestures and discarding all input gestures which are outside a designated area;

comparing the input gestures to a known set of input gestures to determine an accuracy of the user'"'"'s attempt to create the predefined geometric figure or shape by determining whether the comparison resulted in a predefined degree of precision based on a distance between user drawn coordinates associated with the input gestures and predefined coordinates associated with the known set of input gestures of the predefined geometric figure or shape;

accepting the degree of precision and identifying the user based on the input gestures received; and

saving the modified new window display area to be associated with the identified user in a memory of a computing device once the user has completed the customizing of the window attributes and double-tapped border of the new window display area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user preference was pre-stored in the memory of the computing device and was accessed from the memory as a result of the user accessing a display device that includes the new window display area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the new window display area default is rectangle-shaped.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the new window display area is a portion of a larger display device area and is customized to increase or decrease the portion of the larger display device area that is currently being occupied by the new window display area.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

saving pre-existing content on the new window display area as a new default content setting of the user selected application that is associated with the new window display area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein customizing the new window display area attributes comprises customizing at least one of the size, shape and location of the new window display area.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein after the customization is completed and saved in the memory, the pre-existing content is loaded into the display area of the new window display area.

8. An apparatus configured to provide a user with a customized user interface, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to

generate a new window display area based on at least one predefined user preference;

display the new window display area in a user specified location of a display operated by the user;

prompt the user to select at least one particular application to be associated with the new window display area, and prompt the user to customize window attributes of the new window display area by modifying the new window display area;

prompt the user to create a predefined geometric figure or shape by entering input gestures on a surface of the new window display area;

detect the input gestures and corresponding coordinates and determine a pressure, speed, and size of the input gestures and discarding all input gestures which are outside a designated area;

compare the input gestures to a known set of input gestures to determine an accuracy of the user'"'"'s attempt to create the predefined geometric figure or shape by determining whether the comparison resulted in a predefined degree of precision based on a distance between user drawn coordinates associated with the input gestures and predefined coordinates associated with the known set of input gestures of the predefined geometric figure or shape;

accept the degree of precision and identify the user based on the input gestures received; and

a memory configured to save the modified new window display area to be associated with the identified user once the user has completed the customizing of the window attributes and double-tapped border of the new window display area.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the user preference was pre-stored in the memory′

of the apparatus and was accessed from the memory as a result of the user accessing a display device that includes the new window display area.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the new window display area default is rectangle-shaped.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the new window display area is a portion of a larger display device area and is customized to increase or decrease the portion of the larger display device area that is currently being occupied by the new window display area.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to save pre-existing content on the new window display area as a new default content setting of the user selected application that is associated with the new window display area.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein customizing the new window display area attributes comprises customizing at least one of the size, shape and location of the new window display area.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein after the customization is completed and saved in the memory, the pre-existing content is loaded into the display area of the new window display area.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store a computer program that when executed causes a processor to perform providing a user with a customized user interface, the method comprising:

generating a new window display area based on at least one predefined user preference;

displaying the new window display area in a user specified location of a display operated by the user;

prompting the user to select at least one particular application to be associated with the new window display area, and prompting the user to customize window attributes of the new window display area by modifying the new window display area;

prompting the user to create a predefined geometric figure or shape by entering input gestures on a surface of the new window display area;

detecting the input gestures and corresponding coordinates and determining one of a pressure, speed, and size of the input gestures and discarding all input gestures which are outside a designated area;

comparing the input gestures to a known set of input gestures to determine an accuracy of the user'"'"'s attempt to create the predefined geometric figure or shape by determining whether the comparison resulted in a predefined degree of precision based on a distance between user drawn coordinates associated with the input gestures and predefined coordinates associated with the known set of input gestures of the predefined geometric figure or shape;

accepting the degree of precision and identifying the user based on the input gestures received; and

saving the modified new window display area to be associated with the identified user in a memory of a computing device once the user has completed the customizing of the window attributes and double-tapped border of the new window display area.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the user preference was pre-stored in the memory of the computing device and was accessed from the memory as a result of the user accessing a display device that includes the new window display area.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the new window display area default is rectangle-shaped.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the new window display area is a portion of a larger display device area and is customized to increase or decrease the portion of the larger display device area that is currently being occupied by the new window display area.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

saving pre-existing content on the new window display area as a new default content setting of the user selected application that is associated with the new window display area.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein customizing the new window display area attributes comprises customizing at least one of the size, shape and location of the new window display area.