User-based customization of a user interface

• US 9,891,780 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Adimatyam, Venkata S., Gavade, Sameer, Roshan, Tariq
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Tan
• Application Number:
  US14/015,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20150067531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• 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: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A customized user interface service includes a self-customization and an auto-customization of user interfaces. A user interface is customized based on usage data of the user. The usage data includes historical navigational data. The usage data is analyzed to identify a pattern of usage. The user interface is customized based on the identified pattern of usage. The customized user interface service also allows a user to select and execute customizations.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, via a device and to a user, a program service that includes a customized user interface service;

tracking, by the device, the user'"'"'s behavior pertaining to a use of the program service;

storing, by the device, usage data based on the user'"'"'s behavior, wherein the usage data includes navigational data that indicates a navigational history of the user'"'"'s use of original user interfaces of the program service;

storing, by the device, business rules pertaining to the customized user interface service, wherein the business rules include a first rule for all users that prevents a removal of a particular function and a service associated with the original user interfaces, a second rule for all users that restricts, but does not prevent, a particular type of customization of the original user interfaces, and a third rule that pertains to the tracking of the user'"'"'s behavior;

generating, by the device, a customized user interface based on the business rules and the usage data, wherein the customized user interface includes an alteration of one or more graphical elements of one or more user interfaces of the original user interfaces of the program service;

displaying, via the device, the customized user interface to the user; and

including the customized user interface as a part of the original user interfaces of the program service.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a pattern of usage based on the usage data, and wherein the generating comprises;

moving, based on the identifying, at least one of the one or more graphical elements to another position in at least one of the one or more user interfaces.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a pattern of usage based on the usage data; and

identifying a pattern of non-use based on the pattern of usage, and wherein the generating comprises;

deleting, based on the identifying of the pattern of non-use, at least one of the one or more graphical elements from at least one of the one or more user interfaces.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the third rule of the business rules indicate at least one of a minimum period of time to have elapsed before a pattern of usage of the original user interfaces, which is attributable to the user, can be identified, or a minimum number of usages of the original user interfaces to have taken place before the pattern of usage, which is attributable to the user, can be identified.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking a group of users behavior pertaining to the program service;

identifying a usage pattern pertaining to the group of users;

generating another customized user interface based on the usage pattern pertaining to the group of the users; and

offering to the users an option to incorporate the other customized user interface as the part of the original user interfaces of the program service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage data includes viewing data that indicates programs viewed by the user, and the method further comprising:

storing user preference data that indicates the user'"'"'s preferences pertaining to the customized user interface service; and

generating the customized user interface based on the business rules, the usage data, and the user preference data.

7. A device comprising:

a communication interface;

a memory, the memory stores instructions; and

a processor, the processor executes the instructions to;

provide a program service that includes a customized user interface service to a user;

track the user'"'"'s behavior pertaining to a use of the program service;

store usage data based on the user'"'"'s behavior, wherein the usage data includes navigational data that indicates a navigational history of the user'"'"'s use of original user interfaces of the program service;

store business rules pertaining to the customized user interface service, wherein the business rules include a first rule for all users that prevents a removal of a particular function and a service associated with the original user interfaces, a second rule for all users that restricts, but does not prevent, a particular type of customization of the original user interfaces, and a third rule that pertains to a tracking of the user'"'"'s behavior;

generate a customized user interface based on the business rules and the usage data, wherein the customized user interface includes an alteration of one or more graphical elements of one or more user interfaces of the original user interfaces of the program service;

display or cause to display the customized user interface; and

include the customized user interface as a part of the original user interfaces of the program service.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the device includes a set top box, and wherein the processor executes the instructions to:

provide categories of customizations of the original user interfaces, wherein the categories include age, locale, user personality, and most-popular among the users;

receive a selection, from the user, of one of the categories of customizations; and

store the selection of the one of the categories of customizations as a user preference.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor executes the instructions to:

identify a pattern of usage based on the usage data, and wherein, when generating the customized user interface, the processor executes the instructions to;

modify, based on the identification of the pattern of usage, at least one of the one or more graphical elements of at least one of the one or more user interfaces.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor executes the instructions to:

identify a pattern of usage based on the usage data; and

identify a pattern of non-use based on the pattern of usage, and wherein, when generating the customized user interface, the processor executes the instructions to;

delete, based on the identification of the pattern of non-use, at least one of the one or more graphical elements from at least one of the one or more user interfaces.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein, when generating the customized user interface, the processor executes the instructions to:

execute one or more of a delete, a swap, a resize, an add, a move, a rename, or a remove in relation to at least one of the one or more graphical elements from at least one of the one or more user interfaces.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the usage data includes viewing data that indicates programs viewed by the user, wherein the processor executes the instructions to:

store user preference data that indicates the user'"'"'s preferences pertaining to the customized user interface service; and

generate the customized user interface based on the business rules, the usage data, and the user preference data.

13. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor executes the instructions to:

receive a selection of a hot key; and

assign the customized user interface to the hot key.

14. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor executes the instructions to:

display or cause to display a graphical user interface that prompts the user to confirm the user'"'"'s acceptance of the customized user interface;

receive, via the communication interface, a user input pertaining to the graphical user interface; and

identify whether the user input indicates an acceptance of the customized user interface, and wherein, when including, the processor executes the instructions to;

include the customized user interface as a part of the original user interfaces of the program service in response to an identification that the user input indicates the acceptance of the customized user interface.

15. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor executes the instructions to:

provide customization commands, for user selection, that are executable on the customized user interface or another one of the user interfaces of the program service, wherein the customization commands include a delete command, a swap command, a resize command, an add command, a move command, a rename command, a remove command, a reshape command, an assign a color command, an assign a font style command, and an assign a font size command;

receive, via the communication interface, a user selection of one or more of the customization commands;

execute the one or more customization commands; and

generate, as a result of the execution of the one or more customization commands, another customized user interface.

16. A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable by a computational device, wherein the instructions comprise instructions to:

track a user'"'"'s behavior pertaining to a use of a program service that includes a customized user interface service;

store usage data based on the user'"'"'s behavior, wherein the usage data includes navigational data that indicates a navigational history of the user'"'"'s use of original user interfaces of the program service;

store business rules pertaining to the customized user interface service, wherein the business rules include a first rule for all users that prevents a removal of a particular function and a service associated with the original user interfaces, a second rule for all users that restricts, but does not prevent, a particular type of customization of the original user interfaces, and a third rule that pertains to a tracking of the user'"'"'s behavior; and

generate a customized user interface based on the business rules and the usage data, wherein the customized user interface includes an alteration of one or more graphical elements of one or more user interfaces of the original user interfaces of the program service.

17. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions to:

analyze the usage data; and

identify a pattern of usage based on the analysis of the usage data.

18. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions to:

receive an input from the user that edits the customized user interface; and

generate another customized user interface based on the input.

19. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions to:

receive a selection of a hot key; and

assign the customized user interface to the hot key.

20. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions to:

identify the user;

store user preference data that indicates the user'"'"'s preferences pertaining to the customized user interface service;

store personal data that indicates demographics pertaining to the user; and

generate the customized user interface based on the business rules, the usage data, the user preference data, and the personal data.