Systems and methods for managing, selecting, and updating visual interface content using display-enabled keyboards, keypads, and/or other user input devices

• US 9,990,111 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2011
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Razer (Asia-Pacific) Pte. Ltd. (Razer Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Razer (Asia-Pacific) Pte. Ltd. (Razer Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tan, Min-Liang
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Kevin L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Farhadian, F J
• Application Number:
  US13/978,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20140143676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,708 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system for managing visual interface content encompassing primary visual interface content and adjunct visual interface content includes a processing unit, a primary display apparatus, a memory, and a set of display-enabled user input apparatuses. The system can be configured to direct or perform visual interface content management operations including selectively establishing associations or mappings between particular adjunct visual interface content and portions of a display-enabled user input apparatus and possibly portions of the primary display apparatus in response to user input; displaying primary visual interface content using the primary display apparatus; displaying adjunct visual interface content using a display-enabled input apparatus, where the first adjunct visual interface content includes visual information that corresponds to a portion of a visual environment absent from the primary display apparatus and which indicates an in-application event; and progressively displaying updated adjunct visual interface content on an automatic basis and/or in response to user input during application program execution using a display-enabled user input apparatus.

Claims

1. An automated method for presenting visual interface content comprising primary visual interface content and adjunct visual interface content during application program execution, the primary visual interface content providing a main source of visual information that indicates a current application program execution context, the adjunct visual interface content providing visual information associated with application program execution, the method comprising:

displaying a first primary visual interface content using a primary display apparatus during application program execution;

displaying a first adjunct visual interface content using a set of display-enabled user input apparatuses during application program execution, the first adjunct visual interface content including visual information that corresponds to a portion of a visual environment absent from the primary display apparatus and which is indicative of an application event within the execution context of the application program, an array of graphical hotkeys configured to invoke particular application-related functions in response to user selection, and notifications of events, the events being within a visual environment that is outside of a visual space corresponding to the first primary visual interface content, and the events being within the execution context of the application program;

adaptively displaying updated visual interface content by displaying at least one of updated primary visual interface content using the primary display apparatus and updated adjunct visual interface content using the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses, the updated primary visual interface content distinct from the first primary visual interface content and the updated adjunct visual interface content distinct from the first adjunct visual interface content,

wherein the updated adjunct visual interface content comprises an updated array of graphical hotkeys configured to invoke an updated set of application-related functions by way of user selection in a manner that can be at least partially distinct from the application-related functions associated with the array of graphical hotkeys of the first adjunct visual interface content;

selectively establishing mappings between portions of at least one display-enabled user input apparatus within the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses and at least a subset of at least one of the first adjunct visual interface content and the updated adjunct visual interface content in response to a first user input; and

receiving a second user input corresponding to an amount of adjunct visual interface content to be displayed by the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses, wherein the receiving of the second user input corresponding to the amount of adjunct visual interface content to be displayed by the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses comprises receiving the second user input that indicates an amount of adjunct visual interface content to be excluded from display by the primary display apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the updated adjunct visual interface content occurs (a) automatically as a result of an occurrence of at least one application event within a set of application events during application program execution;

and (b) in response to user input directed to interacting with the application program during application program execution.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user input at least one of selectively defines and selectively modifies a display location of at least a subset of at least one of the first adjunct visual interface content and the updated adjunct visual interface content upon at least one display-enabled user input apparatus within the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user input comprises a drag and drop operation directed to a graphical configuration interface that provides a graphical representation of at least one display-enabled user input apparatus within the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing an extent to which a portion of the primary display apparatus is available to display the first primary visual interface content based upon the first user input.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising increasing at least one of an amount of visual information and an amount of visual detail conveyed by the first primary visual interface content based upon the first user input.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying at least a subset of the first adjunct visual interface content using the primary display apparatus simultaneous with the display of the first adjunct visual interface content using the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the subset of the first adjunct visual interface content s selectively defined based upon user input.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first adjunct visual interface content comprises exclusively displaying the first adjunct visual interface content using the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses rather than the primary display apparatus as a result of the second user input.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first adjunct visual interface content and displaying the updated adjunct visual interface content comprises exclusively displaying the first adjunct visual interface content and the updated adjunct visual interface content using the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses rather than the primary display apparatus as a result of the second user input.

11. A set of non-transitory computer readable media storing program instructions that when executed cause an automated system having a processing unit, a memory, a primary display apparatus, and a set of display-enabled user input apparatuses to perform visual interface content management operations corresponding to visual interface content that comprises primary visual interface content and adjunct visual interface content, the primary visual interface content providing a main source of visual information that indicates a current application program execution context, the adjunct visual interface content providing visual information associated with application program execution the visual interface content management operations comprising:

displaying a first primary visual interface content using a primary display apparatus during application program execution;

displaying a first adjunct visual interface content using a set of display-enabled user input apparatuses during application program execution, the first adjunct visual interface content including visual information that corresponds to a portion of a visual environment absent from the primary display apparatus and which is indicative of an application event within the execution context of the application program, an array of graphical hotkeys configured to invoke particular application-related functions in response to user selection, and notifications of events, the events being within a visual environment that is outside of a visual space corresponding to the first primary visual interface content, and the events being within the execution context of the application program;

adaptively displaying updated visual interface content by displaying at least one of updated primary visual interface content using the primary display apparatus and updated adjunct visual interface content using the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses, the updated primary visual interface content distinct from the first primary visual interface content and the updated adjunct visual interface content distinct from the first adjunct visual interface content,

wherein the updated adjunct visual interface content comprises an updated array of graphical hotkeys configured to invoke an updated set of application-related functions by way of user selection in a manner that can be at least partially distinct from the application-related functions associated with the array of graphical hotkeys of the first adjunct visual interface content;

selectively establishing mappings between portions of at least one display-enabled user input apparatus within the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses and at least a subset of at least one of the first adjunct visual interface content and the updated adjunct visual interface content in response to a first user input; and

receiving a second user input corresponding to an amount of adjunct visual interface content to be displayed by the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses, wherein the receiving of the second user input corresponding to the amount of adjunct visual interface content to be displayed by the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses comprises receiving the second user input that indicates an amount of adjunct visual interface content to be excluded from display by the primary display apparatus.

12. The set of non-transitory computer readable media of claim 11, wherein displaying the updated adjunct visual interface content comprises (a) automatically displaying the updated adjunct visual interface content as a result of an occurrence of at least one application event within a set of application events during application program execution;

and (b) displaying the updated adjunct visual interface content in response to user input directed to interacting with the application program during application program execution.

13. The set of non-transitory computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the first user input at least one of selectively defines and selectively modifies a display location of at least a subset of at least one of the first adjunct visual interface content and the updated adjunct visual interface content upon at least one display-enabled user input apparatus within the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses.

14. The set of non-transitory computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the first user input comprises a drag and drop operation directed to a graphical configuration interface that provides a graphical representation of at least one display-enabled user input apparatus within the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses.

15. The set of non-transitory computer readable media of claim 11, further storing program instructions that when executed cause the system to perform visual interface content management operations further comprising increasing at least one of an amount of visual information and an amount of visual detail conveyed by the first primary visual interface content based upon the first user input.

16. The set of non-transitory computer readable media of claim 11, further storing program instructions that when executed cause the system to perform visual interface content management operations further comprising displaying at least a subset of at least one of the first adjunct visual interface content and the updated adjunct visual interface content using the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses rather than the primary display apparatus in response to the second user input.

17. The set of non-transitory computer readable media of claim 11, further storing program instructions that when executed cause the system to perform visual interface content management operations further comprising exclusively displaying at least one of the first adjunct visual interface content and the updated adjunct visual interface content using the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses rather than the primary display apparatus in response to the second user input.

18. A system for presenting visual interface content comprising primary visual interface content and adjunct visual interface content during application program execution, the primary visual interface content providing a main source of visual information that indicates a current application program execution context, the adjunct visual interface content providing visual information associated with application program execution, the system comprising:

a processing unit;

a primary display apparatus coupled to the processing unit;

a set of display-enabled user input apparatuses coupled to the processing unit;

a memory coupled to the processing unit, the memory comprising;

an application program; and

a visual interface content manager comprising program instructions that when executed one of manage and perform visual interface content management operations comprising;

displaying a first primary visual interface content using a primary display apparatus during application program execution;

displaying a first adjunct visual interface content using the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses during application program execution, the first adjunct visual interface content including visual information that corresponds to a portion of a visual environment absent from the primary display apparatus and which is indicative of an application event within the execution context of the application program, an array of graphical hotkeys configured to invoke particular application-related functions in response to user selection, and notifications of events, the events being within a visual environment that is outside of a visual space corresponding to the first primary visual interface content, and the events being within the execution context of the application program;

adaptively displaying updated visual interface content by displaying at least one of updated primary visual interface content using the primary display apparatus and updated adjunct visual interface content using the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses, the updated primary visual interface content distinct from the first primary visual interface content and the updated adjunct visual interface content distinct from the first adjunct visual interface content,

wherein the updated adjunct visual interface content comprises an updated array of graphical hotkeys configured to invoke an updated set of application-related functions by way of user selection in a manner that can be at least partially distinct from the application-related functions associated with the array of graphical hotkeys of the first adjunct visual interface content;

selectively establishing mappings between portions of at least one display-enabled user input apparatus within the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses and at least a subset of at least one of the first adjunct visual interface content and the updated adjunct visual interface content in response to a first user input; and

receiving a second user input corresponding to an amount of adjunct visual interface content to be displayed by the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses, wherein the receiving of the second user input corresponding to the amount of adjunct visual interface content to be displayed by the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses comprises receiving the second user input that indicates an amount of adjunct visual interface content to be excluded from display by the primary display apparatus.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein displaying the updated adjunct visual interface content occurs (a) automatically as a result of an occurrence of at least one application event within a set of application events during application program execution;

and (b) in response to user input directed to interacting with the application program during application program execution.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the first user input at least one of selectively defines and selectively modifies a display location of at least a subset of at least one of the first adjunct visual interface content and the updated adjunct visual interface content upon at least one display-enabled user input apparatus within the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the visual interface content management operations further comprise providing a graphical content configuration interface that provides a graphical representation of at least one display-enabled user input apparatus within the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses and which is responsive to drag and drop operations corresponding to the graphical representation of the at least one display-enabled user input apparatus within the set of display-enabled user input apparatuses.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the visual interface content management operations further comprise increasing at least one of an amount of visual information and an amount of visual detail conveyed by the first primary visual interface content based upon the first user input.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the visual interface content management operations further comprise selectively excluding at least a subset of at least one of the first adjunct visual interface content and the updated adjunct visual interface content from display by the primary display apparatus in response to the second user input.