Systems and methods for modifying the display of inputs on a user input device

• US 10,284,897 B1
• Filed: 03/28/2018
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Dever, Sara, Holloway, Jennifer L., Rowan, Daniel P., Thompson, Mark D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chae, Kyu
• Application Number:
  US15/938,341
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/66 of program code stored in read-only memory [ROM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42227 the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42228 the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for adapting a second user input device to resemble a first user input device while preserving new functionalities not available in the first user input device. The systems and methods may identify, based on identifiers of the first and second user input devices, a first and second set of device functionalities provided by the devices. The systems and methods may compare the sets of device functionalities to determine a set of common device functionalities and, in response, modify the display of an input of the second user input device to correspond to visual attributes of an input of the first user input device.

Claims

1. A method for adapting a touchscreen user input device to resemble a previous user input device while preserving new functionalities not available in the previous user input device, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user, a request to modify a display of inputs of a second user input device to correspond to inputs of a first user input device;

retrieving a first identifier of the first user input device and a second identifier of the second user input device;

inputting the first identifier into a first database comprising device functionalities and input maps of the first user input device to determine a first set of device functionalities of the first user input device and a first input map of the first user input device, wherein the first input map comprises visual attributes of the inputs of the first user input device;

inputting the second identifier into a second database comprising device functionalities and input maps of the second user input device to determine a second set of device functionalities of the second user input device and a second input map of the second user input device, wherein the second input map comprises visual attributes of the inputs of the second user device;

comparing the first set of device functionalities with the second set of device functionalities;

determining, based on the comparing, a set of common device functionalities;

in response to determining the set of common device functionalities, retrieving a first input of the first user input device that corresponds to a first device functionality in the set of common device functionalities and a second input of the second user input device that corresponds to the first device functionality in the set of common device functionalities; and

modifying visual attributes of the second input of the second user input device to correspond to visual attributes of the first input of the first user input device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first input map comprises a data structure comprising an identifier, visual attributes, and a corresponding device functionality for each input of the first user input device, and wherein the second input map comprises a data structure comprising an identifier, visual attributes, and a corresponding device functionality for each input of the second user input device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the visual attributes for each input of the first and second user input devices comprise at least one of a shape, a color scheme, a size, a font face, a spatial position, and/or a style identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first set of device functionalities with the second set of device functionalities comprises comparing a first device functionality from the first set with a second device functionality from the second set and determining whether, at a given state for a given user equipment device, executing the first device functionality would result in a same output state of the given user equipment device as executing the second device functionality.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, in response to determining that, at a given state for a given user equipment device, executing the first device functionality would result in the same output state as executing the second device functionality, adding the first device functionality to the set of common device functionalities.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from the user, the request to modify the display of inputs of the second user input device to correspond to inputs of the first user input device comprises:

receiving, from the user, a request to modify the display of inputs of the second user input device;

retrieving a user profile comprising a listing of user input devices associated with the user, wherein the listing comprises a device identifier and timestamp of usage for each user input device; and

selecting, from the listing, the first user input device, wherein the timestamp of the first user input device is earlier than the timestamp of the second user input device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from the user, the request to modify the display of inputs of the second user input device to correspond to inputs of the first user input device comprises:

receiving, from the user, a request to modify the display of inputs of the second user input device;

retrieving a user profile comprising a listing of user input devices associated with the user, wherein the listing comprises a device identifier and usage amount for each user input device; and

selecting, from the listing, the first user input device, wherein the usage amount of the first user input device is greater than the usage amount of the second user input device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving a first input of the first user input device that corresponds to a first device functionality in the set of common device functionalities and a second input of the second user input device that corresponds to the first device functionality in the set of common device functionalities comprises:

retrieving a first input of the first user input device that corresponds to a first device functionality in the set of common device functionalities and a second input of the second user input device that corresponds to a second device functionality in the set of common device functionalities.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an exclusive set of device functionalities that are in the second set of device functionalities and not in the first set of device functionalities;

retrieving a third input of the second user input device that corresponds to a third device functionality in the exclusive set of device functionalities; and

modifying visual attributes of the third input of the second user input device to correspond to visual attributes of the first input of the first user input device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user input device is associated with a first user equipment device, and the second user input device is associated with a second user equipment device.

11. A system for adapting a touchscreen user input device to resemble a previous user input device while preserving new functionalities not available in the previous user input device, the system comprising:

communications circuitry; and

control circuitry configured to;

receive, from a user, a request to modify a display of inputs of a second user input device to correspond to inputs of a first user input device;

retrieve a first identifier of the first user input device and a second identifier of the second user input device;

input the first identifier into a first database comprising device functionalities and input maps of the first user input device to determine a first set of device functionalities of the first user input device and a first input map of the first user input device, wherein the first input map comprises visual attributes of the inputs of the first user input device;

input the second identifier into a second database comprising device functionalities and input maps of the second user input device to determine a second set of device functionalities of the second user input device and a second input map of the second user input device, wherein the second input map comprises visual attributes of the inputs of the second user device;

compare the first set of device functionalities with the second set of device functionalities;

determine, based on the comparing, a set of common device functionalities;

in response to determining the set of common device functionalities, retrieve a first input of the first user input device that corresponds to a first device functionality in the set of common device functionalities and a second input of the second user input device that corresponds to the first device functionality in the set of common device functionalities; and

modify visual attributes of the second input of the second user input device to correspond to visual attributes of the first input of the first user input device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first input map comprises a data structure comprising an identifier, visual attributes, and a corresponding device functionality for each input of the first user input device, and wherein the second input map comprises a data structure comprising an identifier, visual attributes, and a corresponding device functionality for each input of the second user input device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the visual attributes for each input of the first and second user input devices comprise at least one of a shape, a color scheme, a size, a font face, a spatial position, and/or a style identifier.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when comparing the first set of device functionalities with the second set of device functionalities, to compare a first device functionality from the first set with a second device functionality from the second set and determine whether, at a given state for a given user equipment device, executing the first device functionality would result in a same output state of the given user equipment device as executing the second device functionality.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to, in response to determining that, at a given state for a given user equipment device, executing the first device functionality would result in the same output state as executing the second device functionality, add the first device functionality to the set of common device functionalities.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when receiving, from the user, the request to modify the display of inputs of the second user input device to correspond to inputs of the first user input device, to:

receive, from the user, a request to modify the display of inputs of the second user input device;

retrieve a user profile comprising a listing of user input devices associated with the user, wherein the listing comprises a device identifier and timestamp of usage for each user input device; and

select, from the listing, the first user input device, wherein the timestamp of the first user input device is earlier than the timestamp of the second user input device.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when receiving, from the user, the request to modify the display of inputs of the second user input device to correspond to inputs of the first user input device, to:

receive, from the user, a request to modify the display of inputs of the second user input device;

retrieve a user profile comprising a listing of user input devices associated with the user, wherein the listing comprises a device identifier and usage amount for each user input device; and

select, from the listing, the first user input device, wherein the usage amount of the first user input device is greater than the usage amount of the second user input device.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when retrieving a first input of the first user input device that corresponds to a first device functionality in the set of common device functionalities and a second input of the second user input device that corresponds to the first device functionality in the set of common device functionalities, to:

retrieve a first input of the first user input device that corresponds to a first device functionality in the set of common device functionalities and a second input of the second user input device that corresponds to a second device functionality in the set of common device functionalities.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine an exclusive set of device functionalities that are in the second set of device functionalities and not in the first set of device functionalities;

retrieve a third input of the second user input device that corresponds to a third device functionality in the exclusive set of device functionalities; and

modify visual attributes of the third input of the second user input device to correspond to visual attributes of the first input of the first user input device.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the first user input device is associated with a first user equipment device, and the second user input device is associated with a second user equipment device.