ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM WITH ADAPTABLE USER INTERFACE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20100194693A1
• Filed: 01/30/2009
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: SELIN, Markus, PASQUARIELLO, Donato
• Application Number:
  US12/362,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20100194693A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An electronic apparatus comprising a user interface environment for operating the electronic apparatus wherein the user interface environment is arranged to present at least one graphical user interface item for user interaction is disclosed. The electronic apparatus further comprises an actuation position detector devised to detect user actuation; a stylus; a storage unit configured to store the stylus; a sensor unit configured to produce an output indicative of whether the stylus is stored in the storage unit and operatively coupled to the user interface environment, wherein the user interface environment is adapted based on the output from the sensor unit. Method and computer program for adapting a user interface environment are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising a user interface environment for operating the electronic apparatus wherein the user interface environment is arranged to present at least one graphical user interface item for user interaction, the electronic apparatus further comprises

an actuation position detector devised to detect user actuation;

a stylus;

a storage unit configured to store the stylus; and

a sensor unit configured to produce an output indicative of whether the stylus is stored in the storage unit and operatively coupled to the user interface environment,

wherein the user interface environment is adapted based on the output from the sensor unit.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the graphical user item comprises at least one user selectable item, which upon selection is associated with execution of a command for operating the electronic apparatus.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dimension of the at least one graphical user interface item is varied based on the output from the sensor unit.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of selectable graphical user interface items is varied based on the output from the sensor unit.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user interface environment has at least two modes:

a first mode, wherein the user interface environment is adapted for actuating the actuation position detector using a finger;

a second mode, wherein the user interface environment is adapted for actuating the actuation position detector using the stylus,

wherein the user interface environment alternates between the two modes based on the output from the sensor unit.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the user interface environment is in the first mode when the output from the sensor unit indicates that the stylus is stored in the storage unit.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the graphical user item comprises at least one user selectable item, which upon selection is associated with execution of a command for operating the electronic apparatus, and wherein the at least one selectable graphical user interface item is larger in first mode compared to the second mode.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface items comprise any of a group comprising pictogram, grapheme, icon, virtual buttons, soft keys, menu selections, files, short-links, software program icons, letter icons and number icons.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

a display unit configured to display the at least one graphical user interface item of the user interface environment;

a display control unit operationally coupled to the sensor unit, and configured to provide image data to the display unit;

wherein the image data provided by said display control unit comprises the at least one graphical user interface item and depends on the output from the sensor unit.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a user actuation detection control unit configured to control a least one parameter of the actuation position detector, the at least one parameter comprising any of a group comprising sensitivity, repeat rate and resolution,

wherein the user actuation detection control unit adjusts the at least one parameter based on the output from the sensor unit.

11. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user actuation position detector comprises a touch sensitive unit, which identifies a user selection upon physical contact between a finger or the stylus with the touch sensitive unit.

12. A method for adapting a user interface environment of an electronic apparatus, the method comprising

determining whether a stylus is stored at a storage unit configured to store the stylus;

adapting the user interface environment based on whether the stylus is stored in the storage unit.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the adapting comprises adapting at least one graphical user interface item of the user interface environment to whether the stylus is stored in the storage unit.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising

alternating the user interface environment between a first mode, in which the user interface environment is adapted for operating the electronic apparatus using a finger, and a second mode, in which the user interface environment is adapted for operating the electronic apparatus using the stylus, depending on whether the stylus is stored in the storage unit;

and

determining the mode of the user interface environment to be in the first mode when the stylus is stored in the storage unit.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising

presenting a selected set of graphical user interface items of the user interface environment such that the user interface items are available for actuation depending on whether the stylus is stored in the storage unit.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising

executing at least one predefined software program depending on whether the stylus is stored in the storage unit.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising

adapting a theme of the user interface environment depending on whether the stylus is stored in the storage unit.

19. A computer readable medium comprising program code, which when executed by a processor comprised in an electronic apparatus, causes the processor to

determine whether a stylus is stored in a storage unit based on data from a sensor unit;

adjust a user interface environment based on whether the stylus is stored in the storage unit.