Apparatus and method for adaptively operating an application program

• US 8,855,618 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2011
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hwang, Hyo Sun, Park, Tae Rim, Park, Jong Ae, Kim, Sung Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, NATHAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US13/303,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20120178496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/426.1, 715/772, 715/741
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0264 by selectively disabling software applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus for adaptively operating an application program that may control whether to activate the application program based on whether a status of at least one of a wireless channel and a battery satisfy requirements of the application program.

Claims

1. An apparatus for adaptively operating an application program, the apparatus comprising:

an application program module comprising a plurality of application programs;

a monitoring module configured to monitor a status of a wireless channel; and

a control module configured to determine a priority of occupation of the wireless channel for the plurality of application programs based on one or more features of the plurality of application programs, and to adaptively activate and deactivate an application program based on whether the status of the monitored wireless channel satisfies respective requirements of the application program and based on the determined priority of occupation for the plurality of application programs, the control module comprising;

a setting unit configured to change an appearance of a menu setting of the application program on a screen of a user terminal, by resetting a display scheme of the menu screen of the application program based on the status of the wireless channel, information about the respective requirements of the application program, and the determined priority of occupation for the plurality of application programs,

wherein the resetting comprises at least one of displaying a different color of the corresponding menu, hiding an inexecutable function among functions from the menu, and changing the corresponding menu screen by effects that are applicable to an icon.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the requirements of an application program comprise information with respect to at least one of a data transmission rate, a packet delay time, and an average frequency and extent of data occurrence, required by the respective application program, and

the application program module is configured to register the requirements of the application program with the control module.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application program module comprises a control unit configured to adaptively control activation of a menu function included in the application program, based on the status of the wireless channel, and based on the respective requirements of the application program.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the monitoring module further comprises a communication status monitoring unit configured to monitor the status of the wireless channel that changes in real time,

the control module is configured to activate an application program if the status of the wireless channel satisfies the requirements of the application program, and

the control module is configured to deactivate the application program if the status of the wireless channel fails to satisfy the requirements of the application program.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the monitoring module further comprises a power monitoring unit configured to monitor the status of a battery that changes in real time,

the control module is configured to activate an application program if the status of the battery satisfies a predetermined threshold of the application program, and

the control module is configured to deactivate the application program if the status of the battery fails to satisfy the predetermined threshold of the application program.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the control module further comprises a storage unit configured to store information associated with the one or more requirements of the at least one application program, the priority of occupation with respect to resources of the at least one application program, and the status of the wireless channel.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the setting unit is further configured to change the appearance of at least one icon displayed on a screen of a user terminal, based on the status of the wireless channel, and based on the information stored in the storage unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the setting unit is configured to display at least one icon on the screen of the user terminal by changing a display scheme of the at least one icon, or hides the at least one icon, based on the status of the wireless channel, and based on the information stored in the storage unit.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the change in display scheme of the at least one icon comprises a change in at least one of color, clarity, chroma, brightness, size, position, and shape of the at least one icon, and a change in an image mapping, a three-dimensional (3D) effect, or an animation effect with respect to the at least one icon.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control module is further configured to activate and deactivate a plurality of individual functions performed by an application program based on the status of the wireless channel.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control module is further configured to keep active one function of the application program and to deactivate another function of the application program based on a same status of the wireless channel.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control module adaptively activates and deactivates the at least one application program without a user request.

13. A method of adaptively operating an application program, the method comprising:

monitoring a status of a wireless channel that changes in real time;

extracting requirements of a plurality of application programs;

determining a priority of occupation of the wireless channel for the plurality of application programs based on one or more features of the plurality of application programs;

adaptively activating and deactivating an application program based on whether the status of the monitored wireless channel satisfies the respective requirements of the application program, and based on the determined priority of occupation for the plurality of application programs; and

changing an appearance of a menu setting of the application program on a screen of a user terminal, by resetting a display scheme of the menu screen of the application program based on the status of the wireless channel, information about the respective requirements of the application program, and the determined priority of occupation for the plurality of application programs,

wherein the resetting comprises at least one of displaying a different color of the corresponding menu, hiding an inexecutable function among functions from the menu, and changing the corresponding menu screen by effects that are applicable to an icon.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

registering the respective requirements of the plurality of application programs with a control module,

wherein the requirements of an application program comprise information with respect to at least one of a data transmission rate requested by the application program, a packet delay time, and an average frequency and extent of data occurrence.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein program instructions to cause a processor to execute a method of adaptively operating an application program, the method comprising:

monitoring a status of a wireless channel that changes in real time;

extracting requirements of a plurality of application programs;

determining a priority of occupation of the wireless channel for the plurality of application programs based on one or more features of the plurality of application programs;

adaptively activating and deactivating an application program based on whether the status of at least one of the wireless channel satisfies the respective requirements of the application program, and based on the determined priority of occupation for the plurality of application programs; and

changing an appearance of a menu setting of the application program on a screen of a user terminal, by resetting a display scheme of the menu screen of the application program based on the status of the wireless channel, information about the respective requirements of the application program, and the determined priority of occupation for the plurality of application programs,

wherein the resetting comprises at least one of displaying a different color of the corresponding menu, hiding an inexecutable function among functions from the menu, and changing the corresponding menu screen by effects that are applicable to an icon.

16. A method of operating an apparatus comprising a display and in which a plurality of application programs are installed, the method comprising:

determining whether a status of a wireless channel corresponds to a first mode in which an application program from the plurality of application programs is executable, or corresponds to a second mode in which the application program is inexecutable;

determining a priority of occupation of the wireless channel for the plurality of application programs based on one or more features of the plurality of application programs;

adaptively activating and deactivating the application program based on whether the status of the wireless channel satisfies one or more requirements of the application program, and based on the determined priority of occupation for the plurality of application programs; and

displaying the first mode or the second mode based on a result of the determination; and

changing an appearance of a menu setting of the application program on a screen of a user terminal, by resetting a display scheme of the menu screen of the application program based on the status of the wireless channel, information about the requirements of the at least one application program, and the determined priority of occupation for the plurality of application programs,

wherein the resetting comprises at least one of displaying a different color of the corresponding menu, hiding an inexecutable function among functions from the menu, and changing the corresponding menu screen by effects that are applicable to an icon.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the first mode displays a first form of an icon corresponding to the application program, and

the second mode displays a second form of the icon corresponding to the application program, and the second form is different from the first form.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the first form of the icon corresponds to a colored icon, and

the second form of the icon corresponds to a grayscale icon.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the first form of the icon has a relatively low clarity in comparison to the second form, and

the second form of the icon has a relatively high clarity in comparison to the first form.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the first form of the icon has a greater size in comparison to the second form.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the first form of the icon has a shape that has an animation effect that is different from the shape of the second form.

22. A method of operating an apparatus in which a plurality of application programs are installed, the apparatus displaying a respective icon corresponding to each application program that indicates that the application program is executable, the method comprising:

monitoring a status of a wireless channel;

determining a priority of occupation of the wireless channel for the plurality of application programs based on one or more features of the plurality of application programs;

adaptively activating and deactivating an application program from the plurality of application programs based on whether the status of the wireless channel satisfies requirements of the application program, and based on the determined priority of occupation for the plurality of application programs;

displaying the icon by changing a form of the icon, in response to the deactivating of the application program; and

changing an appearance of a menu setting of the application program on a screen of a user terminal, by resetting a display scheme of the menu screen of the application program based on the status of the wireless channel, information about the one or more requirements of the application program, and the determined priority of occupation or the plurality of application programs,

wherein the resetting comprises at least one of displaying a different color of the corresponding menu, hiding an inexecutable function among functions from the menu, and changing the corresponding menu screen by effects that are applicable to an icon.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the icon, in the changed form, corresponds to a grayscale icon.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the icon, in the changed form, corresponds to an icon having a higher clarity.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the icon, in the changed form, corresponds to an icon having a smaller size.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the icon, in the changed form, corresponds to an icon having a shape changed by an animation effect.