Reconfiguring a user interface according to interface device deterioration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11023123-B2
Application number	US-201916385827-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2019
Priority date	Jun 29, 2015
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

For reconfiguring a user interface (UI) layout according to a deterioration of an interface device, a UI layout is analyzed to determine a position of a UI element on the interface device according to the UI layout determination is made that the UI element is positioned in a first area of the interface device, the first area having a first sensitivity to touch, where the first sensitivity is below a level of sensitivity. A second area of the interface device is identified, the second area having a second sensitivity to touch, where the second sensitivity is at least equal to the level of sensitivity. The UI element is relocated from the first area to the second area thereby forming a modified UI layout. The modified UI layout is sent for rendering on the interface device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer implemented method for reconfiguring a user interface (UI) layout according to a deterioration of an interface device, the computer implemented method comprising:
analyzing, using a processor and a memory of a data processing system, a UI layout to determine a position of a UI element on the interface device according to the UI layout;
determining that the UI element is positioned in a first area of the interface device, the first area having a first sensitivity to touch, wherein the first sensitivity is below a level of sensitivity;
identifying a second area of the interface device, the second area having a second sensitivity to touch, wherein the second sensitivity is at least equal to the level of sensitivity, the interface device being mapped into at least the first area and the second area;
categorizing, using a set of sensitivity thresholds, the first area into a first category of sensitivity levels from a set of categories of sensitivity levels according to the first sensitivity, and categorizing the second area into a second category of sensitivity levels from a set of categories of sensitivity levels according to the second sensitivity;
relocating the UI element from the first area to the second area thereby forming a modified UI layout;
sending the modified UI layout for rendering on the interface device, wherein the rendering includes presenting the mapping;
mapping the interface device into a plurality of areas, the plurality of areas including the first area and the second area;
measuring a sensitivity corresponding to each area in the plurality of areas;
categorizing, using the set of sensitivity thresholds, each area in the plurality of areas according to a corresponding sensitivity of each area into a category from a set of categories;
assigning, from a set of indicators, a first indicator to the first category and a second indicator to the second category, wherein the first indicator and the second indicator are configured to be perceptible on the interface device to a user of the interface device; and
perceptibly presenting the mapping using the interface device, wherein the first indicator is perceptibly associated with the first area, and the second indicator is perceptibly associated with the second area.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein an indicator in the set of indicators is a color, and wherein the categories in the set of categories are color coded to different colors.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein an indicator in the set of indicators is a shading, and wherein the categories in the set of categories are coded using shadings of different weights.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein an indicator in the set of indicators is an animation, and wherein the categories in the set of categories are coded using animations of different speeds.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein an indicator in the set of indicators is a tactile output, and wherein the categories in the set of categories are coded using tactile outputs having different sensations.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring a usage of the first area, wherein the usage of the first area comprises a number of times a particular UI element is positioned in the first area, wherein the particular UI element receives a touch-based input in the first area; and
presenting data of the usage of the first area together with data of the first sensitivity and an identifier of the particular UI element using the interface device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, to a presenting application of the UI layout, measurements of the first sensitivity and the second sensitivity together with descriptions of the first area and the second area; and
causing, as a result of sending the measurements and the descriptions, the presenting application of the UI layout to change the UI layout when the presenting application sends the UI layout at a later time.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
further sending the modified UI layout to the presenting application of the UI layout; and
directing, as a result of sending the modified layout to the presenting application, a manner in which the presenting application changes the UI layout.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, as a part of identifying the second area, that the second area has space to accommodate the UI element.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface device is a touch-sensitive screen of the data processing system.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface device is a tactile output device to present Braille content from the data processing system.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving the UI layout from a presenting application, wherein forming the modified UI layout occurs without the presenting application knowing about the relocating.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Chakra Al
• Denner Gary
• Dunne Jonathan
• Harpur Liam

Classifications

• G06F3/0416

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F3/0488 Primary

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F3/0484

  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 title