System and method of modifying a user experience based on physical environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9501201-B2
Application number	US-201313769499-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2013
Priority date	Feb 18, 2013
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A method of dynamically altering a user interface on an electronic device is provided. A user interface is presented to a user, wherein the user interface includes one or more elements. Then, a first aspect of a physical environment of the electronic device is determined. One or more elements of the user interface can then be dynamically modified based on the determined first aspect of the physical environment of the electronic device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a processor;
a touchscreen;
a user interface configured to present one or more elements on the touchscreen of the electronic device; and
a physical environment tracking module configured to determine a first aspect of a physical environment, other than location or current time, of the electronic device and to dynamically modify one or more of the one or more elements based on the determined first aspect of the physical environment of the electronic device, the physical environment tracking module further configured to alter a mode of the touchscreen such that a touchscreen interface operating on the touchscreen changes from a first mode in which touchscreen input is received without providing tactile feedback to a second mode in which tactile feedback is provided through the touchscreen by generating vibrations on the touchscreen in response to touch input based on the determined first aspect of the physical environment.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a thermometer, and wherein the physical environment tracking module is configured to obtain temperature information from the thermometer.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more hardware buttons, wherein the physical environment tracking module is configured to dynamically alter a mapping of one or more physical buttons on the electronic device to activate one or more elements of the user interface.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the one or more of the elements dynamically modified include a virtual button.

5. A method of dynamically altering a user interface on an electronic device, the method comprising:
presenting a user interface to a user via a touchscreen on the electronic device, the user interface including one or more elements;
determining a first aspect of a physical environment, other than location, of the electronic device;
dynamically modifying one or more elements of the user interface based on the determined first aspect of the physical environment of the electronic device; and
altering a mode of the touchscreen such that a touchscreen interface operating on the touchscreen changes from a first mode in which touchscreen input is received without providing tactile feedback to a second mode in which tactile feedback is provided through the touchscreen by generating vibrations on the touchscreen in response to touch input based on the determined first aspect of the physical environment.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first aspect of the physical environment is ambient temperature.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the dynamically modifying includes increasing a size of the one or more elements as the ambient temperature decreases.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the dynamically modifying includes dynamically engaging a voice-recognition system on the electronic device as the ambient temperature decreases.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the dynamically modifying includes dynamically altering a mapping of one or more physical buttons on the electronic device to activate the one or more elements of the user interface.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising causing the electronic device to heat itself at an increased rate as the ambient temperature decreases.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the causing includes cycling a central processing unit (CPU) of the electronic device so that the CPU is utilized at a maximum rate.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the causing includes increasing a brightness level of a display of the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 5 , wherein the dynamically modifying includes activating a haptic mode to provide tactile feedback upon activation of the one or more elements of the user interface.

14. A method of dynamically altering a user interface on an electronic device, the method comprising:
receiving physical environment information from the electronic device;
dynamically modifying one or more elements of a user interface based on the physical environment information;
transmitting the dynamically modified user interface to the electronic device for display on a touchscreen; and
altering a mode of the touchscreen such that a touchscreen interface operating on the touchscreen changes from a first mode in which touchscreen input is received without providing tactile feedback to a second mode in which tactile feedback is provided through the touchscreen by generating vibrations on the touchscreen in response to touch input based on physical environment information.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the method is performed at a web server communicatively coupled to the electronic device.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the physical environment information includes ambient temperature.

17. The method of claim 4 , wherein the physical environment information includes rain patterns.

Assignees

• Higgins Krystal Rose
• Farraro Eric J
• Tapley John
• Ebay Inc

Inventors

• Higgins Krystal Rose
• Farraro Eric J
• Tapley John

Classifications

• G06F3/0482 Primary

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

• G06F9/4443

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F3/048 Primary

  Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• G06Q30/0641

  utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping · CPC title

• G06F9/451

  Execution arrangements for user interfaces · CPC title