Patent Publication Number: US-2010130261-A1

Title: Editor for graphical user interfaces

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to European (EP) Patent Application No. 08 020 320.1, filed on Nov. 21, 2008, the contents of which are incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein. 
     BACKGROUND 
     When today a mobile telephone is released on the market, its graphical user interface i.e. the software part of the telephone user interface is a fixed component usually designed by a manufacturer and/or the network provider and programmed in the manufacturing environment of the mobile telephone. Every mobile telephone user interface is inevitably a compromise given the fact it needs to serve a huge audience with very different needs. This means menus are filled with applications which some users never use, the whole display is showing inappropriate elements and for specific information the user needs to open a browser to find this information. Dependant on how many submenus the user has to open this may be a very inefficient process in some cases. 
     Such menus may differ very greatly in terms of their structure, the number of parameters displayed and the difficulty of using them. The different desires, demands and capabilities of the users mean that there is generally not a single menu which meets the demands of all potential users. In practice, by way of example, a particular menu may be far too complicated and incomprehensible for a first, technically inexperienced user, yet may still be too simple for a second, technically experienced user, because the latter desires further refined setting options or would like to use further services offered. 
     Even for a single person the most frequently used functionalities may vary throughout a day and a week depending on the context of the daily life of the user. At work, usually calling numbers or caller lists as well as business e-mail functionalities are most important. At home, the same user may never access his business e-mail but rather use a camera and a photo gallery to show photos to visitors. At leisure times, for example on a festival the most important things to this user are latest updates about the festival and notifications when a favorite band starts playing. During holidays a personal blog may be the most frequently accessed service. 
     The graphical user interface of today&#39;s mobile telephones can only be adapted to a very little extent to fit to the personal context of the user let alone to a varying context. At most the user has the possibility in some cases to make some accommodations. For example, the user may configure some aspects of the graphical user interface such as the language and the date format. He may also change the look and feel of the graphical user interface by selecting a template or by “skinning” the mobile telephone, i.e. changing the appearance of elements shown on the display. In some cases, the user may also install additional applications on the telephone. 
     From US 2005/0289227 A1 a method for editing a new interface of a portable device by using a browser is known. According to the known method, a new interface of the portable device is edited with texts and graphics provided on a website associated with a server. The user of the portable device connects to the internet and logs in to a website associated with a server. On the server he may edit text or graphs a window or a picture frame of a new user interface. After the editing is finished the user downloads the information associated with the new user interface into a specific folder of the portable electronic device to replace the original graphical user interface of the device. In this way a personal style of the user interface can be created. 
     Taking this as a starting point there remains a desire to provide a user the possibility to even further adapt the graphical user interface or to create a new graphical user interface for a mobile communication device according to his needs and preferences. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to an editor for graphical user interfaces for mobile communication devices. Moreover, exemplary embodiments relate to a mobile communication device comprising an operating system for the mobile communication device, a radio interface for contacting to a wireless network, a display on which a graphical user interface is displayed to enable the user to operate the mobile communication device according to the operating system, and a local storage where data files associated with the graphical user interface are stored. A graphical user interface manager may be used to enable the download of a new graphical user interface from a remote device. The user has, therefore, the possibility to change the graphical user interface of his mobile communication device 
     The graphical user interface manager may control the storage of the data files associated with the new graphical user interface in the local storage. 
     One exemplary embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for editing a graphical interface for a mobile communication device. The exemplary method comprises:
         providing a template for pages and/or screens of the graphical user interface;   providing predefined components;   placing the components on the pages and/or screens; and   associating a page and/or a screen with a menu level of the graphical user interface.       

     One exemplary method comprises providing graphical elements and presenting them on a page and/or screen. The graphical elements can be used to create a personal style of the user interface. 
     The method may further comprise associating the graphical elements with the components. Components are typically functionalities a mobile communication device can perform such as a calendar, messages, media players etc. 
     An exemplary method further comprises linking the pages and/or screens with buttons. The buttons may be virtual buttons or icons which can be selected by placing a cursor on these buttons and clicking or selecting the button. 
     The method may further comprise establishing links between different pages and/or screens to create a flow of menu levels in the graphical user interface. 
     In this way the user may design not only the look and feel of the graphical user interface but also the flow of screens and the different functionalities provided by the different screens. 
     Another exemplary method comprises transferring the graphical user interface to a mobile communication device. The method can in this way be implemented as an application on a server an thus it can benefit from a higher computation power and larger memory resources to be more user friendly during the design of the graphical user interface. 
     Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention relates to a server that provides a web site on which an editor for graphical user interfaces is provided. The editor allows editing components and menu flows in the graphical user interface. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a server comprises a download manager that executes the transfer of data files associated with the edited graphical user interface to a receiving device. As mentioned above, the development and design of a graphical user interface may be more convenient than on a mobile communication device because the server has much more computing power. 
     Finally, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a communication a system may comprise both a mobile communication device and a server. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Certain exemplary embodiments are described in the following detailed description and in reference to the drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a mobile telephone, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram showing a detailed view of the display of the mobile telephone of  FIG. 1 , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing an architecture of a system, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing a screen of an editor enabling a user to create a graphical user interface for the mobile communication device, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     In the drawings, identical or similar elements are labeled with the same reference numbers. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  shows a front view of a mobile telephone according an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The mobile telephone is labeled as a whole with the reference number  100 . In the lower part of the front side of the mobile telephone  100  there is a key pad  101  enabling a user to input telephone numbers and text. In the upper portion of the front side of the mobile telephone  100  there is a display  102  for displaying dialed telephone numbers as well as telephone numbers of callers. The display  102  is also utilized to display the text of SMS messages and the visual contents of MMS messages. The display  102  is also used to display icons  103  enabling the user to access in a quick and convenient way certain functionalities of the mobile telephone such as SMS messaging, MMS messaging, e-mails and address books to name only a few examples. This aspect will be described with reference to  FIG. 2  showing the display  102  in greater detail. In order to select a certain functionality, the user moves a cursor (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) onto an icon  103  displayed on the screen  102  by cursor buttons  104  and pushes a select button  105  to execute the selection. The mobile telephone  100  further includes a button  106  to initiate a telephone call and a button  107  to terminate the telephone call. 
     In connection with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the mobile telephone  100  is only a representative of different types of mobile communication devices such as personal data assistants (PDA). For the sake of simplicity, however, we refer only to a mobile telephone but other mobile communication devices may take the place of the mobile telephone in connection with the present invention. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are not limited to mobile telephones and may include any other type of mobile communication devices having a graphical user interface. 
     The mobile telephone is wirelessly connected to a PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network) via a radio access network. The PLMN may provide the core network of the mobile communication system operated by a mobile network operator and may be configured according to the GSM standard or according to the UMTS standard, for example. The radio access network may be configured as a GERAN (GSM Edge Radio Access Network) according to the GSM specification or as an UTRAN (Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network) according to the UMTS specification, for example. The UMTS specification permits the user to connect wirelessly to the internet at a comparable data rate as with DSL connections. 
     In  FIG. 2 , the display  102  of the mobile telephone  100  shown in  FIG. 1  is shown in greater detail. In  FIG. 2 , the different kinds of icons  103  and the functionality which is associated with each of these icons  103  is visible. In the example shown in  FIG. 2 , the functionalities are telephone calls, email editing and sending, SMS messaging, appointments with friends, sport events, cultural events and other items which are important for the user of the mobile telephone  100 . The described functionalities are only meant as illustrative examples and shall not be construed to limit the scope of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  shows a high level architecture of a system which is capable to implement the present invention. The system comprises the mobile telephone  100  and a server  300 . The mobile telephone  100  includes a graphical user interface manager  301  (graphical user interface manager) and a local storage  302 . In the local storage  302  a plurality of different kinds of graphical user interfaces may be stored. The graphical user interface manager  301  enables the user to select one of the graphical user interfaces which are available on the local storage  302  such that the operating system of the mobile telephone  100  presents the selected graphical user interface to the user. The graphical user interface manager offers the user the possibility to replace the graphical user interface which is installed on his mobile phone with another one displaying different data and having a different flow of menus i.e. the user may change the sequence of screens and how to navigate from one screen to another one. This is a considerable advantage over the prior art because designing and building a mobile telephone user interface is at present very difficult and complex such that it is reserved to specialized designers and engineers. The graphical user interfaces stored in the local storage displays a menu enabling a user to manually switch to another graphical user interface. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the user can switch between different user interfaces by using a hardware button. 
     The local storage  302  may comprise a memory device inside the telephone, a memory included in the subscriber identity module of the mobile telephone or an additional memory card that can be inserted into the mobile telephone. The mobile telephone  100  includes a telephone operating system  304 , which is controlled by the user through the graphical user interface currently selected by the graphical user interface manager  301 . The telephone operating system  303  comprises all hard- and software to enable native telephone functionalities, e.g., setting up and receiving telephone calls and email, SMS (short message service) and MMS (multimedia message service) communication to name only a few. In spite of the new flexibility that an exemplary embodiment of the invention may provide, there may still be a situation that the plurality of graphical user interface stored in the local storage  302  does still not meet all needs of a specific user. Therefore, the graphical user interface manager  301  also enables the user to connect to the server  300  via a data communication link  304 . 
     The data communication link  304  between the mobile telephone  100  and the server  300  may be established wirelessly via conventional data communication services offered by service providers. The server  300  hosts a website  305  on which an editor  306  for graphical user interface is accessible. The editor  306  may enable the user to remotely configure the graphical user interface of his mobile telephone by editing a new graphical user interface with the editor  306 . The process of editing a new graphical user interface will be described further below. The data files associated with the graphical user interface are stored in a local storage  307  of the server  300 . A download manager  310  may comprise an application running on the server  300  which accesses the data file associated with the new graphical user interface and transfers it via the data communication link  304  to the graphical user interface manager  301 . As soon as the data file associated with the selected graphical user interface has been downloaded completely, it is stored in the local storage  302  of the mobile telephone  100 . The new graphical user interface is then available for the user of the mobile telephone. The server  300  and the mobile telephone  100  cooperate to form a system enabling a user to replace a graphical user interface stored in the local storage  302  of the mobile telephone  100  by a new graphical user interface which has been edited on the website  305  of the server  300 . 
     In the following example, the creation of a new graphical user interface using the editor  306  is described. 
       FIG. 4  shows an exemplary screen  400  of the editor  306 . The editor is a so-called WYSIWYG (“what you see is what you get”) editor. In the center of the screen, there is a template  401  for a first level of the graphical user interface to be designed. The template  401  may be empty but it may also be a menu of an already existing graphical user interface. In the latter case, the editor  306  is only used to amend or adapt an existing graphical user interface. This case is a kind of simplification of a situation where a user intends to make a completely new graphical user interface. Therefore, this case shall not be considered here. The template  401  comprises a container for the actual content and forms a page or a screen of the graphical user interface. The content is composed of different components which are placed by the user onto the template  401  in the course of the editing process. Each component has properties that the user can edit. Sample components include context, camera, browser, media browser, key pad lock, mail, messages, calendar, maps, status, auto and/or video player, notifications, buttons or the like. 
     In  FIG. 4 , a window  402  displays exemplary available components. The components are visualized in window  402  by differently designed icons  403 . It is noted that, in  FIG. 4 , the icons  403  are only shown in a simplified manner. In addition to that, the window  402  offers the user to also include different kinds of media into the graphical user interface such as music, pictures or video clips. In order to select media the user has to click on a media icon  404 . An edit window  405  provides a possibility for the user to perform conventional edit functions inside the template  401  such as copying, cutting and pasting, changing font types or sizes, etc. On the right hand side, the screen  400  displays a properties windows  406  allowing a user to control the properties of the template  401  which has been filled with components. 
     A first sub-window  407  permits the user to define the geometrical dimensions that are to be applied for the graphical user interface including the width and length of tool bars, the size of the icons  103  in two dimensions and others. In sub-window  408 , the user can adjust parameters defining the appearance of the graphical user interface comprising the sharpness of borders and opacity of graphical elements used in the graphical user interface. Finally, a sub-window  409  provides the possibility to adjust parameters determining the colours used in the graphical user interface such as tint and saturation of the colours used in the graphical user interface. The adjustable parameters can be varied by the user by manipulating numerical values presented fields  410  in the sub-windows  407  to  409  or by shifting a slider  411  on a bar to a different position using a cursor on the screen  400 . Such technologies are known in the prior art and therefore do not need to be described in detail here. 
     Step by step, the user transforms the original template into a page of a new graphical user interface. When the page is completed, the user clicks on a save button in the window  405  trigger the storage of the page on the local storage  307  of the server  300 . Then, the user can open a new template  401  to create the next page of the graphical user interface. The pages and screens can be linked with buttons. This functionality is available in window  402  presenting the components. Furthermore, the editor provides assets, which may comprise media content that can be used in the graphical user interface like icons and/or backgrounds. Once finished, configuration files for the mobile telephone can be generated that can be transferred manually or over the air to the mobile telephone. A bar  410  shows all finished and stored pages of the graphical user interface in a reduced size. In the example shown in  FIG. 4 , there are already two finished pages  411  and  412  shown in the bar  410 , while the user is working on a third page. Arrow buttons  415  and  416  enable the user to leave backwards and forwards, respectively, through the pages of the graphical user interface. In this way, the user can easily monitor the progress and/or status of his work on the graphical user interface. When the graphical user interface is finalized, the user stores it in the local storage  307  of the server. Then, the download manager  308  and the graphical user interface manager  301  of the mobile telephone  100  perform the download of the new graphical user interface to the mobile telephone  100 . Once received, the graphical user interface manager  301  stores the new graphical user interface in the local storage of the mobile telephone  100 . 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present invention may provide that web designers or knowledgeable users are able to create a new experience for a graphical user interface for a mobile telephone. In this way, users can create very specific graphical user interface experiences that are relevant to them because inappropriate elements can be left out while elements that are important for the user can be moved to the foreground of the graphical user interface. Furthermore, it is possible to develop a new graphical user interface experience very quickly based on templates which are made available to the user. Another advantage is that the user can change the graphical user interface of the mobile telephone depending on his needs or on the context. For example, he may have available different kinds of graphical user interfaces for specific vacations like holidays, a concert, a wedding and last but not least for his normal working days. 
     An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may provide a web-based WYSIWYG (“what you see is what you get”) editor to design a graphical user interface based on the notion of the components a specific user has. The editor may comprise an application programming interface to create the new graphical user interface. 
     While exemplary embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Particularly, the invention is not limited to a download of an application or program code to the local storage  302 . A person skilled in the art recognises that other data can be downloaded to the local storage  302  in the same way as it has been described before in connection with the download of a program code of an application. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. 
     In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims. A computer program may be stored/distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunication systems. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     
         
           100  mobile telephone 
           101  key pad 
           102  display 
           103  icon 
           104  cursor buttons 
           105  select button 
           106 , 107  buttons 
           300  server 
           301  graphical user interface manager 
           302  local storage 
           303  telephone operating system 
           304  data communication link 
           305  web site 
           306  editor for graphical user interface 
           307  local storage 
           308  download manager 
           400  screen 
           401  template 
           402  window 
           403  icons 
           404  media icon 
           405  edit window 
           406  properties window 
           407  sub window 
           408  sub window 
           409  sub window 
           410  field 
           411  slider 
           412  bar 
           413  finished page 
           414  finished page 
           415  rearward, forward button 
           416  rearward, forward button