Patent ID: 8095890

Claim:
A user interface method in a system providing a content and a function to a user, wherein the system comprises a calculation unit, a display unit, an identifier input unit, a storage unit, a clocking unit, and operation input unit; the storage unit holds: a location-dependent content/function frequency table which depends on a location prepared for each of users and describes a frequency of each of contents and functions; a time band-dependent content/function frequency table which depends on a time band prepared for each of the users and describes a priority rank for each of contents and functions; a user verification database; and at least one content or function program; when a user approaches the identifier input unit which is in the vicinity of the display unit; the calculation unit, acquires user identification feature information for identifying a user inputted into the identifier input unit; clocking information from the clocking unit; and location attribute information which is attribute information on a location where the display unit and the identifier input unit are installed; and identifies a user by using the user identification feature information and the user verification database; acquires the location-dependent content/function frequency table and the time band-dependent content/function table on the identified user from the storage unit; calculates the part corresponding to the location attribute information in the location-dependent content/function frequency table and calculates the part corresponding to the date and time information in the time band-dependent content/function frequency table so as to calculate a priority rank for each of the contents and functions; and generates menu content information for constituting a content/function selection menu according to the priority rank and transmits it to the display device; the display unit generates the content/function selection menu according to the menu content information and presents it to the identified user; and the storage unit further holds a user relationship-dependent content/function frequency table which describes a frequency of a content and a function to be selected when other user prepared for each user is present; when one or more users other than the main user using the identifier input unit and the user verification database are simultaneously identified, the priority for each of the calculated contents and functions is calculated by using the user relationship-dependent frequency table concerning the main user and considering the adaptability of the content and the function under the coexistence of the other users, and the menu content information constituting the content/function selection menu is generated according to the priority.