User Interface Change Recommendation Method, User Interface Change Recommendation Program, and User Interface Change Recommendation System

Abstract

To solve the problem that a prior art for suitably utilizing plural functions changes a display mode on one screen to the utmost, and does not realize display suited for a user's taste and operation of a super application requiring complex operation.MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM: Proposed is a user interface change recommendation method or the like that records taste information as information regarding a taste of a user interface in an application program, reads an application program, acquires operation group information as plural pieces of information directly or indirectly related to a user's operation in execution of an application program, performs determination regarding a change in a user interface regarding execution of an application program by a user by using the taste information and the operation group information, and outputs recommendation information as information regarding recommendation for changing a user interface to a user according to a determination result.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for suitably changing an interface such as a GUI in an application program for each user, a program for operating the system, a method, and the like.

Background Art

[0002] When executing an application program using a computer, a user executes input / output processing of information via a preset user interface (UI). When various processes are possible in one application program, on the program, a structure on an interface for receiving information input for executing each process is required. Specifically, a plurality of buttons, tabs, icons, etc. are arranged in multiple layers for each one or more pages.

[0003] As a measure for visualizing how such an application program is utilized by a user, a technique called a heat map has been conventionally known. This is a technique that enables analysis of a user's thinking by tracking the movement of a mouse and digitally processing the movement. By using this technique, for example, when executing a web application, it is possible to grasp the movement of the mouse when the user executes the application, and thus visualize the thinking of the user when using the application.

[0004] In addition, a technique for making an application program easier to use according to a user's preference using the heat map technique as described above has been disclosed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for enlarging and making it easier to select a specific icon or link on an application program based on a user's operation prediction obtained through a heat map.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Tokuhyo 2018-535462 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0006] However, although the prior art described in Patent Document 1 is for making a specific display easier to view, it is merely for changing the display form on a single screen. Even in the case where operations spanning multiple pages are required, it is difficult to say that a display conforming to the user's preference is realized.

[0007] In addition, as a result of the emergence of various application programs in recent years, improving the convenience when a user uses multiple application programs in parallel has become a major issue. As a measure therefor, a mechanism called a super app that executes the above-mentioned multiple application programs through one application program and makes the information and data used in each application program mutually available has attracted attention, but it is difficult to fully utilize the gist of such a super app in the prior art. [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the present invention proposes a method for recommending changes to the user interface of an application program using a computer, the method comprising: a preference information recording step of recording preference information which is information regarding the preferences of the user interface in an application program; an application program reading step of reading the application program; an operation group information acquisition step of acquiring operation group information which is a plurality of pieces of information directly or indirectly related to operations by a predetermined user when the application program is executed; a change determination step of making a determination regarding a change to the user interface related to the execution of the application program by the predetermined user using the preference information recorded in the preference information recording step and the operation group information acquired in the operation group information acquisition step; and a recommendation information output step of outputting recommendation information which is information regarding a recommendation for a user interface change for the predetermined user according to the determination result obtained in the change determination step. The present invention also proposes a user interface change recommendation method, etc.

[0009] The present invention also proposes a user interface change recommendation method configured to have a general preference information recording sub-step in which the preference information recording step records general preference information which is information not limited to the preferences of the user interface of one application program as preference information.

[0010] The present invention also proposes a user interface change recommendation method configured to have a general operation group information recording sub-step in which the preference information recording step records general operation group information which is operation group information other than the operation group information of one user as preference information.

[0011] The present invention also proposes a user interface change recommendation method characterized in that the operation group information includes at least one of information regarding the movement of the eyes, mouth, face, limbs or fingers of a predetermined user.

[0012] Also proposed is a user interface change recommendation method having a user interface change step of changing a user interface according to the recommendation information output in the recommendation information output step.

[0013] Also proposed is a user interface change recommendation method having a configuration further including a preference information change step of changing the preference information recorded in the preference information recording step according to the change process of the user interface change step.

[0014] Also, in relation to the invention of the method, a preference information recording step of recording preference information which is information regarding the preference of the user interface in an application program, an application program reading step of reading the application program, an operation group information acquisition step of acquiring operation group information which is a plurality of information directly or indirectly related to an operation by a predetermined user when the application program is executed, a change determination step of making a determination regarding a change of the user interface related to the execution of the application program by the predetermined user using the preference information recorded in the preference information recording step and the operation group information acquired in the operation group information acquisition step, and a recommendation information output step of outputting recommendation information which is information regarding a recommendation of a user interface change for the predetermined user according to the determination result made in the change determination step are made executable using a computer, and a user interface change recommendation program and the like are also proposed.

[0015] Also, in relation to the invention of the method, a preference information holding unit that holds preference information, which is information regarding the preferences of the user interface in an application program; an application program reading unit that reads an application program; an operation group information acquisition unit that acquires operation group information, which is a plurality of pieces of information directly or indirectly related to operations by a predetermined user when the application program is executed; a change determination unit that determines a change to the user interface regarding the execution of the application program by the predetermined user, using the preference information held by the preference information holding unit and the operation group information acquired by the operation group information acquisition unit; and a recommendation information output unit that outputs recommendation information, which is information regarding a recommendation for a user interface change for the predetermined user, according to the determination result made by the change determination unit. A user interface change recommendation system having these components is also proposed.

Effects of the Invention

[0016] Mainly due to the present invention having the above-described configuration, even when a user uses a plurality of application programs through a super app or the like, it becomes possible to provide a display that reflects a suitable operation feeling according to the user's own usage form.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1A

Figure 1B

Figure 1C

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] First, FIGS. 1A to 1C and FIG. 2 are shown. These figures are all diagrams for showing the outline of the present invention, and are diagrams showing an example of the display on the tablet terminal when the present invention is realized. These figures all show an example of the display when the same application software is executed on the same tablet terminal.

[0019] FIG. 1A shows a screen when the application software is started and logged in with the user ID "abcde9876". It is shown in the figure that the login time was 11:11 on January 11, 2020, and eight icons are displayed as the menu. The user selects by clicking on the icon he / she wants to use among the icons using an input device such as a touch panel or a touch pen. Here, it is assumed that the icon showing the state where a knife and a fork cross each other (meaning a function related to dining reservation or another application program having the function) is clicked.

[0020] Next, FIG. 1B is shown. This figure is an example of the screen display after clicking the icon in the example shown in FIG. 1A. In this figure, eight or more icons are further displayed, and specifically, these icons are linked to pages that display information about Italian food, Japanese cuisine, ethnic Chinese cuisine, etc., and further about restaurants such as cafes, izakayas, and bars. The user selects by clicking on the icon to which the type of restaurant they want to use belongs among these icons using an input device such as a touch panel or a touch pen. Here, it is assumed that the icon of sushi indicating Japanese cuisine is clicked.

[0021] Next, FIG. 1C is shown. This figure is an example of the screen display after clicking the sushi icon in the example shown in 1B. In this figure, a list of previously registered Japanese restaurants is displayed. The user can make a reservation for the store by selecting a predetermined store from among them. When the user wants to make a reservation at a restaurant, they repeat such an operation each time to make a restaurant reservation.

[0022] Here, FIG. 2 is shown. This figure is a diagram showing an example of the display on the display when the same user starts the application software again and logs in after performing the processing of FIGS. 1A to 1C and similar processing (logged in at 14:25 on February 1, 2020). As shown in this figure, the fact that eight icons are arranged and displayed remains the same as before, but it is shown that the sushi icon that was not originally displayed is superimposed on the previously displayed icon display. By changing the display mode in this way, the user can efficiently make a reservation at a Japanese restaurant without repeating formal operations.

[0023] Note that so far, an application program having a function related to restaurant reservation has been used as an example for explanation, but the present invention is applicable to those having various other functions. Specifically, it can be considered to be applied to application programs for performing labor management, attendance management, recruitment management, etc.

[0024] In an application program for labor management, for example, various functions are required such as employee roster management, personnel evaluation management, equipment inventory management, certificate issuance management, telecommuting management, training attendance management, budget / performance management, customer list management, project management, order / sales management, report management, contract management, intellectual property management, FAQ management, claim / inquiry management, daily report management, minutes of meeting management, questionnaire management, and others.

[0025] Also, in an application program for attendance management, for example, functions such as daily attendance punching time management, paid / vacation granting management, overtime management, shift management, end-of-month adjustment management, salary management, man-hour management, etc. are required to be efficiently performed for each predetermined period such as weekly, monthly, or annually. Particularly in the case of attendance management, the business volume increases from the perspective of determining the salary payment amount at a certain period such as the end of the month. As in the present invention, by providing a suitable user interface environment based on the operation group information, there is no lack of room for improving the work efficiency of the users.

[0026] Furthermore, in an application program for recruitment management, for example, functions such as application information management, applicant management, selection status management, recruitment status analysis management, etc. are required. Recruitment is not only carried out regularly, but also occurs temporarily or suddenly. By using an application program like the present invention, for these suddenly occurring operations, a suitable user interface can be provided for the relevant workers, and an efficient work environment can be provided.

[0027] The frequencies and timings of use for each function are different. For example, functions such as certificate issuance management and employee roster management may be concentratedly used around the start of the new fiscal year. On the other hand, functions such as intellectual property management are used to the extent during intellectual property creation or renewal deadlines, and the timing is not frequent.

[0028] On the other hand, to execute each function, there is also a fair amount of information that should be commonly managed and utilized, such as employee IDs, department IDs, working hours, and working dates and times. It is extremely cumbersome to repeatedly input these pieces of information every time each function is used, and it is preferable that they can be commonly used.

[0029] In the present invention, in this way, it becomes possible to provide a UI environment that can avoid complicated input processing for the user according to the usage mode for a plurality of functions with different usage frequencies depending on the time and purpose.

[0030] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the relationship between the embodiments and the claims is as follows. First, Embodiment 1 mainly corresponds to Claims 1, 2, 3, 6、7 and so on. Embodiment 2 mainly corresponds to Claims 4、5 and so on.

[0031] Note that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments at all, has the technical idea described in each claim of the claims according to common technical knowledge, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist thereof.

[0032] <<Embodiment 1>> <Overview> FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the functional blocks of the user interface change recommendation system according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the "user interface change recommendation system" 0300 of the present embodiment includes a "preference information storage unit" 0301, an "application program reading unit" 0302, an "operation group information acquisition unit" 0303, a "change determination unit" 0304, and a "recommendation information output unit" 0305.

[0033] Note that the user interface change recommendation system described in detail below can also be configured to implement one or more of its functions on multiple devices, and all of its functional blocks can be implemented as either hardware or software. Taking the case of using a computer as an example, hardware components include a CPU, main memory, GPU, TPU, image memory, bus, secondary storage device (hard disk or non-volatile memory), various input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, and electronic pen for touching the touch panel, speakers, displays, and other various output devices, as well as other external peripheral devices, and interfaces for those external peripheral devices, communication interfaces, driver programs for controlling those hardware, and other application programs, etc.

[0034] Then, through arithmetic processing according to the program deployed on the main memory, data input from input devices and other interfaces and held in memory or hardware is processed and stored, or instructions for controlling the above-mentioned hardware and software are created. Here, the above program may be realized as a plurality of modularized programs, or two or more programs may be combined by cloud computing or other methods to be realized as one program.

[0035] <Functional Configuration> The "Preference Information Holding Unit" 0301 is configured to hold preference information, which is information regarding the preferences of the user interface in the application program. The preference information here refers to various types of information representing the usage trends for each user who uses a specific or unspecified application program. Specifically, the usage frequency and continuous usage time for each function, the transition frequency and number between functions, the usage timing, etc. are considered, and the content is not limited to what is listed here, but the operation group information described later itself is not included in the preference information.

[0036] It is conceivable that preference information is recorded and retained for each user. By configuring it in this way, it is not limited to the preferences of the user interface of one application program, but is also configured to record general preference information, which is positioned as information regarding the general normal preferences of the user regarding other computer operations, as preference information. By adopting this configuration and positioning the preference information as the general preference of the user for app operations in general, it becomes possible to analyze the preference information and use it for customized recommendation processing that is truly considered suitable for the user.

[0037] General preference information is information regarding operation processing, processing time, processing frequency, etc. when operating other application programs. Therefore, when acquiring general preference information, it is required to have a function for acquiring information regarding the operation of other application programs. Therefore, it is conceivable to generate, acquire, and retain general preference information based on the information obtained by executing the function using various functions related to the interaction with other application programs.

[0038] Furthermore, in the preference information retention unit, it is conceivable to configure to record general operation group information, which is operation group information other than the operation group information of one user, as preference information. Although the operation group information of a predetermined user itself does not constitute preference information, the operation group information of other users may be included in the preference information as information representing more general preferences regarding the execution of the application program.

[0039] "Operation group information other than the operation group information of one user" means, in other words, the operation group information of other users, and is information that can grasp what operation mode is when other users use the application program. Organizational information, which is information regarding the company, corporation, organization, or other organization, industry type, business format, scale of the organization, etc. to which the user belongs, may be recorded and retained in association with each other as the attributes of the user.

[0040] It is desirable to store multiple types of general operation group information according to the attributes of the users associated with the operation group information. As an example, it is conceivable to store multiple pieces of information according to the business type, company scale, preferences, age group, region, and other attribute information of the users. By adopting this configuration and associating preference information with organizational information or general operation group information, it becomes possible to analyze the preference information and use it for processes such as recommending preference information considered suitable for users in general who have specific organizational information.

[0041] Note that the general operation group information can be recorded and stored by attaching labels for each predetermined attribute such as organizational information and making it searchable, or by accepting input of arbitrary information from the user. Also, the general operation group information once stored may be updated in terms of its content via a network with an external entity, or updated as general operation group information with new content. Due to the emergence of application programs with new functions, changes in trends regarding the use of application programs in the market, technological innovations, changes in social situations, and other changes in the external environment, preference information that is generally evaluated can change dynamically. By adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to provide recommendation information to users using preference information that conforms to the latest external environment.

[0042] The "application program reading unit" 0302 is configured to read an application program. The application program here naturally includes not only those provided individually and utilized for various functions, but also those read via one application program as in the case of using the super application described above.

[0043] The "operation group information acquisition unit" 0303 is configured to acquire operation group information, which is a plurality of information directly or indirectly related to operations by a predetermined user, when executing an application program. Here, the phrase "when executing an application program" means that, in addition to starting and ending the application program, information regarding any process during startup can be acquired as operation group information.

[0044] The operation group information is information directly or indirectly related to operations. Therefore, it is not limited to information resulting from actual user operations, and information indicating that the user did not perform an operation can also be included in the operation group information. Specifically, it is information such as the waiting time during which no instructions were received after starting an application program until the next operation is performed. By enabling the use of various types of information as operation group information, it becomes possible to output recommendation information that is more suitable for the user's preferences.

[0045] Incidentally, it is also conceivable to generate and acquire operation group information using, for example, information regarding the movements of a predetermined user's eyes, mouth, face, limbs, or fingers. Specifically, the user is photographed through a camera, and information regarding a series of the user's movements during or before and after executing the application program is acquired, and the series of information is acquired as operation group information. Generally, it is often said that the movement of a user's eyes during application program execution is linked to the movement of pointer operations on the display. However, when the movement of the eyes and the movement of pointer operations are not linked, it is possible to perform an analysis such as a high possibility that the user is searching for a button or icon to activate a predetermined function, and by acquiring such movement information and analysis results as operation group information or preference information, it becomes possible to contribute to the output of recommendation information for the user.

[0046] Even if it is other than eye movement, by acquiring the user's voice caused by mouth movement through a microphone, it is also possible to acquire, as operation group information, the input content when accepting voice input, for example. Or, it may be possible to acquire, as operation group information, the movement of the user's limbs through an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, or other various sensors as input content associated with specific semantic content.

[0047] Note that the information acquired here may include multiple types of movements, and by configuring the operation group information as content based on various movements, it becomes possible to perform recommendation processing that better reflects the user's preferences.

[0048] The preference information, general preference information, general operation group information, and operation group information described so far may all be generated, acquired, and held at appropriate timings, but it is preferable that they be generated or acquired at regular timings or specific timings. For example, when recommending a change to the user interface of an application program related to labor management, it is conceivable that these various types of information are generated, acquired, or updated and held at the end of each month or at the beginning of the month.

[0049] Application programs used for labor management are often intensively operated towards the end of the month from the viewpoints of attendance management, salary calculation, expense settlement, and others. Also, application programs such as travel reservation and Christmas present purchase reservation are often intensively operated at a stage a certain period before the event. Furthermore, household account book applications and ledger management applications for freelancers are often intensively operated around the time of final tax return.

[0050] In the present invention, when, as in these examples, it is often the case that operations are performed at a predetermined timing according to the nature of the application program, it is conceivable to obtain operation group information and the like at the timing when the operations are intensively performed. And if a configuration is adopted in which operation group information and the like are obtained at the timing of intensive operation in this way, it becomes possible to obtain information efficiently and significantly as compared with a configuration in which acquisition is performed randomly or acquisition is performed each time an operation is performed.

[0051] The "change determination unit" 0304 is configured to make a determination regarding a change in the user interface related to the execution of the application program by the predetermined user, using the preference information held in the preference information holding unit and the operation group information acquired by the operation group information acquisition unit. Using the preference information and the operation group information means that, based on the user's preferences and the actual performance of the operations of the application program on a daily basis, it is a process for determining whether or not to change to a user interface that is more suitable for using the application program.

[0052] For example, among the multiple functions of an application program, if the usage frequency of a specific function is significantly higher than that of other functions, it is conceivable to change the button, icon, etc. for activating the function to a more prominent placement position. Also, at a specific time, if it can be identified that only a limited number of functions out of the multiple functions are used only in a predetermined order, then for that time period, it is conceivable to change the user interface so that the functions being used can be activated in the order in which they are used.

[0053] The change process as described here does not pose much of a problem when the application program is configured with a simple user interface. However, when there are multiple functions, the user interface is configured with multiple layers, and complex screen selections and other processes are required for transitions between functions, it is extremely significant as a process for reducing the burden of these inefficient operations.

[0054] In the change determination unit, for example, by acquiring information such as the periods or time zones with high usage frequencies for each function, the determination content may include determining to limit the periods or time zones for changing the user interface. By adopting a configuration that can particularly handle operations that occur intensively at certain times, such as salary calculation processing at the end of the month, final tax return processing at the end of the year, and search processing for the venue of the year-end party before the end of the year, it becomes possible to satisfy the potential needs of users who wish to revert such changes when the user interface is changed.

[0055] Incidentally, regarding the specific processing when making a determination regarding a change using the preference information and the operation group information, an appropriate method can be considered. As an example, patterns that can be considered as appropriate change processes in advance are held based on rules, and by applying the rules to the combination of the preference information and the operation group information, it is conceivable to derive a predetermined conclusion.

[0056] Also, for example, by using the held preference information and operation group information to perform machine learning in advance on the preferences regarding the use of a certain application program of a predetermined user to generate a learned model, it is conceivable to make a determination regarding the change of the user interface using the learned model and the latest operation group information. In this case, additional learning is performed by using the newly acquired operation group information, and a configuration in which a new learned model is generated and held is also naturally conceivable.

[0057] In addition, by using general preference information and general operation group information as preference information, it is also conceivable that the learned model is configured not to overly depend on the user's preferences. For example, when the user uses the application program with a misunderstanding or in an objectively inefficient way for a long period of time, a learned model that has learned such usage patterns will be generated. Even if the learned model generated in this way is used, it is not always possible to recommend a change to a user interface that is truly suitable for the user. Therefore, it is preferable to make a change determination through machine learning that also uses general preference information and general operation group information, which are information on usage patterns that should generally be recommended. By adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to recommend changes through the present invention even for usage patterns that the user is not clearly aware of.

[0058] The change determination unit makes a determination regarding the change of the user interface. Depending on the content of the preference information and operation group information used, it is of course possible to determine not to change the user interface.

[0059] In any case, the determination result of the change determination unit can be output so that the user can grasp it as recommendation information. However, as described above, it may also be used for subsequent change determinations. In that case, a configuration may be adopted in which information regarding the result of the change determination is recorded and held in the preference information holding unit as, for example, preference information, or a configuration may be adopted in which information on the change determination result is separately recorded and held, and under this configuration, a configuration may be adopted that is used in the change determination on a separate occasion.

[0060] Incidentally, it is desirable that all information regarding the results of the change determination described herein be recorded and retained together with information such as the date and time when the change determination was made and the cumulative number of times the change determination was made. Such information can be used to identify whether the change determination result is merely a temporary trend of the user or is based on the user's essential preferences. By adopting a configuration that acquires such information, it becomes possible to contribute to more effective change determination.

[0061] The "recommended information output unit" 0305 is configured to output recommended information, which is information regarding recommendations for user interface changes for the predetermined user, according to the determination result made by the change determination unit. The recommended information does not necessarily have to be limited to one, and there may be a configuration in which a plurality of pieces of recommended information are output. When a plurality of pieces of recommended information are output, it is preferable that they be output after indicating the degree of recommendation among the plurality of pieces of information. In addition to this, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which recommended information is output as information that, in addition to recommending a change, always includes information recommending not to make a change. By outputting a plurality of pieces of information, it becomes possible for the user to perform a change process of the user interface in accordance with the information that the user determines to be suitable. In particular, by outputting together information recommending making a change and information recommending not making a change, it is possible for the user to examine the recommended information while not giving the user a preconceived notion that the user interface must be changed, and while being conscious of whether the user really desires a change of the user interface.

[0062] Note that the user who has grasped the content by the output of the recommended information may actively execute the change process of the user interface in accordance with the recommended information, or may not follow the recommended content. Information regarding operations related to the change process of the user interface by the user based on such recommended information is also preferably recorded and retained as preference information. By adopting such a configuration, it becomes possible to improve the accuracy of the recommended information and thus the change determination.

[0063] Regarding the specific mode of outputting recommended information, a configuration in which the determination result of the change determination unit is used as recommended information and the determination result is visually displayed and output to the user can be considered, but it is not limited to such a mode. For example, together with the change process to the user interface recommended as a specific mode, it is also conceivable to perform the result of the change process as the output of the recommended information. Among these, the change process will be described in detail in Embodiment 2. Thus, not only is it recommended to the user to perform the change process, but also by adopting a configuration in which the change process of the user interface is advanced and announced to that effect, it is possible to reduce the user's effort.

[0064] By adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to provide a suitable operation feeling according to the user's usage form to the user regardless of the default configuration of the application program.

[0065] <Specific configuration> Here, Fig. 5 is shown. This figure is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration when each functional configuration of the user interface change recommendation system of this embodiment is realized as one hardware. Each device has a "CPU" 0501 for executing various arithmetic processes, a "storage device (storage medium)" 0502, a "main memory" 0503, an "input interface" 0504, an "output interface" 0505, and a "network interface" 0506, and through the input / output interface, it transmits and receives information with external peripheral devices such as a "mouse" 0507 and a "display" 0508. Also, there may be a case where information is transmitted and received with an external device such as a "user terminal" 0509 through the network interface. The specific mode of this network interface may be wired or wireless, and the communication method may be direct or indirect. Therefore, it is also possible to adopt a so-called cloud computing format in which information is transmitted and received between a specific external device or a third party server managed by the user of the same device.

[0066] The memory device stores various programs as described below, and the CPU reads out and expands and executes these various programs in the work area of the main memory. These components are interconnected by a data communication path such as a "system bus" 0599 to transmit, receive, and process information. (The basic configuration of the above is the same for any of the other devices described below.)

[0067] (Specific configuration of the preference information holding unit) The preference information holding unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware. Specifically, the CPU reads out the "preference information acquisition program" 0511 from the memory device into the main memory and executes it, and stores the preference information acquired via a mouse, touch panel, camera, microphone, various sensors, other hardware, and the network at a predetermined address in the main memory.

[0068] (Specific configuration of the application program reading unit) The application program reading unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware. Specifically, the CPU reads out the "application program reading program" 0512 from the memory device into the main memory and executes it, and reads out a predetermined computer program selected by the user to a predetermined address in the main memory.

[0069] (Specific configuration of the operation group information acquisition unit) The operation group information acquisition unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware. Specifically, the CPU reads out the "operation group information program" 0513 from the memory device into the main memory and executes it, and associates the operation group information acquired via a mouse, touch panel, camera, microphone, various sensors, and other hardware with the user and stores it at a predetermined address in the main memory.

[0070] (Specific configuration of the change determination unit) The change determination unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware. Specifically, it reads preference information, operation group information, or rules and programs for using these information, and the CPU reads the "change determination program" 0514 from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, executes a determination process on whether change processing of the user interface is necessary based on the information, etc., and stores the processing result at a predetermined address in the main memory.

[0071] (Specific configuration of the recommended information output unit) The recommended information output unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware. Specifically, the CPU reads the "recommended information output program" 0515 from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, and performs a process of outputting information regarding the determination result obtained by the execution of the change determination program as recommended information.

[0072] (Flow of the process) FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow in the user interface change recommendation system of the present embodiment. The processing flow in this figure consists of the following steps. First, in step S0601, preference information, which is information regarding the preferences of the user interface in an application program (app), is recorded (preference information recording step). Then, in step S0602, the application program is read (application program reading step), and in step S0603, when the application program is executed, operation group information, which is a plurality of pieces of information directly or indirectly related to operations by a predetermined user, is acquired (operation group information acquisition step). And in step S0604, a determination regarding a change in the user interface (UI) related to the execution of the application program by the predetermined user is made using the preference information and the operation group information (change determination step). If the determination here is that a change should be made, in step S060501, as recommendation information regarding the recommendation of a user interface change for the predetermined user, information indicating that a user interface change is recommended is output. Also, if the determination result is that a change should not be made, in step S060502, as recommendation information, information indicating that a user interface change should not be recommended is output (the above two processes are collectively referred to as the recommendation information output step).

[0073] <Effect> By using the user interface change recommendation system adopting the above configuration, even when a user uses a plurality of application programs through a super app or the like, a suitable operation feeling according to the user's own usage form can be provided.

[0074] <<Embodiment 2>> <Overview> The user interface change recommendation system of the present embodiment is basically the same as the technical features of the user interface change recommendation system described in Embodiment 1, but further has a feature that the user interface is changed according to the recommendation information output by the recommendation information output unit.

[0075] <Functional Configuration> FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block when the user interface change recommendation system of the present embodiment is implemented on a single computer (device). As shown in the figure, the "user interface change recommendation system" 0700 of the present embodiment includes a "preference information storage unit" 0701, an "application program reading unit" 0702, an "operation group information acquisition unit" 0703, a "change determination unit" 0704, a "recommendation information output unit" 0705, and a "user interface change unit" 0706. Since the basic configuration is common to the user interface change recommendation system described with reference to FIG. 3 of Embodiment 1, the function of the "user interface change unit" 0706, which is the difference, will be described below.

[0076] The "user interface change unit" 0706 is configured to change the user interface according to the recommendation information output by the recommendation information output unit. The specific change process is appropriately determined according to the content of the recommendation information, but it is necessary to determine whether such a change process is allowed in the application program in the first place. The change of the user interface may include processes involving changes to the target application program, but these processes are processes not assumed by the developer of the target application program, and may not be preferable from the viewpoint of legality in some cases.

[0077] Therefore, regarding the change process of the user interface, instead of overwriting and changing the application program, a new program that realizes a user interface in accordance with the recommended information is provided, and a configuration is adopted that allows the user to recognize as if the configuration within the application has been changed. Also, a configuration can be considered in which a signal is output to request permission for the change process of the user interface from the developer of the application program, and the change process is performed as soon as the permission is received. Although there are no specific limitations regarding the change process, in any case, by adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to smoothly realize the change of the user interface without the user having to request the developer himself / herself.

[0078] <Specific configuration> The hardware configuration of each device constituting the user interface change recommendation system of this embodiment is basically the same as the hardware configuration in the user interface change recommendation system of Embodiment 1 described with reference to FIG. 5. Therefore, hereinafter, the specific processing of the "user interface change unit" that has not been described so far will be described.

[0079] (Specific configuration of the user interface change unit) Specifically, the user interface change unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware. The CPU reads the "user interface change program" from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, and performs processing for changing the user interface based on the recommended information.

[0080] <Flow of processing> FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow in the user interface change recommendation system of the present embodiment. The processing flow in the figure consists of the following steps. First, in step S0801, preference information, which is information regarding the preferences of the user interface in an application program (app), is recorded (preference information recording step). Then, in step S0802, the application program is read (application program reading step), and in step S0803, when the application program is executed, operation group information, which is a plurality of information directly or indirectly related to operations by a predetermined user, is acquired (operation group information acquisition step). And in step S0804, a determination regarding a change in the user interface (UI) related to the execution of the application program by the predetermined user is made using the preference information and the operation group information (change determination step). If the determination here is that a change should be made, then in step S080501, as recommendation information regarding the recommendation of a user interface change for the predetermined user, information indicating that a user interface change is recommended is output. Also, if the determination result is that a change should not be made, then in step S080502, as recommendation information, information indicating that a user interface change should not be recommended is output (the above two processes are collectively referred to as the recommendation information output step). And when a user interface change is recommended as the recommendation information, in step S0806, the user interface is changed according to the recommendation information (user interface change step).

[0081] <Effect> By using the user interface change recommendation system of the present embodiment, it becomes possible to more straightforwardly provide a user interface suitable for the user as compared with the case of using the user interface change recommendation system of Embodiment 1.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0082] 0300 ··· User Interface Change Recommendation System, 0301 ··· Preference Information Storage Unit, 0302 ··· Application Program Reading Unit, 0303 ··· Operation Group Information Acquisition Unit, 0304 ··· Change Judgment Unit, 0305 ··· Recommendation Information Output Unit

Claims

1. A method for recommending changes to the user interface of an application program using a computer, comprising: A preference information recording step of recording preference information regarding the preference of the user interface in an application program, the preference information not including the operation group information itself; An application program reading step of reading the application program; An operation group information acquisition step of acquiring operation group information, which is a plurality of pieces of information directly or indirectly related to an operation by a predetermined user when the application program is executed, and which is information regarding activation, termination, and any processing during activation of the application program and is not included in the preference information; A change determination step of determining a change to the user interface regarding the execution of the application program by the predetermined user using the preference information recorded in the preference information recording step and the operation group information acquired in the operation group information acquisition step; A recommended information output step of outputting recommended information, which is information regarding a recommendation for changing the user interface for the predetermined user, according to the determination result made in the change determination step; A user interface change recommendation method comprising the above steps.

2. The user interface change recommendation method according to claim 1, wherein the preference information recording step has a general preference information recording sub-step of recording general preference information, which is information not limited to the preference of the user interface of an application program, as preference information.

3. The user interface change recommendation method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the operation group information includes at least one of information regarding the movement of the eyes, mouth, face, limbs, or fingers of a predetermined user.

4. The user interface change recommendation method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a user interface change step of changing the user interface according to the recommended information output in the recommended information output step.

5. The user interface change recommendation method according to claim 4, further comprising a preference information change step of changing the preference information recorded in the preference information recording step according to the change process in the user interface change step.

6. A preference information recording step for recording preference information regarding a user interface preference in one application program, the preference information not including the operation group information itself described later; An application program reading step for reading the one application program; An operation group information acquisition step for acquiring operation group information, which is a plurality of pieces of information directly or indirectly related to an operation by a predetermined user when the application program is executed, and which is information regarding activation, termination, and all processes during activation of the one application program and is not included in the preference information; A change determination step for determining a change in the user interface regarding the execution of the one application program by the predetermined user, using the preference information recorded in the preference information recording step and the operation group information acquired in the operation group information acquisition step; A recommended information output step for outputting recommended information, which is information regarding a recommendation for a user interface change for the predetermined user, according to the determination result made in the change determination step; A user interface change recommendation program that can be executed using a computer.

7. A preference information holding unit for holding preference information regarding a user interface preference in one application program, the preference information not including the operation group information itself described later; An application program reading unit for reading the one application program; An operation group information acquisition unit for acquiring operation group information, which is a plurality of pieces of information directly or indirectly related to an operation by a predetermined user when the application program is executed, and which is information regarding activation, termination, and all processes during activation of the one application program and is not included in the preference information; A change determination unit for determining a change in the user interface regarding the execution of the one application program by the predetermined user, using the preference information held in the preference information holding unit and the operation group information acquired in the operation group information acquisition unit; A recommended information output unit for outputting recommended information, which is information regarding a recommendation for a user interface change for the predetermined user, according to the determination result made in the change determination unit; A user interface change recommendation system having the above.

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