U.S. patent application number 12/577949 was filed with the patent office on 2010-04-22 for user interface systems and methods.
This patent application is currently assigned to DR SYSTEMS, INC.. Invention is credited to Evan K. Fram.
Application Number | 20100100849 12/577949 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42109615 |
Filed Date | 2010-04-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100100849 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fram; Evan K. |
April 22, 2010 |
USER INTERFACE SYSTEMS AND METHODS
Abstract
Systems and methods for providing user interfaces are disclosed.
In certain embodiments, a menu having a number of icons can be
provided on a display device such that the icons are arranged
around an initial cursor position, or an area that is touched by a
user's finger or stylus, for example. Due to the icons being
arranged around the initial cursor position, any one of the icons
from the menu can be chosen with relatively small cursor movement.
In certain embodiments, the menu can be divided into regions that
overlap with the icons, such that cursor movement from the initial
cursor position into a given region has a similar effect as
movement into the corresponding icon itself (without actually
moving the cursor onto the desired icon).
Inventors: |
Fram; Evan K.; (Paradise
Valley, AZ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KNOBBE MARTENS OLSON & BEAR LLP
2040 MAIN STREET, FOURTEENTH FLOOR
IRVINE
CA
92614
US
|
Assignee: |
DR SYSTEMS, INC.
San Diego
CA
|
Family ID: |
42109615 |
Appl. No.: |
12/577949 |
Filed: |
October 13, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61107621 |
Oct 22, 2008 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
715/835 ;
715/702; 715/814; 715/856 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/04817 20130101;
G06F 3/0482 20130101; G06F 3/04812 20130101; G06F 3/0236 20130101;
G06F 3/167 20130101; G06F 3/04886 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
715/835 ;
715/856; 715/702; 715/814 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/048 20060101
G06F003/048 |
Claims
1. A method for providing a user interface on a computing device,
the method comprising: displaying a first menu on a display of a
computing device, the first menu having a first plurality of icons
arranged in an icon region that extends substantially around an
initial position of a cursor, wherein the icon region defines a
central region within the icon region that includes the initial
cursor position; detecting movement of the cursor to a second
position within the central region, wherein the second position of
the cursor is near a first icon of the first plurality of icons or
includes at least a portion of the first icon; changing an
appearance of the first icon in response to detecting movement of
the cursor to the second position, wherein the change in appearance
indicates that the icon is temporarily selected; initiating a first
action associated with the first icon in response to detecting an
input from the user indicating that the first icon should be
permanently selected, wherein at least some of the method is
performed by the computing device.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying information
associated with the temporarily selected icon.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information comprises a
second menu comprising a second plurality of icons that are
displayed in the icon region.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least some of the first
plurality of icons are replaced by at least some of the second
plurality of icons in response to temporary selection of the first
icon.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cursor comprises a cursor
that is controlled by an input device coupled to the computing
system.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cursor comprises a position
at which an input device interfaced with a display device of the
computing system.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the input device comprises a
stylus or finger.
8. A method for providing a user interface on a computing device,
the method comprising: displaying a first menu on a display of the
computing device, the first menu having a plurality of icons
arranged substantially around a current position of a cursor, the
plurality of icons defining a central region of the display between
the plurality of icons and including the current position of the
cursor; receiving a first input indicative of movement of the
cursor; determining which of the plurality of icons is to be
temporarily selected based at least in part on a pattern of the
first input within the central region; and temporarily selecting
the determined icon.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the icons are arranged such that
the current position of the cursor is generally centered within the
icons, such that the pattern of the first input can be used to
indicate temporary selection of any of the icons in a relatively
quick manner.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein one or more of the icons are
displayed differently than others and/or one of the icons is
temporarily selected before receiving the first input, based on
likelihoods of selection of respective icons, a user preference, or
a default setting.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first input comprises a
motion of the computing device.
12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first input comprises an
input from an input device interfaced with the display of the
computing device.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the input device comprises a
mouse.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the input device comprises a
touch screen sensor configured to sense contact with a stylus or
finger.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein an area corresponding to the
first menu is divided into a plurality of selectable regions about
the central region so that selectable regions at least partially
overlap with respective icons, wherein the pattern of the first
input comprises movement of the cursor to a selectable region of an
icon that is to be temporarily selected.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the icons is
substantially within its corresponding selectable region.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the selectable
regions includes its corresponding icon and a portion of one or
more neighboring icons.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one selectable region
is larger than other selectable regions and includes one or more
portions of neighboring icons in response to a predetermined
likelihood of use of the icon corresponding to the at least one
selectable region or the user's preference.
19. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one selectable region
is larger than other selectable regions.
20. The method of claim 8, wherein the pattern of the first input
comprises a beginning position within the central region and an
ending position that defines a parameter that is usable in the
determining of which of the plurality of icons is to be temporarily
selected.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the parameter comprises a
direction parameter that is usable in the determining of which of
the plurality of icons is to be temporarily selected.
22. The method of claim 20, wherein the parameter comprises a
distance parameter that is usable in the determining of which of
the plurality of icons is to be temporarily selected.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the distance parameter
comprises a closest distance between the ending position and an
icon.
24. The method of claim 22, wherein the distance parameter
comprises a distance between the ending position and a center of an
icon.
25. The method of claim 22, wherein the distance parameter
comprises an average distance between the ending position and one
or more features on an icon.
26. A computing system, comprising: a display screen; an input
device configured to facilitate interaction with a user; and a
processor configured to execute software code that causes the
computing system to display a menu on the display screen, the menu
having a plurality of icons arranged about a home region; detect an
input facilitated by the input device and indicative of the user's
desire to at least temporarily select one of the icons; and
determine which of the icons is to be at least temporarily selected
based at least in part on a pattern of the input, the pattern
involving at least a part of the home region.
27. The system of claim 26, wherein the icons are arranged such
that the home region is approximately centered relative to the
icons.
28. The system of claim 26, wherein the input comprises a motion of
the computing system.
29. The system of claim 28, wherein the motion comprises a tilt
towards an icon to be temporarily selected.
30. The system of claim 29, wherein the input device comprises one
or more accelerometers to detect the tilt.
31. A method for providing a user interface on a computing device,
the method comprising: displaying a first menu on a display of a
computing device, the first menu having a first plurality of icons
arranged in an icon region that extends substantially around an
interaction position, wherein the interaction position comprises an
area of the display where a user or an apparatus controlled by a
user touched the display, a current position of a cursor, or a
predetermined position on the display; receiving a first
user-initiated input indicative of movement from the interaction
position; and in response to the movement, selecting an icon
associated with a direction of the first user-initiated input,
wherein at least some of the method is performed by the computing
device.
32. The method of claim 31, wherein selecting the icon comprises
one or more of emitting an audible sound or changing an appearance
of the icon.
33. The method of claim 32, further comprising initiating a
software process associated with the icon in response to one or
more of receiving a second user-initiated input indicative of
permanent selection of the icon; or receiving no user-initiated
input for at least a predetermined time period.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein the predetermined time period
is selected from the group comprising about 50, 100, 200, 500, or
1000 milliseconds.
35. The method of claim 33, wherein the software process comprises
displaying a second menu on the display or performing one or more
functions of a software application on the computing device.
36. The method of claim 31, wherein selecting the icon comprises:
initiating a software process associated with the icon.
37. The method of claim 36, wherein the software process comprises
displaying a second menu on the display or performing one or more
functions of a software application on the computing device.
38. The method of claim 31, wherein the first user-initiated input
comprises a motion by the user or the apparatus controlled by the
user, movement of an input device, or movement of the computing
device.
39. The method of claim 38, wherein movement of the input device is
detected by one or more accelerometers of the computing device.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/107,621,
filed on Oct. 22, 2008, which is hereby expressly incorporated by
reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field
[0003] This invention relates to computing devices and, more
particularly, to systems and methods of providing user interface
for computing devices.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] In many computer uses, a user selects from a menu displayed
on an interface such as a screen. Such selection can be achieved
by, for example, a cursor based input. An interface device such as
a mouse can move the cursor to a desired location for activating an
icon of the menu.
[0006] In many situations, such cursor movement can cover
significant distances on the screen. Repetition of cursor movements
can result in user fatigue, frustration, and repetitive motion
injury. Additionally, while each individual movement to a menu of a
software application may require little time, repeated use of the
menu over time results in a significant amount of cumulative time
spent, reducing user productivity and efficiency.
SUMMARY
[0007] In one embodiment, a method for providing a user interface
on a computing device comprises displaying a first menu on a
display of a computing device, the first menu having a first
plurality of icons arranged in an icon region that extends
substantially around an initial position of a cursor, wherein the
icon region defines a central region within the icon region that
includes the initial cursor position. In one embodiment, the method
further comprises detecting movement of the cursor to a second
position within the central region, wherein the second position of
the cursor is near a first icon of the first plurality of icons or
includes at least a portion of the first icon, changing an
appearance of the first icon in response to detecting movement of
the cursor to the second position, wherein the change in appearance
indicates that the icon is temporarily selected, initiating a first
action associated with the first icon in response to detecting an
input from the user indicating that the first icon should be
permanently selected, wherein at least some of the method is
performed by the computing device.
[0008] In one embodiment, a method for providing a user interface
on a computing device comprises displaying a first menu on a
display of the computing device, the first menu having a plurality
of icons arranged substantially around a current position of a
cursor, the plurality of icons defining a central region of the
display between the plurality of icons and including the current
position of the cursor, receiving a first input indicative of
movement of the cursor, determining which of the plurality of icons
is to be temporarily selected based at least in part on a pattern
of the first input within the central region, and temporarily
selecting the determined icon.
[0009] In one embodiment, a computing system comprises a display
screen, an input device configured to facilitate interaction with a
user, and a processor configured to execute software code that
causes the computing system to display a menu on the display
screen, the menu having a plurality of icons arranged about a home
region, detect an input facilitated by the input device and
indicative of the user's desire to at least temporarily select one
of the icons, and determine which of the icons is to be at least
temporarily selected based at least in part on a pattern of the
input, the pattern involving at least a part of the home
region.
[0010] In one embodiment, a method for providing a user interface
on a computing device comprises displaying a first menu on a
display of a computing device, the first menu having a first
plurality of icons arranged in an icon region that extends
substantially around an interaction position, wherein the
interaction position comprises an area of the display where a user
or an apparatus controlled by a user touched the display, a current
position of a cursor, or a predetermined position on the display.
In one embodiment, the method further comprising receiving a first
user-initiated input indicative of movement from the interaction
position, and in response to the movement, selecting an icon
associated with a direction of the first user-initiated input,
wherein at least some of the method is performed by the computing
device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1a is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a
computing system that may be used to implement certain systems and
methods described herein.
[0012] FIG. 1b illustrates an example of a graphical menu and an
example of mouse activity that could be used to initiate its
display.
[0013] FIG. 1c illustrates mouse activity that could be used to
temporality select an icon within the graphical menu of FIG.
1b.
[0014] FIG. 1d illustrates mouse activity that could be used to
permanently select the temporarily selected icon of FIG. 1c.
[0015] FIG. 1e illustrates how icons within a graphical menu, and
icons of a second graphical menu, can be selected in response to
exemplary movements of a cursor.
[0016] FIG. 2a illustrates an example use of a graphical menu on a
handheld device, such as a cellular phone, PDA, or tablet
computer.
[0017] FIG. 2b further illustrates the use of a graphical menu on a
handheld device, such as a cellular phone, PDA, or tablet
computer.
[0018] FIG. 2c illustrates an example use of a graphical menu on
another handheld device that has the ability to monitor its
position or movement.
[0019] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating screen regions of a sample
graphical menu, where movement of the cursor between the screen
regions in certain manners may be used to determine which icon
within the graphical menu has been temporarily and/or permanently
selected by the user.
[0020] FIG. 4a is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of a
graphical menu including screen regions that may be used to
determine which icon within the graphical menu has been selected by
the user.
[0021] FIG. 4b is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of a
graphical menu including screen regions that may be used to
determine which icon within the graphical menu has been selected by
the user.
[0022] FIG. 5a is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of a
graphical menu.
[0023] FIG. 5b illustrates an icon with multiple icon location
points.
[0024] FIG. 5c illustrates a graphical menu including icons with
multiple icon location points.
[0025] FIG. 6a is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a
method for operating a graphical menu.
[0026] FIG. 6b is a flowchart illustrating another embodiment of a
method for operating a graphical menu.
[0027] FIG. 7a illustrates an exemplary graphical menu superimposed
on a homogenous screen.
[0028] FIG. 7b illustrates an exemplary graphical menu superimposed
on a complex screen output of a program that called the graphical
menu.
[0029] FIG. 7c illustrates sample user interactions with the
graphical menu illustrated in FIG. 7b.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS
[0030] Embodiments of the user interface will now be described with
reference to the accompanying figures, wherein like numerals refer
to like elements throughout. The terminology used in the
description presented herein is not intended to be interpreted in
any limited or restrictive manner, simply because it is being
utilized in conjunction with a detailed description of certain
specific embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, embodiments of
the user interface may include several novel features, no single
one of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes or
which is essential to practicing the inventions herein
described.
[0031] People spend large amounts of time interacting with
computers and computer like devices such as cell phones, PDAs,
gaming devices and portable media players. There is a need for
improved ways of interacting with these and other devices that:
improves speed and efficiency; reduces repetitive motion injury; is
more intuitive; and/or operates well on small display screens.
[0032] Various systems and methods described herein address some or
all of these issues with embodiments of a flexible graphical menu
and an efficient method of interacting with it. While embodiments
of the user interface will be illustrated using display of a
graphical menu, sound could be used as a supplement or replacement
for display of the graphical menu, as will be discussed below.
User Interfaces and Menus
[0033] User interfaces are described herein for depicting data on a
display device of a computer, where the term "computer" is meant to
include any of the computing devices described above, as well as
any other electronic device that includes a display and/or other
audio output device. Depending on the embodiment, the user
interfaces described herein may provide one or more of several
advantages. For example, a user interface may include a graphical
menu that appears on demand so it does not take up room on the
display screen until it is needed. This reduces screen clutter and
is especially useful with small screens as there is no need to
devote screen pixels to display the menu until it is needed. In
another example, the user does not have to move the screen cursor
large distances to initiate display of the graphical menu.
[0034] In yet another example, the graphical menu appears in a home
region, which includes an area surrounding a current cursor
position in one embodiment, or other area with which the user is
likely interfacing with. Therefore, the user does not need to
direct his attention to other areas of the screen, which may
provide a particular advantage when users are concentrating on
analyzing content of screen. In yet another example, the user can
pick an icon (e.g., that is representative of a function that may
be performed by a software application) within a graphical menu
with only minimal mouse movement. In some embodiments, it is not
necessary for the user to position the cursor over an icon or click
on it, but only move slightly toward it. This may increase user
speed and efficiency. In addition, the reduction in mouse movement
has the potential to reduce repetitive motion injury, particularly
in applications where users interface with computers for many hours
per days, for example: radiologists reading medical imaging exams
on Picture Archive and Communication Systems; office workers who
spend hours per day with email, word processing, and spreadsheet
applications, for example; web surfing; and/or computer gaming.
[0035] In another example, the systems and methods described herein
may provide visual and/or auditory feedback as to which of the
items in a graphical menu has been chosen and the user can vary
mouse position and dynamically change the selected icon. In yet
another example, once a user learns the relative positions of icons
within a graphical menu, there is no need for the user to visually
examine the presented menu; rather, the user may rapidly choose the
desired icon by moving the mouse (or other input device) in the
remembered direction (or pattern of directions) of the desired
icon(s).
[0036] The present disclosure is presented generally in the
following structure. Some terms as used herein are defined for
clarity. An embodiment of an exemplary computing system, which is
actually representative of any computing system on which user
interfaces may be display and interfaced with by a user, is
described with reference to FIG. 1a. FIGS. 1b-1e illustrate sample
conceptual configurations of menus, and exemplary navigation
thereof. Embodiments of the user interface systems and methods for
use on computing devices with small screens or other systems
without a mouse, such as a cell phone, PDA, gaming device, MP3 or
media player, or tablet PC, are described in conjunction with FIG.
2a and FIG. 2b. An example embodiment on a handheld device that can
sense movement or position, such as an Apple iPhone or iTouch, will
be described in conjunction with FIG. 2c. Methods for determining
icon selection within a graphical menu based on cursor position
will be described in conjunction with FIGS. 3, 4a-4b, and 5a-5c.
FIGS. 6a and 6b are flowcharts illustrating operation of a
computing device according to embodiments. Another embodiment
including computer screen examples is discussed in conjunction with
FIGS. 7a-7c. Other contemplated embodiments are discussed,
including use of sound as a supplement to or replacement for
display of a graphical menu.
DEFINITIONS OF CERTAIN TERMS
[0037] A "graphical menu" can include one or more graphical or
textual objects, such as icons, where each of the objects is
representative of a particular menu option.
[0038] An "icon" can be a component of a graphical menu that could
be anything displayed on the screen that is visually
distinguishable, such as a picture, button, frame, drawing, text,
etc.
[0039] An "initial cursor position" can include a screen location
of a cursor at the time the graphical menu system is initiated. The
graphical menu is typically displayed around the initial cursor
position and sufficient movement from this position is typically
required for an icon to be selected.
[0040] A "home region" is the region around the initial cursor
position, and including the initial cursor position. The home
region may extend different distances from the initial cursor
position, such as just a distance of a few millimeters on the
display device to a few centimeters or more on the display device.
Depending on the embodiment, the home region may be centered around
the initial cursor position or may be offset such that the initial
cursor position is closer to one edge (e.g., a top edge) of the
home region than to an opposite edge (e.g., the bottom edge) of the
home region. A home region may also be determined based on a
location where a user has interfaced with a display device, where
there may not be a cursor at all, such as a location where a
touchscreen was touched by a finger or stylus of the user or where
the finger or stylus moved in a predetermined pattern on the
touchscreen.
[0041] A "temporarily selected icon" can include an icon within a
graphical menu that has been temporarily chosen by the user, but
has not yet been selected such that the particular menu option
associated with the temporarily selected icon has not yet been
initiated. Rather, the graphical menu is displayed so that the user
can confirm that the temporarily selected icon is the desired icon.
If the user is not satisfied with the indicated temporary
selection, the user can choose a different icon within the
graphical menu or choose no icon. A temporarily selected icon may
be displayed in such a way as to allow the user to visually
distinguish it from icons that are not temporarily selected.
[0042] A "permanently selected icon" (or simply "selected icon")
can include an icon that has been selected by the user. When an
icon is permanently selected, a software function associated with
the icon is initiated by the program or operating system. An icon
may be permanently selected in various manners, depending on the
embodiment, some of which are described in further detail
below.
Computing Systems
[0043] In some embodiments, the computing devices, computing
systems, mobile devices, workstations, computer clients and/or
servers described herein may comprise various combinations of
components, such as the exemplary combinations of components
illustrated in FIG. 1a-1e. Discussion herein of one or more
specific types of computing devices should be construed to include
any other type of computing device. Thus, a discussion of a method
performed by a mobile computing device is also contemplated for
performance on a desktop workstation, for example.
[0044] FIG. 1a is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a
computing system 100 that may be used to implement certain systems
and methods described herein. For example, the computing system 100
may be configured to execute software modules that cause the
display of a menu around an area of focus (e.g., a current cursor
position or a position on a touch screen that is touched by a
finger or stylus) on a display device 104. Below is a description
of exemplary components of the computing system 100.
[0045] The computing system 100 includes, for example, a personal
computer that is IBM, Macintosh, or Linux/Unix compatible. In one
embodiment, the computing system 100 comprises a server, a desktop
computer, a laptop computer, a mobile computer, a cell phone, a
personal digital assistant, a gaming system, a kiosk, an audio
player, any other device that utilizes a graphical user interface
(including office equipment, automobiles, airplane cockpits,
household appliances, automated teller machines, self-service
checkouts at stores, information and other kiosks, ticketing
kiosks, vending machines, industrial equipment, etc.) and/or a
television, for example. In one embodiment, the exemplary computing
system 100 includes a central processing unit ("CPU") 105, which
may include one or more conventional or proprietary microprocessor.
The computing system 100 further includes a memory 108, such as one
or more random access memories ("RAM") for temporary storage of
information, a read only memory ("ROM") for permanent storage of
information, and a mass storage device 102, such as a hard drive,
diskette, flash memory drive, or optical media storage device. The
modules of the computing system 100 may be connected using a
standard based bus system. In different embodiments, the standard
based bus system could be Peripheral Component Interconnect
("PCI"), PCI Express, Accelerated Graphics Port ("ACP"),
Microchannel, Small Computer System Interface ("SCSI"), Industrial
Standard Architecture ("ISA") and Extended ISA ("EISA")
architectures, for example. In addition, the functionality provided
for in the components and modules of computing system 100 may be
combined into fewer components and modules or further separated
into additional components and modules.
[0046] The computing system 100 is generally controlled and
coordinated by operating system software, such as Windows 95,
Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista,
Windows 7, Windows Mobile, Unix, Linux (including any of the
various variants thereof), SunOS, Solaris, mobile phone operating
systems, or other compatible operating systems. In Macintosh
systems, the operating system may be any available operating
system, such as MAC OS X or iPhone OS. In other embodiments, the
computing system 100 may be controlled by a proprietary operating
system. Conventional operating systems control and schedule
computer processes for execution, perform memory management,
provide file system, networking, I/O services, and provide a user
interface, such as a graphical user interface ("GUI"), among other
things.
[0047] The exemplary computing system 100 includes one or more
input/output (I/O) devices and interfaces 110, such as a keyboard,
trackball, mouse, drawing tablet, joystick, game controller,
touchscreen (e.g., capacitive or resistive touchscreen) touchpad,
accelerometer, and printer, for example. The computing system also
includes a display device 104 (also referred to herein as a display
screen), which may also be one of the I/O device 110 in the case of
a touchscreen, for example. In other embodiments, the display
device 104 may include an LCD, OLED, or other thin screen display
surface, a monitor, television, projector, or any other device that
visual depicts user interfaces and data to viewers. The display
device 104 provides for the presentation of GUIs, application
software data, and multimedia presentations, for example. The
computing system 100 may also include one or more multimedia
devices, such as speakers, video cards, graphics accelerators, and
microphones, for example.
[0048] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the I/O devices and interfaces
110 may provide a communication interface to various external
devices. For example, the computing system 100 may be
electronically coupled to a network, such as one or more of a LAN,
WAN, or the Internet, for example, via a wired, wireless, or
combination of wired and wireless, communication link(s). Such a
network may allow communication with various other computing
devices and/or other electronic devices via wired or wireless
communication links.
[0049] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the computing system 100 also
includes a user interface module 106 that may be executed by the
CPU 105. This module may include, by way of example, components,
such as software components, object-oriented software components,
class components and task components, processes, functions,
attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code,
drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data
structures, tables, arrays, and variables. In the embodiment shown
in FIG. 1, the computing system 100 is configured to execute the
user interface module 106, among others, in order to provide user
interfaces to the user, such as via the display device 104, and
monitor input from the user, such as via a touchscreen sensor of
the display device 104 and/or one or more I/O devices 110, in order
to navigate through various menus of a software application menu,
for example.
[0050] In general, the word "module," as used herein, refers to
logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of
software instructions, possibly having entry and exit points,
written in a programming language, such as, for example, Java,
Javascript, ActionScript, Visual Basic, Lua, C, C++, or C#. A
software module may be compiled and linked into an executable
program, installed in a dynamic link library, or may be written in
an interpreted programming language such as, for example, BASIC,
Perl, or Python. It will be appreciated that software modules may
be callable from other modules or from themselves, and/or may be
invoked in response to detected events or interrupts. Software
instructions may be embedded in firmware, such as an EPROM. It will
be further appreciated that hardware modules may be comprised of
connected logic units, such as gates and flip-flops, and/or may be
comprised of programmable units, such as programmable gate arrays
or processors. The modules described herein are preferably
implemented as software modules, but may be represented in hardware
or firmware. Generally, the modules described herein refer to
logical modules that may be combined with other modules or divided
into sub-modules despite their physical organization or
storage.
[0051] In other embodiments, the computing system may include fewer
or additional components than are illustrated in FIG. 1a. For
example, a mobile computing device may not include a mass storage
device 102 and the display device 104 may also be the I/O device
110 (e.g., a capacitive touchscreen). In some embodiments, two or
more of the components of the computing system 100 may be implement
in one or more field programmable gate array (FPGA) or application
specific integrated circuit (ASIC), for example.
Examples of Systems and Methods
[0052] In FIG. 1b, view 120 illustrates a mouse 130 comprising a
right button 132. In view 120, a user depresses right mouse button
132 of mouse 130, with depression of the right mouse button
illustrated with arrow 134. In one embodiment, depressing the right
mouse button 132 initiates display of a graphical menu 140 on the
display screen centered around initial cursor position 125 on the
display device. In other embodiments, other operations may be
performed on the mouse 120 (or other input device) in order to
initiate display of the graphical menu 140. In the embodiment of
FIG. 1b, the graphical menu 140 comprises one or more icons (in
this example, eight octagonal icons labeled 141-148). Graphical
menus and their component icons can vary in appearance and
functionality, as will be described below.
[0053] The example graphical menu 140 may be displayed on top of
whatever else might be displayed on the display screen, with some
portions of the graphical menu transparent in some embodiments. In
the example of FIG. 1b, the graphical menu 140 is displayed so that
it is centered around the initial cursor position 125.
[0054] For the purposes of the series of events illustrated in FIG.
1b, FIG. 1c, and FIG. 1d, it is assumed that by default, display of
the graphical menu 140 is centered on initial cursor position 125
(e.g., the cursor position when the user initiated displayed of the
graphical menu, such as by right clicking the mouse 130).
[0055] FIG. 1c illustrates in view 122 a mouse movement that could
be used to temporality select the icon 142 (FIG. 1b), such that the
icon 142a (FIG. 1c) is temporarily selected. As illustrated in view
122, the user continues action 134 of depressing the right mouse
button 132 and, in this example, moves the mouse 130 superiorly and
to the right, along the path depicted by arrow 136. This movement
of the mouse causes cursor 170 to move superiorly and to the right
on the display device on which the graphical menu 140 is displayed.
Thus, FIG. 1c illustrates cursor 170 moved from the initial cursor
position 125 towards icon 142a.
[0056] As the cursor 170 approaches a portion of the graphical
menu, an icon within the graphical menu is temporarily chosen and
displayed in such a way as to visually distinguish it from
unselected icons within the graphical menu. Thus, the graphical
menu 140 shows the temporarily selected icon 142a displayed in a
way that differentiates it from its original appearance as icon 142
(FIG. 1b). In the example of FIGS. 1b and 1c, icon 142 in FIG. 1b
has changed to icon 142a in FIG. 1c by changing background and font
colors of the icon 142, in order to indicate that icon 142 has been
temporarily selected. There are many ways that an icon could change
to depict that it is temporarily selected and differentiate it from
icons that are not chosen. For example, an icon may become animated
when temporarily selected, may display a modified or different
image or text, or may be transformed in any other manner.
[0057] As noted above, in this exemplary embodiment the user is not
required to position the cursor 170 directly over an icon in order
to select that icon. As will be discussed in more detail below,
only minimal movement toward an icon may be required to select it,
increasing efficiency and decreasing necessary mouse movement and
the potential for repetitive motion injury.
[0058] FIG. 1d demonstrates how the user indicates that the
temporarily selected icon 142a (FIG. 1c) is permanently selected,
which represents a final choice for this interaction with the
graphical menu and the graphical menu is no longer displayed. As
illustrated in view 124, the user releases mouse button 132 such
that the button moves in a direction depicted by arrow 138 (e.g.,
releasing the right button 132). Thus, in the embodiment of FIGS.
1b, 1c, and 1d, an icon is temporarily selected by depressing the
right button 132 in order to initiate display of the graphical
menu, moving the cursor 170 towards (and/or partially or fully
over) a desired icon in order to temporarily select the icon, and
releasing the right button 132 to permanently select the desired
icon in order to initiate execution of an operation associated with
the selected icon.
[0059] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1b, graphical menu 140
is displayed symmetrically around initial cursor position 125.
However, in another embodiment where there is a default icon
choice, for example, the graphical menu could be asymmetrically
positioned around the initial cursor position such that an icon is
chosen by default. In one embodiment, the graphical menu 140 may be
positioned such that a default icon is closer to the initial cursor
position when the graphical menu 140 is initially displayed. With
reference to FIG. 1c, for example, if the initial cursor position
is the position of cursor 170 shown in FIG. 1c, rather than
position 125 indicated in the figure, the menu 140 may be initially
displayed so that icon 142a is temporarily selected as a default.
Depending on the embodiment, any of the icons in the graphical menu
may be chosen by default, such as in response to options
established by a user or based on frequency of use of respective
icons, for example.
[0060] FIG. 1e illustrates how icons within a graphical menu, and
display of a second graphical menu, can be selected in response to
movements of a cursor. There is no limit to the number of choices
that can be presented to the user using the graphical menus
discussed herein. For example, the permanent selection of an icon
in one graphical menu could initiate display of another graphical
menu, as will be discussed in further detail with reference to FIG.
1e. This could be repeated so that selection of an icon in a second
graphical menu could open a third graphical menu, and the process
may be repeated ad infinitum to present further graphical menus.
One of the selections in a graphical menu could be to return to a
previous graphical menu.
[0061] In FIG. 1e, screen regions 160, 162, 164 and 166 represent
the same physical screen region but at different stages in the
navigation of a primary graphical menu (stages 160, 162) and a
secondary graphical menu (stages 164, 166). Region 161 is a
magnification of central region 169 of screen region 160, with its
approximate size and location illustrated by a dashed rectangle 169
within region 160. Magnified central regions 163, 165, and 167 of
screen regions 162, 164, and 166, respectively, are also shown,
with the corresponding magnified regions having the same
relationship as region 161 to screen region 160.
[0062] In FIG. 1e, screen region 160 shows display of graphical
menu 140 including icons labeled A-H that are arranged in an icon
region surrounding the initial cursor position of cursor 170,
depicted in both the dashed rectangle 169 and the magnified region
161 that represents the content of the same dashed rectangle 169.
In one embodiment, display of the graphical menu 140 was initiated
by user actions.
[0063] In screen region 162, the user has moved the cursor 170
superiorly and to the right along path 172, depicted in magnified
region 163. In this embodiment, movement of cursor 170 toward icon
152 has caused icon 152 to be temporarily selected and its
appearance has changed so that it can be visually differentiated
from unselected icons, such as icons 141 and 143. As illustrated,
icon 152 is temporarily selected before the cursor reaches the icon
152. In other embodiments, temporary selection of an icon may not
occur until at least a predetermined portion of the cursor covers
an icon. Various criteria for determining when icons are
temporarily and/or permanently selected are discussed below.
[0064] In the example shown in FIG. 1e, permanent selection of icon
152, such as by releasing the right mouse button when icon 152 is
temporarily selected, for example, results in display of a new
graphical menu 180. Depending on the embodiment, the display of
graphical menu 180 shown in screen region 164 could be configured
to occur in the following example circumstances: (1) Display of the
second graphical menu 180 could occur as soon as the icon 152 (or
other icon associated with display of the graphical menu 180) in
the first graphical menu 150 is temporarily selected, (2) display
of the second graphical menu 180 could occur after the icon 152 is
permanently selected, such as by releasing the right mouse button
or with one of the other techniques describe herein, or (3) display
of the graphical menu 180 could occur after a time delay. This
would allow the user to reposition the cursor 170 if an undesired
icon is temporarily selected (e.g., rather than immediately
replacing graphical menu 150 with graphical menu 180 when the
undesired icon is temporarily selected). A selected time delay,
such as 100 milliseconds, for example, could be set such that
permanent selection of an icon, and display of a second menu in
this example, would occur after an icon is temporarily selected for
at least 100 milliseconds.
[0065] The screen region 164 depicts display of the secondary
graphical menu 180 and removal of graphical menu 150, such as in
response to one of the above-indicated interactions with icon 152.
In this embodiment, the secondary graphical menu 180 is centered
around a new initial cursor position, the position of the cursor in
screen region 162 at the time that icon 152 was permanently
selected. As discussed elsewhere herein, graphical menus can vary
in their appearance and graphical menu 180 happens to have 4 square
icons. Screen region 165 depicts a magnification of screen region
164, as described above.
[0066] Screen regions 166 and 167 illustrate what happens when the
user moves the cursor inferiorly from the position illustrated in
screen regions 164 and 165 along the path illustrated by arrow 174.
Cursor movement inferiorly has caused the temporary selection of an
icon 187 within graphical menu 186. Graphical menu 186 is the same
as graphical menu 180 except that an icon has been temporarily
selected. Specifically, graphical menu 186 has a temporarily
selected icon 187 displayed in a way that differentiates it from
unselected icons such as 182 and 183.
Implementation on Cell Phones, PDAs, Tablet PCs
[0067] Some computing systems with displays do not utilize a mouse
for navigation and the user interfaces described herein can be
implemented with other forms of navigation. For example, FIGS. 2a
and 2b illustrate the implementation of an enhanced user interface
using a stylus, but other navigation devices could be utilized,
such as a finger controlled touch screen or directional navigation
buttons, for example. In the description below, the device in FIG.
2a and FIG. 2b will be referred to as a cell phone, but it could be
a PDA, tablet PC, or other device with a display screen 212. While
the pointing device illustrated is a stylus 214, it could
alternatively be the user's finger or other object.
[0068] In FIG. 2a, the user initiates an action that causes display
of graphical menu 230. In this implementation, display of the
graphical menu 230 is initiated by detection of a particular motion
path 220 on the input screen 212. In this embodiment, motion path
220 comprises roughly the path that the user would use to draw the
number "6" using the stylus 214. The user interface software that
executes on the cell phone 210 could be configured to display other
graphical display menus for other input tracings. For example, the
interface software could be configured to display a different
graphical menu in response to the user tracing a path similar to
the letter "L" or any other pattern. Display of graphical menus
could be initiated in many other ways, as will be described
herein.
[0069] In this example, graphical menu 230 has eight hexagonal
icons and is displayed centered about where the input pattern was
completed on the display screen. Thus, in the embodiment of FIG.
2a, the initial cursor position is a terminal position of tracing
220. In other embodiments, the graphical menu 230 may be centered
elsewhere, such as a start position of the tracing 220 or some
intermediate position of the tracing 220, for example. Icon 237 is
one of the eight icons within graphical menu 230.
[0070] The user can temporarily select an icon within the graphical
menu 230 by moving the stylus 214 toward the desired icon. FIG. 2b
shows an example where the user has moved the stylus 214 towards
the left along path 222. This movement causes temporary selection
of the closest icon, in this case the icon 237, which changes
appearance in FIG. 2b in response to being temporarily selected, in
order to allow it to be visually differentiated from the other
unselected icons in the graphical menu 240, for example unselected
icon 246.
[0071] FIG. 2c illustrates the use of a graphical menu 270 on
another handheld device 260 that has the ability to monitor its
position (e.g., orientation) or movement. The device 260 is a
handheld device such as a cell phone (e.g., iPhone), PDA, tablet
PC, portable music or media player, gaming device or other handheld
device with a display screen. In another embodiment, device 260
could be an input device, such as a Wii controller or 3D mouse,
where the screen is on another device.
[0072] In order to use this graphical menu system in the way that
will be described in FIG. 2c, device 260 includes technology that
allows it to sense its position and/or motion, such as one or more
accelerometers. Device 260 has display screen 270 and may have one
or more input devices 264 and 265, that could include buttons or
other input devices. Device 260 is depicted in view 250 in an
arbitrary orientation (e.g., position held by the user). As will be
described, its position will be changed by the user in views 252
and 254 in order to indicate selection of icons.
[0073] In view 250 of FIG. 2c, graphical menu 270 is displayed on
screen 262 and includes icons 271-274. The user initiated some
action to cause the graphical menu to be displayed, for example one
of the other techniques described herein. Additional ways the user
could initiate display of graphical menu 270 include the pressing
of a button, for example button 264, voice or other audible
commands, touching the screen with two fingers in a predetermined
pattern and/or location, or some positioning of device 260, such as
shaking it side to side.
[0074] In view 252 of FIG. 2c, x, y, and z axes are illustrated to
indicate repositioning of the device by the user. The x axis and y
axis are in the plane of screen 262 of device 260, along its short
and long axis respectively, and the z axis is perpendicular to the
screen. Motion path 285 illustrates that the user is physically
rotating the device toward his left along the y axis. Device 260
detects movement of the device 260 along motion path 285 and
temporarily selects the icon within the graphical menu that is
positioned in the detected direction from the point of view of the
center of the graphical menu. In this case, because the motion path
285 comprises rotation of the device 260 towards the left, the left
icon 274 of the graphical menu 270 is temporarily selected. Once
temporarily selected, one or more characteristics of icon 274 are
changed (as shown by the dark background of icon 274 in view 252)
in order to allow it to be visually differentiated from the
remaining unselected icons.
[0075] In view 254 of FIG. 2c, x, y, and z axes are again
illustrated as in view 252. As illustrated by motion path 286, the
user is rotating the device downward (toward him, rotating about
the x axis). In response to this movement, the computing device
temporarily selects the icon 273 at the bottom of the graphical
menu 270. In this case, selected icon 273 is illustrated in a way
to differentiate it from the remaining unselected icons. While
views 252 and 254 illustrate rotation around specific axes, the
user may rotate the device in any arbitrary direction to allow
temporary selection of an icon at any position on the screen.
[0076] In one embodiment, an icon that is temporarily selected may
be permanently selected without further user interaction (e.g.,
there really is no temporary selection, by maintaining the device
260 in an orientation to temporarily select an icon for a
predetermined time period), by pressing a button, such as one of
buttons 264, 265, or by any other input that may be provided by the
user of the device 260.
[0077] In the example depicted in FIG. 2c, detection of "pouring"
motions (e.g., motion 252 shows the device being tilted as if the
user is pouring into icon 274) can be facilitated by tilt sensor(s)
and/or accelerometer(s). In certain embodiments, sufficient number
of such detection components can be provided so as to allow
motion-based temporary selection and/or permanent selection of
icons having both x and y components. For example, suppose than a
fifth icon is provided between icons A and B (in first quadrant of
the x-y plane). Then, a tilting motion towards such an icon can be
detected by sensing a combination of motions about y and x axes
(motions opposite to 285 and 286).
[0078] There are a number of other motion-based user inputs that
can be implemented to achieve similar results. For example, a
device can be jerked slightly towards an icon that the user wants
to temporarily (or permanently) select. For such motions, one or
more accelerometers can be provided and configured to detect
two-dimensional motion along a plane such as a plane substantially
parallel to the device screen.
Methods for Determining Icon Selection
[0079] There are many possible methods for determining if a user
has selected an icon within a graphical menu. Several will be
described herein, but others are contemplated that would provide
the same or similar functionality.
[0080] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating screen regions 320-328 of a
graphical menu 150, where movement of a cursor 303 onto certain
screen regions may be used to determine which icon within the
graphical menu has been selected (or temporarily selected) by the
user. Using such a mapping scheme, an icon within the graphical
menu may be selected when the user positions the cursor 303 within
a screen region corresponding to an icon.
[0081] In this example, graphical menu 150 depicts eight icons,
141, 152, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, and 148. The screen is divided
into multiple regions 320-328, with regions 321-328 corresponding
to respective icons and region 320 centered on the initial cursor
position, around which the graphical menu is displayed. In this
embodiment, each of the regions 321-328 includes at least a portion
of its respective icon. In this example, region 320 is centered
about the initial cursor position at the time the graphical menu
was displayed. In the example shown, region 321 corresponds to icon
141, region 322 to icon 152, region 323 to icon 143, region 324 to
icon 144, region 325 to icon 145, region 326 to icon 146, region
327 to icon 147, and region 328 to icon 148.
[0082] Determining whether the cursor falls within a region is
straightforward in this example as the regions are bounded by
horizontal lines 331 and 333 and vertical lines 335 and 337 which
may be represented by x and y coordinates in a computer system. For
the purposes of illustration, lines 335, 337, 331 and 333 are
labeled with "x1", "x2", "y1", and "y2", respectively, in order to
indicate their positions in the coordinate system of screen 310 as
follows:
[0083] Vertical line 335 is at position x1.
[0084] Vertical line 337 is at position x2.
[0085] Horizontal line 331 is at position y1.
[0086] Horizontal line 333 is at position y2.
[0087] In this embodiment, if the position of cursor 303 at any
given time is represent by coordinates (x,y), determining the
region that the cursor is positioned can be accomplished as
follows:
[0088] If x>x1 and x<x2 and y.gtoreq.y2 then in region
321.
[0089] If x>x1 and x<x2 and y>y1 and y<y2 then in
region 320.
[0090] If x>x1 and x<x2 and y.ltoreq.y1 then in region
325.
[0091] If x.gtoreq.x2 and y.gtoreq.y2 then in region 322.
[0092] If x.gtoreq.x2 and y>y1 and y<y2 then in region
323.
[0093] If x.gtoreq.x2 and y.ltoreq.y1 then in region 324.
[0094] If x.ltoreq.x1 and y.gtoreq.y2 then in region 328.
[0095] If x.ltoreq.x1 and y>y1 and y<y2 then in region
327.
[0096] If x.ltoreq.x1 and y.ltoreq.y1 then in region 326.
[0097] FIG. 4a is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of a
graphical menu including screen regions that may be used to
determine which icon within a graphical menu has been selected by
the user. In this embodiment, screen 402 includes a graphical menu
having 8 hexagonal icons. Position 404 indicates the initial cursor
position when the graphical menu was rendered at its current
position on the screen.
[0098] In this example, the screen 402 is divided into radial
regions 421-428 and a central home region 420 centered in the
graphical menu. In this embodiment, radial regions 421-428 each
correspond to a respective icon in the graphical menu. For example,
region 421 corresponds to icon 431, region 422 corresponds to icon
432, and region 423 corresponds to icon 433.
[0099] When cursor 410 is positioned within home region 420, no
icon is selected. When the user moves the cursor out of home region
420 and into another region, the icon within that region is
temporarily selected. In this case, cursor 410 has been moved by
the user into region 422. This has caused temporary selection of
the corresponding icon 432 which is displayed in such a way as to
differentiate it from the unselected icons within the graphical
menu. In this example the temporarily selected icon is displayed as
darker and the letter inside it displayed with a different font and
color, but there are many other ways that a temporarily selected
icon could be visually distinguished from unselected icons.
[0100] FIG. 4b is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of a
user interface including screen regions 461-468 that may be used to
determine which icon within a graphical menu has been selected by
the user, where the user interface includes asymmetric icons and
asymmetric screen regions used for detection of icon selection. In
the embodiment of FIG. 4b, the graphical menu comprises eight icons
within screen region 440. This example demonstrates that unselected
icons within a graphical menu may differ in appearance, including
features such as size and shape. In addition, the size and/or shape
of the screen regions associated with each icon in a graphical menu
may differ.
[0101] The screen regions associated with each icon can differ in
size and shape. This may be advantageous in cases where some icons
are more commonly chosen than other. More commonly selected icons
might be assigned larger associated screen regions to make it
easier for the user to select those areas and therefore the
respective icon. While the relative size of the various screen
regions could vary independently of the size of the icons in the
function menu, in this example icons 473 and 477 are larger than
the other icons in the graphical menu, and their associated screen
regions 463 and 467 are also larger than the other screen
regions.
[0102] As in a previous example, home region 460 is centered where
the cursor was positioned at the time the graphical menu was
displayed. When cursor 170 is positioned within the home region, no
icon is selected. In other embodiments, however, a default icon may
be temporarily selected even when the cursor 170 is initially
positioned within the home region 460.
[0103] The remainder of screen region 440 is divided into eight
regions, one each corresponding to the icons within the graphical
menu, with screen regions 461-468 depicted using underlined text in
the figure. For example, region 461 is associated with unselected
icon 471, region 462 with unselected icon 472, region 463 with
selected icon 473, and region 467 with unselected icon 477.
[0104] In this example, the user has positioned cursor 170 in
region 463, causing temporary selection of icon 473. In this
example, icon 473 had an appearance similar to 477 when it was
unselected, but upon temporary selection of the icon 473, the icon
473 changed its appearance to allow it to be differentiated from
the unselected ions. Temporarily selected icon 473 is darker than
the unselected icons and the letter within it has a different font,
larger, bold, and white instead of black color.
[0105] FIG. 5a is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of a
graphical menu. In this embodiment, instead of dividing the screen
into regions, this technique uses distance between the cursor and
icons to determine whether and which icon is selected.
[0106] For the purposes of describing this technique, the initial
cursor position 504 is the screen position at which the graphical
menu was initially displayed.
[0107] In the technique depicted in FIG. 5a, each icon is
associated with a single position (icon location point). In the
example shown, graphical menu 150 has eight hexagonal icons,
including icons 141, 152, and 143. In this example, each icon's
location point is at the icon center. However, an icon's location
point could be assigned to any position within the icon or even
outside of the icon. In the example shown, the icon location point
for icon 143 is at position 514.
[0108] The location of user controlled cursor 510 is screen
position 507 in the figure. In the figure, the distance between
each icon's location point and the cursor position 507 is depicted
by a dashed line. For example, dashed line 516, which would be
invisible to the user of the graphical menu, represents the
distance between cursor position 507 and icon location point 514 of
icon 143.
[0109] Determining whether an icon has been selected and if so,
which one, can be accomplished by using the distances between the
cursor position and icon location points. Determining whether any
icon has been selected can be determined in a number of ways. Two
non-limiting examples are described below.
[0110] With one technique, the distance between the cursor position
507 and initial cursor position 504 is determined, depicted in the
figure as dashed line 512. This distance is compared to a threshold
distance, wherein when the distance is above the threshold distance
(e.g., the cursor is close enough to an icon), an icon is
temporarily selected. Thus, once it is determined that the cursor
is positioned such that an icon should be temporarily selected, the
computing system determines which of the icons is the selected
icon. In one embodiment, a particular icon is identified for
temporary selection by assessing the distances between the cursor
location 507 and icon location points, and then selecting the icon
with the smallest cursor to icon location point distance. It is
possible that two or more icons might have equal cursor to icon
location point distances. This situation may be resolved in several
ways, such as (1) no icon would be selected until the user
repositions the cursor so that the choice is unique, (2) icons
could be assigned priorities so that the highest priority icon is
chosen in the case of distance ties, or (3) an icon is randomly
chosen from among this group, for example.
[0111] In the example shown, distance 518 is the smallest cursor
position to icon location distance, causing icon 152 to be
temporarily selected. Note that appearance of selected icon 152
differs from the other unselected icons in graphical menu 150.
[0112] In another embodiment, rather that performing the step of
first determining whether an icon is selected, such as based on a
distance between the cursor and an initial cursor position, and
then determine which specific icon has been selected, the computing
device may repeatedly recalculate distances between the cursor
position 507 and one or more icon locations until one of the
distances falls below a threshold.
[0113] FIG. 5b and FIG. 5c illustrate another technique in which
distance is used to determine whether an icon is temporarily or
permanently selected and, if so, which one. The technique
illustrated in FIG. 5a utilizes a single icon location point of
each icon. However, multiple icon location points can be utilized
for icons.
[0114] FIG. 5b illustrates icon 530 with multiple icon location
points 531-535 positioned at its vertices. However, icon location
points can be assigned at any positions within an icon, along its
edge or outside of it.
[0115] FIG. 5c illustrates a graphical menu 540 having four icons,
541-544. As in FIG. 5b, each of these icons has 5 icon location
points, one at each of its vertices. The position 507 of cursor 510
is illustrated in the figure. Dashed line 548 depicts the distance
between cursor position 507 and one of the icon location positions,
535 of icon 543. The figure illustrates dashed lines between cursor
position 507 and several of the other icon location points of the
icons in the graphical menu. In practice, the distance from the
cursor location to every icon location point may be determined.
[0116] The process of determining whether and which icon would be
selected with multiple icon locations per icon may be similar to
that used with a single icon location per icon. In the case of
multiple icons locations per icon, the cursor to icon location
distance for each icon is the minimum distance of its icon location
points to the cursor location.
Flowcharts
[0117] FIG. 6a is a flowchart 600 illustrating one embodiment of a
method that could be used for display and interaction of a user
with a graphical menu. As discussed above with FIG. 1e, graphical
menus can be cascaded, as discussed in reference to the flowchart
in FIG. 6b. There is no limit to the number of levels that could be
implemented in such a cascade or tree of graphical menus. The
method of FIG. 6a may be performed on any suitable computing
device, such as one of the computing devices discussed above with
reference to FIG. 1a. Depending on the embodiment, the method of
FIGS. 6a and 6b may include fewer or additional blocks and the
blocks may be performed in a different order than is
illustrated.
[0118] In flowchart 600, a graphical menu module that is configured
to display graphical menus is first initiated in block 610. The
graphical menu module may include software code that is executed by
a computing device, such as a mobile or desktop computing device.
The graphical menu module is configured to cause the computing
device to display the graphical menu and detect interactions of the
user (e.g., a cursor controlled by the user or a stylus or finger
touching the display screen). In one embodiment, the graphical menu
module comprises a standalone software application that interfaces
with other software applications on a computing device.
Alternatively, the graphical menu module may be incorporated into
another software application, such as a word processor, graphic
application, image viewing application, or any other software
application. Alternatively, the graphical menu module could be part
of the operating system. Depending on the embodiment, the
initiation of the graphical menu module might occur as a result of
a user's action, for example depression of the right mouse button,
or could occur automatically as a result a program or the operating
system initiating the system to obtain user input. In response to
initiation of the graphical menu module, a graphical menu is
provided via a display device, such as a monitor or screen of a
mobile computing device.
[0119] In block 612, the graphical menu module determines whether
the user has finished using the displayed graphical menu. For
example, by releasing the right mouse button (possibly indicating a
desire to permanently select a temporarily selected icon and
initiate execution of a process associated with the icon), the user
may indicate that he has finished with the current instance of the
graphical menu system. Alternatively, a user may indicate that he
is finished with a graphical menu by moving a cursor off of the
graphical menu, such as outside an area of the screen where the
graphical menu is displayed. In one embodiment, certain graphical
menus may "time out," so that if no user input is received for a
predetermined time period, the user is considered to be finished
with the graphical menu and the method continues to block 620.
[0120] If the user is not finished using the displayed graphical
menu, in block 614 the system determines whether an icon is
temporarily selected using, for example, one of the techniques
described herein.
[0121] If no icon has been temporarily selected, in block 616 the
graphical menu is displayed with no icon selected (e.g., shaded or
otherwise distinguished from other icons) in block 616. The method
then loops back to block 612 and again senses whether the user is
finished with the graphical menu.
[0122] If an icon has been temporarily selected, in block 618 the
graphical menu is displayed with the selected icon displayed in a
way that differentiates it from the unselected icons, as described
herein. The method then loops back to block 612 and again senses
whether the user is finished with the graphical menu.
[0123] If the graphical menu module determines that that the user
is finished in block 612, the method branches to block 620 and
determines whether an icon was permanently selected. If an icon is
determined to have been permanently selected, the method branches
to block 622 where the graphical menu module returns the identity
of the permanently selected icon to the program or operating system
that the graphical menu module is configured to interact with. In
another embodiment, permanent selection of an icon initiates
display of a secondary menu comprising a plurality of icons about
the current cursor position. Thus, blocks 612-624 may be repeated
with respect to the secondary menu in order to determine if an icon
of the second memory is selected. The process may be repeated any
number of times in relation to any number of different menus that
may be navigated to via other graphical menus.
[0124] At block 620 if no icon has been permanently selected, the
method branches to block 624 where the graphical menu module
returns an indication that no icon of the graphical menu was
permanently selected to the program or operating system that the
graphical menu module is configured to interact with.
[0125] FIG. 6b is a flowchart 602 with logic similar to FIG. 6a,
except for blocks 630 and 632. In the case that no icon was
selected, a secondary menu is displayed in block 630. The user can
pick from this secondary menu in block 632. This secondary menu
could be a graphical menu, as described herein, or could be a
conventional menu, as illustrated in FIG. 7c.
[0126] FIG. 7a illustrates a graphical menu superimposed on a
homogenous screen. In this embodiment, the graphical menu 710
comprises eight square icons, 711-718. Cursor 720 is positioned
near icon 711 causing icon 711 to be selected, using one of the
techniques described herein. The selected icon 711 appears color
inverted with respect to the other unselected icons in the
graphical menu, allowing the user to easily differentiate the
selected icon from unselected icons.
[0127] FIG. 7b illustrates a graphical menu superimposed on a
complex screen output of a program that called the graphical menu.
In particular, the graphical menu is superimposed on the contents
of the screen 709, in this case a gray scale image. In addition,
the cursor is superimposed on top of both the graphical menu and
the underlying image on the screen. In this example, the cursor
position is near the initial cursor position and no icon within the
graphical menu is selected. In one embodiment, the graphical menu
may have some transparency, as illustrated in this figure. In one
embodiment, a level of transparency can be selected by the
user.
[0128] FIG. 7c illustrates user interactions with the graphical
menu illustrated in FIG. 7a or FIG. 7b. A screen region 730 on
which the graphical menu is superimposed is similar to screen
regions 708 and 709 in FIG. 7a and FIG. 7b, respectively. For
clarity, the various components of screen region 730 are not
annotated as they are analogous to those illustrated in FIG. 7a and
FIG. 7b. Screen region 730 illustrates a graphical menu having
eight unselected icons superimposed on a screen region that in this
case is a grayscale image. The cursor is displayed as well, as
previously. In this case the cursor is positioned in a region
within the graphical menu and no icon within the graphical menu has
yet been temporarily selected.
[0129] View 731, which is associated with screen region 730,
illustrates mouse activity that could have been used to initiate
display of the graphical menu within screen region 730. Exemplary
mouse 725 includes one or more buttons. In this example, depression
of the right mouse button 726 causes display of the graphical menu.
Depression of button 726 is illustrated by arrow 732.
[0130] View 741 is similar to view 731. While continuing to depress
the right mouse button, illustrated by arrow 732, the user moves
the mouse to the right, illustrated by motion path 742. This causes
rightward motion of the cursor, repositioning it from its position
in screen view 730 to that in screen view 740. This causes
selection of an icon, as described previously. In comparing the
graphical menu in screen view 740 to that in screen view 730, it
can be seen that an icon has changed its appearance, indicating to
the user that it has been temporarily selected.
[0131] View 751 is similar to view 741 but illustrates further
mouse movement. In view 751, the user moves mouse 725 superiorly,
illustrated by mouse path 752. As in the example illustrated in 740
and 741, this results in repositioning of the cursor and selection
of a different icon within the graphical menu.
[0132] View 761 illustrates the case where there is little or no
cursor repositioning compared to the original position of the
cursor in view 730. In this case, net movement of the mouse is
insufficient for an icon to be selected within the graphical menu,
as discussed previously. In this example, release of mouse button
726, illustrated by arrow 762, results in the display of a
different menu from which the user can choose. Thus, the user may
be presented with a first graphical menu in response to a first
action (e.g., depressing the mouse button) and may be presented
with a second menu in response to a second action that follows the
first action (e.g., releasing the mouse button without temporarily
selecting an icon).
Other Contemplated Embodiments
[0133] For some of the embodiments illustrated herein, the user
input device is a mouse. However, any input device or combination
of input devices could be used to control the graphical menus
described herein, including: mouse, trackball, keyboard, touch
screen, 3d mice, foot controls, pointing sticks, touchpad, graphics
tablet, joystick, brain-computer interfaces, eye-tracking systems,
Wii remote, jog dial, and/or steering wheel.
[0134] A graphical menu module could be implemented in many
situations. For example, a graphical menu module can be implemented
within a computer program where the user might use it to choose
among options. For example, in a word processing program it might
be used to allow the user to choose font options, such as bold,
italic, and underline. In a PACS system it might be used to allow
users to choose various predefined display settings for an
image.
[0135] In another example, a graphical menu module can be
implemented within a computer program to allow selection of various
operations. For example, in a word processing program it could be
used to choose among operations like copy, paste, delete, and
indent. In a PACS system it could be used to choose among different
operations such as window/level, choose series, region of interest,
zoom, pan, and others.
[0136] In another example, a graphical menu module can be
implemented within an operating system where it could be used to
choose among operations like "launch web browser," "launch word
processing program," "launch spreadsheet program," and so on.
[0137] In another example, a graphical menu module can be
implemented as an add-in program or standalone driver, such as a
mouse driver, that would allow the use of the system in cases where
it had not been directly implemented within a program or operating
system. The system may be configured to send key strokes or other
inputs to the program or operating system for which it was
configured.
[0138] The appearance and operation of graphical menus used in the
system could vary in many ways. For example, the graphical menu,
the icons it includes, and how it operates could vary depending on
the context in which it was launched. Graphical menus could differ
depending on the program or operating system that utilized the
system. In addition they could be configurable by the user. In
another example, graphical menus could contain one or more icons.
In another example, icons within graphical menus could take many
forms, including a computer graphic, a picture, and/or text. In
another example, icons within a graphical menu could vary in
appearance and size. In another example, different methods could be
used to allow a user to visually differentiate selected from
unselected icons within a graphical menu. For example, the icons
could be differentiated by icon appearance, size, color,
brightness, features of text font (such as size, bold, italics),
and/or motion or blinking (e.g., the selected icon could blink or
shake back and forth on the display).
[0139] While depression of the right button of a mouse is used in
several examples to initiate display of a graphical menu, many
other ways are contemplated to initiate display of a graphical
menu. For example, such initiation can be via a key on a keyboard,
a button on any input device (with example input devices listed
herein), a mouse gesture, a gesture on a touch screen with a finger
or stylus, physical motion of the device (for example, shaking a
handheld device), a result of picking an icon on another graphical
menu, and/or a result of a computer or system operation, rather
than the result of the user initiating the action. For example, a
computer program or operating system might require the user to
provide input and in that case display a graphical menu. In another
example, a computer with a battery that is running low might
display a graphical menu allowing the user to choose among:
continue working, shut down, save all open documents, and initiate
hibernation.
[0140] After an icon is temporarily selected within a graphical
menu, several examples herein illustrate the user permanently
selecting that icon by releasing the right mouse button. However,
they are many ways that a user could permanently select an icon
from a graphical menu, including: removing a stylus or finger from
a touch screen, pressing a button or key, a mouse gesture, sound
input, cursor movement (for example, slight movement from the
initial cursor position toward an icon might result in it being
temporarily selected; and further movement toward the icon might
result in the icon being permanently selected and termination of
display of the graphical menu), time (the system could be
configured such that a temporarily selected icon would be
permanently selected after it was temporarily selected for a
predetermined time duration, say for example 100 milliseconds),
and/or if the user positioned the cursor over the icon or a
predetermined portion of the icon.
Sound
[0141] Sound could be used in several ways with this technique to
supplement the use of a graphical menu or substitute for the
display of a graphical menu. For example, when any icon is
temporarily selected, a sound could be played, for example a
beep.
[0142] In another example, when no icon is temporality selected
(e.g., when the user moves the cursor back toward its initial
cursor position after temporarily selecting an icon), a sound could
be played. This could be different than the sound played when an
icon is selected (e.g., temporary selection of an icon could cause
a single beep, and subsequent cursor movement that resulted in no
icon selected could result in a double beep).
[0143] In another example, different sounds could be played for
different icons, even spoken words. This could allow the user to
accurately verify selection of an icon without the need for visual
verification. For example, a graphical menu within a word
processing program might have four choices: "cut", "copy", "paste",
and "look up". As the user repositions the cursor, these options
could be spoken. If one of these was chosen and the user
repositioned to another, the sound associated with the new choice
would be spoken. If he repositioned the cursor so that none were
chosen, a different phase could be spoken, such as "no
selection".
[0144] In another example, a system using sound could be
constructed in which visual display of the graphical menu was not
required. This might be helpful in situations such as: blind users
and drivers or pilots where the user would want to choose from a
menu of options but not want to direct his attention to a display
screen.
SUMMARY
[0145] All of the processes described above may be embodied in, and
fully automated via, software code modules executed by one or more
general purpose or specially configured computers. The code modules
may be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or other
computer storage device. Some or all of the methods may
alternatively be embodied in specialized computer hardware. In
addition, the components referred to herein may be implemented in
hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.
[0146] Any process descriptions, elements, or blocks in the flow
diagrams described herein and/or depicted in the attached figures
should be understood as potentially representing modules, segments,
or portions of code which include one or more executable
instructions for implementing specific logical functions or steps
in the process. Alternate implementations are included within the
scope of the embodiments described herein in which elements or
functions may be deleted, executed out of order from that shown or
discussed, including substantially concurrently or in reverse
order, depending on the functionality involved, as would be
understood by those skilled in the art.
[0147] One skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that the
methods and systems described above may be implemented by one or
more computing devices, such as a memory for storing computer
executable components for implementing the processes shown, as well
as a process unit for executing such components. It will further be
appreciated that the data and/or components described above may be
stored on a computer readable medium and loaded into a memory of a
computer device using a drive mechanism, such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM,
or network interface, for reading such computer readable medium.
Further, the components and/or data can be included in a single
device or distributed in any manner.
[0148] The foregoing description details certain embodiments of the
invention. It will be appreciated, however, that no matter how
detailed the foregoing appears in text, the invention can be
practiced in many ways. As is also stated above, it should be noted
that the use of particular terminology when describing certain
features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply
that the terminology is being re-defined herein to be restricted to
including any specific characteristics of the features or aspects
of the invention with which that terminology is associated.
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