User interface for graphical specification of functions

• US 20020044160A1
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Published: 04/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Stewart, Craig L., Wostrel, Todd M., Wattenberg, Franklin A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,889,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A graphing calculator having a user interface that allows the user to easily specify a mathematical function. The user interface allows the user to specify a constant function, a linear function, or a non-linear function in a simplified input format. The user interface can also be implemented on devices that have limited input and output capability. An embodiment of the present invention is a graphing calculator, which allows the user to easily input a population growth rate function. The user interface of the present invention calculator helps the student to more readily adjust a function and observe the result of the adjustment. Similarly, other embodiments include the same user interface functionality in a software application package that is executed on a computer or graphing calculator.

Claims

4-1. The device of claim 1, further comprising adjustment arrows associated with a plurality of vertical lines of the graph which move the linear function input points up and down.

14. A software user interface comprising:

a) a graph having horizontal and vertical lines,

b) a constant function input for designating a horizontal constant function and an input point to move the constant function up and down on the graph,

c) a linear mode input to select a linear function between two input points, at either side of the graph, and wherein the two input locations are movable up and down the graph based on user input.

25. A software user interface for a handheld computer device comprising:

a) a graph having horizontal and vertical lines,

b) a constant function input for designating a horizontal constant function and an input point to move the constant function up and down on the graph,

c) a linear mode input to select a linear function between two input points, at either side of the graph, and wherein the two input locations are movable up and down the graph based on user input, and

d) a non-linear input mode to select a non-linear function.