Temporarily moving adjacent or overlapping icons away from specific icons being approached by an on-screen pointer on user interactive display interfaces
First Claim
1. In a computer controlled user interactive display system, a display interface implementation for directing a user'"'"'s attention to specific selectable items on a display screen with crowded selectable items comprising;
- user controlled means for moving an on-screen pointer to approach said selectable items;
means for determining if a selectable item being approached by said on-screen pointer is within a predetermined distance from at least one adjacent item; and
means responsive to said determining means for moving any adjacent item within said predetermined distance to a display screen position beyond said predetermined distance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In an interactive display interface, an implementation for setting up around each of the selectable items, e.g. icons, a perimeter zone or halo at a predetermined distance from the perimeter of the item or icon. Thus, when an icon with such a halo is approached by an on-screen pointer, e.g. cursor, there are means for moving an adjacent icon which is within this halo to a screen position beyond this predetermined distance, i.e halo. The moved adjacent icons are subsequently returned to their original positions after a set period of time or after the pointer or cursor has moved beyond the approached icon.
One aspect of this invention is directed to an icon state wherein said adjacent icons and selectable icons overlap each other and, thus, it is difficult for the user to distinguish which icon he wishes to select. For such a situation, the invention further includes means for user selection of icons which includes means for sequentially moving all other icons away from each of the overlapping icons for said predetermined period of time to thereby expose each of the overlapping icons in combination with means for sequentially enabling the user selection of each exposed icon.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. In a computer controlled user interactive display system, a display interface implementation for directing a user'"'"'s attention to specific selectable items on a display screen with crowded selectable items comprising;
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user controlled means for moving an on-screen pointer to approach said selectable items;
means for determining if a selectable item being approached by said on-screen pointer is within a predetermined distance from at least one adjacent item; and
means responsive to said determining means for moving any adjacent item within said predetermined distance to a display screen position beyond said predetermined distance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for directing a user'"'"'s attention to specific selectable items on a display screen with crowded selectable items in computer controlled user interactive display systems comprising:
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moving an on-screen pointer to approach said selectable items;
determining if a selectable item being approached by said on-screen pointer is within a predetermined distance from at least one adjacent item; and
moving any adjacent item determined to be within said predetermined distance to a display screen position beyond said predetermined distance. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20)
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13. A computer program having program code included on a computer readable medium for directing a user'"'"'s attention to specific selectable items on a display screen with crowded selectable items in computer controlled user interactive display systems comprising:
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user controlled means for moving an on-screen pointer to approach said selectable items;
means for determining if a selectable item being approached by said on-screen pointer is within a predetermined distance from at least one adjacent item; and
means responsive to said determining means for moving any adjacent item within said predetermined distance to a display screen position beyond said predetermined distance.
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19. In a computer controlled user interactive display system, a display interface implementation for directing a user'"'"'s attention to specific selectable items on a display screen with crowded selectable items comprising;
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user controlled means for moving an on-screen pointer to approach a cluster of said selectable items;
means for determining whether the items in said cluster have sufficient separation for said pointer to select separate items in said cluster; and
means responsive to a determination of insufficient separation for sequentially uncovering each item in said cluster by moving the other items in said cluster away from each item.
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21. A method for directing a user'"'"'s attention to specific selectable items on a display screen with crowded selectable items in computer controlled user interactive display systems comprising:
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moving an on-screen pointer to approach a cluster of said selectable items;
determining whether the items in said cluster have sufficient separation for said pointer to select separate items in said cluster; and
sequentially uncovering each item in said cluster by moving the other items in said cluster away from each item responsive to a determination that there is insufficient separation. - View Dependent Claims (22, 24)
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23. A computer program having program code included on a computer readable medium for directing a user'"'"'s attention to specific selectable items on a display screen with crowded selectable items in computer controlled user interactive display systems comprising:
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user controlled means for moving an on-screen pointer to approach a cluster of said selectable items;
means for determining whether the items in said cluster have sufficient separation for said pointer to select separate items in said cluster; and
means responsive to a determination of insufficient separation for sequentially uncovering each item in said cluster by moving the other items in said cluster away from each item.
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Specification