Menus whose geometry is bounded by two radii and an arc

• US 20040263475A1
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sharpe, Timothy, Wecker, David B., Etezadi, Cameron A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,210,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

Sector menus track a pointer'"'"'s position as a pointing device is moved. Each sector menu is a geometric figure bounded by two radii and an included arc of a circle. Menu items are housed in segments formed from multiple radii cutting the sector menu. Users select menu items housed in segments by making a direction change from a trajectory course to pass over a desired menu item so as to invoke its operation. The sector menu lacks a segment, defining a devoid segment, which is oriented in a direction toward which the pointer is moving. Segments with different sizes are available to represent the likelihood that a user would choose a given operation in a corresponding menu item housed by a corresponding segment.

Claims

1. A computer system for providing context-sensitive menus, comprising:

an on-screen cursor that moves with the movements of a pointing device; and

a sector menu surrounding the on-screen cursor, the sector menu being a geometric figure bounded by two radii and an included arc of a circle.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the on-screen cursor is located in the center of the sector menu.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the sector menu lacks a segment, defining a devoid segment.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the sector menu moves along with the on-screen cursor.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the devoid segment is oriented in the direction toward which the on-screen cursor is moving.

6. A computer system for providing context-sensitive menus, comprising:

an on-screen cursor that moves with the movements of a pointing device; and

a sector menu appearing within a proximity of the on-screen cursor, the sector menu having multiple segments formed from multiple radii cutting the sector menu, each segment housing a menu item for the sector menu.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the sector menu appears when the computer system receives a click from the pointing device.

8. The computer system of claim 6, wherein menu items in the sector menu are predefined.

9. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the sector menu automatically appears when the on-screen cursor is being navigated.

10. The computer system of claim 6, wherein menu items in the sector menu are selected from a group consisting of a first set of operations most recently used by a user, a second set of operations most frequently used by the user, a third set of operations most relevant in the context of an application, and a combination of the first, second, and third set of operations.

11. A computer system for providing context-sensitive menus, comprising:

an on-screen cursor being moved toward a target by a pointing device; and

a sector menu moving with the on-screen cursor, the sector menu having multiple menu items, each menu item representing operations of user interface elements located at the target.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein each user interface element is scored indicating the likelihood that a user would select the user interface element.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein menu items with higher scores are presented in a size different from other menu items.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein menu items with higher scores are presented with different text formatting from other menu items.

15. The computer system of claim 12, wherein menu items with higher scores are presented in a color different from other menu items.

16. A method implemented in a computer system for presenting context-sensitive menus as a user navigates a pointer, comprising:

gathering data regarding a windowing environment in which the pointer navigates;

educing user interface elements at a target to which the pointer navigates; and

displaying a sector menu that moves with the pointer, the act of displaying including displaying multiple segments formed by multiple radii cutting the sector menu, a segment housing a menu item which includes a user interface element at the target toward which the pointer navigates.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein displaying includes displaying predefined menu items that must be present in displaying the sector menu.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein educing includes assigning a score to each user interface element in the target, the score indicating the likelihood a user would select the user interface element.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein displaying includes displaying a menu item with a high score different from displaying a menu item with a low score.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving a selection of a menu item when the pointer passes over the selected menu item.

21. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions that implements a method for providing context-sensitive menus, the method comprising:

gathering data regarding a windowing environment in which the pointer navigates;

educing user interface elements at a target to which the pointer navigates; and

displaying a sector menu that moves with the pointer, the act of displaying including displaying multiple segments formed by multiple radii cutting the sector menu, a segment housing a menu item which includes a user interface element at the target toward which the pointer navigates.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein displaying includes displaying predefined menu items that must be present in displaying the sector menu.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein educing includes assigning a score to each user interface element in the target, the score indicating the likelihood a user would select the user interface element.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein displaying includes displaying a menu item with a high score different from displaying a menu item with a low score.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising receiving a selection of a menu item when the pointer passes over the selected menu item.