Systems and methods for user interfaces designed for rotary input devices

• US 20050001838A1
• Filed: 04/23/2004
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Timone, Herve Thu, Gregorio, Pedro, DaCosta, Henry
• Granted Patent: US 7,116,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing visual navigation cues in user interfaces for use with rotary input devices are described. One described method comprises causing a plurality of graphical objects to be displayed in an arc. The curvature of the arc is configured to convey the ordinal relationship for navigating between each of the plurality of graphical objects with a rotary input device. The curvature of the arc is independent of the spatial relationship between the rotary input device and a display.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an input signal indicating the position of a rotary input device relative to a display; and

generating an output signal configured to cause a plurality of graphical objects to be displayed in an arc in the display, the arc having a curvature configured to convey an ordinal relationship for navigating between each of the plurality of graphical objects with the rotary input device, the curvature of the arc being based at least in part on a spatial relationship between the rotary input device and the display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the display is a first display, the input signal is a first input signal, and the output signal is a first output signal, and further comprising:

receiving a second input signal indicating the position of the rotary input device relative to a second display; and

generating a second output signal configured to cause the plurality of graphical objects to be displayed in an arc in the second display, the arc having a curvature configured to convey an ordinal relationship for navigating between each of the plurality of graphical objects with the rotary input device, the curvature of the arc being based at least in part on a spatial relationship between the rotary input device and the second display.

3. A method comprising:

generating a signal configured to cause a plurality of graphical objects to be displayed in an arc, the arc having a curvature configured to convey an ordinal relationship for navigating between each of the plurality of graphical objects with a rotary input device;

transmitting said signal to create a first display; and

transmitting said signal to create a second display.

4. A method comprising generating a signal configured to cause a plurality of graphical objects to be displayed in an arc, the arc having a curvature configured to convey the ordinal relationship for navigating between each of the plurality of graphical objects with a rotary input device, the curvature of the arc being independent of the spatial relationship between the rotary input device and a display.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the arc is an arc of less than 360 degrees.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of graphical objects comprises a plurality of list elements.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the arc is curved to the right and further comprising:

receiving a signal indicating a clockwise rotation of the rotary input device; and

causing a subsequent graphical object of the plurality of graphical objects to be selected.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the arc is curved to the right and further comprising:

receiving a signal indicating a counter-clockwise rotation of the rotary input device; and

causing a previous graphical object of the plurality of graphical objects to be selected.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the arc is curved to the left and further comprising:

receiving a signal indicating a clockwise rotation of the rotary input device; and

causing a previous graphical object of the plurality of graphical objects to be selected.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the arc is curved to the top and further comprising:

receiving a signal indicating a clockwise rotation of the rotary input device; and

causing a subsequent graphical object of the plurality of graphical objects to be selected.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the arc is curved to the bottom and further comprising:

receiving a signal indicating a clockwise rotation of the rotary input device; and

causing a previous graphical object of the plurality of graphical objects to be selected.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein the rotary device comprises one of a jog shuttle, a control wheel, a rotary switch, and a scroll wheel.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein the arc is curved to the right and further comprising:

receiving a signal indicating a clockwise rotation of the rotary input device; and

causing an index of the plurality of graphical objects to be incremented.

14. The method of claim 4, wherein the arc is curved to the left and further comprising:

receiving a signal indicating a clockwise rotation of the rotary input device; and

causing an index of the plurality of graphical objects to be decremented.

15. The method of claim 4, wherein the signal is a first signal and the arc is a first arc, and further comprising generating a signal configured to cause a plurality of graphical objects to be displayed in a second arc, the second arc having a curvature configured to convey the ordinal relationship for navigating between each of the plurality of graphical objects with the rotary input device, the curvature of the second arc being independent of the spatial relationship between the rotary input device and the display and independent of the curvature of the first arc.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising switching between the first arc and the second arc.

17. A computer-readable medium on which is encoded processor-executable program code, comprising:

program code for receiving an input signal indicating the position of a rotary input device relative to a display; and

program code for generating an output signal configured to cause a plurality of graphical objects to be displayed in an arc in the display, the arc having a curvature configured to convey an ordinal relationship for navigating between each of the plurality of graphical objects with the rotary input device, the curvature of the arc being based at least in part on a spatial relationship between the rotary input device and the display.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the display is a first display, the input signal is a first input signal, and the output signal is a first output signal, and further comprising:

program code for receiving a second input signal indicating the position of the rotary input device relative to a second display; and

program code for generating a second output signal configured to cause the plurality of graphical objects to be displayed in an arc in the second display, the arc having a curvature configured to convey an ordinal relationship for navigating between each of the plurality of graphical objects with the rotary input device, the curvature of the arc being based at least in part on a spatial relationship between the rotary input device and the second display.

19. A computer-readable medium on which is encoded processor-executable program code, comprising:

program code for generating a signal configured to cause a plurality of graphical objects to be displayed in an arc, the arc having a curvature configured to convey an ordinal relationship for navigating between each of the plurality of graphical objects with a rotary input device;

program code for transmitting said signal to create a first display; and

program code for transmitting said signal to create a second display.

20. A computer-readable medium on which is encoded processor-executable program code, comprising program code for generating a signal configured to cause a plurality of graphical objects to be displayed in an arc, the arc having a curvature configured to convey the ordinal relationship for navigating between each of the plurality of graphical objects with a rotary input device, the curvature of the arc being independent of the spatial relationship between the rotary input device and a display.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the arc is curved to the right and further comprising:

program code for receiving a signal indicating a clockwise rotation of the rotary input device; and

program code for causing a subsequent graphical object of the plurality of graphical objects to be selected.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the arc is curved to the right and further comprising:

program code for receiving a signal indicating a counter-clockwise rotation of the rotary input device; and

program code for causing a previous graphical object of the plurality of graphical objects to be selected.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the arc is curved to the left and further comprising:

program code for receiving a signal indicating a clockwise rotation of the rotary input device; and

program code for causing a previous graphical object of the plurality of graphical objects to be selected.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the arc is curved to the top and further comprising:

program code for receiving a signal indicating a clockwise rotation of the rotary input device; and

program code for causing a subsequent graphical object of the plurality of graphical objects to be selected.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the arc is curved to the bottom and further comprising:

program code for receiving a signal indicating a clockwise rotation of the rotary input device; and

program code for causing a previous graphical object of the plurality of graphical objects to be selected.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the arc is curved to the right and further comprising:

program code for receiving a signal indicating a clockwise rotation of the rotary input device; and

program code for causing an index of the plurality of graphical objects to be incremented.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the arc is curved to the left and further comprising:

program code for receiving a signal indicating a clockwise rotation of the rotary input device; and

program code for causing an index of the plurality of graphical objects to be decremented.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the signal is a first signal and the arc is a first arc, and further comprising program code for generating a signal configured to cause a plurality of graphical objects to be displayed in a second arc, the second arc having a curvature configured to convey the ordinal relationship for navigating between each of the plurality of graphical objects with the rotary input device, the curvature of the second arc being independent of the spatial relationship between the rotary input device and the display and independent of the curvature of the first arc.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, further comprising program code for switching between the first arc and the second arc.