Computer controlled user interactive display interface for accessing graphic tools with a minimum of display pointer movement

• US 20070168873A1
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Herman Rodriguez, International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lentz, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,250,486 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/763
• 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

A computer controlled graphical user interface implementation comprising displaying a set of graphic tools in a primary container location on the display in combination with an implement for using a selected tool to create a graphic object at a selected display location that is changeable as the object is being created in which there are provided functions responsive to the creation of the graphic object for displaying a secondary container containing a duplicate of the selected tool proximate the location of the graphic object, the secondary container being dynamically moveable responsive to the graphics object creation.

Claims

1. In a computer controlled user interactive display system, a display interface implementation for accessing graphic tools for creating graphic objects with minimal display pointer movement comprising:

means for displaying a set of graphic tools in a primary container location on the display;

means for using a selected tool to create a graphic object at a selected display location that is changeable as the object is being created; and

means responsive to the creation of said graphic object providing a secondary container containing a duplicate of said selected tool proximate the location of the graphic object, said secondary container being dynamically moveable responsive to said graphics object creation.

2. The display interface implementation of claim 1 further including means for determining the center of activity of said creation of said graphic object.

3. The display interface implementation of claim 2 wherein said changeable display location of said graphic object is determined by the center of activity of said creation of said graphic object.

4. The display interface implementation of claim 3 wherein said means for determining said center of activity includes means for tracking the sequence of display locations of the most recent movement of said display pointer.

5. The display interface implementation of claim 3 further including:

means for establishing an exclusion perimeter enclosing the graphic object being created; and

means for preventing said secondary container containing the duplicate of said selected tool from crossing said perimeter, whereby said secondary container does not encroach upon said object being created.

6. The display interface implementation of claim 3 further including means responsive to the creation of said graphic object providing at least one additional secondary container containing a duplicate of at least one additional selected tool for creating said graphic object proximate the location of the graphic object, said at least one additional secondary container being dynamically moveable responsive to said graphics object creation.

7. The display interface implementation of claim 6 wherein said means for determining said center of activity includes means for tracking the sequence of display locations of the most recent movement of said display pointer in the activity of said at least one additional graphic tool in the creation of said graphic object.

19. The computer program of claim 3 further including:

means for establishing an exclusion perimeter enclosing the graphic object being created; and

means for preventing said secondary container containing the duplicate of said selected tool from crossing said perimeter, whereby said secondary container does not encroach upon said object being created.

8. A method for accessing graphic tools with minimal display pointer movement on an interactive display interface for creating graphic objects comprising:

displaying a set of graphic tools in a primary container location on the display;

using a selected tool to create a graphic object at a selected display location that is changeable as the object is being created; and

in response to the creation of said graphic object, providing a secondary container containing a duplicate of said selected tool proximate the location of the graphic object, said secondary container being dynamically moveable responsive to said graphics object creation.

9. The method claim 8 further including the step of determining the center of activity of said creation of said graphic object.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said changeable display location of said graphic object is determined by the center of activity of said creation of said graphic object.

11. The display interface implementation of claim 10 wherein said center of activity is determined by tracking the sequence of display locations of the most recent movement of said display pointer.

12. The method of claim 10 further including the steps of:

establishing an exclusion perimeter enclosing the graphic object being created; and

preventing said secondary container containing the duplicate of said selected tool from crossing said perimeter, whereby said secondary container does not encroach upon said object being created.

13. The method of claim 10 further including providing responsive to the creation of said graphic object, at least one additional secondary container containing a duplicate of at least one additional selected tool for creating said graphic object proximate the location of the graphic object, said at least one additional secondary container being dynamically moveable responsive to said graphics object creation.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said determining said center of activity includes tracking the sequence of display locations of the most recent movement of said display pointer in the activity of said at least one additional graphic tool in the creation of said graphic object.

15. A computer program having program code included on a computer readable medium for accessing graphic tools with minimal display pointer movement on an interactive display interface for creating graphic objects comprising:

means for displaying a set of graphic tools in a primary container location on the display;

means for using a selected tool to create a graphic object at a selected display location that is changeable as the object is being created; and

means responsive to the creation of said graphic object providing a secondary container containing a duplicate of said selected tool proximate the location of the graphic object, said secondary container being dynamically moveable responsive to said graphics object creation.

16. The computer program of claim 15 further including means for determining the center of activity of said creation of said graphic object.

17. The computer program of claim 16 wherein said changeable display location of said graphic object is determined by the center of activity of said creation of said graphic object.

18. The computer program of claim 17 wherein said means for determining said center of activity includes means for tracking the sequence of display locations of the most recent movement of said display pointer.

20. The computer program of claim 17 further including means responsive to the creation of said graphic object providing at least one additional secondary container containing a duplicate of at least one additional selected tool for creating said graphic object proximate the location of the graphic object, said at least one additional secondary container being dynamically moveable responsive to said graphics object creation.