SPACE-CONSTRAINED MARKING MENUS FOR MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20090037813A1
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Partridge, Kurt E., Newman, Mark W.
• Application Number:
  US11/831,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20090037813A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a user interface. The user interface includes a touch-screen display and a set of marking menus comprising at least one radial menu which can be displayed on the touch-screen display. A radial menu allows a user to select a menu item by performing a stroke on the touch-screen display in a direction corresponding to a slice of the radial menu associated with the menu item. All the slices of a radial sub-menu are substantially at an angle of approximately 90° or less with respect to a previous stroke leading from a pervious radial menu, thereby allowing a series of consecutive strokes to end near the origin of the first stroke.

Claims

1. A user interface, comprising:

a touch-screen display; and

a set of marking menus comprising at least one radial menu which can be displayed on the touch-screen display;

wherein a radial menu allows a user to select a menu item by performing a stroke on the touch-screen display in a direction corresponding to a slice of the radial menu associated with the menu item; and

wherein all the slices of a radial sub-menu are substantially at an angle of approximately 90°

or less with respect to a previous stroke leading from a pervious radial menu, thereby allowing a series of consecutive strokes to end near the origin of the first stroke.

2. The user interface of claim 1,

wherein the marking menus comprise at least one initial radial menu and at least one radial sub-menu;

and

wherein a radial sub-menu can be an edge radial menu placed along an edge of the touch-screen display, or a corner radial menu placed in a corner of the touch-screen display.

3. The user interface of claim 2,

wherein the edge radial menu comprises three slices;

wherein two of the three slices are in opposite directions along the edge; and

wherein the middle slice of the three slices corresponds to a stroke which is substantially perpendicular to the edge and points away from the edge.

4. The user interface of claim 3,

wherein the three slices do not have equal sizes.

5. The user interface of claim 4,

wherein a wedge angle of the middle slice is greater than those of the other two slices.

6. The user interface of claim 2,

wherein the corner radial menu comprises three slices;

wherein two of the three slices on the outside are along the directions of the edges which form the corner, respectively; and

wherein the middle slice of the three slices corresponds to a stroke which substantially points to a corner that is opposite to the corner associated with the corner radial menu.

7. The user interface of claim 6,

wherein the three slices do not have equal sizes.

8. The user interface of claim 7,

wherein a wedge angle the middle slice is larger than those of the other two slices.

9. The user interface of claim 1,

wherein the marking menus comprise at least one of:

a radial menu that is deformed based on the shape of the touch-screen display; and

a radial menu wherein the slices therein are grouped in locations where the perimeter of the radial menu is visible.

10. The user interface of claim 1,

wherein the marking menus are configured to allow a user to select a menu item by maintaining contact with a corresponding slice for a predetermined period.

11. The user interface of claim 1,

wherein the marking menus are configured to allow a user to select a menu item by drawing a stroke either beyond the perimeter of a corresponding slice or by hitting an edge of the touch-screen display.

12. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a touch-screen display; and

a set of marking menus comprising at least one radial menu which can be displayed on the touch-screen display;

wherein a radial menu allows a user to select a menu item by performing a stroke on the touch-screen display in a direction corresponding to a slice of the radial menu associated with the menu item; and

wherein all the slices of a radial sub-menu are substantially at an angle of approximately 90°

or less with respect to a previous stroke leading from a pervious radial menu, thereby allowing a series of consecutive strokes to end near the origin of the first stroke.

13. The computer system of claim 12,

wherein the marking menus comprise at least one initial radial menu and at least one radial sub-menu;

and

wherein a radial sub-menu can be an edge radial menu placed along an edge of the touch-screen display, or a corner radial menu placed in a corner of the touch-screen display.

14. The computer system of claim 13,

wherein the edge radial menu comprises three slices;

wherein two of the three slices are in opposite directions along the edge; and

wherein the middle slice of the three slices corresponds to a stroke which is substantially perpendicular to the edge and points away from the edge.

15. The computer system of claim 14,

wherein the three slices do not have equal sizes.

16. The computer system of claim 15,

wherein a wedge angle of the middle slice is greater than those of the other two slices.

17. The computer system of claim 13,

wherein the corner radial menu comprises three slices;

wherein two of the three slices on the outside are along the directions of the edges which form the corner, respectively; and

wherein the middle slice of the three slices corresponds to a stroke which substantially points to a corner that is opposite to the corner associated with the corner radial menu.

18. The computer system of claim 17,

wherein the three slices do not have equal sizes.

19. The computer system of claim 18,

wherein a wedge angle the middle slice is larger than those of the other two slices.

20. The computer system of claim 12,

wherein the marking menus comprise at least one of:

a radial menu that is deformed based on the shape of the touch-screen display; and

a radial menu wherein the slices therein are grouped in locations where the perimeter of the radial menu is visible.

21. The computer system of claim 12,

wherein the marking menus are configured to allow a user to select a menu item by maintaining contact with a corresponding slice for a predetermined period.

22. The computer system of claim 12,

wherein the marking menus are configured to allow a user to select a menu item by drawing a stroke either beyond the perimeter of a corresponding slice or by hitting an edge of the touch-screen display.

23. A storage medium storing computer-readable code which when executed by a computer causes the computer to provide a user interface, the user interface comprising:

a set of marking menus comprising at least one radial menu which can be displayed on a touch-screen display;

wherein a radial menu allows a user to select a menu item by performing a stroke on the touch-screen display in a direction corresponding to a slice of the radial menu associated with the menu item; and

wherein all the slices of a radial sub-menu are substantially at an angle of approximately 90°

or less with respect to a previous stroke leading from a pervious radial menu, thereby allowing a series of consecutive strokes to end near the origin of the first stroke.