Presenting a menu

• US 20090228832A1
• Filed: 03/04/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Cheng, Yi-Hsun E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,997,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A method for presenting a menu. A first menu level of a hierarchical menu structure is displayed in a one-dimensional list. A second menu level of the hierarchical menu structure is displayed in the one-dimensional list, wherein the second menu level is dependent on a selectable item of the first menu level and wherein items of the first menu level are contiguous and items of the second menu level are contiguous.

Claims

1. A method for presenting a menu, said method comprising:

displaying a first menu level of a hierarchical menu structure in a one-dimensional list; and

displaying a second menu level of said hierarchical menu structure in said one-dimensional list, wherein said second menu level is dependent on a selectable item of said first menu level and wherein items of said first menu level are contiguous and items of said second menu level are contiguous.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to a selection of a selectable item of said second menu level, displaying a third menu level of said hierarchical menu structure, wherein said third menu level is dependent on said selectable item of said second menu level, and wherein items of said third menu level are contiguous.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to a pre-selection of a selectable item of said second menu level, displaying a third menu level of said hierarchical menu structure, wherein said third menu level is dependent on said selectable item of said second menu level, and wherein items of said third menu level are contiguous.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to said displaying said first menu level and said second menu level, displaying a multiple selection menu comprising a plurality of selectable hierarchical menu structures, wherein said displaying said first menu level and said second menu level is responsive to a selection of said hierarchical-menu structure of said plurality of hierarchical menu structures.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying a second menu level of a hierarchical menu structure comprises:

displaying said items of said second menu level in an opposite order as said items of said first menu level.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said displaying a second menu level of a hierarchical menu structure comprises:

making said items of said second menu level visually distinct from said items of said first menu level.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a selected browsing path for indicating selected items of said hierarchical menu structure.

8. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

responsive to said selection of said selectable item of said second menu level, removing at least part of said first menu level from display.

9. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

responsive to said selection of said selectable item of said second menu level, inverting a display order of said items of said second menu level.

10. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

responsive to said selection of said selectable item of said second menu level, removing at least part of said second menu level from display.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

responsive to said selection of said selectable item of said second menu level, displaying a fourth menu level of said hierarchical menu structure, wherein said fourth menu level is dependent on a selectable item of said third menu level and wherein items of said fourth menu level are contiguous.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said hierarchical menu structure is dynamic such that an order of said items said first menu level and an order of said items of said second menu level adapt based at least in part on a pattern of usage.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said displaying a first menu level comprises selectively displaying a portion of selectable items of said first menu level according to a probability of selection and wherein said displaying a second menu level comprises selectively displaying a portion of selectable items of said second menu level according to a probability of selection.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said hierarchical menu structure comprises a text entry menu structure.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said text entry menu structure comprises a character-to-word conversion menu structure, wherein said first menu level comprises a character selection, said second menu level comprises a word selection, and said third menu level comprises a multiple word selection.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said text entry menu structure comprises a phonetic-to-ideogram conversion menu structure, wherein said first menu level comprises a phonetic selection, said second menu level comprises an ideogram selection, and said third menu level comprises a multiple ideogram selection.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein a last menu level of said text entry menu structure comprises a text entry separator selection.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the text entry separator selection is selected from the group consisting of a punctuation symbol and a space.

19. One or more computing device readable media for storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform a method for displaying a menu in a one-dimensional list, said method comprising:

displaying a first menu level and a second menu level of a hierarchical menu structure, wherein said second menu level is dependent on a selectable item of said first menu level, wherein items of said first menu level and items of said second menu level are contiguous, and wherein said items of said first menu level and said items of said second menu level are displayed in opposing orders;

displaying a third menu level of said hierarchical menu structure in response to a selection of a selectable item of said second menu level, wherein said third menu level is dependent on said selectable item of said second menu level and wherein items of said third menu level are contiguous; and

removing said first menu level from display in response to said displaying said third menu level.

20. A method for presenting a phonetic-to-ideogram conversion menu for text entry in a one-dimensional list, said method comprising:

receiving a first input for said text entry,

responsive to said first input displaying in a one-dimensional list a phonetic selection menu level and an ideogram selection menu level of a hierarchical phonetic-to-ideogram conversion menu structure, wherein said ideogram selection menu level is dependent on a phonetic entry of said phonetic selection menu level and wherein phonetic entries of said phonetic selection menu level are contiguous, and wherein ideograms of said ideogram selection menu level are contiguous.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

responsive to a selection of an ideogram of said ideogram selection menu level, displaying a multiple ideogram selection menu level of said hierarchical menu structure, wherein said multiple ideogram selection menu level is dependent on said ideogram of said ideogram selection menu level.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

prior to said displaying said phonetic selection menu level and said ideogram selection menu level, displaying a multiple selection menu comprising a plurality of selectable hierarchical menu structures, wherein said displaying said phonetic selection menu level and said ideogram selection menu level is responsive to a selection of said hierarchical phonetic-to-ideogram conversion menu structure of said plurality of hierarchical menu structures.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein said hierarchical phonetic-to-ideogram conversion menu structure is selected from a list consisting of:

a phonetic Chinese-to-word conversion menu structure, a phonetic Japanese-to-word conversion menu structure, and a phonetic Korean-to-word conversion menu structure.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein said displaying said ideogram selection menu level of said phonetic-to-ideogram conversion menu structure comprises:

displaying a text entry separator selection menu level of said phonetic-to-ideogram hierarchical menu structure; and

responsive to a selection of text entry separator of said text entry separator selection menu level, outputting said ideogram to an application.

25. A system for presenting a menu in a one-dimensional list, said system comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to said processor; and

a display communicatively coupled to said processor;

wherein said processor is operable to display a first menu level and a second menu level of a hierarchical menu structure on said display, wherein said second menu level is dependent on a selectable item of said first menu level and wherein items of said first menu level are contiguous and items of said second menu level are contiguous, and wherein said processor is operable to display a third menu level of said hierarchical menu structure on said display in response to a selection of a selectable item of said second menu level, displaying, wherein said third menu level is dependent on said selectable item of said second menu level.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said processor is operable to remove at least part of said first menu level from display in response to said selection of said selectable item of said second menu level.