SYSTEM FOR SELECTING ELEMENTS DISPLAYED ON A SCREEN

• US 20100023894A1
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Pinot, Emmanuel, Le Mer, Pascal
• Application Number:
  US12/520,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20100023894A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/849
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04802 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

System for selecting elements displayed on a screen, said elements (E₁, . . . , E_N) being arranged along a helix.

According to the invention, said helix (H) is represented in three dimensions on said screen, and said selection system comprises a pointing/selection device using a cursor (10) for pointing at/selecting any element to be selected on the helix and a device for manipulating the helix, able to modify at least locally the pitch of the helix.

Application to graphical interfaces.

Claims

1. A system for selecting elements displayed on a screen, said elements being arranged along a helix, wherein

said helix is represented in three dimensions on said screen, and

said selection system comprises a pointing/selection device for pointing at/selecting any element to be selected on the helix and a device for manipulating the helix to modify at least locally the pitch of the helix.

2. A system according to claim 1, in which said manipulation device pivots the helix about its axis.

3. A system according to claim 1, in which the pitch of the helix is modified around the element pointed at by the pointing/selection device.

4. A system according to claim 3, in which the pitch of the helix is modified automatically merely on pointing at said element.

5. A system according to claim 1, in which the pitch of the helix is brought to a minimum pitch value, termed the ergonomic pitch.

6. A system according to claim 1, in which said system is able to deploy on the helix sub-elements of an element selected by the pointing/selection device.

7. A system according to claim 1, in which said pointing/selection device is able to select a plurality of elements on the helix.

8. A system according to claim 1, in which the manipulation device is able to modify the radius of the helix.

9. A system according to claim 8, in which the manipulation device is able to modify the surface area occupied by the helix on the screen.

10. A system according to claim 1, in which said pointing/selection device is an isotonic device.

11. A system according to claim 1, in which said manipulation device is an isometric device.

12. A method for selecting elements displayed on a screen, said elements being arranged along a helix, said method comprising the steps:

arranging a plurality of elements along a helix;

displaying said helix in three dimensions on said screen,

providing a pointing/selection device for pointing at/selecting any element on the helix, and providing a device for manipulating the helix to modify at least locally the pitch of the helix,

selecting, by means of said pointing/selection device, an element on the helix.

13. A computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the method according to claim 12 when said program is executed on a computer.