Method for operating a space menu and electronic device with operating space menu

• US 20100192100A1
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Chang, Ching Chih, Wu, Yi-hsi
• Application Number:
  US12/321,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20100192100A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/834
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour

Abstract

A method for operating a space menu, suitable for an electronic device having a screen is provided. In the present method, a plurality of item objects are sequentially displayed along a linear path on a menu plane to generate a space menu. Then, an operation of a user for the space menu is received and used for operating the space menu. The item objects on the menu plane are rotated about a rotation axis according to a position of the item object pointed by the operation so as to protrude the pointed item object from the other item objects, in which a direction of the rotation axis is not parallel to a normal direction of a display plane of the screen. Further, an item function is executed according to the item object selected by the operation.

Claims

1. A method for operating a space menu, suitable for an electronic device having a screen, the method comprising:

sequentially displaying a plurality of item objects along a linear path on a menu plane to generate said space menu;

receiving an operation of a user for the space menu;

rotating the item objects on the menu plane about a rotation axis according to a position of the item object pointed by the operation, wherein a direction of the rotation axis is not parallel to a normal direction of a display plane of the screen; and

executing an item function according to the item object selected by the operation.

2. The method for operating a space menu according to claim 1, wherein the operation of the user for the space menu comprises using an input device to move around the space menu or select one of the item objects.

3. The method for operating a space menu according to claim 2, wherein the input device comprises mouse, keyboard, touch panel, or touch screen.

4. The method for operating a space menu according to claim 1, wherein the direction of the rotation axis is perpendicular to a direction of the linear path.

5. The method for operating a space menu according to claim 1, wherein the step of rotating the item objects on the menu plane about the rotation axis according to the position of the item object pointed by the operation comprises:

calculating a rotation angle for rotating the menu plane according to a distance between the pointed item object and the rotation axis;

determining to rotate the menu plane in a clockwise direction or in a counterclockwise direction according to a relative position of the pointed item object corresponding to the rotation axis; and

rotating the item objects on the menu plane about the rotation axis to the determined direction by the rotation angle.

6. The method for operating a space menu according to claim 5, wherein the step of rotating the item objects on the menu plane about the rotation axis according to the position of the item object pointed by the operation further comprises:

zooming the item objects on the menu plane so as to be covered by the display plane of the screen according to the rotation angle and the relative position and distance between each of the item objects and the rotation axis.

7. The method for operating a space menu according to claim 4, wherein the rotation axis comprises passing through a geometric center of the item objects.

8. The method for operating a space menu according to claim 1, wherein after the step of rotating the item objects on the menu plane about the rotation axis according to the position of the item object pointed by the operation, the method further comprises:

enlarging the item object pointed by the operation so as to protrude the pointed item object from the other item objects.

9. The method for operating a space menu according to claim 1, wherein after the step of rotating the item objects on the menu plane about the rotation axis according to the position of the item object pointed by the operation, the method further comprises:

moving the item object pointed by the operation toward a normal direction of the menu plane by a preset length so as to protrude the item object from the other item objects.

10. The method for operating a space menu according to claim 1, wherein the step of sequentially displaying the item objects along a linear path on the menu plane further comprises:

displaying an item icon on a surface of each item object facing a normal direction of the menu plane.

11. A method for operating a space menu, suitable for an electronic device having a screen, the method comprising:

sequentially displaying a plurality of item objects along a spiral path to generate said space menu, wherein a central axis of the spiral path is not parallel to a normal direction of a display plane of the screen;

receiving an operation of a user for the space menu;

rotating the item objects on the spiral path about the central axis according to a position of the item object pointed by the operation; and

executing an item function according to the item object selected by the operation.

12. The method for operating a space menu according to claim 11, wherein the step of sequentially displaying the item objects along the spiral path to generate the space menu comprises:

zooming the item objects according to a relative distance between each of the item objects and the display plane of the screen.

13. The method for operating a space menu according to claim 12, wherein the step of rotating the item objects on the spiral path about the central axis according to the position of the item object pointed by the operation comprises:

rotating the item objects on the spiral path about the central axis such that the relative distance between the pointed item object and the display plane of the screen is the shortest.

14. The method for operating a space menu according to claim 11, wherein the operation of the user for the space menu comprises using an input device to move around the space menu or select one of the item objects.

15. The method for operating a space menu according to claim 14, wherein the input device comprises mouse, keyboard, touch panel, or touch screen.

16. The method for operating a space menu according to claim 11, wherein a position of each item object projected on the central axis remains unchanged when the item objects on the spiral path are rotated about the central axis.

17. The method for operating a space menu according to claim 16, wherein the step of rotating the item objects on the spiral path about the central axis according to the position of the item object pointed by the operation comprises:

calculating a rotation angle for rotating the item objects on the spiral path according to the relative distance between the pointed item object and the display plane of the screen; and

determining to rotate the item objects on the spiral path in a clockwise direction or in a counterclockwise direction according to a relative position of the pointed item object on the spiral path; and

rotating the item objects on the spiral path about the central axis to the determined direction by the rotation angle.

18. The method for operating a space menu according to claim 16, wherein the step of rotating the item objects on the spiral path about the central axis according to a position of the item object pointed by the operation further comprises:

zooming the item objects according to a relative distance between each of the item objects and the display plane of the screen after the item objects are rotated.

19. The method for operating a space menu according to claim 11, wherein after the step of rotating the item objects on the spiral path about the central axis according to a position of the item object pointed by the operation, the method further comprises:

enlarging the item object pointed by the operation so as to protrude the pointed item object from the other item objects.

20. The method for operating a space menu according to claim 11, wherein the step of sequentially displaying the item objects along the spiral path to generate the space menu comprises:

displaying an item icon on a surface of each item object facing a normal direction from the central axis of the spiral path to the item object.

21. An electronic device with an operating space menu, comprising:

a screen;

a space menu, comprising a plurality of item objects and being displayed on said screen, wherein said plurality of item objects are arranged sequentially along a linear path on a menu plane; and

an input signal receiving module, receiving an operation of a user for the space menu, wherein the item objects are rotated on the menu plane about a rotation axis according to a position of the item object pointed by the operation and a direction of the rotation axis is not parallel to a normal direction of a display plane of the screen.

22. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 21, wherein an item function is executed according to the item object selected by the operation.

23. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 21, wherein the operation of the user for the space menu comprises using an input device to move around the space menu or select one of the item objects.

24. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 23, wherein the input device comprises mouse, keyboard, touch panel, or touch screen.

25. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 21, wherein the direction of the rotation axis is perpendicular to a direction of the linear path.

26. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 21, wherein the method of rotating the item objects on the menu plane about the rotation axis according to the position of the item object pointed by the operation comprises:

calculating a rotation angle for rotating the menu plane according to a distance between the pointed item object and the rotation axis;

determining to rotate the menu plane in a clockwise direction or in a counter clockwise direction according to a relative position of the pointed item object corresponding to the rotation axis; and

rotating the item objects on the menu plane about the rotation axis to the determined direction by the rotation angle.

27. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 26, wherein the method of rotating the item objects on the menu plane about the rotation axis according to the position of the item object pointed by the operation further comprises:

zooming the item objects on the menu plane so as to be covered by the display plane of the screen according to the rotation angle and the relative position and distance between each of the item objects and the rotation axis.

28. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 25, wherein the rotation axis comprises passing through a geometric center of the item objects.

29. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 21, wherein the item object pointed by the operation is enlarged so as to protrude the pointed item object from the other item objects after the item objects are rotated on the menu plane.

30. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 21, wherein the item object pointed by the operation is moved toward a normal direction of the menu plane by a preset length so as to protrude the item object from the other item objects after the item objects are rotated on the menu plane.

31. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 21, wherein an item icon is displayed on a surface of each item object facing a normal direction of the menu plane after the item objects are displayed sequentially along a linear path on the menu plane.

32. An electronic device with an operating space menu, comprising:

a screen;

a space menu, comprising a plurality of item objects and being displayed on said screen, wherein said plurality of item objects are arranged sequentially along a spiral path on a menu plane; and

an input signal receiving module, receiving an operation of a user for the space menu, wherein the item objects are rotated on the spiral path about the central axis according to a position of the item object pointed by the operation and a central axis of the spiral path is not parallel to a normal direction of a display plane of the screen.

33. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 32, wherein an item function is executed according to the item object selected by the operation.

34. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 32, wherein the operation of the user for the space menu comprises using an input device to move around the space menu or select one of the item objects.

35. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 34, wherein the input device comprises mouse, keyboard, touch panel, or touch screen.

36. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 32, wherein the method of sequentially displaying the item objects along the spiral path to generate the space menu comprises:

zooming the item objects according to a relative distance between each of the item objects and the display plane of the screen.

37. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 36, wherein the step of rotating the item objects on the spiral path about the central axis according to the position of the item object pointed by the operation comprises:

rotating the item objects on the spiral path about the central axis such that the relative distance between the pointed item object and the display plane of the screen is the shortest.

38. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 32, wherein a position of each item object projected on the central axis remains unchanged when the item objects on the spiral path are rotated about the central axis.

39. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 38, wherein the method of rotating the item objects on the spiral path about the central axis according to the position of the item object pointed by the operation comprises:

calculating a rotation angle for rotating the item objects on the spiral path according to the relative distance between the pointed item object and the display plane of the screen; and

determining to rotate the item objects on the spiral path in a clockwise direction or in a counter clockwise direction according to a relative position of the pointed item object on the spiral path; and

rotating the item objects on the spiral path about the central axis to the determined direction by the rotation angle.

40. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 38, wherein the method of rotating the item objects on the spiral path about the central axis according to a position of the item object pointed by the operation comprises:

zooming the item objects according to a relative distance between each of the item objects and the display plane of the screen after the item objects are rotated.

41. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 32, wherein the item object pointed by the operation is enlarged so as to protrude the pointed item object from the other item objects after the item objects are rotated on the spiral path.

42. The electronic device with an operating space menu according to claim 32, wherein an item icon is displayed on a surface of each item object facing a normal direction from the central axis of the spiral path to the item object after the item objects are displayed sequentially along the spiral path to generate the space menu.