RADIAL MENUS WITH VARIABLE SELECTABLE ITEM AREAS

• US 20100299637A1
• Filed: 05/19/2009
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cragun, Brian J., Fork, Michael J., Chmielewski, Paul R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,436,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/834
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method and apparatus for facilitating selection of items from a radial menu. Radial menu items may be differentiated from one another based on a desired difficulty of selection from the radial menu. Where it is desirable to make a radial menu item easy to select, the radial menu item may be placed in a relatively larger pie slice of the radial menu. Conversely, where it is desirable to make a radial menu item difficult to select, the radial menu item may be placed in a relatively smaller pie slice of the radial menu.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for displaying a radial menu, comprising configuring one or more processors to perform an operation comprising:

displaying, on a screen of an output device, a radial menu comprising a plurality of pie slices, each pie slice defining a selection zone for a respective radial menu item, wherein a first pie slice of the plurality of pie slices has a first predefined size;

receiving a first gesture that moves a screen pointer over the first pie slice on the screen, thereby activating the first pie slice of the radial menu; and

in response to the activation of the first pie slice, executing a menu manager on one or more of the processors to change a size of the first pie slice from the first predefined size to a second predefined size.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second predefined size is greater than the first predefined size.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein changing the size of the first pie slice from the first predefined size to the second predefined size comprises overlapping at least a portion of one or more pie slices adjacent to the first pie slice with the activated first pie slice.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving at least a portion of a predefined second gesture in the portion of the pie slices adjacent to the first pie slice that are overlapped by the activated first pie slice; and

selecting a radial menu item corresponding to the first pie slice in response to receiving the gesture.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third gesture that moves the screen pointer outside a bounds of the activated first pie slice having the second predefined size; and

upon receiving the third gesture, changing the size of the first pie slice from the second predefined size to a third size.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the third size is the same as the first predefined size.

7. A computer readable storage medium comprising a program product which, when executed, is configured to perform an operation for displaying a radial menu, the operation comprising:

displaying, on a screen of a display device, a radial menu comprising a plurality of pie slices, each pie slice defining a selection zone for a respective radial menu item, wherein a first pie slice of the plurality of pie slices has a first predefined size;

receiving a first gesture that moves a screen pointer over the first pie slice on the screen, thereby activating the first pie slice of the radial menu; and

in response to the activation of the first pie slice, changing a size of the first pie slice from the first predefined size to a second predefined size.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the second predefined size is greater than the first predefined size.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein changing the size of the first pie slice from the first predefined size to the second predefined size comprises overlapping at least a portion of one or more pie slices adjacent to the first pie slice with the activated first pie slice.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operation further comprises:

receiving at least a portion of a predefined second gesture in the portion of the pie slices adjacent to the first pie slice that are overlapped by the activated first pie slice; and

selecting a radial menu item corresponding to the first pie slice in response to receiving the gesture.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the operation further comprises:

receiving a third gesture that moves the screen pointer outside a bounds of the activated first pie slice having the second predefined size; and

upon receiving the third gesture, changing the size of the first pie slice from the second predefined size to a third size.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the third size is the same as the first predefined size.

13. A system, comprising:

a memory comprising a program; and

a processor which, when executing the program, is configured to;

display, on a screen of an output device, a radial menu comprising a plurality of pie slices, each pie slice defining a selection zone for a respective radial menu item, wherein a first pie slice of the plurality of pie slices has a first predefined size;

receive a first gesture that moves a screen pointer over the first pie slice on the screen, thereby activating the first pie slice of the radial menu; and

in response to the activation of the first pie slice, change a size of the first pie slice from the first predefined size to a second predefined size.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the second predefined size is greater than the first predefined size.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein changing the size of the first pie slice from the first predefined size to the second predefined size comprises overlapping at least a portion of one or more pie slices adjacent to the first pie slice with the activated first pie slice.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive at least a portion of a predefined second gesture in the portion of the pie slices adjacent to the first pie slice that are overlapped by the activated first pie slice; and

select a radial menu item corresponding to the first pie slice in response to receiving the gesture.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a third gesture that moves the screen pointer outside a bounds of the activated first pie slice having the second predefined size; and

upon receiving the third gesture, change the size of the first pie slice from the second predefined size to a third size.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the second predefined size is greater than the first predefined size.

19. A computer implemented method for displaying a radial menu, comprising:

configuring one or more processors to perform an operation, comprising;

receiving a predefined screen pointer event for displaying a radial menu on a screen of an output device;

in response to receiving the predefined screen pointer event determining a plurality of radial menu items to be displayed in the radial menu, wherein each radial menu item has an associated weight value;

displaying, on the screen, the plurality of radial menu items in respective pie slices of the radial menu, wherein a size of each of the pie slices is determined based on the weight value of a respective radial menu item.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein radial menu items having a relatively greater weight value are displayed in relatively larger pie slices.