GRAVITY MENUS FOR HAND-HELD DEVICES

• US 20110161884A1
• Filed: 12/31/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dugan, Casey, Muller, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,528,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/843
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A gravity menu management method can be provided. The method can include determining a tilt edge of a pervasive device by a tilt sensor disposed in the pervasive device. The method also can include rendering a menu bar with different drop down menus in a GUI of the pervasive device at a portion of the GUI adjacent to the determined tilt edge. In an aspect of the embodiment, the method additionally can include determining an angle of inclination of the pervasive device by the tilt sensor and managing a number of menu items in the drop down menus of the menu according to the determined angle of inclination. For instance, managing a number of menu items in the drop down menus of the menu according to the determined angle of inclination, can include including a terse set of menu items in the drop down menus responsive to a shallow angle of inclination, and including a verbose set of menu items in the drop down menus responsive to a steep angle of inclination.

Claims

1. A pervasive device comprising:

a power source;

a processor and memory powered by the power source;

a display powered by the power source;

an operating system executing in the memory by the processor and providing a graphical user interface (GUI) in the display;

a tilt sensor coupled to the processor and configured to detect a tilt edge of the device above a reference position of the device; and

,

a gravity menu module comprising program code executing in the memory by the processor, the program code displaying a menu bar of drop down menus, each with a set of menu items, at a position in the GUI closest to the tilt edge.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the tilt sensor is further configured to compute an angle of inclination of the device between the tilt edge and the reference position.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the program code is further enabled to increase a number of menu items in the drop down menus responsive to different angles of inclination computed by the tilt sensor.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the program code is further enabled to set a full set of menu items in the drop down menus responsive to a steep angle of inclination computed by the tilt sensor, and to set a reduced set of menu items in the drop down menus responsive to a shallow angle of inclination computed by the tilt sensor.

5. A gravity menu management method comprising:

determining a tilt edge of a pervasive device by a tilt sensor disposed in the pervasive device; and

,

rendering a menu bar with different drop down menus in a graphical user interface (GUI) of the pervasive device at a portion of the GUI adjacent to the determined tilt edge.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

additionally determining an angle of inclination of the pervasive device by the tilt sensor; and

,

managing a number of menu items in the drop down menus of the menu according to the determined angle of inclination.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein managing a number of menu items in the drop down menus of the menu according to the determined angle of inclination, comprises including a terse set of menu items in the drop down menus responsive to a shallow angle of inclination, and including a verbose set of menu items in the drop down menus responsive to a steep angle of inclination.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium embodying computer usable program code for gravity menu management, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code for determining a tilt edge of a pervasive device by a tilt sensor disposed in the pervasive device; and

,

computer usable program code for rendering a menu bar with different drop down menus in a graphical user interface (GUI) of the pervasive device at a portion of the GUI adjacent to the determined tilt edge.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising:

computer usable program code for additionally determining an angle of inclination of the pervasive device by the tilt sensor; and

,

computer usable program code for managing a number of menu items in the drop down menus of the menu according to the determined angle of inclination.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer usable program code for managing a number of menu items in the drop down menus of the menu according to the determined angle of inclination, comprises computer usable program code for including a terse set of menu items in the drop down menus responsive to a shallow angle of inclination, and including a verbose set of menu items in the drop down menus responsive to a steep angle of inclination.