Configurable Pie Menu

• US 20120036434A1
• Filed: 08/10/2010
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tavendo GmbH
• Original Assignee: Tavendo GmbH
• Inventors: Oberstein, Tobias Gregor
• Granted Patent: US 8,671,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Systems, methods, and other implementations for a configurable pie menu are described herein. A pie menu has sectors of which at least one sector is both associated with a currently assigned menu item and at least one configuration menu. The operation of the pie menu is started by a pie menu activation input. Subsequent user input may then be interpreted as a pie menu selection input or a pie menu configuration invocation input. A pie menu configuration invocation input ascertains a pie sector and invokes the at least one configuration menu associated with the ascertained pie sector. The configuration menus provide a larger set of menu items, one of which is the menu item currently assigned to the pie sector. A menu item selected from the invoked configuration menu is assigned to the pie sector to which the configuration menu is associated.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a pie menu, comprising:

receiving a pie menu activation input;

receiving a subsequent pie menu configuration invocation input;

ascertaining a pie sector associated with the pie menu configuration invocation input;

invoking at least one configuration menu associated with the ascertained pie sector;

providing menu items for user selection from the invoked at least one configuration menu; and

assigning a selected menu item to the ascertained pie sector.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising immediately executing any actions associated with the assigned menu item.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the pie menu activation input is at least one of a pointer down event in a pie menu activation zone, a click of a mouse button, a hot-key press and a stylus button press.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the pie menu configuration invocation input starts in a pie menu activation zone.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the pie menu configuration invocation input includes a flick.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the pie menu configuration invocation input is at least one of a flick-tap, tap-flick, flick-flick and flick-reverse flick.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein receiving a pie menu activation input includes receiving a predetermined type of pie menu activation input.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined type of pie menu activation input is a button input.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined type of pie menu activation input is a touch input.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein receiving a pie menu configuration invocation input includes receiving a predetermined type of pie menu configuration invocation input that includes at least one of a flick-tap, tap-flick, flick-flick, and flick-reverse flick.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined type of pie menu configuration invocation input is a touch input.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one configuration menu is a linear location menu.

13. A method according to claim 4, wherein a graphical representation of the pie menu activation zone includes a graphical indication of a program state.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the display of the at least one configuration menu includes a graphical indicator of the pie sector with which the at least one configuration menu is associated.

15. A system to facilitate a configurable pie menu, comprising:

an input component to;

receive a pie menu activation input, and

receive a subsequent pie menu configuration invocation input;

a configuration menu component to;

ascertain a pie sector associated with the pie menu configuration invocation input, and

invoke a configuration menu; and

a pie sector menu item assignment component to assign a selected menu item to the ascertained pie sector.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the input component receives inputs starting in a pie menu activation zone.

17. A system according to claim 15, further comprising a pie menu item execution component that immediately executes any actions associated with the assigned menu item.

18. A system according to claim 15, wherein the pie menu activation input is at least one of a pointer down event in a pie menu activation zone, a click of a mouse button, a hot-key press and a stylus button press.

19. A system according to claim 15, wherein the pie menu configuration invocation input starts in a pie menu activation zone.

20. A system according to claim 15, wherein the pie menu configuration invocation input includes a flick.

21. A system according to claim 15, wherein the pie menu configuration invocation input is at least one of a flick-tap, tap-flick, flick-flick and flick-reverse flick.

22. A system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one configuration menu is a linear location menu.

23. A system according to claim 19, wherein a graphical representation of the pie menu activation zone includes a graphical indication of a program state.

24. A system according to claim 15, wherein the display of the at least one configuration menu includes a graphical indicator of the pie sector with which the at least one configuration menu is associated.

25. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

receive a pie menu activation input;

receive a subsequent pie menu configuration invocation input;

ascertain a pie sector associated with the pie menu configuration invocation input;

invoke at least one configuration menu associated with the ascertained pie sector;

provide menu items for user selection from the invoked at least one configuration menu; and

assign a selected menu item to the ascertained pie sector.

26. A computer-readable medium according to claim 25, further comprising immediately executing any actions associated with the assigned menu item.