RADIAL MENU DISPLAY SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20120221976A1
• Filed: 05/02/2012
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Johns, Greg A.
• Application Number:
  US13/462,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20120221976A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/834
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object

Abstract

In certain embodiments, a graphical representation of a two-dimensional radial menu is displayed in a graphical user interface. The graphical representation of the two-dimensional radial menu is transformed into a graphical representation of a three-dimensional radial menu in the graphical user interface. In certain embodiments, the displaying comprises utilizing data representative of a three-dimensional radial menu model to render the graphical representation of the two-dimensional radial menu, based on a first viewpoint, in the graphical user interface, and the transforming comprises utilizing the data representative of the three-dimensional radial menu model to render the graphical representation of the three-dimensional radial menu, based on a second viewpoint, in the graphical user interface. In certain embodiments, the transforming comprises repositioning a viewpoint associated with the graphical representation of the two-dimensional radial menu to produce the graphical representation of the three-dimensional radial menu.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, by a computing system, a graphical representation of a two-dimensional radial menu in a graphical user interface generated by the computing system;

detecting, by the computing system, user input associated with the graphical representation of the two-dimensional radial menu in the graphical user interface; and

transforming, by the computing system in response to the user input, the graphical representation of the two-dimensional radial menu into a graphical representation of a three-dimensional radial menu in the graphical user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the graphical representation of the two-dimensional radial menu and the graphical representation of the three-dimensional radial menu comprise a common center point; and

the transforming comprises repositioning the center point in the graphical user interface.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the graphical representation of the two-dimensional radial menu comprises a center point graphical object representing the common center point in the graphical user interface.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the graphical representation of the three-dimensional radial menu comprises the center point graphical object representing the common center point in the graphical user interface.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the user input comprises a user selection of the center point graphical object included in the graphical representation of the two-dimensional radial menu.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the graphical representation of the two-dimensional radial menu comprises at least one category menu graphical object; and

the transforming comprises repositioning the at least one category menu graphical object in the graphical user interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transforming comprises repositioning a viewpoint associated with the graphical representation of the two-dimensional radial menu to produce the graphical representation of the three-dimensional radial menu in the graphical user interface.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the repositioning of the viewpoint comprises moving the viewpoint from a top-down viewpoint of the two-dimensional radial menu to a substantially ground-level viewpoint of the three-dimensional radial menu in the graphical user interface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the substantially ground-level viewpoint is positioned proximate to a center point of the graphical representation of the three-dimensional radial menu in the graphical user interface.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the transforming further comprises zooming in on the graphical representation of the three-dimensional radial menu in the graphical user interface.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation of the two-dimensional radial menu comprises:

a center point graphical object;

a plurality of category menu graphical objects positioned about the center point graphical object at a first radial distance from the center point graphical object; and

a plurality of application menu graphical objects positioned about the plurality of category menu graphical objects at a second radial distance from the center point graphical object.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the category menu graphical objects form an inner radial layer substantially encircling the center point graphical object; and

the application menu graphical objects form an outer radial layer substantially encircling the inner radial layer.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the displaying comprises utilizing data representative of a three-dimensional radial menu model to render the graphical representation of the two-dimensional radial menu, based on a first viewpoint, in the graphical user interface of the computing system; and

the transforming comprises utilizing the data representative of the three-dimensional radial menu model to render the graphical representation of the three-dimensional radial menu, based on a second viewpoint, in the graphical user interface.

14. The method of claim 1, tangibly embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer-executable instructions configured to direct at least one processor of the computing system to perform at least one of the displaying and the transforming.

15. A method comprising:

displaying, by a computing system, a graphical representation of a three-dimensional radial menu in a graphical user interface generated by the computing system;

detecting, by the computing system, user input associated with the graphical representation of the three-dimensional radial menu in the graphical user interface; and

transforming, by the computing system in response to the user input, the graphical representation of the three-dimensional radial menu into a graphical representation of a two-dimensional radial menu in the graphical user interface.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the graphical representation of the two-dimensional radial menu and the graphical representation of the three-dimensional radial menu comprise a common center point; and

the transforming comprises repositioning the center point in the graphical user interface.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the user input comprises a user selection of a center point graphical object graphically representing the center point in the graphical representation of the three-dimensional radial menu.

18. A method comprising:

maintaining, by a computing system, data representative of a radial menu model in a non-transitory computer-readable medium of the computing system, the radial menu model comprising

a center point object,

a plurality of category menu objects positioned about the center point object at a first radial distance from the center point object, and

a plurality of application menu objects positioned about the plurality of category menu objects at a second radial distance from the center point object;

utilizing, by the computing system, the radial menu model to render a graphical representation of one of a two-dimensional radial menu and a three-dimensional radial menu in a graphical user interface of the computing system;

detecting, by the computing system, user input associated with the graphical representation of one of the two-dimensional radial menu and the three-dimensional radial menu in the graphical user interface; and

transforming, by the computing system in response to the user input, the graphical representation of the one of the two-dimensional radial menu and the three-dimensional radial menu into the other of the two-dimensional radial menu and the three-dimensional radial menu in the graphical user interface.

19. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a radial menu facility in communication with the at least one processor and configured to direct the at least one processor to

display a graphical representation of a two-dimensional radial menu in a graphical user interface, and

transform the graphical representation of the two-dimensional radial menu into a graphical representation of a three-dimensional radial menu in the graphical user interface.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the graphical representation of the two-dimensional radial menu and the graphical representation of the three-dimensional radial menu comprise a common center point; and

the transformation comprises repositioning the center point in the graphical user interface.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a storage facility in communication with the at least one processor;

wherein the radial menu facility is further configured to direct the at least one processor to

maintain data representative of a radial menu model in the storage facility, and

utilize the radial menu model to render the two-dimensional radial menu and the three-dimensional radial menu for display in the graphical user interface.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the radial menu model comprises:

a center point object;

a plurality of category menu objects positioned about the center point object at a first radial distance from the center point object; and

a plurality of application menu objects positioned about the plurality of category menu objects at a second radial distance from the center point object.