HIGHLIGHTING OF OBJECTS ON A DISPLAY

• US 20130145320A1
• Filed: 08/11/2011
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Oosterholt, Ronaldus Hermanus Theodorus, Kohar, Handoko
• Granted Patent: US 10,963,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/823
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described for controlling a highlighting of one of a plurality of operational objects on a display. A spatially continuous movement of a pointing position on the display, which is provided by a user by means of a user input interface is converted in the highlighting of one of the plurality of objects. If the pointing position coincides with one of the plurality of objects, this object is highlighted (130). When the pointing position is on empty space between the objects, an appropriate one of the plurality of objects is highlighted (160). The parameter used to determine the object to be highlighted is at least the distance from the pointing position to the objects.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a highlighting of one of a plurality of objects on a display comprising the step of:

obtaining a spatially continuous movement of a pointing position on the display, the pointing position being provided via a user input interface;

as long as the pointing position coincides with a first one of the plurality of objects, controlling the first one of the plurality of objects to be highlighted; and

when the pointing position approaches a second one of the plurality of objects, controlling the highlighting to jump from the first one to the second one of the plurality of objects (160), wherein the jumping of the highlighting is controlled based on a distance of the pointing position to at least said second one of the plurality of objects and on a direction of the movement of the being avoided if the direction of the movement moves away from the objects.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the jumping of the highlighting is controlled based on a distance of the pointing position to said first one of the plurality of objects.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the jumping of the highlighting is controlled based on a velocity, an acceleration, or an deceleration of the movement of the pointing position.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pointing position is not displayed.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pointing position is beyond the display.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein at least some of the plurality of objects are placed in a row and wherein if the pointing position is beyond the display in a prolongation of the row, the plurality of objects in the row are controlled to scroll over the display.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein a speed of scrolling is dependent on a distance of the pointing position to the display.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the continuous movement of the pointing position has ended, a last highlighted object is controlled to remain highlighted.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the continuous movement of the pointing position is started, the pointing position is controlled to be at the center of a currently highlighted object.

12. A computer readable tangible medium having a computer program code stored thereon adapted to perform a method according to claim 1.

16. The method according to claim 3, wherein a hysteresis is added to the calculated distances in order to avoid the highlighting jumping back and forth.

2. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

13. An apparatus comprising a controller for controlling a highlighting of one of a plurality of objects on a display, the controller being configured for:

obtaining a spatially continuous movement of a pointing position on the display, the pointing position being provided via a user input interface;

as long as the pointing position coincides with a first one of the plurality of objects, controlling the first one of the plurality of objects to be highlighted; and

when the pointing position approaches a second one of the plurality of objects, controlling the highlighting to jump from the first one to the second one of the plurality of objects), wherein the jumping of the highlighting is controlled based on a distance of the pointing position to at least said second one of the plurality of objects and on a direction of the movement of the pointing avoided if the direction of the movement moves away from the objects.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the controller is configured for:

controlling the jumping of the highlighting based on at least one of;

a distance of the pointing position to said first one of the plurality of objects, a direction of the movement of the pointing position, a velocity thereof, an acceleration thereof and an deceleration thereof.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the controller is configured for:

after the continuous movement of the pointing position has ended, controlling a last highlighted object to remain highlighted and

when the continuous movement of the pointing position is started, controlling the pointing position to be at the center of a currently highlighted object.