User Interface Apparatus and Method
First Claim
1. For use with a display, an apparatus comprising:
- (a) a receiver for receiving a movement related signal indicating successive locations on the display, the successive locations including a first location, the successive locations responsive to movement of a body member of an operator, the body member selected from the group consisting of each of the operator'"'"'s arms, each of the operator'"'"'s shoulders, each of the operator'"'"'s elbows, each of the operator'"'"'s wrists, each of the operator'"'"'s hands, each of the operator'"'"'s fingers, each of the operator'"'"'s thumbs, each of the operator'"'"'s legs, each of the operator'"'"'s hips, each of the operator'"'"'s knees, each of the operator'"'"'s ankles, each of the operator'"'"'s feet, each of the operator'"'"'s toes, and the operator'"'"'s head; and
(b) a processor, coupled to the receiver and to the display, for;
(i) simultaneously displaying each of a plurality of first selectable regions on the display, the plurality of first selectable regions at least partially circumscribing a first region on the display; and
(ii) selecting a particular one of the first selectable regions responsive to a first dwell event, the first dwell event including the first location intersecting the particular selectable region.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The apparatus and method of the invention relate to data entry and menu selection. Applications include: (a) data entry for ideographic languages, including Chinese, Japanese and Korean; (b) fast food ordering; (c) correction of documents generated by optical character recognition; and (d) computer access and speech synthesis by persons temporarily or permanently lacking normal motor capabilities. In a preferred embodiment, each option of a menu is associated respectively with a selectable region displayed adjacent an edge of a display, forming a perimeter menu and leaving a region in the center of the perimeter menu for the output of an application program. Selectable regions may be on the display, outside the display, or both. A menu option may be selected by clicking on the associated selectable region, by dwelling on it for a selection threshold period or by a cursor path toward the selectable region, or by a combination thereof. Remaining dwell time required to select a selectable region is preferably indicated by the brightness of the selectable region. Submenus of a perimeter menu may also be perimeter menus and the location of a submenu option may be foretold by the appearance of its parent menu option. Menu options may be ideographs sharing a sound, a structure or another characteristic. Ideographs, which may be homophones of one another, may be associated with colored indicating regions and selection of an ideograph may be made by speaking the name of the associated color.
28 Citations
107 Claims
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1. For use with a display, an apparatus comprising:
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(a) a receiver for receiving a movement related signal indicating successive locations on the display, the successive locations including a first location, the successive locations responsive to movement of a body member of an operator, the body member selected from the group consisting of each of the operator'"'"'s arms, each of the operator'"'"'s shoulders, each of the operator'"'"'s elbows, each of the operator'"'"'s wrists, each of the operator'"'"'s hands, each of the operator'"'"'s fingers, each of the operator'"'"'s thumbs, each of the operator'"'"'s legs, each of the operator'"'"'s hips, each of the operator'"'"'s knees, each of the operator'"'"'s ankles, each of the operator'"'"'s feet, each of the operator'"'"'s toes, and the operator'"'"'s head; and (b) a processor, coupled to the receiver and to the display, for; (i) simultaneously displaying each of a plurality of first selectable regions on the display, the plurality of first selectable regions at least partially circumscribing a first region on the display; and (ii) selecting a particular one of the first selectable regions responsive to a first dwell event, the first dwell event including the first location intersecting the particular selectable region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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64. An apparatus comprising:
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(a) a nontransitory computer-readable medium; and (b) program instructions, stored on the medium, that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the operations of; displaying a plurality of selectable regions on a display, the plurality of selectable regions together at least partially circumscribing a first region on the display; receiving a movement related signal indicating successive locations on the display, the successive locations responsive to movement of a body member of an operator, the body member selected from the group consisting of each of the operator'"'"'s arms, each of the operator'"'"'s shoulders, each of the operator'"'"'s elbows, each of the operator'"'"'s wrists, each of the operator'"'"'s hands, each of the operator'"'"'s fingers, each of the operator'"'"'s thumbs, each of the operator'"'"'s legs, each of the operator'"'"'s hips, each of the operator'"'"'s knees, each of the operator'"'"'s ankles, each of the operator'"'"'s feet, each of the operator'"'"'s toes, and the operator'"'"'s head; and selecting, in response to a dwell event including the intersection of one of the successive locations and a particular one of the selectable regions, the particular selectable region. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. An apparatus comprising:
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(a) a touch screen for receiving a first location on the touch screen and a second location on the touch screen, the second location occurring at a time after the first location occurs; and (b) a processor, coupled to the touch screen, for; (1) simultaneously displaying on the touch screen; (i) a first region, the first region having a perimeter, the perimeter having each of a first side and a second side; and (ii) a first selectable region and a second selectable region, each of the first and the second selectable regions outside the first region, the first selectable region adjacent the first side of the perimeter, the second selectable region adjacent the second side of the perimeter;
the first selectable region not intersecting the second selectable region; and(2) selecting the first selectable region responsive to; (i) the first location intersecting the first selectable region; (ii) the second location intersecting the first selectable region; and (iii) the period between the time the first location occurs and the time the second location occurs equalling or exceeding a first predetermined period. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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82. A user interface for selecting a menu option from a plurality of menu options, the user interface comprising:
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(a) a touch screen for; (1) displaying a plurality of menu options, each of the menu options associated respectively with, and capable of being displayed on, a first selectable region on the touch screen, the plurality of first selectable regions at least partially circumscribing a first region on the touch screen; and (2) receiving a first location on the touch screen indicated by a user and a second location on the touch screen indicated by the user, each of the first location and the second location intersecting one of the first selectable regions, the second location occurring after the time the first location occurs; and (b) selection means, coupled to the touch screen, for selecting the menu option associated with the intersected first selectable region responsive to a first quantity equalling or exceeding a first predetermined quantity, the first quantity being a function of the duration of a first period starting at the time the first location occurs and ending at the time the second location occurs. - View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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89. For use with a display, an apparatus comprising:
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(a) a receiver for receiving a movement related signal indicating successive locations on the display, the successive locations including a first location, the successive locations responsive to movement of a body member of an operator, the body member selected from the group consisting of each of the operator'"'"'s arms, each of the operator'"'"'s shoulders, each of the operator'"'"'s elbows, each of the operator'"'"'s wrists, each of the operator'"'"'s hands, each of the operator'"'"'s fingers, each of the operator'"'"'s thumbs, each of the operator'"'"'s legs, each of the operator'"'"'s hips, each of the operator'"'"'s knees, each of the operator'"'"'s ankles, each of the operator'"'"'s feet, each of the operator'"'"'s toes, and the operator'"'"'s head; and (b) a processor, coupled to the receiver and to the display, for; (i) simultaneously displaying each of a plurality of first selectable regions on the display, the plurality of first selectable regions at least partially circumscribing a first region on the display; and (ii) selecting a particular one of the first selectable regions responsive to a selection event, the selection event including the first location intersecting the particular selectable region. - View Dependent Claims (90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97)
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98. For use with a display, a method of selecting a selectable region from a plurality of selectable regions, the method comprising:
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receiving a movement related signal responsive to movement of a body member of an operator, the body member selected from the group consisting of each of the operator'"'"'s arms, each of the operator'"'"'s shoulders, each of the operator'"'"'s elbows, each of the operator'"'"'s wrists, each of the operator'"'"'s hands, each of the operator'"'"'s fingers, each of the operator'"'"'s thumbs, each of the operator'"'"'s legs, each of the operator'"'"'s hips, each of the operator'"'"'s knees, each of the operator'"'"'s ankles, each of the operator'"'"'s feet, each of the operator'"'"'s toes, and the operator'"'"'s head, the movement related signal indicating successive locations on the display; displaying a plurality of selectable regions on the display, the plurality of selectable regions together at least partially circumscribing a first region on the display; and selecting, in response to a first dwell event, the particular one of the selectable regions intersected by one of the successive locations.
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99. A method comprising transmitting a program that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the operations of:
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simultaneously displaying each of a plurality of selectable regions on a display, the plurality of selectable regions together at least partially circumscribing a first region on the display; receiving a movement related signal indicating successive locations on the display, the successive locations responsive to movement of a body member of an operator, the body member selected from the group consisting of each of the operator'"'"'s fingers and each of the operator'"'"'s thumbs; and selecting, in response to a dwell event including the intersection of one of the successive locations and a particular one of the selectable regions, the particular selectable region. - View Dependent Claims (100, 101)
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102. A method for use with a program that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the operations of:
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simultaneously displaying each of a plurality of selectable regions on a display, the plurality of selectable regions together at least partially circumscribing a first region on the display; receiving a movement related signal indicating a first location on the display and a second location on the display, each of the first location and the second location intersecting one of the selectable regions, the second location occurring after the time the first location occurs, each of the first location and the second location responsive to movement of a body member of an operator, the body member selected from the group consisting of each of the operator'"'"'s fingers and each of the operator'"'"'s thumbs; and selecting the intersected selectable region responsive to a first quantity equalling or exceeding a first predetermined quantity, the first quantity being a function of the duration of a first period starting at the time the first location occurs and ending at the time the second location occurs, the method comprising transmitting the program. - View Dependent Claims (103, 104)
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105. A method for use with a program that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the operations of:
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simultaneously displaying each of a plurality of selectable regions on a display, the plurality of selectable regions together at least partially circumscribing a first region on the display; receiving a movement related signal indicating successive locations on the display, the successive locations including a first location, the successive locations responsive to movement of a body member of an operator, the body member selected from the group consisting of each of the operator'"'"'s fingers and each of the operator'"'"'s thumbs; and selecting a particular one of the first selectable regions responsive to a selection event, the selection event including the first location intersecting the particular selectable region, the method comprising transmitting the program. - View Dependent Claims (106, 107)
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Specification