PROVIDING RADIAL MENUS WITH TOUCHSCREENS

• US 20140075388A1
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kuscher, Alexander Friedrich, Kuhne, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 9,195,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/834
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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

The subject technology discloses configurations for providing a radial menu on one or more computing devices with a touch-sensitive screen. In one example, a user activates the radial menu after touching a first finger at a first or anchor point on a touchscreen that serves as a center of the radial menu. While the first finger is disposed, the user then touches a second finger at a second point some distance from the anchor point corresponding to the first finger on the touchscreen. The radial menu is generated based on a distance calculated between the anchor point and the second finger at the second point. The radial menu is not a complete circle and instead displayed as a partial circle, and the radial menu is generated so that the display area is bisected from the anchor point to the second point in some configurations.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

receiving a first touch input on a touch-sensitive screen, wherein the first touch input corresponds with an anchor point on the touch-sensitive screen;

receiving a second touch input at a second point on the touch-sensitive screen;

determining a distance between the second point and the anchor point on the touch-sensitive screen;

generating a radial menu based on the distance between the second point and the anchor point, wherein the radial menu comprises a display area including one or more menu options; and

providing for display the radial menu.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the display area includes respective graphical segments corresponding to the one or more menu options.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the distance between the second point and the anchor point defines a radius of a circle utilized for generating the display area of the radial menu.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the respective graphical segments extend a distance equivalent to a predetermined portion of the radius from the second point.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined portion of the radius from the second point comprises twenty percent of the radius.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the display area of the radial menu comprises a circular sector of the circle utilized for generating the display area.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the circular sector comprises a portion of the circle based on a predetermined arc and the radius of the circle, and the arc comprises an angle defined by a vertex based on the anchor point.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the radial menu further comprises an empty inner concentric circle that represents a portion of the radial menu completely absent of menu options.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more menu options comprise at least one of text, icons, graphical elements, or pictures.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the radial menu is displayed as a partial circle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the partial circle is displayed to cover a display area equivalent to a portion of a circumference defined by a radius based on the distance between the second point and the anchor point.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the radial menu is generated so that the display area is bisected from the anchor point to the second point.

13. A system, the system comprising:

memory;

one or more processors;

one or more modules stored in memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the modules comprising;

a touch input module configured to receive a first touch input on a touch-sensitive screen, wherein the first touch input corresponds with an anchor point on the touch-sensitive screen, receive a second touch input at a second point on the touch-sensitive screen, and determine a distance between the second point and the anchor point on the touch-sensitive screen

a radial menu module configured to generate a radial menu based on the distance between the second point and the anchor point, wherein the radial menu comprises a display area including one or more menu options; and

a graphical user interface (GUI) display module configured to provide for display the radial menu.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the display area includes respective graphical segments corresponding to the one or more menu options.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the distance between the second point and the anchor point defines a radius of a circle utilized for generating the display area of the radial menu.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the respective graphical segments extend a distance equivalent to a predetermined portion of the radius from the second point.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the predetermined portion of the radius from the second point comprises twenty percent of the radius.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the display area of the radial menu comprises a circular sector of the circle utilized for generating the display area.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the circular sector comprises a portion of the circle based on a predetermined arc and the radius of the circle, and the arc comprises an angle defined by a vertex based on the anchor point.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the radial menu further comprises an empty inner concentric circle that represents a portion of the radial menu completely absent of menu options.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more menu options comprise at least one of text, icons, graphical elements, or pictures.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the radial menu is displayed as a partial circle.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the partial circle is displayed to cover a display area equivalent to a portion of a circumference defined by a radius based on the distance between the second point and the anchor point.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the radial menu is generated so that the display area is bisected from the anchor point to the second point.

25. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first touch input on a touch-sensitive screen, wherein the first touch input corresponds with an anchor point on the touch-sensitive screen;

receiving a second touch input at a second point on the touch-sensitive screen;

determining a distance between the second point and the anchor point on the touch-sensitive screen;

generating a radial menu based on the distance between the second point and the anchor point, wherein the radial menu comprises a display area including one or more menu options and the radial menu is generated so that the display area is bisected from the anchor point to the second point; and

providing for display the radial menu.