Radial Based User Interface on Touch Sensitive Screen

• US 20140298237A1
• Filed: 03/26/2014
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Galu, James Joseph Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 11,422,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/773
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• 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

A radial based user interface (UI) is provided for entering data into a computer device. The radial based UI has a central region with a plurality of radial regions. A location for the central region is defined on a touch sensitive display screen of the device and a value is assigned to each radial region. When a first touch is detected in the central region of the radial UI, an indication of a radial position responsive to a second touch on the touch sensitive screen may be determined. A value corresponding to the radial position of the second touch may then be input to an application being executed on the device. The first and second touches may be two separate finger taps, or may be sequential portions of a continuous stroke that occurs along one of the plurality of radial regions.

Claims

1. A method for entering data to a device, the method comprising:

defining a location of a central region of a radial based user interface (UI) with a plurality of radial regions on a touch sensitive display screen of the device and assigning a value to each radial region;

detecting a first touch in the central region of the radial UI;

determining an indication of a radial position responsive to a second touch on the touch sensitive screen; and

inputting a value to the device corresponding to the radial position of the second touch.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the central region of the radial UI is positioned in a central location of the touch sensitive screen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first touch and the second touch are two approximately simultaneous taps on the touch sensitive display screen, such that the first one of the taps occurs in the central region of the radial UI, and the second one of the taps occurs within one of the plurality of radial regions.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising dynamically redefining the location of central region to correspond approximately to a location of a most central one of the two taps.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first touch and the second touch are sequential portions of a continuous stroke on the touch sensitive display screen, such that a first portion of the stroke occurs in the central region of the radial UI, and a second portion of the continuous stroke occurs along one of the plurality of radial regions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first touch and the second touch are sequential portions of a continuous stroke on the touch sensitive display screen, such that a first portion of the stroke occurs in the central region of the radial UI, and a second portion of the continuous stroke occurs along one of the plurality of radial regions and then returns to the central region of the display screen.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein there are twelve radial regions corresponding to twelve hour positions of a clock face, and wherein hour positions for hours one-ten are assigned data values of one-nine and zero, respectively.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising superimposing a template of the radial UI on the display screen.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the template is positioned such that the central region of the template is located outside a central region of the display screen.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the template is displayed in response to receiving a user input to the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the template is momentarily displayed in response to detecting the first touch.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the radial regions is assigned a control function.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the radial regions is assigned a control function that when selected causes a different value to be assigned to a portion of the radial regions.

14. A computer device, the device comprising:

a touch sensitive display screen and storage memory coupled to a processor operable to execute software instructions stored in the memory;

a touch sensing mechanism for touch detection on the display screen coupled to the processor; and

wherein by executing the software instructions, the processor is operable to perform a method comprising;

defining a location of a central region of a radial based user interface (UI) with a plurality of radial regions on the touch sensitive display screen and assigning a value to each radial region;

detecting a first touch in the central region of the radial UI;

determining an indication of a radial position responsive to a second touch on the touch sensitive screen; and

inputting a value to the processor corresponding to the radial position of the second touch.

15. The computer device of claim 14, wherein the central region of the radial UI is positioned in a central location of the touch sensitive screen.

16. The computer device of claim 14, wherein the first touch and the second touch are two approximately simultaneous taps on the touch sensitive display screen, such that the first one of the taps occurs in the central region of the radial UI, and the second one of the taps occurs within one of the plurality of radial regions.

17. The computer device of claim 16, further comprising dynamically redefining the location of central region to correspond approximately to a location of a most central one of the two taps.

18. The computer device of claim 14, wherein the first touch and the second touch are sequential portions of a continuous stroke on the touch sensitive display screen, such that a first portion of the stroke occurs in the central region of the radial UI, and a second portion of the continuous stroke occurs along one of the plurality of radial regions.

19. The computer device of claim 14, wherein the first touch and the second touch are sequential portions of a continuous stroke on the touch sensitive display screen, such that a first portion of the stroke occurs in the central region of the radial UI, and a second portion of the continuous stroke occurs along one of the plurality of radial regions and then returns to the central region of the display screen.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method for operating a computer device, the method comprising:

defining a location of a central region of a radial based user interface (UI) with a plurality of radial regions on a touch sensitive display screen of the computer device and assigning a value to each radial region;

detecting a first touch in the central region of the radial UI;

determining an indication of a radial position responsive to a second touch on the touch sensitive screen; and

inputting a value to the computer device corresponding to the radial position of the second touch.