GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE WITH DIAL CONTROL FOR A PARAMETER

• US 20140359508A1
• Filed: 05/29/2013
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Otero Diaz, Ana Lilia, Jordan, Bede, Bishop, Jesse, Abrahams, Steven, West, Jeff, Canan, Ramona, Soegiono, Orry, Liu, Yang, Smith, Benjamin, Mehta, Kshitij, McNeil, Meghan, Carr, William, Mahmood, Hamid, Ebersol, Geoffrey T., Kothari, Susmitha
• Granted Patent: US 9,594,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A graphical user interface for a computer includes a dial control. The control can be implemented, for example, as a touch-based, pointer-based, pen-based and/or keyboard-based mechanism. The dial control is intended for manipulating a large range of values, such as a menu of items from which a user makes a selection, or a range of continuous or discrete values. A dial control can replace other control types such as a slider, drop down menu or text field. The graphical elements of the dial control include one or more displayed rings and a handle for each ring. Inside the ring, or in another area adjacent the ring, a value can be displayed. The ring can be manipulated by the user to change the value selected by the dial control. In the case of multiple rings, each ring can be manipulated independently.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented process performed by a processor in a computer, comprising:

receiving input into memory from an input device;

updating a current angle based on the input;

displaying a dial control having an arc-shaped graphical element indicative of a range of values and a handle at the current angle along the arc-shaped graphical element;

mapping the current angle to a current value within the range of values; and

displaying the current value.

2. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, further comprising generating the dial control, the arc-shaped graphical element having a first portion with first appearance between a start angle and a current angle along a first direction from the start angle to the current angle, and a second portion with a second appearance between the start angle and the current angle along a second direction from the start angle to the current angle.

3. The computer-implemented process of claim 2, wherein generating the first portion of the arc-shaped graphical element includes applying a clip object to an arc-shaped object according to the current angle.

4. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein the arc-shaped graphical element includes a plurality of rings, wherein each ring has an associated handle.

5. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein updating comprising updating the current angle as a function of distance represented by the input.

6. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein updating comprising updating the current angle as a function of speed represented by the input.

7. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein the dial control further comprises a selection element displayed at a center of the arc-shaped graphical element.

8. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer storage medium;

computer program instructions stored on the computer storage medium which, when processed by a processing device, instruct the processing device to perform a process comprising;

receiving input into memory from an input device;

updating a current angle based on the input;

displaying a dial control having an arc-shaped graphical element indicative of a range of values and a handle at the current angle along the arc-shaped graphical element;

mapping the current angle to a current value within the range of values; and

displaying the current value.

9. The computer-implemented process of claim 8, further comprising generating the dial control, the arc-shaped graphical element having a first portion with first appearance between a start angle and a current angle along a first direction from the start angle to the current angle, and a second portion with a second appearance between the start angle and the current angle along a second direction from the start angle to the current angle.

10. The computer-implemented process of claim 8, wherein generating the first portion of the arc-shaped graphical element includes applying a clip object to an arc-shaped object according to the current angle.

11. The computer-implemented process of claim 8, wherein the arc-shaped graphical element includes a plurality of rings, wherein each ring has an associated handle.

12. The computer-implemented process of claim 8, wherein updating comprising updating the current angle as a function of distance represented by the input.

13. The computer-implemented process of claim 8, wherein updating comprising updating the current angle as a function of speed represented by the input.

14. The computer-implemented process of claim 8 wherein the dial control further comprises a selection element displayed at a center of the arc-shaped graphical element.

15. A computer-implemented process performed by a processor in a computer, comprising:

receiving input into memory from an input device;

updating a current angle based on the input;

generating a dial control having an arc-shaped graphical element indicative of a range of values, the arc-shaped graphical element having a first portion with first appearance between a start angle and a current angle along a first direction from the start angle to the current angle, and a second portion with a second appearance between the start angle and the current angle along a second direction from the start angle to the current angle.

16. The computer of claim 15, wherein generating the first portion of the arc-shaped graphical element includes applying a clip object to an arc-shaped object according to the current angle.

17. The computer of claim 16, wherein the arc-shaped object is a full ring, and the process further comprises combining a clipped full ring with a half ring to provide the first portion of the arc-shaped graphical element.

18. The computer of claim 15, further comprising layering the combined full ring and half ring on a background ring, wherein the background ring provides the second portion.

19. The computer of claim 15, wherein the arc-shaped object is a half ring, and the clipped half ring provides the first portion of the arc-shaped graphical element.

20. The computer of claim 15, further comprising layering the clipped half ring on a background ring, wherein the background ring provides the second portion.