Methods and system of controlling menus with radial and linear portions

• US 5,689,667 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 11/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alias Systems, Inc. (Autodesk, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Silicon Graphics Incorporated (Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kurtenbach, Gordon P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John E.
• Application Number:
  US08/469,913
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 395/155-161, 395/326-358, 345/117-120, 345/146, 345/902
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• 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

Abstract

A system that combines a radial marking menu portion with a linear menu portion in a single menu display. Item selection in the linear portion is performed by location selection using a pointing device. Item selection in the marker portion is determined by the pattern of a stroke made by the pointing device with the system ignoring linear menu items across which the stroke completely passes.

Claims

1. A display process, comprising:

displaying a menu comprising a radial marking menu portion and a linear location menu portion;

determining whether a stroke by a pointing device has an end point in a linear location selection region indicating selection of a linear location menu item corresponding to the linear selection location region; and

determining a corresponding pattern selection region when a stroke direction is not in the linear location selection region and indicating selection of a radial marking menu item associated with a pattern selection region.

2. A process as recited in claim 1, wherein the menu includes at least one selectable linear location menu item.

3. A display process, comprising:

determining whether a menu is being displayed;

determining a menu selection responsive to a stroke direction if the menu is not being displayed;

determining whether the stroke has an end point in a menu item label when the menu is displayed indicating selection of a menu item corresponding to the menu item label;

determining a corresponding pattern selection region when the stroke end point is not in the menu item label and when the menu is displayed, and indicating selection of a radial marking menu item corresponding to the pattern selection region.

4. A menu selection system, comprising:

a display;

a pointing device for making a stroke with an end point; and

a computer connected to said display and said pointing device, determining a radial or linear menu type responsive to whether a menu is displayed on said display, determining a radial menu item selection based on stroke direction when a menu is not displayed, determining a radial menu item selection when a menu is selected and the end point does not reside in a linear menu label and making a linear menu item selection when the end point resides in a linear menu label.