Apparatus for the interactive handling of objects

• US 5,943,039 A
• Filed: 08/06/1998
• Issued: 08/24/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Lisa C., Holman, Kathleen L., Van Swaaij, Maurice G. B. F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US09/129,811
• Time in Patent Office: 383 Days
• Field of Search: 345/146, 345/145, 345/156, 345/157, 345/164, 345/173, 345/115, 345/902, 345/352, 345/353, 178/18, 178/19
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/902 Menu display

Abstract

In an apparatus for handling objects such as documents and tools a menu of options (30) is displayed, which options (31a . . . 31h) are placed in a curved band (31) around the position of the cursor at the moment of activating the menu. The shape of the curved band is optimized for the movement of a hand-held pointer device, such as a stylus, and allows easy movement of the pointer device along the options. The band (31) may follow part of the circumference of a circle of which circle inner portions (32, 33) may be used for the display of several sets of sub-options.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface displayed on a view screen, the interface comprising:

a plurality of position dependent election opportunities displayed along at least one internal curved path upon said screen, a curve of said internal curved path being such that normals to the curvature of said internal curved path appear to lie within a surface of the display, the election opportunities being selectable by motion of an external pointing action, the external pointing action pointing at corresponding areas, each corresponding area being associated with one of the election opportunities, the corresponding areas being positioned in at least one external curved path, the external curved path being curved similarly to the internal curved path,

whereby the external curved path can be traced easily with lifting motion of a wrist of a user and the curve of the internal curved path suggests such a motion to the user.