Navigating with direction keys in an environment that permits navigating with tab keys
First Claim
1. A method of adapting a GUI in which a focus is moved nondirectionally among a plurality of active areas located in a display such that the GUI can be used with a directional pointing device that specifies a desired direction relative to a current location in the display, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving an indication of the desired direction for moving the focus, the indication being specified by the direction pointing device;
taking at least one of the active areas in an order in which the active areas would normally receive the focus when the focus is moved nondirectionally;
returning a location in the display for each of the active areas taken;
comparing the location of each active area taken with the current location of the focus in the display; and
moving the focus from the current location to one of the plurality of active areas whose location in the specified direction is closest to the current location in the display.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A technique for adapting a GUI which is not able to respond to directional navigation inputs which move a focus by specifying a location and a direction from a location to respond to such navigation inputs. The adaptation is done by means of a function which takes the location and the direction as arguments and moves the focus to the area capable of receiving it that is closest to the location specified in the argument in the direction specified in the argument. The function uses a non-directional navigation technique provided by the GUI to obtain each area which is a candidate for receiving the focus in turn and as each area is received, the function determines whether the area is located in the specified direction relative to the specified location and if the area is, whether it is closer to the specified location than any area as yet found. Once all of the areas have been thus examined, the focus is moved to the closest area. A preferred embodiment is disclosed which adapts a WINDOWS brand operating system manufactured by Microsoft Corporation for use with a directional pointing device such as a TV remote controller with direction buttons.
58 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A method of adapting a GUI in which a focus is moved nondirectionally among a plurality of active areas located in a display such that the GUI can be used with a directional pointing device that specifies a desired direction relative to a current location in the display, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving an indication of the desired direction for moving the focus, the indication being specified by the direction pointing device; taking at least one of the active areas in an order in which the active areas would normally receive the focus when the focus is moved nondirectionally; returning a location in the display for each of the active areas taken; comparing the location of each active area taken with the current location of the focus in the display; and moving the focus from the current location to one of the plurality of active areas whose location in the specified direction is closest to the current location in the display. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of using an input from a pointing device that specifies a direction relative to a first location in a display to move a focus to an active area of a plurality of active areas in the display that is the closest active area to the first location in the specified direction, the method comprising the steps of:
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taking at least one of a plurality of active areas in an order in which the active area would normally receive focus when the focus is moved nondirectionally, determining a second location for the active area comparing the second location with the first location;
identifying the active area that is in the specified direction andmoving the focus to the active area whose second location is closest in the specified direction to the first location. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of adapting a GUI for use with a pointing device that specifies a direction relative to one of a plurality of child windows of a parent window in a display, the method comprising:
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determining a current location of a current child window having a focus in the display; receiving a desired direction specifier from the pointing device for moving the focus to a desired child window in the display; examining in a sequence each of the plurality of child windows surrounding the current child window in an order in which the child window would normally receive focus when the focus is moved nondirectionally by; obtaining a next location of a next child window in the sequence; determining whether the next location is in the same direction specified by the pointing device, if the next location is in the same direction, determining a distance between the current location and the next location, and determining whether the distance between the current location and the next location is less than a current shortest distance, if the distance between the current location and the next location is less than the current short distance, making the next child window the desired child window; and after each child window of the plurality of child windows surrounding the current child window in the sequence has been so examined, making the desired child window the current child window having the focus. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method of adapting a GUI in which a focus is moved nondirectionally among a plurality of active areas located in a display such that the GUI can be used with a directional pointing device that specifies a desired direction relative to a current location in the display, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving an indication of the desired direction specified by the directional pointing device; taking at least one of the active areas in an order in which the active areas would normally receive the focus when the focus is moved nondirectionally; returning a location in the display for each of the active areas taken; comparing the location of each active area taken with the current location in the display; and making one of the plurality of active areas whose location in the specified direction is closest to the current location in the display, the active area with the focus, wherein the step of comparing each active area'"'"'s location comprises the steps of; determining whether the active area is in the specified direction from the current location; and if the active area is in the specified direction, determining the closeness of the active area to the location in the display, and further wherein the step of determining whether the active area is in the specified direction from the current location comprises the steps of; for a given specified direction, determining a position of a side of the current location which is farthest in the given specified direction and determining a position of a side of the active area which is farthest in a direction opposite to the given specified direction; and determining that the active area is not in the specified direction if the position of the side of the active area is less far in the given specified direction than the side of the current location. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43)
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44. A method of adapting a GUI for use with a pointing device that specifies a direction relative to a window in a display, the GUI having active areas for a program that are child windows of a window in which a program is running and functions which, when given a specifier for a window, obtain a location of the specified window in the display, obtain a next window relative to the specified window in a sequence of the active areas, and move a focus of the display to the specified window and the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a direction specifier from the pointing device and a first specifier for the window in the display; using the function for obtaining a location and the first specifier for obtaining a first location of the window in the display; for each window in the sequence of active areas, using the function for obtaining the next window to obtain a second specifier for a current active area, using the function for obtaining the location and the second specifier to obtain a second location of the current active area in the display, determining whether the second location is located in the direction specified by the direction specifier from the first location, if the second location is so located, determining a distance between the second location and the first location, and determining whether the distance between second location and the first location is less than a current shortest distance, and if the second location has such a distance, making the specifier for the current active area the specifier for a current closest active area; and after each window in the sequence has been examined, using the function for moving the focus and the specifier for the current closest active area to move the focus to the current closest active area, wherein the step of determining whether the second location is in the specified direction from the first location comprises the steps of; for a given specified direction, determining a position of a side of the window with the first location which is farthest in the given specified direction and determining a position of a side of the window with the second location which is farthest in a direction opposite to the given specified direction; and determining that the second location is not in the specified direction from the first location if the position of the side of the window with the second location is less far in the given specified direction than the side of the window with the first location. - View Dependent Claims (45)
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46. A method of using an input from a pointing device that specifies a direction relative to a first location in a display to move a focus to an active area of a plurality of active areas in the display that is the closest active area to the first location in the specified direction, the method comprising the steps of:
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for each of the plurality of active areas in turn, determining a second location for the active area which is the closest to the first location and comparing the second location with the first location; and moving the focus to the active area whose second location is closest in the specified direction to the first location, wherein the step of comparing the second location with the first location in the display comprises the steps of; determining whether the second location is in the specified direction from the first location; and if the second location is in the specified direction, determining the closeness of the second location to the first location; and further wherein the step of determining whether the second location is in the specified direction from the first location comprises the steps of; for a given specified direction, determining a position of a side of the first location which is farthest in the given specified direction and determining a position of a side of the second location which is farthest in a direction opposite to the given specified direction and determining that the second location is not in the specified direction if the position of the side of the second location is less far in the given specified direction than the side of the first location. - View Dependent Claims (47)
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48. A method for adapting a GUI for use with a pointing device that specifies a direction relative to one of a plurality of child windows of a parent window in a display, the method comprising:
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determining a current location of a current child window having a focus in the display; receiving a desired direction specifier from the pointing device for moving the focus to a desired child window in the display; examining in a sequence each of the plurality of child windows surrounding the current child window by; obtaining a next location of a next child window in the sequence; determining whether the next location is in the same direction specified by the pointing device, this step further comprising the steps of; for a given specified, direction, determining a current position of a side of the current child window which is the farthest in the given specified direction and determining a next position of a side of the next child window with the next location which is farthest in a direction opposite to the given specified direction; and determining that the next location is not in the specified direction from the current location if the next position is less than in the given specified direction than the current position if the next location is in the same direction, determining a distance between the current location and the next location; and determining whether the distance between the current location and the next location is less than a current shortest distance, if the distance between the current location and the next location is less than the current short distance, making the next child window the desired child window; and after each child window of the plurality of child windows surrounding the current child window in the sequence has been so examined, making the desired child window the current child window having the focus. - View Dependent Claims (49)
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Specification