Method and system for determing a correctly selected button via motion-detecting input devices in DVD content with overlapping buttons

• US 6,181,339 B1
• Filed: 07/27/1998
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CSR Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Oak Technology Inc (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Christensen, Jan, deCarmo, Linden A.
• Primary Examiner(s): dela Torre, Crescelle N.
• Application Number:
  US09/122,811
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 345/339, 345/343, 345/344, 345/348, 345/354, 345/357, 345/326
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for allowing selection of an icon most logically desired by the user in a graphic user interface when multiple icons are overlapping and the pointing device coordinates would force a given selection not desired by the user. A logical icon selector is provided that is coupled to the pointing device and provides a logic for selecting the desired icon based on proximity of the pointing device icon to the desired icon. Based on a calculation of the location of the overlapping icons to the pointing device icon, the icon having the closest proximity to the pointing device is selected.

Claims

1. System for selecting a desired icon from multiple icons in a graphical user interface, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory, coupled to the processor;

a video display, coupled to said processor and the memory, and capable of displaying a graphical user interface;

a pointing device, operatively coupled to said processor and said video display, configured to receive icon selection information through said graphical user interface;

a logical icon selector, coupled to said pointing device and said processor, and configured to determine whether the multiple icons overlap, and when then multiple icons overlap, to measure the center of each of said multiple icons to icon coordinates utilized by said pointing device and to select the icon having the shortest measurement among the multiple icons and, when said multiple icons do not overlap, to select an icon that contains the icon coordinates.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said logical icon selector determines whether an icon is overlapping another by measuring coordinates of each icon and determining which icons overlap based on icon coordinate information.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 wherein said logical icon selector utilizes the coordinates of each icon to determine a center location of each overlapping icon.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the logical icon selector determines overlapping icons by identifying at least a portion of the icon that overlaps another icon.

5. In a graphical user interface, a method for selecting a desired icon from a plurality of icons, the method comprising:

(a) monitoring the position of a pointing device icon within the graphical user interface, the pointing device icon representing a pointing device;

(b) receiving icon selection criteria identifying a desired icon from the pointing device;

(c) determining whether any of the plurality of icons overlap;

(d) when any of the plurality of icons overlap, measuring the center of each of the plurality of icons to coordinates used by said pointing device icon and selecting the icon having the shortest measurement among the plurality of icons; and

when said multiple icons do not overlap, selecting an icon that contains the icon coordinates.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

(d) determining whether an icon is overlapping another icon by measuring coordinates of each icon and;

(e) determining which icons overlap based on icon coordinate information.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 further comprising the step of:

(f) determining a center location for each overlapping icon.

8. The method as recited in claim 5 further comprising the step of (d) identifying at least a portion of an icon that overlaps another icon using icon coordinates.

9. A computer program product for use with a computer system having a graphics display device that allows a user to logically select a given icon from a plurality of icons, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon comprising:

(a) program code for monitoring the position of a pointing device icon within the graphical user interface, the pointing device icon representing a pointing device;

(b) program code for receiving icon selection criteria identifying a desired icon from the pointing device;

(c) program code for determining whether any of the plurality of icons overlap;

(d) program code operable when any of the plurality of icons overlap for measuring the center of each of said plurality of icons to coordinates of an icon utilized by said pointing device and for selecting the icon having the shortest measurement among the icons; and

(e) program code operable when said multiple icons do not overlap, for selecting an icon that contains the icon coordinates.

10. The computer program product as recited in claim 9 further comprising:

program code for determining whether an icon is overlapping another by measuring coordinates of each icon;

program code for determining which icons overlap based on icon coordinate information.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 10 further comprising program code for determining a center location of each overlapping icon.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 9 further comprising:

program code for identifying at least a portion of the icon that overlaps another icon using icon coordinate information.