Graphical user interface apparatus with improved layout of menu items

• US 6,469,719 B1
• Filed: 10/15/1999
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamanaka, Kiyokazu, Kawahara, Chihiro, Sanada, Norio, Kino, Hisayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dela Torre, Crescelle N.
• Application Number:
  US09/419,152
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 345/700, 345/744, 345/764, 345/788, 345/798-801, 345/810, 345/815, 345/825, 345/826, 345/835
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A layout unit refers to a plurality of menu items stored in a menu item information storage unit by a menu item information obtaining unit. The following processes are performed as necessary to display a large number of menu items in a predetermined part of a GUI screen. A character size reducing unit reduces the size of characters used to display menu items. A margin reducing unit determines the layout of menu items so as to reduce the margins in menu items. An abbreviating unit replaces certain character strings in menu items with shorter character strings. In this way, the layout unit determines the layout of menu items. A menu control unit then has the menu items displayed in accordance with the layout determined by the layout unit.

Claims

1. A GUI apparatus that displays a plurality of menu items composed of character strings in a predetermined area of a screen, the GUI apparatus comprising:

menu item storing means for storing a plurality of menu items;

replaceable character string information storage means for storing at least one replaceable character string associated with a mark that represents the replaceable character string and has a smaller display size than the replaceable character string;

display form determining means for determining, when it is not possible to arrange every menu item into the predetermined area with a predetermined character size as part of a display form for each menu item, a display form of each menu item by replacing at least one replaceable character string in a character string of at least one menu item with a mark associated with the replaceable character string in the replaceable character string information storage means;

display position determining means for determining, after the display forms of the menu items have been determined by the display form determining means, the display position of each menu item so that the menu items do not overlap one another; and

display means for displaying the plurality of menu items in accordance with the display forms determined by the display form determining means and the display positions determined by the display position determining means.

2. A GUI apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising menu item obtaining means for obtaining the plurality of menu items from outside the GUI apparatus and storing the obtained plurality of menu items into the menu item storing means.

3. A GUI apparatus that displays a plurality of menu items composed of character strings in a predetermined area of a screen, the GUI apparatus comprising:

menu item storing means for storing a plurality of menu items;

deletable character string information storing means for storing deletable character strings;

display form determining means for determining, when it is not possible to arrange every menu item into the predetermined area with a predetermined character size as part of a display form for each menu item, a display form of each menu item by deleting at least one deletable character string given in the deletable character string information storing means from a character string of at least one menu item;

display position determining means for determining, after the display forms of the menu items have been determined by the display form determining means, the display position of each menu item so that the menu items do not overlap one another; and

display means for displaying the plurality of menu items in accordance with the display forms determined by the display form determining means and the display positions determined by the display position determining means.

4. A computer-readable storage medium recording a control program for execution by a computer equipped with a memory storing a plurality of menu items composed of character strings and replaceable character string information where at least one replaceable character string is associated with a mark that represents the replaceable character string and has a smaller display size than the replaceable character string, the control program having the computer perform a GUI control process that displays the plurality of menu items in a predetermined area of a screen,

the GUI control process comprising:

a display form determining step for determining, when it is not possible to arrange every menu item in the memory into the predetermined area with a predetermined character size as part of a display form for each menu item, a display form of each menu item by replacing at least one replaceable character string in a character string of at least one menu item with a mark associated with the replaceable character string in the replaceable character string information;

a display position determining step for determining, after the display forms of the menu items have been determined by the display form determining step, the display position of each menu item so that the menu items do not overlap one another; and

a display step for displaying the plurality of menu items in accordance with the display forms determined by the display form determining step and the display positions determined by the display position determining step.

5. A computer-readable storage medium recording a control program for execution by a computer equipped with a memory storing a plurality of menu items composed of character strings and deletable character string information showing at least one deletable character string, the control program having the computer perform a GUI control process that displays the plurality of menu items in a predetermined area of a screen,

the GUI control process comprising:

a display form determining step for determining, when it is not possible to arrange every menu item in the memory into the predetermined area with a predetermined character size as part of a display form for each menu item, a display form of each menu item by deleting at least one deletable character string given in the deletable character string information from a character string of at least one menu item;

a display position determining step for determining, after the display forms of the menu items have been determined by the display form determining means, the display position of each menu item so that the menu items do not overlap one another; and

a display means for displaying the plurality of menu items in accordance with the display forms determined by the display form determining step and the display positions determined by the display position determining step.

6. A GUI apparatus that displays a plurality of menu items composed of character strings in a predetermined area of the screen, the GUI apparatus comprising:

menu item storing means for storing a plurality of menu items;

display form determining means for determining when it is not possible to arrange every menu item into the predetermined area with a predetermined character size as part of a display form of each menu item, a display form of each menu item by reducing a character size used in the display form of at least one menu item;

display position determining means for determining, after the display forms of the menu items have been determined by the display form determining means, a display position of each menu item so that the menu items do not overlap one another; and

display means for displaying the plurality of menu items in accordance with the display forms determined by the display form determining means and the display positions determined by the display position determining means, wherein the display form determining means reduces the character size with a predetermined size as a minimum value, and when it is still not possible to arrange every menu item into the predetermined area after reducing the character size, determines the display form of each menu item by reducing a number of characters in a character string of at least one menu item.

7. A GUI apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising menu item obtaining means for obtaining the plurality of menu items from outside the GUI apparatus and storing the obtained plurality of menu items into the menu item storing means.

8. A computer-readable storage medium recording a control program for execution by a computer equipped with a memory storing a plurality of menu items composed of character strings, the control program having the computer perform a GUI control process that displays the plurality of menu items in a predetermined area of a screen, the GUI control process comprising:

display form determining step for determining, when it is not possible to arrange every menu item into the predetermined area with a predetermined character size as part of a display form of each menu item, a display form of each menu item by reducing a character size used in the display form of at least one menu item;

display position determining step for determining, after the display forms of the menu items have been determined by the display form determining steps, a display position of each menu item so that the menu items do not overlap one another; and

display step for displaying the plurality of menu items in accordance with the display forms determined by the display form determining steps and the display positions determined by the display position determining steps, wherein the display form determining step reduces the character size with a predetermined size as a minimum value, and when it is still not possible to arrange every menu item into the predetermined area after reducing the character size, determines the display form of each menu item by reducing a number of characters in a character string of at least one menu item.