Directional navigation within a graphical user interface

• US 6,614,455 B1
• Filed: 10/26/1999
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Van Ee, Jan, Cuijpers, Maurice Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US09/426,518
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 345/810, 345/812, 345/813, 345/817, 345/818, 345/829, 345/840, 345/854, 345/857, 345/858, 345/862, 345/802
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

In a graphical user interface, preferably for use with a television and set top box, menu navigation is achieved through use of a directional input. From the directional input and a current position, a fitness measure is derived for each menu option. From the fitness measure, a processing device guesses a target menu location. The directional input typically will come from a remote with buttons indicating directions, including diagonal directions.

Claims

1. A data processing system, comprising:

a) a display device;

b) a graphical user Interface including a plurality of menu options associated with positions on the display device; and

c) a processor adapted to perform the following operations

i) receiving a user input specifying a vector selected by the user from a finite selection of user-selectable vectors, the user selecting the vector based on a current position,

ii) determining a respective fitness for each of the plurality of menu options based on the current position, the vector, and the plurality of menu options, and

iii) supplying a target menu option, which Is that one having a most optimal fitness,

wherein the fitnesses are determined according to a procedure that takes into account a difference in direction between the vector and the difference between the current position and a given one of the plurality of menu options,

wherein the steps of determining a respective fitness and supplying a target menu option comprises;

determining a fitness of each of the plurality of menu options according to the following criteria;

i) If the direction is straight up or straight down;

A) if there is sufficient horizontal overlap between current and destination element the fitness value is the square of the vertical distance; and

B) if there is insufficient horizontal overlap between current and destination element, the fitness value is negative;

ii) if the direction is straight left or straight right;

A) if there is sufficient vertical overlap between current and destination element, the fitness value is the square of the horizontal distance; and

B) if there is insufficient vertical overlap between current and destination element, the fitness value is negative; and

iii) if the direction is diagonal;

A) if there is sufficient horizontal and vertical overlap between current and destination element, the fitness value is the square of the vertical distance plus the square of the horizontal distance; and

B) if there is insufficient horizontal or vertical overlap between current and destination element, the fitness value is negative; and

supplying the target menu option as that one having a most optimal fitness.

2. The system of claim 1,wherein

I) sufficiency of horizontal overlap for straight up or straight down navigation between a current element A and a destination element B is defined as:

i)

a) the right border of B is farther right than the right border of A, and

b) the difference between the positions of the right borders of A and B is greater than the difference between the positions of the right border of A and the left border of B, and

c) the difference between the positions of the left borders of A and B is greater than the difference between the positions of the right border of A and the left border of B;

OR

ii)

a) the left border of B is further left than the left border of A, and

b) the difference in positions of the left borders of A and B is greater than the difference in positions of the right border of B and the left border of A, and

c) the difference in positions of the right borders of A and B is greater than the difference in positions of the right border of B and the left border of A,

II) sufficiency of vertical overlap for straight right or straight left navigation between a current element A and a destination element B is defined as;

i)

a) the bottom border of B is higher than the bottom border of A, and

b) the difference in positions of the bottom borders of B and A is greater than the difference in positions between the bottom border of A and the top border of B, and

c) the difference in positions of the top borders of A and B is greater than the difference in position between the bottom border of A and the top border of B, OR

ii)

a) the top border of B is lower than the top border of A, and

b) the difference in position between the top borders of A and B is greater than the difference in position between the bottom border of B and the top border of A, and

c) the difference In position between the bottom borders of A and B is greater than the difference in position between the bottom border of B and the top border of A,

III) for diagonal navigation the overlap between a current element A and a destination element B is insufficient if B does not extent at least half way vertically and horizontally into the quadrant defined by the direction of the diagonal navigation;

the quadrant to the top right of A for a top right navigation;

the quadrant to the top left of A for a top left navigation;

the quadrant to the bottom right of A for a bottom right navigation;

the quadrant to the bottom left of A for a bottom left navigation.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein fitness is determined according to the following equation:

$\left(\left(x,y\right),\left(x_p,y_p\right),\left(a,b\right)\right)=\{\begin{array}{cc}\frac{{\left(\left(x_p-x\right)*a+\left(y_p-y\right)*b\right)}^2}{{\left({\left(x_p-x\right)}^2+{\left(y_p-y\right)}^2\right)}^d*\left(a^2+b^2\right)}& \mathrm{if}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(\left(x_p-x\right)*a+\left(y_p-y\right)*b\right)><br><br>0\\ -1& \mathrm{otherwise}\end{array}$

Where

(x,y) is a currently highlighted point,

(x_p,y_p) is the location of a point p,

p is in the range [0,m),

m is the number of “

reachable”

points,

(a,b) is a vector indicating a direction a user wishes to jump,

d is a value from [1,→

) that determines an influence of distance (x,y) to (x_p,y_p) in the value of fitness.

4. A data processing system comprising:

a) a display;

b) means for receiving a directional input selected by the user from a finite selection of user-selectable directional inputs, the user selecting the directional input based on a current position of a displayed position indicator;

c) a data processor configured to perform the following operations;

i) providing a GUI on the display, which GUI includes a menu that Includes a plurality of menu options, each menu option being associated with a respective multipixel target area selectable through controlling position of the displayed position indicator, selection being achieved through one or more discrete jumps from one option to another option, other positions on the GUI not being accessible and the multipixel regions not being randomly accessible;

ii) receiving, via the means for receiving, the directional input for use with the menu, which directional input specifies a direction other than straight up, straight down, straight left, and straight right; and

iii) guessing a target menu option from amongst the plurality, based on respective fitnesses of the menu options derived based on the directional input and the current position.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the display is a television screen, the means for receiving is an IR remote sensor, and the processor is disposed within a set top box.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the means for receiving comprises at least one touch sensitive actuator for receiving the directional input from the user.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the touch sensitive actuator is a button.