User interface for graphical specification of functions

• US 6,889,362 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Stewart, Craig L., Wattenberg, Franklin A., Wostrel, Todd M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Sy D.
• Application Number:
  US09/949,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20020044160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 715/700, 715/764, 715/769, 715/771, 715/856, 715/961, 715/970, 708/174, 708/8, 708/131, 708/160, 708/270, 708/1, 708/100, 345/440, 345/440.1, 345/440.2, 345764-769, 345/700, 345/702, 345/810, 345/835, 345/846, 345/856, 345/961, 345964-966
• US Class Current: 715/700
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A graphing calculator having a user interface that allows the user to easily specify a mathematical function. The user interface allows the user to specify a constant function, a linear function, or a non-linear function in a simplified input format. The user interface can also be implemented on devices that have limited input and output capability. An embodiment of the present invention is a graphing calculator, which allows the user to easily input a population growth rate function. The user interface of the present invention calculator helps the student to more readily adjust a function and observe the result of the adjustment. Similarly, other embodiments include the same user interface functionality in a software application package that is executed on a computer or graphing calculator.

Claims

1. A handheld computer device having a user interface to input a mathematical function comprising:

a screen capable of displaying mathematical functions and a cursor;

an input device capable of selecting positions of said cursor and moving said cursor horizontally or vertically on said screen;

a processor for executing programming that provides a user interface comprising;

a graph having horizontal and vertical lines,

a constant function input for designating a horizontal constant function and an input point to move the constant function up and down on the graph, a linear mode input to select a linear function between two input points, at either side of the graph, and wherein the two input locations are movable up and down the graph based on user input.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said constant function input is a vertical line to the side of the graph with horizontal marks coinciding with the horizontal lines of the graph wherein a constant function is represented on the graph at a point indicated on the vertical line by the user.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said constant function input further comprises up and down movement arrows to adjust the constant function and a centering input point to move the constant function to a predetermined point.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a non-linear mode to select a non-linear function.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising adjustment arrows associated with a plurality of vertical lines of the graph which move the linear function input points up and down.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising adjustment arrows associated with a plurality of vertical lines of the graph which move the linear and at least one non-linear function input point up and down.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the input points of the constant function and the linear function move up and down in response to a mouse cursor.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the input points of the constant function and the linear function move up and down in response to a touch screen input.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein activation of the linear mode select input draws a line representing the function between the position of the two points on either side of the graph.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the constant function input is an icon that can be selected and the constant function input point is moved up and down with arrow keys of the input device.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the linear function input is an icon that can be selected and the linear function input points are moved up and down with the arrow keys.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises a rate of immigration function bar and a population graph.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the constant function input is a vertical line to the side of the graph with horizontal marks coinciding with the horizontal lines of the graph wherein a constant function is represented on the graph at a point indicated on the vertical line by the user, and the constant function input further comprises up and down movement arrows to adjust the constant function and a centering input point to move the constant function to a predetermined point.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein the user interface further comprises

arrows below a plurality of vertical lines of the graph which move the constant function and the linear function input points up and down,

a rate of immigration function bar and

a population graph.

15. A software product stored on a computer readable medium providing instructions to generate a user interface comprising:

a) a graph having horizontal and vertical lines,

b) a constant function input for designating a horizontal constant function and an input point to move the constant function up and down on the graph, and

c) a linear mode input to select a linear function between two input points, at either side of the graph, and wherein the two input locations are movable up and down the graph based on user input.

16. The software product of claim 15, wherein said constant function input is a vertical line to the side of the graph with horizontal marks coinciding with the horizontal lines of the graph wherein a constant function is represented on the graph at a point indicated on the vertical line by the user.

17. The software product of claim 16, wherein said constant function input further comprises up and down movement arrows to adjust the constant function and a centering input point to move the constant function to a predetermined point.

18. The software product of claim 15, wherein said user interface further comprises adjustment arrows associated with a plurality of vertical lines of the graph which move the constant function and the linear function input points up and down.

19. The software product of claim 15, wherein said user interface further comprises adjustment arrows associated with a plurality of vertical lines of the graph which move the linear and at least one non-linear function input point up and down.

20. The software product of claim 15, wherein the input points of the constant function and the linear function move up and down in response to a mouse cursor.

21. The software product of claim 15, wherein the input points of the constant function and the linear function move up and down in response to a touch screen input.

22. The software product of claim 15, wherein activation of the linear mode select input draws a line representing the function between the position of the two points on either side of the graph.

23. The software product of claim 15, wherein the user interface further comprises a rate of immigration function bar and a population graph.

24. The software product of claim 15, wherein the constant function input is a vertical line to the side the graph with horizontal marks coinciding with the horizontal lines of the graph wherein a constant function is represented on the graph at a point indicated on the vertical line by the user, and the constant function input further comprises up and down movement arrows to adjust the constant function and a centering input point to move the constant function to a predetermined point.

25. The software product of claim 24 wherein the user interface further comprises

arrows below a plurality of vertical lines of the graph which move the constant function and the linear function input points up and down,

a rate of immigration function bar and a population graph.

26. A software product for storage on a handheld computer readable medium, to generate a user interface comprising:

a) a graph having horizontal and vertical lines,

b) a constant function input for designating a horizontal constant function and an input point to move the constant function up and down on the graph,

c) a linear mode input to select a linear function between two input points, at either side of the graph, and wherein the two input locations are movable up and down the graph based on user input, and

d) a non-linear input mode to select a non-linear function.

27. The software product of claim 26 wherein said constant function input further comprises up and down movement arrows to adjust the constant function.

28. The software product of claim 26, wherein said user interface further comprises adjustment arrows associated with a plurality of vertical lines of the graph which move the linear and at least one non-linear function input point up and down.

29. The software product of claim 26, wherein the input points of the constant function and the linear function move up and down in response to a touch screen input.

30. The software product of claim 26, wherein activation of the linear mode select input draws a line representing the function between the position of the two points on either side of the graph.