Loop menu navigation apparatus and method

• US 7,093,201 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2001
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Danger Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Duarte, Matias
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US09/948,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20030043206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,804 Days
• Field of Search: 345/853, 345/864, 345/854, 345/841, 345/834, 345/830, 345/835, 345/837, 345817-820, 345/823, 345/810, 345828-829, 715/853, 715/864, 715/854, 715/841, 715/834, 715/830, 715/835, 715/837, 715817-820, 715/828, 715/810, 715/829, 715/784, 715/785, 715/786, 715/823
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A curved-listing file hierarchy and a preview window for more efficiently displaying file hierarchy information on a data processing device. Curved-listing file hierarchies may allow more elements of a file hierarchy to be displayed in a smaller space. This may be especially useful for the smaller screens of some data processing devices like Personal Digital Assistants and cellular phones. A preview screen may allow a user to view preview information on a file in the hierarchy without actually opening the file.

Claims

1. A data processing device, comprising:

a display having a screen;

a machine-readable medium;

a plurality of computer files in said machine-readable medium and accessible by said data processing device; and

a graphical user interface displayed on said screen, comprising;

a plurality of identifiers and/or identifier pointers, each identifier and/or identifier pointer related to one or more of said plurality of computer files for use by said data processing device;

a selection indicator to select one or more of said identifiers and/or identifier pointers;

a curved listing of said plurality of identifiers and/or identifier pointers, wherein;

only a portion of said curved listing is displayed on said screen at any given time; and

the plane defined by said curved listing is slanted or parallel in relation to the plane defined by said display;

wherein the selection indicator remains in a consistent position on the display and wherein, responsive to user input, the curved listing is visually rotated through the selection indicator one icon at a time, thereby causing the identifiers and/or identifier pointers which visually coincide with the selection indicator to become capable of being selected in response to additional user input; and

a preview window to display information associated with a file related to an identifier and/or identifier pointer, said identifier and/or identifier pointer being selected by said selection indicator in said curved listing, said preview window displayed concurrently with said portion of said curved listing.

2. The data processing device of claim 1 further comprising an identifier and/or an identifier pointer displayed inside said portion of said curved listing.

3. The data processing device of claim 1 wherein an identifier and/or an identifier pointer of said plurality of identifiers and/or identifier pointers is a heading for use by said data processing device to organize another plurality of identifiers and/or identifier pointers.

4. The data processing device of claim 1 wherein said preview information is an image.

5. The data processing device of claim 4, wherein resolution of said image increases with respect to the length of time said image is displayed.

6. The data processing device of claim 1 wherein said curved listing is circular.

7. The data processing device of claim 1, further comprising a communication apparatus to allow said data processing device to communicate with a network.

8. The data processing device of claim 7 wherein said communication apparatus is selected from a list comprising an antenna, a modem, and a infrared sensor.

9. The data processing device of claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface further comprises a selection indication for highlighting a displayed identifier and/or a displayed identifier pointer.

10. The data processing device of claim 9, wherein said displayed preview information is of said associated identifier and/or said associated identifier pointer highlighted by said selection indication.

11. The data processing device of claim 9, further comprising a control knob for moving said selection indication to highlight a different identifier and/or a different identifier pointer.

12. The data processing device of claim 11, wherein said control knob is depressible for selecting said highlighted identifier and/or said highlighted identifier pointer.

13. A method, comprising:

associating a plurality of identifiers and/or identifier pointers with a plurality of computer files, applications or other data for use by a data processing device;

generating a curved listing of said plurality of identifiers and/or identifier pointers on a data processing device display;

selecting one or more of said identifiers and/or identifier pointers with a selection indicator;

displaying a only a portion of said curved listing on said data processing device display at any given time;

displaying said portion of said curved listing along a plane slanted or parallel in relation to the plane of said display;

maintaining the selection indicator in a consistent position on the display and visually rotating the curved listing through the selection indicator one icon at a time in response to user input, thereby causing the identifiers and/or identifier pointers which visually coincide with the selection indicator to become capable of being selected in response to additional user input; and

displaying within a preview window, concurrently with said portion of said curved listing, information associated with a file, application or other data related to an identifier and/or identifier pointer, said identifier and/or identifier pointer selected by said selection indicator.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising displaying a portion of a new curved listing of identifiers and/or identifier pointers related to a user-selected identifier and/or a user-selected identifier pointer wherein said user-selected identifier and/or said user-selected identifier pointer represents a heading.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying an identifier and/or an identifier pointer, related to said curved listing of said plurality of identifiers and/or identifier pointers, inside said curved listing.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said information associated with the file, application or other data is an image.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising increasing resolution of said image with respect to a specified length of time said image is displayed.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising highlighting, with a selection indication, a displayed identifier and/or a displayed identifier pointer.

19. A graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) executed within a display of a data processing device comprising;

a plurality of selectable icons arranged in a curved pattern on the display, wherein only a portion of the plurality of selectable icons is displayed on the display at any given time, the selectable icons correspond to applications, files or other data executable/usable on the data processing device, and the plane defined by the curved pattern is slanted or parallel in relation to the plane of the display;

a highlight region maintained in a fixed position on the display, wherein in response to user input, the curved listing is visually rotated through the highlight region one icon at a time, thereby causing the icons which visually coincide with the highlight region to become highlighted and further to become capable of being selected in response to additional user input; and

an information window displayed concurrently with the portion of the plurality of selectable icons, the information window to display information associated with each highlighted icon.

20. The GUI as in claim 19 further comprising:

a heading bar including a date/time region for displaying the date and time a battery meter indicator to indicate battery life, and a signal strength indicator to indicate the strength of a wireless communication signal.

21. A machine-readable medium having program code stored thereon which, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform the operations of:

associating a plurality of icons with a plurality of applications, files or other data for use by a data processing device;

generating a curved listing of a portion of said plurality of icons on a data processing device display, wherein the plane defined by the curved listing is slanted or parallel in relation to the plane of the display;

maintaining a highlight region in a consistent position on the display and visually rotating the curved listing through the highlight region one icon at a time, thereby causing the icons which visually coincide with the highlight region to become highlighted and further to become capable of being selected in response to additional user input; and

displaying an information window concurrently with the portion of the plurality of selectable icons, the information window to display information associated with each highlighted icon.