Graphical cursor navigation methods

• US 7,484,184 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hillcrest Laboratories Incorporated (CEVA Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wroblewski, Frank J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Dennis-Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pan, Yongjia
• Application Number:
  US11/185,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20060020905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 715/856
• US Class Current: 715/856
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A method for actuating a button on a graphical user interface (GUI) is disclosed. The method includes navigating a graphical cursor corresponding to an input device onto the button, activating a fence around a border of the button if the navigation occurs via a pre-defined portion of the border and navigating the graphical cursor away from the button via a pre-defined area of the button.

Claims

1. A method of actuating a button on a graphical user interface (GUI), said method comprising the steps of:

navigating a graphical cursor corresponding to an input device onto the button;

activating a fence around a border of said button if the navigation onto the button occurs via a pre-defined portion of the border; and

navigating the graphical cursor away from said button via (i) a pre-defined area of the button, which is different from said pre-defined portion and which is a funnel-like area, and then though (ii) a tip of the funnel-like pre-defined area, to actuate said button, wherein the funnel-like pre-defined area corresponds to an area formed by the fence and a gate, said gate extending from a junction of the fence and the pre-defined portion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the border of the button comprises at least the fence and the pre-defined portion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pre-defined portion is an opening and excludes the fence.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation of the graphical cursor via the pre-defined area causes an execution of a function associated with said button.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a navigation path of said graphical cursor via said pre-defined area of the button corresponds to a user gesture approximating a clockwise movement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the fence activation prevents the graphical cursor from leaving the button.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the fence is not activated if the navigation onto the button occurs outside the pre-defined portion of the border.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a navigation of the graphical cursor from the button via a path not including the pre-defined area of the button causes a deactivation of the fence.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the input device is a 3D pointing device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the button is an icon.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the funnel-like pre-determined area is a V-shaped area.

12. A method for controlling a widget bar on a display, said method comprising the steps of:

navigating a graphical cursor corresponding to an input device to a pre-defined location of the display to make visible a widget bar;

activating a fence around the border of said widget bar when said graphical cursor enters said widget bar via said pre-defined location; and

actuating at least one of a plurality of buttons on the widget bar by moving the graphical cursor over the at least one of a plurality of buttons and then away from the widget bar via (i) a pre-defined area of the at least one of a plurality of buttons, which is different from said pre-defined location and which is a funnel-like area, and then though (ii) a tip of the funnel-like pre-defined area, wherein the funnel-like pre-defined area corresponds to an area formed by the fence and a gate, said gate extending from a junction of the fence and the pre-defined location.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the buttons is actuated by a user click.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the buttons represent functionality associated with an entertainment system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the entertainment system includes at least one of a Digital Versatile Disk (DVD) player and a Digital Video Recorder (DVR).

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the funnel-like pre-determined area is a V-shaped area.

17. A method of actuating a button on a graphical user interface (GUI), said method comprising the steps of:

navigating a graphical cursor corresponding to an input device onto the button; and

activating a fence around a border of said button if the navigation onto the button occurs via a pre-defined portion of the border

actuating said button by executing a predetermined movement by a user by moving the graphical cursor away form the button via (i) a pre-defined area of the button, which is different from said pre-defined portion and which is a funnel-like area, and then though (ii) a tip of the funnel-like pre-defined area, wherein the funnel-like pre-defined area corresponds to an area formed by the fence and a gate, said gate extending from a junction of the fence and the pre-defined portion.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the funnel-like pre-determined area is a V-shaped area.