Graphical selection of objects

• US 7,913,188 B1
• Filed: 04/09/2007
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Krenz, Michael J., Hahn, Pamela K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu; Tadesse
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ulrich; Nicholas S
• Application Number:
  US11/784,652
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 715/810, 715/856, 715/858, 715/865, 715/834, 715/845, 715/700, 715/846, 715/764, 345/156, 345/184, 340/995.16, 340/990
• US Class Current: 715/834
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan

Abstract

The present invention is directed to the graphical selection of objects. A selection indicator, one or more object indicators, and a position indicator are presented on a display. The selection indicator may be manipulated to indicate object indicators by rotating the selection indicator until an object indicators is within the area of the selection indicator and to select an object indicator which has been indicated. The selection indicator may be rotated so a portion overlaps with the location occupied by a portion prior to rotation. A menu indicator is also presented on the display. The menu indicator comprises a selector icon and a list of representations of the object indicators indicated by selection indicator. The selector icon may be manipulated to indicate a single representation of an object indicator and to select the object indicator represented by the representation of the indicated object indicator.

Claims

1. A graphical selection apparatus, comprising:

a display which includes graphical elements, at least one object indicator and a selection indicator; and

a control device, coupled to the display;

wherein the selection indicator has an area which occupies a portion of the display and automatically begins rotation around a center of rotation, the control device is operable to zoom in or zoom out of graphical elements on said display, stop rotation of the selection indicator around the center of rotation and select the object indicator indicated by the selection indicator, and

wherein the area of the selection indicator has a depth and a range, the center of rotation has a position, and the control device is operable to alter the depth of the selection indicator, the range of the selection indicator, and the position of the center of rotation.

2. The graphical selection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display further includes a position indicator which represents the center of rotation.

3. The graphical selection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selection indicator is rotated in increments such that subsequent to rotation a portion of the area of the selection indicator occupies a portion of the display which the area of the selection indicator previously occupied before rotation.

4. The graphical selection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the area of the selection indicator comprises one selected from a pie-shaped wedge, a box, a circle, a triangle, a square, a diamond, a rectangle, a polygon, and an irregular shape.

5. The graphical selection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display further includes a menu indicator when more than one object indicator is indicated by the selection indicator, the menu indicator including at least one representation of an indicated object indicator and a selector icon wherein the control device is operable to indicate the representation of the indicated object indicator utilizing the selector icon and select the object indicator represented by the representation of the indicated object indicator indicated by the selector icon.

6. The graphical selection apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the menu indicator comprises a list of at least one representation of an indicated object indicator.

7. A system for graphically selecting objects on a display for a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle;

a display, said display including graphical elements; and

a control device;

wherein at least one object indicator is presented on the display, a selection indicator with an area which occupies a portion of the display is presented on the display and automatically begins rotation around a center of rotation, the control device is operable to zoom in or zoom out of graphical elements on said display and stop rotation of the selection indicator around the center of rotation, the control device is operable to indicate the object indicator utilizing the selection indicator when the object indicator is within the area of the selection indicator, and the control device is operable to select the object indicator indicated by the selection indicator, wherein the area of the selection indicator has a depth and a range, the center of rotation has a position, and the control device is operable to alter the depth of the selection indicator, the range of the selection indicator, and the position of the center of rotation.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein a position indicator is presented on the display which represents the center of rotation.

9. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the selection indicator is rotated in increments such that subsequent to rotation a portion of the area of the selection indicator occupies a portion of the display which the area of the selection indicator previously occupied before rotation.

10. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the area of the selection indicator comprises one selected from a pie-shaped wedge, a box, a circle, a triangle, a square, a diamond, a rectangle, a polygon, and an irregular shape.

11. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein a menu indicator is presented on the display when more than one object indicator is indicated by the selection indicator, the menu indicator including at least one representation of an indicated object indicator and a selector icon wherein the control device is operable to indicate the representation of the indicated object indicator utilizing the selector icon and select the object indicator represented by the representation of the indicated object indicator indicated by the selector icon.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the menu indicator comprises a list of at least one representation of an indicated object indicator.

13. A system for graphically selecting objects, comprising:

a display, said display including graphical elements; and

a control device;

wherein at least one object indicator is presented on the display, a selection indicator with an area which occupies a portion of the display is presented on the display and automatically begins rotation around a center of rotation;

the control device is operable to zoom in or zoom out of graphical elements on said display and stop rotation of the selection indicator around the center of rotation, the control device is operable to alter the portion of the display occupied by the area of the selection indicator such that subsequent to alteration a portion of the area of the selection indicator occupies a portion of the display which the area of the selection indicator previously occupied before alteration, the area of the selection indicator comprises a pie-shaped wedge, the control device is operable to indicate the object indicator utilizing the selection indicator when the object indicator is within the area of the selection indicator; and

the control device is operable to select the object indicator indicated by the selection indicator.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein a menu indicator, comprising a list of at least one representation of an indicated object indicator and a selector icon, is presented on the display when more than one object indicator is indicated by the selection indicator wherein the control device is operable to indicate the representation of the indicated object indicator utilizing the selector icon and select the object indicator represented by the representation of the indicated object indicator indicated by the selector icon.

15. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the area of the selection indicator has a depth and a range and the control device is operable to alter the depth of the selection indicator and the range of the selection indicator.