Menu user interface providing device and method thereof

• US 8,578,294 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sungkyunkwan University Foundation For Corporate Collaboration (SungKyunKwan University)
• Original Assignee: Sungkyunkwan University Foundation For Corporate Collaboration (SungKyunKwan University)
• Inventors: Gyeong, Gyehyeon, Choi, HyunWoo, Choi, Jung Hwan, Zhen, Zhao, Kim, Taehyoung, Eom, Young Ik, Kim, Younwoo, Ko, Kwang Sun, Jang, Hyunsu, Cho, Hyunjin, Jung, Yongwoo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kumar, Anil N
• Application Number:
  US12/040,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20090183100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• Field of Search: 715/769, 715/834
• US Class Current: 715/834
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A menu user interface providing device and a method thereof are disclosed. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the method of providing a menu user interface by a portable apparatus, including determining whether a main menu icon displayed on a touch screen is selected; determining whether a menu mode is an activation mode or an inactivation mode if the main menu icon is selected; and changing the menu mode into the activation mode if the menu mode is determined as the inactivation mode and forming an expanded menu by radically arranging a submenu of n hierarchies, n being a natural number, corresponding to the main menu icon and displaying the formed expanded menu through a touch screen. Accordingly, with the present invention, a user interface capable of inputting various data with easy manipulation and minimized multi-points can be provided.

Claims

1. A method of providing a menu user interface on a portable apparatus, the method comprising:

recognizing a first selection of a main menu icon displayed on a touch screen associated with the portable apparatus;

determining that a first radial submenu associated with the main menu icon is not displayed on the touch screen;

displaying the first radial submenu in response to the first selection of the main menu icon, wherein the first radial submenu is comprised of a plurality of first submenu icons positioned around the circumference of the main menu icon;

simultaneously with displaying the first radial submenu, displaying a second radial submenu comprising a plurality of second submenu icons arranged around the circumference of the first radial submenu, each second submenu icon configured to trigger a distinct function associated with one of the plurality of first submenu icons;

undisplaying the first radial submenu and the second radial submenu in response to a second selection of the main menu icon;

generating a rotation fiducial line through a touched first submenu icon by using predetermined position information of the main menu icon and touch-released position information;

generating rotation information of the second radial submenu to allow a second submenu icon configured to trigger a distinct function associated with the touched first submenu icon to be placed on the rotation fiducial line, wherein the second submenu icon is directly subordinate to the touched first submenu icon and the rotation information comprises at least one of moving direction information and moving distance information; and

determining whether the touched first submenu icon from among the plurality of first submenu icons is selected or dragged, wherein the step of determining whether the touched first submenu icon is selected or dragged comprises;

receiving touch position information and the touch-released position information from the touch screen and determining that the touched first submenu icon is dragged if a difference between the touch position information and the touch-released position information that are inputted within a predetermined period of time is the same as or larger than a predetermined threshold; and

determining that the touched first submenu icon is selected if the difference between the touch position information and the touch-released position information that are inputted within the predetermined period of time is smaller than the predetermined threshold.

2. A portable apparatus, comprising:

a touch screen;

a processing unit configured to recognize a first selection of a main menu icon displayed through the touch screen and to generate and output a submenu activating command in response thereto; and

an UI forming unit for simultaneously forming a first radial submenu and a second radial submenu in response to the submenu activating command by radially arranging a plurality of first submenu icons around the circumference of the main menu icon, and a plurality of second submenu icons around the circumference of the first radial submenu;

wherein each second submenu icon is configured to trigger a distinct function associated with one of the plurality of first submenu icons;

wherein the UI forming unit is further for;

generating a rotation fiducial line through a touched first submenu icon by using predetermined position information of the main menu icon and touch-released position information; and

generating rotation information of the second radial submenu to allow a second submenu icon configured to trigger a distinct function associated with the touched first submenu icon to be placed on the rotation fiducial line, wherein the second submenu icon is directly subordinate to the touched first submenu icon and the rotation information comprises at least one of moving direction information and moving distance information;

wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine whether the touched first submenu icon from among the plurality of first submenu icons is selected or dragged by using position information inputted through the touch screen, wherein the position information comprises touch position information related to a position touched on the touch screen and the touch-released position information related to a position in which a touch is released; and

wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine that the touched first submenu icon is selected if a difference between the touch position information and the touch-released position information that are inputted within a predetermined period of time is smaller than a predetermined threshold, and to determine that the touched first submenu icon is dragged if the difference is the same as or larger than the predetermined threshold.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein if the processing unit determines that the touched first submenu icon is dragged, the processing unit generates a rotation command including the inputted position information and outputs the generated rotation command to the UI forming unit, and the UI forming unit rotates the plurality of first submenu icons according to the generated position information and displays the rotated first submenu icons through the touch screen.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processing unit is further configured to recognize a second selection of the main menu icon displayed through the touch screen, and to generate and output a submenu inactivating command in response thereto.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the UI forming unit is further configured to form a menu comprising only the main menu icon in response to the submenu inactivating command.