Placement of items in cascading radial menus

• US 8,578,295 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2009
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chmielewski, Paul R., Cragun, Brian J., Fork, Michael J., Rapp, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdul-Ali, Omar
• Assistant Examiner(s): KEATON, SHERROD L
• Application Number:
  US12/560,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20110066981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,511 Days
• Field of Search: 715/834, 715/828, 715/829, 715/817, 715/810, 715/818
• US Class Current: 715/834
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for placing menu items in a cascading radial menu. A cascading radial menu may be displayed upon receiving a gesture that causes a screen pointer to select a radial menu item in a first radial menu. The first radial menu item may be associated with a second radial menu. One or more second radial menu items may be placed in the second radial menu based on a direction of movement of the screen pointer in the gesture to select the radial menu item in the first radial menu.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for displaying radial menu items in a radial menu, comprising configuring one or more processors to perform an operation comprising:

receiving a gesture that causes a screen pointer to select a first radial menu item in a first radial menu, wherein the first radial menu item is associated with a second radial menu;

upon receiving the gesture, displaying a second radial menu, wherein the second radial menu has a center at or near a location of the screen pointer and distinct from a center of the first radial menu, and wherein the second radial menu includes one or more second menu items extending radially outward from the center of the second radial menu; and

placing one or more of the second radial menu items in the second radial menu based on a direction of movement of the screen pointer in the gesture to select the first radial menu item,

wherein each of the one or more second radial menu items have an associated selectability value,

wherein placement of the one or more second radial menu items in the second radial menu is based on respective selectability values, and

wherein at least one of the second radial menu items having a relatively low selectability value is placed in a radial menu pie of the second radial menu that is orthogonal to the direction of movement of the screen pointer in the gesture to select the first radial menu item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the second radial menu items having a relatively high selectability value is placed in a radial menu pie of the second radial menu that is aligned with the direction of movement of the screen pointer in the gesture to select the first radial menu item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectability value is a numerical value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectability value is a boolean value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a projected path of movement of the screen pointer based on a direction of movement of the screen pointer in the gesture to select the first radial menu item; and

placing the one or more second radial menu items in the second radial menu based on the projected path.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a program product which, when executed, is configured to perform an operation for displaying radial menu items in a radial menu, comprising:

receiving a gesture that causes a screen pointer to select a first radial menu item in a first radial menu, wherein the first radial menu item is associated with a second radial menu;

upon receiving the gesture, displaying a second radial menu, wherein the second radial menu has a center at or near a location of the screen pointer and distinct from a center of the first radial menu, and wherein the second radial menu includes one or more second menu items extending radially outward from the center of the second radial menu; and

placing one or more of the second radial menu items in the second radial menu based on a direction of movement of the screen pointer in the gesture to select the first radial menu item,

wherein each of the one or more second radial menu items have an associated selectability value,

wherein placement of the one or more second radial menu items in the second radial menu is based on respective selectability values, and

wherein at least one of the second radial menu items having a relatively low selectability value is placed in a radial menu pie of the second radial menu that is orthogonal to the direction of movement of the screen pointer in the gesture to select the first radial menu item.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein at least one of the second radial menu items having a relatively high selectability value is placed in a radial menu pie of the second radial menu that is aligned with the direction of movement of the screen pointer in the gesture to select the first radial menu item.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the selectability value is a numerical value.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the selectability value is a boolean value.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the operation further comprises:

determining a projected path of movement of the screen pointer based on a direction of movement of the screen pointer in the gesture to select the first radial menu item; and

placing the one or more second radial menu items in the second radial menu based on the projected path.

11. A system, comprising:

a memory comprising a program; and

a processor which, when executing the program, is configured to;

receive a gesture that causes a screen pointer to select a first radial menu item in a first radial menu, wherein the first radial menu item is associated with a second radial menu,

upon receiving the gesture, display a second radial menu, wherein the second radial menu has a center at or near a location of the screen pointer and distinct from a center of the first radial menu, and wherein the second radial menu includes one or more second menu items extending radially outward from the center of the second radial menu, and

place one or more of the second radial menu items in the second radial menu based on a direction of movement of the screen pointer in the gesture to select the first radial menu item;

wherein each of the one or more second radial menu items have an associated selectability value;

wherein the processor is configured to place the one or more second radial menu items in the second radial menu based on respective selectability values; and

wherein at least one of the second radial menu items having a relatively low selectability value is placed in a radial menu pie of the second radial menu that is orthogonal to the direction of movement of the screen pointer in the gesture to select the first radial menu item.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the second radial menu items having a relatively high selectability value is placed in a radial menu pie of the second radial menu that is aligned with the direction of movement of the screen pointer in the gesture to select the first radial menu item.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the selectability value is a numerical value.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a projected path of movement of the screen pointer based on a direction of movement of the screen pointer in the gesture to select the first radial menu item; and

place the one or more second radial menu items in the second radial menu based on the projected path.