Method and system for context dependent pop-up menus

• US 9,058,092 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2012
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Rogers, Sean S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Linh K
• Application Number:
  US13/669,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20130067377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 715/769
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method and system for providing context dependent pop-up menu icons that activate menu icons in response to a select & drag operation by manipulation of a pointing device. Presented icons may correspond to functions or actions that can be implemented with the particular type of content selected. Icons may be displayed in a consistent manner in terms of position and content with respect to the selected file or object. Icons may appear only during a select & drag operation, thereby leaving the display uncluttered at other times. Presentation of icons may be discontinued when the selected file or object is dragged beyond the area of the presented icons. New applications can register with the operating system to specify icons to be presented when corresponding files are selected or when particular content objects are selected within the application.

Claims

1. A method for providing menu icons in a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising:

detecting a select and drag event of an object;

determining a type of the selected object;

identifying actions or functions that are appropriate for the type of the selected object;

displaying only during the select and drag event one or more pop-up menu icons associated with the identified actions or functions appropriate for the selected object;

performing an action or function on the selected object in response to the selected object being released when positioned over one of the pop-up menu icons corresponding to the action or function; and

terminating display of the one or more pop-up menu icons in response to the selected object being dragged beyond an area associated with the one or more pop-up menu icons.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the pop-up menu icons at an edge of a display.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the pop-up menu icons in menu panels at an edge of a display.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the menu panels surround a periphery of the display.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying a blank menu panel when an icon is unavailable during the select and drag event of the selected object.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the pop-up menu icons in a circle around the selected object within a display.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the circle is in close proximity to the selected object within the display.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected object comprises at least one of an application, file, file folder, text selection within a document, image selection within a document, portion of a an audio file and portion of a video file.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering an application with the GUI including identifying one or more pop-up menu icons which should be displayed when an icon associated with the application is selected and dragged within the GUI.

10. A computer, comprising:

a display;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the display, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

detecting a select and drag event of an object;

determining a type of the selected object;

identifying actions or functions that are appropriate for the type of the selected object;

displaying only during the select and drag event one or more popup menu icons associated with the identified actions or functions appropriate for the selected object;

performing an action or function on the selected object in response to the selected object being released when positioned over one of the popup menu icons corresponding to the action or function; and

terminating display of the one or more pop-up menu icons in response to the selected object being dragged beyond an area associated with the one or more pop-up menu icons.

11. The computer of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising positioning the pop-up menu icons at an edge of a display.

12. The computer of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising positioning the pop-up menu icons in menu panels at an edge of a display.

13. The computer of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that the menu panels surround a periphery of the display.

14. The computer of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising displaying a blank menu panel when an icon is unavailable during the select and drag event of the selected object.

15. The computer of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising positioning the pop-up menu icons in a circle around the selected object within a display.

16. The computer of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that the circle is in close proximity to the selected object within the display.

17. The computer of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that the selected object comprises at least one of an application, file, file folder, text selection within a document, image selection within a document, portion of a an audio file, and portion of a video file.

18. The computer of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising registering an application with a graphical user interface (GUI) including identifying one or more pop-up menu icons which should be displayed when an icon associated with the application is selected and dragged within the GUI.

19. A computer, comprising:

means for detecting a select and drag event of an object;

means for determining a type of the selected object;

means for identifying actions or functions that are appropriate for the type of the selected object;

means for displaying only during the select and drag event one or more pop-up menu icons associated with the identified actions or functions appropriate for the selected object;

means for performing an action or function on the selected object in response to the selected object being released when positioned over one of the pop-up menu icons corresponding to the action or function; and

means for terminating display of the one or more pop-up menu icons in response to the selected object being dragged beyond an area associated with the one or more pop-up menu icons.

20. The computer of claim 19, further comprising means for positioning the popup menu icons at an edge of a display.

21. The computer of claim 19, further comprising means for positioning the popup menu icons in menu panels at an edge of a display.

22. The computer of claim 21, wherein the menu panels surround a periphery of the display.

23. The computer of claim 22, further comprising means for displaying a blank menu panel when an icon is unavailable during the select and drag event of the selected object.

24. The computer of claim 19, further comprising means for positioning the popup menu icons in a circle around the selected object within a display.

25. The computer of claim 24, wherein the circle is in close proximity to the selected object within the display.

26. The computer of claim 19, wherein the selected object comprises at least one of an application, file, file folder, text selection within a document, image selection within a document, portion of a an audio file and portion of a video file.

27. The computer of claim 19, further comprising means for registering an application with a graphical user interface (GUI) including identifying one or more pop-up menu icons which should be displayed when an icon associated with the application is selected and dragged within the GUI.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting a select and drag event of an object;

determining a type of the selected object;

identifying actions or functions that are appropriate for the type of the selected object;

displaying only during the select and drag event one or more pop-up menu icons associated with the identified actions or functions appropriate for the selected object;

performing an action or function on the selected object in response to the selected object being released when positioned over one of the pop-up menu icons corresponding to the action or function; and

terminating display of the one or more pop-up menu icons in response to the selected object being dragged beyond an area associated with the one or more pop-up menu icons.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations further comprising positioning the pop-up menu icons at an edge of a display.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations further comprising positioning the pop-up menu icons in menu panels at an edge of a display.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations such that the menu panels surround a periphery of the display.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations further comprising displaying a blank menu panel when an icon is unavailable during the select and drag event of the selected object.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations further comprising positioning the pop-up menu icons in a circle around the selected object within a display.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations such that the circle is in close proximity to the selected object within the display.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations such that the selected object comprises at least one of an application, file, file folder, text selection within a document, image selection within a document, portion of a an audio file and portion of a video file.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations further comprising registering an application with graphical user interface (GUI) including identifying one or more pop-up menu icons which should be displayed when an icon associated with the application is selected and dragged within the GUI.