Multiple menus for use with a graphical user interface

• US 9,081,480 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Miura, Britt S., Morrison, Scott C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US11/773,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20070250794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,933 Days
• Field of Search: 715/779, 715/777, 715/812, 715/843, 715/813
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

An approach for using multiple menus with a graphical user interface is disclosed. A multiple menu comprises a menu panel with two or more selection regions, each of which is associated with a base menu. A user requests the menu panel without selecting a menu object displayed on a display unit, such as by right-clicking. The menu panel is displayed along with one base menu, and other base menus are displayed by the user moving the cursor to another selection region. The user selects a menu item from a base menu to cause the application to execute the function associated with the menu item. The selection regions of the menu panel do not include information describing the content of the associated base menus. By arranging the base menus around the menu panel, cursor movement is minimized to improve user efficiency in using the application.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for allowing a user to select a particular menu item, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the user for a menu panel, wherein;

the request is not associated with the user selecting any menu objects that are displayed on a display unit at the time of the request;

the menu panel containing a vertex oriented in relation to a cursor;

the menu panel comprises two or more selection regions adjacent to the vertex; and

each of the two or more selection regions is associated with a different base menu, wherein each base menu includes a plurality of menu items and is identified by a menu title, and wherein none of the base menus can be accessed from another menu;

displaying at least a first of the base menus to the user based upon the location of the cursor with respect to the vertex, wherein one menu item from among the plurality of menu items is highlighted to differentiate the one menu item from the other menu items of the plurality of menu items;

while displaying the at least first base menu to the user, receiving input from the user, wherein the input indicates that the user wants to select the one menu item, and wherein the input from the user is not received in response to the user selecting the menu item that is highlighted in the display of the at least first base menu and does not cause the menu title to change; and

causing the one menu item to be executed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one menu item was selected when the user last selected the one menu item from among the plurality of menu items from the menu prior to the request for the menu.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one menu item is specified as a default menu item for the menu.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the input from the user is received in response to the user selecting a menu title that is displayed in association with the base menu.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one menu item from among the plurality of menu items that is highlighted to differentiate the one menu item from the other menu items of the plurality of menu items is highlighted prior to the selection of the one menu item by the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the input from the user indicating that the user wants to select the one menu item comprises selecting a menu title or selecting a selection region where the user requested the menu.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

wherein the one menu item from among the plurality of menu items that is highlighted to differentiate the one menu item from the other menu items of the plurality of menu items is highlighted prior to the selection of the one menu item by the user; and

the input from the user indicating that the user wants to select the one menu item comprises selecting a menu title or selecting a selection region where the user requested the menu.

15. The medium of claim 9, wherein the one menu item from among the plurality of menu items that is highlighted to differentiate the one menu item from the other menu items of the plurality of menu items is highlighted based on the one menu item most often selected by the user.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu titles are adjacent to the menu panel and the selection regions, and the menu tittles are associated with the base menus;

and wherein the input from the user indicating that the user wants to select the one menu item comprises selecting the menu title or the selection region.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu panel is displayed with at least a first base menu displayed, and the first base menu associated with the selection region closest to the cursor.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for allowing a user to select a particular menu item, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving a request from the user for a menu panel, wherein;

the request is not associated with the user selecting any menu objects that are displayed on a display unit at the time of the request;

the menu panel containing a vertex oriented in relation to a cursor;

the menu panel comprises two or more selection regions adjacent to the vertex; and

each of the two or more selection regions is associated with a different base menu, wherein each base menu includes a plurality of menu items and is identified by a menu title, and wherein none of the base menus can be accessed from another menu;

displaying at least a first of the base menus to the user based upon the location of the cursor with respect to the vertex, wherein one menu item from among the plurality of menu items is highlighted to differentiate the one menu item from the other menu items of the plurality of menu items;

while displaying the at least first base menu to the user, receiving input from the user, wherein the input indicates that the user wants to select the one menu item, and wherein the input from the user is not received in response to the user selecting the menu item that is highlighted in the display of the at least first base menu and does not cause the menu title to change; and

causing the one menu item to be executed.

6. The medium of claim 5, wherein the one menu item was selected when the user last selected the one menu item from among the plurality of menu items from the menu prior to the request for the menu.

7. The medium of claim 5, wherein the one menu item is specified as a default menu item for the menu.

8. The medium of claim 5, wherein the input from the user is received in response to the user selecting a menu title that is displayed in association with the menu.

12. The medium of claim 5, wherein the one menu item from among the plurality of menu items that is highlighted to differentiate the one menu item from the other menu items of the plurality of menu items is highlighted prior to the selection of the one menu item by the user.

13. The medium of claim 5, wherein the input from the user indicating that the user wants to select the one menu item comprises selecting a menu title or selecting a selection region where the user requested the menu.

14. The medium of claim 5, wherein:

wherein the one menu item from among the plurality of menu items that is highlighted to differentiate the one menu item from the other menu items of the plurality of menu items is highlighted prior to the selection of the one menu item by the user; and

the input from the user indicating that the user wants to select the one menu item comprises selecting a menu title or selecting a selection region where the user requested the menu.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the one menu item from among the plurality of menu items that is highlighted to differentiate the one menu item from the other menu items of the plurality of menu items is highlighted based on the one menu item most often selected by the user.

19. The medium of claim 5, wherein the menu titles are adjacent to the menu panel and the selection regions, and the menu tittles are associated with the base menus;

and wherein the input from the user indicating that the user wants to select the one menu item comprises selecting the menu title or the selection region.

20. The medium of claim 5, wherein the menu panel is displayed with at least a first base menu displayed, and the first base menu associated with the selection region closest to the cursor.

21. The medium of claim 5, wherein the menu panel is triangularly shaped, and the two or more selection regions are defined by lines between a center of a triangle and a center point of at least one of the sides of the triangle.