Process and system for management of a graphical interface for the display of application software graphical components

• US 9,448,716 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Coldefy, Franois, Belatar, Mohammed
• Primary Examiner(s): Riegler, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUONG H
• Application Number:
  US12/914,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20110119624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,154 Days
• Field of Search: 715/810, 715/863
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A process for the management of a graphical user interface (10) includes application software graphical components (26, 40, 40′), such as windows that display computer applications, displaying the data of an associated application software function. The process includes the stages of:

• • tracing (E102), on the interface, a graphical shape (31, 31′) in such a way as to create a graphical component (30, 30′),
  • combining (E128) an application software function with the graphical component that was created for assigning the graphical component to the display of the application software function, and
  • determining (E110) a direction (S) of the graphical component that is created in such a way as to display data of the associated application software function according to the determined direction.

Claims

1. A process for management of a graphical user interface displayed on a screen of a device adapted for use by a plurality of users, the graphical user interface being arranged for comprising application software graphical components, one application software graphical component displaying an associated application software function, the process comprising:

tracing, on the interface, a graphical shape,

creating, from the graphical shape, a window, wherein the traced graphical shape determines the shape, orientation, and dimensions of the window,

associating an application software function with said window that was created, and

displaying said application software function in said window,

wherein said process further comprises determining a reading direction of the window, said reading direction depending on a location of a user relative to the screen, wherein the location of the user relative to the screen is determined according to a side from which the user accesses the screen and wherein certain applications are prevented or allowed based on the side from which the user accesses the screen, and wherein the display of the associated application software function in the window comprises the display of data of said application software function in said window in said determined reading direction.

2. The process according to claim 1, further comprising recognizing a model graphical shape from the trace and displaying said model graphical shape instead of the traced shape.

3. The process according to claim 2, wherein said tracing comprises the tracing of a graphical shortcut.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the side from which the user accesses the screen is determined automatically based on said traced graphical shape.

5. The process according to claim 4, wherein the side from which the user accesses the screen is defined by the direction that is given between a first dot that is traced and a center of the traced graphical shape.

6. The process according to claim 4, wherein for a rectangle-type traced graphical shape, the side from which the user accesses the screen is defined by the direction of a first traced side.

7. The process according to claim 1, wherein the side from which the user accesses the screen is defined by, in addition to the tracing of the graphical shape, an indication by the user on the graphical interface of said display direction.

8. The process according to claim 7, wherein the side from which the user accesses the screen is defined by tracing, by the user and inside of the window, of a line whose starting end and arrival end relatively define the top and the bottom of the display.

9. The process according to claim 1, comprising a displaying said window that is created and selecting between at least two application software functions on a menu,

and selecting an application software function in such a way as to associate said selected application software function with the window that is created.

10. The process according to claim 9, wherein said selection menu is displayed inside of said window that is created.

11. The process according to claim 9, wherein the selection on said menu is based on the shape of the window that is created.

12. The process according to claim 9, wherein the selection menu is based on said display direction that is determined for the window that is created.

13. The process of claim 1, wherein the screen is divided into several zones, each zone being associated with a set of several applications so that the position on the screen where the graphical shape is traced determines a set of applications that can be launched.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon for implementing the process for management according to claim 1, when said instructions are executed by a computer.

14. A system for management of a graphical user interface displayed on a screen of a device adapted for use by a plurality of users, the graphical user interface being arranged for comprising application software windows, one application software window displaying an associated application software function, the system comprising:

a device for acquisition and display of a graphical shape that is traced by a user on the graphical user interface in such a way as to create a window, which shape, orientation, dimensions and position are determined by the traced graphical shape, and

a microprocessor configured to associate a computer application software function with said window that is thus created to display said application software function in said window,

wherein the microprocessor is further configured for determining a reading direction of the window that is created, said reading direction depending on a location of a user relative to the screen, and for monitoring the display of data of the application software function in the window according to said determined reading direction, wherein the location of the user relative to the screen is determined according to a side from which the user accesses the screen and wherein said microprocessor is configured for allowing or preventing certain applications based on the side from which the user accesses the screen.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the screen is divided into several zones, each zone being associated with a set of several applications and wherein the microprocessor is configured to determine a set of applications that can be launched based upon the position on the screen where the graphical shape is traced.