Dial-based user interfaces

• US 9,875,023 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2011
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Brown, David William
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Filosi, Terri
• Application Number:
  US13/303,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20130127911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,253 Days
• Field of Search: 715834
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are described herein for dial-based user interfaces. In accordance with the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, a user device presents a dial-based user interface. The dial-based user interface can be configured with user interface controls associated with various options. In response to detecting selection of a user interface control associated with an option having a numeric value, the user device can modify the dial-based user interface to present a numeric adjustment control that can be interfaced with by a user to adjust the numeric value associated with the option. The dial-based user interface also can be modified to show selected options, option states, option values, option selection history, and/or other information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for interacting with a dial-based menu user interface, the computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for:

presenting the dial-based menu user interface, the dial-based menu user interface comprising a user interface control, the user interface control comprising a plurality of radially arranged soft buttons;

detecting input associated with a first soft button of the plurality of radially arranged soft buttons;

analyzing the input to determine a command; and

in response to determining that the first soft button of the plurality of radially arranged soft buttons is associated with an option having a numeric value;

presenting a numeric adjustment control on the dial-based menu user interface to indicate adjustment of the numeric value, the numeric adjustment control comprising a scale arranged radially around the dial-based menu user interface and a needle proximate the scale,

determining that a contact point has been moved away from a rotation axis,

in response to determining that the contact point has been moved away from the rotation axis, enabling a precision adjustment mode for further adjusting the numeric value using the numeric adjustment control, and

adjusting the numeric value in the precision adjustment mode by moving the scale relative to the needle, at least in part in response to detecting rotation of the contact point around the rotation axis.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the first soft button of the plurality of radially arranged soft buttons to indicate selection of the first soft button of the plurality of radially arranged soft buttons.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the scale arranged radially around the dial-based menu user interface displays a value for the numeric value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the input comprises detecting a multi-touch input at a multi-touch-sensitive device comprising detecting multiple contact points associated with the multi-touch input at a multi-touch display and detecting a movement of at least one of the contact points.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the movement comprises a rotation of the at least one of the contact points about the rotation axis associated with the dial-based menu user interface.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the movement comprises movement of the at least one of the contact points and holding stationary another of the contact points.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the rotation axis is determined by calculating a midpoint between at least two contact points.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the dial-based menu user interface to present a root menu in response to selecting the first soft button of the plurality of radially arranged soft buttons.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the precision adjustment mode comprises increasing a radius of the at least one contact point.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the dial-based menu user interface comprises presenting at least two dial-based menu user interfaces.

11. A computer storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereupon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

present, at a user device, a dial-based menu user interface comprising a user interface control, the user interface control comprising a plurality of radially arranged soft buttons;

detect, at the user device, input associated with a first soft button of the plurality of radially arranged soft buttons;

analyze the input to determine a command associated with the input;

in response to determining that the first soft button of the plurality of radially arranged soft buttons is associated with an option having a numeric value, present a numeric adjustment control on the dial-based menu user interface to indicate adjustment of the numeric value, the numeric adjustment control comprising a scale arranged radially around the dial-based menu user interface;

detect a first contact at a first location on the display, the first location being spaced from a rotation axis of the dial-based menu user interface;

detect a second contact at a second location on the display;

determine a movement of the second contact from the second location, relative to the first location;

determine an angle of rotation corresponding to the movement of the second contact; and

modify the dial-based menu user interface control by adjusting the numeric adjustment control in accordance with the angle of rotation.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein presenting the numeric adjustment control further comprises displaying a pointer for pointing at a numeric value associated with the numeric adjustment control.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first contact and the second contact are

associated with a multi-touch input at a multi-touch display.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 13, wherein the movement comprises a rotation of the at least one of the contact points about the rotation axis associated with the dial-based menu user interface, and wherein detecting the input further comprises determining a rotation axis associated with the movement and determining a radius between the rotation axis and at least one of the multiple contact points.

15. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the user device presents at least two dial-based menu user interfaces.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the precision adjustment mode comprises increasing a radius of the at least one contact point.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a display;

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor having instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to

present, on the display, a dial-based menu user interface comprising a user interface control,

detect selection of the user interface control,

modify the dial-based menu user interface to indicate selection of the user interface control,

determine that the user interface control is associated with an option having a numeric value,

present a numeric adjustment control on the dial-based menu user interface to indicate adjustment of the numeric value, the numeric adjustment control comprising a scale arranged radially around the dial-based menu user interface and a needle proximate the scale,

detect input at the dial-based menu user interface comprising at least one contact point,

in response to determining that the at least one contact point moved away from a center of the dial-based menu user interface, enable a precision adjustment mode for further adjusting the numeric value using the numeric adjustment control, and

adjust the numeric value in the precision adjustment mode by moving the scale relative to the needle, at least in part in response to detecting rotation of the at least one contact point around the rotation axis.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the display comprises a multi-touch display, and wherein detecting the input comprises

detecting multiple contact points associated with a multi-touch input at the multi-touch display, and

detecting a movement of at least one of the contact points.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the movement comprises a rotation of the at least one of the contact points about a rotation axis associated with the dial-based menu user interface, and wherein detecting the input further comprises determining a rotation axis associated with the movement and determining a radius between the rotation axis and at least one of the multiple contact points.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the display presents at least two dial-based menu user interfaces.