METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTEXT DEPENDENT POP-UP MENUS

• US 20100122194A1
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: ROGERS, Sean S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• 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 the object;

determining a type of the selected object;

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

displaying one or more pop-up menu icons associated with the identified actions or functions appropriate for the selected object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the pop-up menu icons in a predefined location on a GUI display.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the pop-up menu icons in close proximity to the selected object within a GUI display.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising 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.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising 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.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the 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.

7. 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.

8. A computer, comprising:

a processor;

a display coupled to the processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor,

wherein the processor is configured to;

detect a select and drag event of the object;

determine a type of the selected object;

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

present on the display one or more pop-up menu icons associated with the identified actions or functions appropriate for the selected object.

9. The computer of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to position the pop-up menu icons in a predefined location on the GUI display.

10. The computer of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to position the pop-up menu icons in close proximity to the selected object within the GUI display.

11. The computer of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to perform 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.

12. The computer of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to terminate 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.

13. The computer of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured such that the object comprises at least one of an application, a 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.

14. The computer of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to register 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.

15. A computer, comprising:

means for detecting a select and drag event of an object within a graphical user interface (GUI);

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; and

means for displaying one or more pop-up menu icons associated with the identified actions or functions appropriate for the selected object.

16. The computer of claim 15, further comprising means for positioning the pop-up menu icons in a predefined location on a GUI display.

17. The computer of claim 15, further comprising means for positioning the pop-up menu icons in close proximity to the selected object within a GUI display.

18. The computer of claim 15, further comprising 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.

19. The computer of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform further steps comprising 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 15, wherein the object may comprise of at least one of an application, file, file folder, text selection within a document, image selection within a document, portion of an audio file and portion of a video file.

21. The computer of claim 15, further comprising means for 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.

22. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium, comprising;

at least one instruction for detecting a select and drag event of the object;

at least one instruction for determining a type of the selected object;

at least one instruction for identifying actions or functions that are appropriate for the type of the selected object; and

at least one instruction for displaying one or more pop-up menu icons associated with the identified actions or functions appropriate for the selected object.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises:

at least one instruction for positioning the pop-up menu icons in a predefined location on a GUI display.

24. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises:

at least one instruction for positioning the pop-up menu icons in close proximity to the selected object within a GUI display.

25. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises:

at least one instruction 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.

26. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises:

at least one instruction 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.

27. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the object may comprise of at least one of an application, file, file folder, electronic document, text selection within a document, image selection within a document, portion of an audio file and portion of a video file.

28. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises:

at least one instruction for 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.