RADIAL MENU DISPLAY SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20100333030A1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Johns, Greg A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,219,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/834
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object

Abstract

In certain embodiments, a graphical representation of a two-dimensional radial menu is displayed in a graphical user interface. The graphical representation of the two-dimensional radial menu is transformed into a graphical representation of a three-dimensional radial menu in the graphical user interface. In certain embodiments, the displaying comprises utilizing data representative of a three-dimensional radial menu model to render the graphical representation of the two-dimensional radial menu, based on a first viewpoint, in the graphical user interface, and the transforming comprises utilizing the data representative of the three-dimensional radial menu model to render the graphical representation of the three-dimensional radial menu, based on a second viewpoint, in the graphical user interface. In certain embodiments, the transforming comprises repositioning a viewpoint associated with the graphical representation of the two-dimensional radial menu to produce the graphical representation of the three-dimensional radial menu.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, by a computing system, a graphical representation of a two-dimensional radial menu in a graphical user interface generated by said computing system;

detecting, by said computing system, user input associated with said graphical representation of said two-dimensional radial menu in said graphical user interface; and

transforming, by said computing system, said graphical representation of said two-dimensional radial menu into a graphical representation of a three-dimensional radial menu in said graphical user interface in response to said user input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said graphical representation of said two-dimensional radial menu and said graphical representation of said three-dimensional radial menu comprise a common center point; and

said transforming comprises repositioning said center point in said graphical user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said graphical representation of said two-dimensional radial menu comprises at least one category menu graphical object; and

said transforming comprises repositioning said at least one category menu graphical object in said graphical user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said transforming comprises repositioning a viewpoint associated with said graphical representation of said two-dimensional radial menu to produce said graphical representation of said three-dimensional radial menu in said graphical user interface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said repositioning of said viewpoint comprises moving said viewpoint from a top-down viewpoint of said two-dimensional radial menu to a substantially ground-level viewpoint of said three-dimensional radial menu in said graphical user interface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said substantially ground-level viewpoint is positioned proximate to a center point of said graphical representation of said three-dimensional radial menu in said graphical user interface.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said transforming further comprises zooming in on said graphical representation of said three-dimensional radial menu in said graphical user interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said graphical representation of said two-dimensional radial menu comprises:

a center point graphical object;

a plurality of category menu graphical objects positioned about said center point graphical object at a first radial distance from said center point graphical object; and

a plurality of application menu graphical objects positioned about said plurality of category menu graphical objects at a second radial distance from said center point graphical object.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

said category menu graphical objects form an inner radial layer substantially encircling said center point graphical object; and

said application menu graphical objects form an outer radial layer substantially encircling said inner radial layer.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said graphical representation of said three-dimensional radial menu provides a front-view display of at least one of said category menu graphical objects in said graphical user interface.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting user input with said computing system; and

pivoting, by said computing system, said plurality of said category menu graphical objects around said center point of said graphical representation of said three-dimensional radial menu in response to said user input.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said pivoting comprises moving said at least one of said category menu graphical objects out of said front-view display in said graphical user interface and moving at least one other of said category menu graphical objects into said front-view display in said graphical user interface.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said user input comprises a user selection of a center point graphical object included in said graphical representation of said two-dimensional radial menu.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting, by said computing system, a user selection of a center point graphical object included in said graphical representation of said three-dimensional radial menu; and

transforming, by said computing system, said graphical representation of said three-dimensional radial menu back into said graphical representation of said two-dimensional radial menu in said graphical user interface in response to said user selection of said center point graphical object included in said graphical representation of said three-dimensional radial menu.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said displaying comprises utilizing data representative of a three-dimensional radial menu model to render said graphical representation of said two-dimensional radial menu, based on a first viewpoint, in said graphical user interface of said computing system; and

said transforming comprises utilizing said data representative of said three-dimensional radial menu model to render said graphical representation of said three-dimensional radial menu, based on a second viewpoint, in said graphical user interface.

16. The method of claim 1, tangibly embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one computer-readable medium, the computer-executable instructions configured to direct at least one processor of said computing system to perform at least one of said displaying and said transforming.

17. A method comprising:

maintaining, by a computing system, data representative of a radial menu model in a computer-readable medium of said computing system, said radial menu model comprising

a center point object,

a plurality of category menu objects positioned about said center point object at a first radial distance from said center point object, and

a plurality of application menu objects positioned about said plurality of category menu objects at a second radial distance from said center point object; and

utilizing, by said computing system, said radial menu model to render a graphical representation of said radial menu model in a graphical user interface of said computing system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

said radial menu model comprises a three-dimensional radial menu model; and

said graphical representation of said radial menu model in said graphical user interface comprises at least one of a graphical representation of a two-dimensional radial menu and a graphical representation of a three-dimensional radial menu.

19. A system comprising:

a processing facility; and

a radial menu facility in communication with said processing facility and configured to direct said processing facility to

display a graphical representation of a two-dimensional radial menu in a graphical user interface, and

transform said graphical representation of said two-dimensional radial menu into a graphical representation of a three-dimensional radial menu in said graphical user interface.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a storage facility in communication with said processing facility;

wherein said radial menu facility is further configured to direct said processing facility to

maintain data representative of a radial menu model in said storage facility, and

utilize said radial menu model to render at least one of said two-dimensional radial menu and said three-dimensional radial menu for display in said graphical user interface.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said radial menu model comprises:

a center point object;

a plurality of category menu objects positioned about said center point object at a first radial distance from said center point object; and

a plurality of application menu objects positioned about said plurality of category menu objects at a second radial distance from said center point object.