Spinlist graphical user interface control with preview and postview

• US 6,734,883 B1
• Filed: 05/25/2000
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Michael W., Ullmann, Cristi N., Wynn, Allen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): BECKER, SHAWN M
• Application Number:
  US09/579,257
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 345/810, 345/783, 345/829, 345/828, 345/825, 345/820, 345/819, 345/818, 345/817, 345/784, 345/830, 345/833, 345/835, 345/786, 345/808, 345/809, 345/856, 345/859
• US Class Current: 715/830
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A GUI control for entering a user selection from a list of possible selections in which the user can “spin” through a list of items shown on preview and postview option lists. The control allows the user to spin forwards and backwards, with a preview list of items and a postview list of items being displayed on opposing sides of the currently selected item dialog box. By providing visibility to the upcoming and recently past selections during the spin, a user can operate the spin control at a higher speed, thereby reducing the amount of time necessary to find the desired item on the list.

Claims

1. A method for interfacing with a user of a computer system having a graphical user display, said graphical user display having a pointer element on the graphical user display with a user pointer controller, the pointer controller having position and selection status responsive to operation by a user, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying on said graphical user display in a static position a spinner control having one or more action areas, a topic label area and a current selection dialog box;

responsive to movement of said pointer element to a position near one of said action areas, altering the appearance of said spinner control to change said dialog box to display an item in sequence from a list of possible selections, and to display a pop-up preview list and a drop-down postview list adjacent to and on opposing sides of said static position of the dialog box, each of said preview and postview lists displaying a plurality of possible selection items in a sequential order;

responsive to selection of an action area, further modifying the spinner control appearance to provide scrolling through said sequentially ordered list such that a currently selectable item is moved from the preview list or the postview list to the statically positioned selection dialog box, and the item formerly shown in the current selection dialog box is moved to the preview or postview list, according to a direction of scrolling indicated by said selected action area such that the user may operate the spinner control to review items from the list of possible selections in two directions, one towards the preview list and one towards the postview list; and

responsive to final selection by said user, automatically generating a signal to said computer system indicative of the list item currently shown in the selection dialog box as being the user'"'"'s desired input, and removing the pop-up preview list and drop-down post view list from the display to return to said non-activated state.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of allowing continued viewing of said list of possible selections displayed in said current selection dialog area and said preview and postview lists such that when a finite end of a postview or preview list is reached, the list of possible selection items is wrapped to the first or last item in the list, thereby forming an endless circular list of possible options.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said action areas comprise a forward action area.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said forward action area is presented as a virtual push button.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said action areas comprise a backward action area.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said backward action area is presented as a virtual push button.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said action areas comprise a free-spinning virtual control knob.

8. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein program code for interfacing with a user of a computer system, the computer system having a graphical user display and a processor, said graphical user display having a pointer element on the graphical user display with a user pointer controller, the pointer controller having position and selection status responsive to operation by a user, wherein the program code performs the steps of:

displaying on said graphical user display in a static position a spinner control having one or more action areas, a topic label area and a current selection dialog box in which a user may type an input;

responsive to movement of said pointer element to a position near one of said action areas, altering the appearance of said spinner control to change said dialog box to display an item in sequence from a list of possible selections, and to display a pop-up preview list and a drop-down postview list adjacent to and on opposing sides of said static position of the dialog box, each of said preview and postview lists displaying a plurality of possible selection items in a sequential order;

responsive to selection of an action area, further modifying the spinner control appearance to provide scrolling through said sequentially ordered list such that a currently selectable item is moved from the preview list or the postview list to the statically positioned selection dialog box, and the item formerly shown in the current selection dialog box is moved to the preview or postview list, according to a direction of scrolling indicated by said selected action area such that the user may operate the spinner control to review items from the list of possible selections in two directions, one towards the preview list and one towards the postview list; and

responsive to final selection by said user, automatically generating a signal to said computer system indicative of the list item currently shown in the selection dialog box as being the user'"'"'s desired input, and removing the pop-up preview list and drop-down post view list from the display to return to said non-activated state.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the steps performed by the program code further comprise the step of allowing continued viewing of said list of possible selections displayed in said current selection dialog area and said preview and postview lists such that-when a finite end of a postview or preview list is reached, the list of possible selection items is wrapped to the first or last item in the list, thereby forming an endless circular list of possible options.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein said action areas comprise a forward action area.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein said forward action area is presented as a virtual push button.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein said action areas comprise a backward action area.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein said backward action area is presented as a virtual push button.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein said action areas comprise a free-spinning virtual control knob.

15. A computer system for interfacing with a user, comprising:

a spinner control displayed on a graphical user display, said spinner control having one or more action areas, a topic label area and a statically positioned current selection dialog box in an idle state;

a user-operable pointer and action area selection controller;

a spinner controller configured as follows;

(i) to display a pop-up preview list and a drop-down postview list adjacent to and on opposing sides of said current selection dialog box upon movement of said pointer to a position near said action area, said preview and postview lists displaying a plurality of possible selection items,

(ii) to responsive to selection of an action area, to scroll through said sequentially ordered list such that a currently selectable item is moved from the preview list or the postview list to the statically positioned selection dialog area and the item formerly shown in the current selection dialog area is moved to the preview or postview list, according to a direction of scrolling indicated by said selected action area, and

(iii) responsive to final selection of an item displayed in the dialog area, to remove said preview and postview list from the display returning the spinner control to an idle state by removing said preview and postview lists from display; and

a signal generator for signaling said computer system indicating said final selection.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein said action areas comprise a forward action area.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein said forward action area is presented as a virtual push button.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein said action areas comprise a backward action area.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein said backward action area is presented as a virtual push button.

20. The computer system of claim 15, wherein said action areas comprise a free-spinning virtual control knob.