User interface systems and methods
View Patent ↗Systems and methods for providing user interfaces are disclosed. In certain embodiments, a menu having a number of icons can be provided on a display device such that the icons are arranged around an initial cursor position, or an area that is touched by a user's finger or stylus, for example. Due to the icons being arranged around the initial cursor position, any one of the icons from the menu can be chosen with relatively small cursor movement. In certain embodiments, the menu can be divided into regions that overlap with the icons, such that cursor movement from the initial cursor position into a given region has a similar effect as movement into the corresponding icon itself (without actually moving the cursor onto the desired icon).
1. A method interacting with data via a user interface on a computing device, the method comprising:
by one or more computer processors configured to execute software instructions:
in response to a first input comprising movement substantially parallel to a first axis, setting a selected function as the current function and initiating an action associated with the selected function for subsequent movements substantially parallel to the first axis, wherein the movement substantially parallel to the first axis sets the selected function as the current function without requiring selection of an icon associated with the selected function;
in response to a second input comprising movement substantially parallel to a second axis, initiating display of a first plurality of icons, wherein each icon of the first plurality of icons is associated with a different respective function;
in response to selection of a first icon of the first plurality of icons, setting a function associated with the first icon as the current function and deactivating the selected function, wherein a third input comprising movement substantially parallel to the first axis initiates an action associated with the function associated with the first icon set as current function.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first input further comprises a press of a mouse button.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first axis comprises a vertical axis.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second input further comprises a press of a mouse button.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second axis comprises a horizontal axis.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of icons are arranged along a horizontal axis.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of icons are arranged in a grid.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein selection of the first icon is indicated by a cursor hovering over the first icon for a predetermined period of time.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising: by the one or more computer processors configured to execute software instructions: in response to a third input, deactivating the function associated with the first icon and activating the selected function.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the selected function is represented by a default icon in a middle portion of the first plurality of icons.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
by the one or more computer processors configured to execute software instructions:
in response to a third input, initiating display of a second plurality of icons different from the first plurality of icons, wherein each icon of the second plurality of icons is associated with a different respective function; and in response to a fourth input selecting one of the second plurality of icons, replacing one of the first plurality of icons with the one of the second plurality of icons.
12. A computer system comprising:
one or more hardware computer processors configured to execute software instructions in order to perform operations comprising:
in response to a first input comprising movement substantially parallel to a first axis, setting a selected function as the current function and initiating an action associated with the selected function for subsequent movements substantially parallel to the first axis, wherein the movement substantially parallel to the first axis sets the selected function as the current function without requiring selection of an icon associated with the selected function;
in response to a second input comprising movement substantially parallel to a second axis, initiating display of a first plurality of icons, wherein each icon of the first plurality of icons is associated with a different respective function;
in response to selection of a first icon of the first plurality of icons, setting a function associated with the first icon as the current function and deactivating the selected function, wherein a third input comprising movement substantially parallel to the first axis initiates an action associated with the current function.
13. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein the first axis comprises a vertical axis and the second axis comprises a horizontal axis.
14. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the first plurality of icons is arranged according to at least one of: along a horizontal axis, or in a grid.
15. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein selection of the first icon is indicated by a cursor hovering over the first icon for a predetermined period of time.
16. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more hardware computer processors are configured to execute software instructions in order to further perform operations comprising:
in response to a third input, deactivating the function associated with the first icon and activating the selected function.
17. The computer system of claim 16 , wherein the selected function is represented by a default icon in a middle portion of the first plurality of icons.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software instructions configured for execution by a computing system having one or more hardware processors in order to cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:
in response to a first input comprising movement substantially parallel to a first axis, selecting a selected function as the current function and initiating an action associated with the selected function for movements substantially parallel to the first axis, wherein the movement substantially parallel to the first axis sets the selected function as the current function without requiring selection of an icon associated with the selected function;
in response to a second input comprising movement substantially parallel to a second axis, initiating display of a first plurality of icons, wherein each icon of the first plurality of icons is associated with a different respective function;
in response to selection of a first icon of the first plurality of icons, setting a function associated with the first icon as the current function and deactivating the selected function, wherein a third input comprising movement substantially parallel to the first axis initiates an action associated with the current function.
19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the first axis comprises a vertical axis and the second axis comprises a horizontal axis.
20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the software instructions are configured for execution by the computing system in order to cause the computing system to further perform operations comprising: in response to a third input, initiating display of a second plurality of icons different from the first plurality of icons, wherein each icon of the second plurality of icons is associated with a different respective function; and in response to a fourth input selecting one of the second plurality of icons, replacing one of the first plurality of icons with the one of the second plurality of icons.