US 2011 00557.60A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2011/0055760 A1 DRAYTON et al. (43) Pub. Date: Mar. 3, 2011 (54) METHOD OF PROVIDING A GRAPHICAL Publication Classification USER INTERFACEUSINGA CONCENTRIC (51) Int. Cl MENU G06F 3/048 (2006.01) (52) U.S. Cl. ........................................................ 71.5/834 (76) Inventors: David Samuel DRAYTON, (57) ABSTRACT Mannheim (DE); Bernd Franz In a graphical user interface a display is animated by activa Lutz, Darmstadt (DE); Marco tion with an input device with a first concentric menu com Tillmann, Niddatal (DE) prising a first grouping of menu items having a Subset of one or more items from a set of menu items. Then, after selecting one menu item out of the first grouping of menu items, the (21) Appl. No.: 12/552,055 display is animated with at least one additional grouping of menu items that are each concentrically in a pie sliced shape. The graphical user interface can be activated by a user at any (22) Filed: Sep. 1, 2009 position on the display area via the input device. Patent Application Publication Mar. 3, 2011 Sheet 1 of 4 US 2011/005576.0 A1 Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Patent Application Publication Mar. 3, 2011 Sheet 2 of 4 US 2011/005576.0 A1 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Patent Application Publication Mar. 3, 2011 Sheet 3 of 4 US 2011/005576.0 A1 Fig. 7 Patent Application Publication Mar. 3, 2011 Sheet 4 of 4 US 2011/005576.0 A1 Fig. 8 US 2011/0055760 A1 Mar. 3, 2011 METHOD OF PROVIDING A GRAPHICAL grouping of frequently used menu items is arranged in a first USER INTERFACEUSINGA CONCENTRIC concentric menu, which can easily be accessed at a user MENU defined location on the working space. After selection of a menu item out of the first concentric menu, the display of at FIELD OF THE INVENTION least one additional grouping of menu items is animated, each 0001. The present invention generally relates to the field of of the additional groupings formed concentrically in a pie graphical user interfaces (GUIs), and more particularly, to a sliced shape. Another objective of the present invention is to method of providing a GUI using user-specific animated con provide a machine readable medium storing instructions for centric menus, which are organized in a pie sliced shape, realizing the method of providing a GUI. wherein the main menu is organized in the inlinermost parts of the concentric menu and the Sub-menus are located in the SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION outer parts of the same pie slice shaped menu part. 0005 According to the present invention, a method and system for providing a GUI is provided, wherein the central BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION portion of the GUI is displayed, after activation via an input 0002 Since actual software programs implicate a continu device. Subsequently, the display of a first concentric menu ously increasing number of functions for the user, graphical comprising a first grouping of menu items and comprising a user interfaces (GUIs). Such as icons, cursors, pop-up win Subset of one or more items from a set of menu items is dows, and menus are of great importance to allow a comfort animated. This subset of menu items can be selected by the able interaction of the user with the software program. Cur user based on importance, including any of frequency of use, rent desktop GUIs typically provide one or more drop-down popularity, historical favorites and can be positioned based on or pop-up menus and a large number of icons to select specific a relationship between individual items. After selection of functions. Traditional menu systems are arranged in a top-to one menu item out of the first grouping of menu items, the bottom linear configuration, where the menu items are logi display of at least one additional grouping of menu items is cally arranged or similar functions are arranged groupwise. animated, each of the additional groupings of menu items Especially, when the list of menu items gets very long, it formed concentrically in a pie sliced shape. These additional becomes difficult for the user to quickly review the list and groupings of menu items can correspond to Sub-menus of the even more difficult to recall from prior selections the exact selected menu item of the first grouping of menu items, the position of specific menu items. The drop-down menus are subset of items being selectable by the user based on impor often nested several layers deep. Each nested layer of the tance, including any of frequency of use, popularity, histori menu structure is usually displayed as a separate drop-down cal favorites and positioned based on a relationship between menu in a rectangular shape that is visually connected to the individual items. This GUI can be activated by a user at any previous layer of the menu structure. When choosing an position on the display area via an input device, when it is option from Such a drop-down menu, the cursor has to be needed. The pie menu can either have a hierarchical structure moved over a path Substantially corresponding to the hori where every menu level corresponds to sub-menus of the level Zontal or vertical lines along which the options are arranged. before or have a non-hierarchical structure, where the single In the case that a graphics tablet is used as an input device to menu items are independent from one another. The present manipulate the Software these precise movements for navi invention further provides a machine readable medium stor gating through a menu structure are very difficult to fulfill ing instructions for implementing the above-described even for an expert user. method and system for providing a GUI. 0003) To facilitate the navigation within GUIs, an alterna tive user-interface technique was developed, the so-called BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS "pie' menus, which are two-dimensional and much easier to use and faster than conventional linear menus. Especially for 0006 FIG. 1 illustrates an illustrated embodiment of a first the usage with alternative pointing devices as data-tablets or concentric menu. touchscreens, this special menu structure allows a quick navi 0007 FIG. 2 illustrates exemplary frames for the anima gation through the different menu layers. The pie menus are tion of the first concentric menu. round menus, wherein the menu items are positioned around 0008 FIG. 3 illustrates an illustrated embodiment of a the center. The target regions are shaped like the slices of a hierarchical concentric menu with a pie slice shaped Sub pie, and the cursor starts in the center of the menu in an C. inactive region. The active regions are all adjacent to the 0009 FIG. 4 illustrates an illustrated embodiment of a cursor, but each in different directions (Don Hopkins, Dr. non-hierarchical concentric menu with a pie slice shaped Dobb's Journal, December 1991). Most known pie menus Sub-menu. only contain one menu layer with selectable menu items. 0010 FIG. 5 illustrates another illustrated embodiment of Therefore, a limited number of menu functions can be the concentric menu, where the number of second level menu accessed using such a menu structure. Alternatively, after items is already implicated at the border of the first concentric selection of a menu item, a second menu, which can be either C. a linear menu or a further circular menu, appears (Kurtenbach 0011 FIG. 6 illustrates an illustrated embodiment of the & Buxton, Proceedings of InterCHI '93, 1993, 482-487). concentric menu with a pie slice shaped Sub-menu, wherein These structures are complicated, require wide movements of the active menu item is highlighted. the cursor and cannot be navigated intuitively. 0012 FIG. 7 illustrates an illustrated embodiment of the concentric menu with a pie slice shaped sub-menu and mixed OBJECT OF THE INVENTION levels of granularity. 0004. It is therefore an object of the present invention to 0013 FIG. 8 illustrates an illustrated embodiment of the provide a method and system for providing a GUI, wherein a concentric menu with a pie slice shaped Sub-menu, wherein US 2011/0055760 A1 Mar. 3, 2011 the content of the activated menu item is displayed in the menu, it is possible to work with the GUI directly on a central position of the graphical user interface. graphical object and still seeing the details of this object. 0014 FIG. 9 illustrates an illustrated embodiment of the 0018. After animation of the display of the first concentric concentric menu with a pie slice shaped sub-menu and radi menu, the user can select one menu item out of the first ally oriented labeling of the menu items. grouping of menu items. The individual menu item can be selected by activation via the input device or preferably by DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED positioning the cursor on the specific menu item. In this case, EMBODIMENTS the navigation through the GUI is achieved just by moving the cursor over the desired menu items. The selection of a specific 0015 The present invention will now be described with menu item occurs then by activation via the input device. In reference to the accompanying drawings which show specific contrast to conventional GUIs, every menu item is used for illustrated embodiments of the GUI by which the invention structuring the GUI and a specific function can be accessed by may be practiced. The present disclosure is considered as an activation via the input device. The selection of one menu exemplification of the principles of the invention and the item out of the first grouping of menu items results in the associated functional specifications and is not intended to animation of the display of at least one additional grouping of limit the scope of the invention to the embodiments illus menu items.