EP0727730A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method and apparatus for improving visibility and selectability of icons
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1996-01-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-01-16
Abstract
Abstract Enhanced visibility of icons and other types of menu items is provided by increasing size and or skew or both of one or more icons or menu items in a generally inverse relation to proximity of a cursor image address to particular icons or menu items. Increase of size enhances user recognition of an ordinarily small menu item or icon and simultaneously provides the effect of stabilizing cursor position during selection without affecting linearity of response to a graphic input device. Skew and repeated expansion may be used to attract user attention while repeated expansion simplifies icon manipulation by the user in determining a response to a mandatory input demand from an application.
Inventors
- 👤 Edwin Joseph Selker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 02:13
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/14; G06F3/01; G06F3/048; G06F3/0484; G06F3/04842; G06F3/0487; G06F3/0489; G06F3/04895
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
81 words
A method for visually enhancing a display of menu items including the steps of establishing a location of at least one said menu item on a display, establishing a location of a cursor image on a display, determining proximity between said location of said at least one of said menu items and said location of said cursor image, and displaying a menu item in accordance with an attribute determined in generally inverse relation to said proximity determined by said determining step.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said attribute includes size.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said attribute includes skew.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said attribute includes skew.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as recited in claim 2, including the further step of detecting presence of said cursor location within a selection zone of said menu item.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as recited in claim 5, including the further step of limiting size of said menu item in response to said step of detection of said cursor location within said detection zone of said menu item.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as recited in claim 6, wherein said detecting and limiting steps are repeated.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as recited in claim 6, wherein said detecting and limiting steps are periodically repeated.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method as recited in claim 1, including the further steps of comparing proximity of at least two menu items to said location of said cursor, and performing said displaying step only on a menu item determined to be closest to said cursor image by said comparing step.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method as recited in claim 1, including the further steps of comparing proximity of at least two menu items to said location of said cursor, and performing said displaying step only on menu items determined to be closer to said cursor image by said comparing step than a threshold distance.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
65 words
A method as recited in claim 1, including the further step of altering said cursor image location, repeating said step of determining proximity between said location of said at least one of said menu items and said location of said cursor image, and displaying another menu item in accordance with an attribute determined in generally inverse relation to said proximity determined by said determining step.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as recited in claim 11, wherein said altering step is performed in response to a graphic input device.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as recited in claim 12, wherein said graphic input device is a mouse.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method as recited in claim 11, including the further steps of comparing proximity of at least two menu items to said location of said cursor, and performing said displaying step only on a menu item determined to be closest to said cursor image by said comparing step.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method as recited in claim 11, including the further steps of comparing proximity of at least two menu items to said location of said cursor, and performing said displaying step only on menu items determined to be closer to said cursor image by said comparing step than a threshold distance.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as recited in claim 1, including the further steps of detecting a cursor location within a selection zone of a menu item, and controlling selection of said menu item.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as recited in claim 1, including the further step of altering a selection zone of said at least one menu item in generally inverse proportion to said proximity determined in said determining step.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as recited in claim 17, including the further steps of detecting a cursor location within said selection zone of a menu item, and controlling selection of said menu item.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as recited in claim 16, including the further step of detection onset of said step of controlling selection, and compensating change of cursor location during said step of controlling selection.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as recited in claim 18, including the further step of detection onset of said step of controlling selection, and compensating change of cursor location during said step of controlling selection.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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