# US 2008/0189629 A1 · User Interface to Support a User Selecting Content > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0189629 A1 - Document ID: US20080189629A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/908,985 - Filed: 2006-03-21 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Earliest claimed: 2005-03-24 - Assignees: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. - Inventors: Elmo Marcus Attila Diederiks; Bartel Marinus Van De Sluis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080189629A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A user interface provides a representation of content items that are selected based on a duration of time of a selection action of the content items if the duration of time of the selection action exceeds a given time interval. An association between a plurality of content items may be used to determine the growth of the selection indication including at least one of a rate of growth, a shape of growth, and the time interval prior to growth of the selection indication. A system may sense at least one of a proximity of a content items to a selected content item and an association between content items, and grows the selection indication at a rate and/or shape and/or other representation that is determined by the proximity and/or association. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for selecting content comprising the acts of: sensing a duration of time of a selection action of a content item; and growing a selection indication if the duration of time of the selection action exceeds a given time interval. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the act of growing the selection indication comprises the act of sensing a proximity of a content item close to an outside edge of a selection area and growing the selection area at a rate that is determined by the proximity of the content item. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the act of growing the selection indication comprises the act of sensing a proximity of a content item outside a selection area in relation to a content item within the selection area and growing the selection area at a rate that is determined by the proximity. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the act of growing the selection indication comprises the act of sensing a proximity of a content item outside a selection area and growing the selection area towards the content item. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the time interval is determined by the proximity of a second content item to a first selected content item. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the selection indication is a selection area that originates in an area of the selection action. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising the act of determining an association between a plurality of content items and wherein the selection indication grows based on the association. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the act of growing the selection indication comprises the act of repositioning content items to be in close spatial proximity. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the act of growing the selection indication comprises the act of presenting a status bar indicating a relative number of selected content items. ### Claim 10 A device, comprising: a processor; and a display, wherein the processor is configured to produce a representation of content items on the display, is configured to sense a duration of time of a selection action of a content item, and is configured to grow a selection indication if the duration of time of the selection action exceeds a given time interval. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to sense an association between a plurality of content items and to grow the selection indication at a rate that is determined by the sensed association. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to sense a proximity of a content item outside a selection area in relation to a content item within the selection area and configured to grow the selection area at a rate that is determined by the proximity. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine an association between a plurality of content items and is configured to determine the time interval based on the determined association. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine an association between a plurality of content items and configured to grow the selection indication based on the association. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to reposition content items to be in close spatial proximity as determined by an association between selected content items. ### Claim 16 A program portion stored on a machine readable medium, the program portion comprising: a program segment for producing a representation of content items; a program segment for sensing a duration of time of a selection action of the content item; and a program segment for growing a selection indication if the duration of time of the selection action exceeds a given time interval. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The program portion of claim 16, comprising a program segment for using and association between a plurality of content items to grow the selection area at a rate that is determined by the association. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The program portion of claim 16, comprising a program segment to reposition content items to be in close spatial proximity based on an association between selected content items. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The program portion of claim 16, comprising a program segment to produce a mind map representation of content items, wherein the program segment to grow the selection indication grows the selection indication outward from a position in the mind may representation originating at a position determined from the selection action. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The program portion of claim 16, wherein the selection indication is a representation of selected items in relation to a total number of content items represented.