Dynamically generating context dependent hybrid context menus by transforming a context specific hierarchical model
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorCharles M. Gobeil
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Hybrid menus can be generated and displayed, where the hybrid menus comprising primary and sub-menus having different geometries. Depending upon the context in which a user provides selection input for menu display, the context-appropriate model elements are retrieved from a tree model. A layout generation component transforms the tree model into a hybrid menu for display to the user.
Claims22
A computer-implemented method for dynamically generating context-dependent hybrid menus for display at graphical user interfaces comprising:
- interpreting user input to the graphical user interface to determine context;
- selecting model elements representing menu items for said determined context;
- generating a hierarchical model comprising the selected model elements;
- determining a view for displaying the model elements of the hierarchical model from a plurality of views based on user interaction performance characteristics of the plurality of views;
- and
- transforming the hierarchical model to generate a hybrid menu based on the determined view, the hybrid menu comprising primary menu coupled to one or more sub-menus;
- on the graphical user interface, displaying the primary menu as a radial menu having a plurality of radial pie segments, each radial pie segment representing a user selectable elements, at least a portion of the user selectable elements corresponding to one of the sub-menus;
- and
- on the graphical user interface, responsive to one of the radial pie segments being selected that has a corresponding one of the sub-menus, displaying the corresponding sub-menu as a linear submenu having user selectable elements.
A system for dynamically generating context-dependent hybrid menus for display at graphical user interfaces, said system comprising at least one processing device for executing components and further comprising:
- an input interpretation component for interpreting user input to the graphical user interface to determine input location and context;
- a model element selection component for selecting model elements representing menu items for said determined context;
- a model generating component for generating a hybrid menu that is displayable on a graphical user interface, said hybrid menu comprising a primary radial menu having a plurality of radial pie segments that are user selectable elements, wherein two or more of the radial pie segments have a corresponding segment unique, linear sub-menu that is dynamically presented with the graphical user interface upon receipt of a user selection of the corresponding radial pie segment.
A computer program product comprising a non-transitory tangible computer readable medium storing embodying a program of instructions executable by a computing machine for performing a method comprising the steps of:
- on the graphical user interface, displaying a primary menu as a radial menu having a plurality of radial pie segments, each radial pie segment representing a user selectable elements, at least a portion of the user selectable elements corresponding to one of a plurality of sub-menus;
- and
- on the graphical user interface, responsive to one of the radial pie segments being selected that has a corresponding one of the sub-menus, displaying the corresponding sub-menu as a linear submenu having a plurality of user selectable elements.
An apparatus for dynamically generating context-dependent hybrid menus for display at graphical user interfaces comprising:
- a processor for executing computer implemented instructions;
- a memory that is a non-transitory storage medium that stores at least one computer program product comprising computer implemented instructions;
- a bus for communicatively linking said memory and said processor, wherein said processor when executing the at least one computer program products is operable to:
- interpret user input to the graphical user interface to determine input location and context;
- select model elements representing menu items for said determined context;
- generate a hierarchical model comprising the selected model elements;
- determine a view for displaying the model elements of the hierarchical model from a plurality of views based on user interaction performance characteristics of the plurality of views;
- transform the hierarchical model to generate a hybrid menu based on the determined view, the hybrid menu comprising at least one primary menu coupled to at least one sub-menu, at least one of the primary and at least one sub-menu comprising a radial menu;
- on the graphical user interface, display the primary menu as a radial menu having a plurality of radial pie segments, each radial pie segment representing a user selectable element, at least a portion of the user selectable element corresponding to one of the sub-menus;
- and
- on the graphical user interface, responsive to one of the radial pie segments being selected that has a corresponding one of the sub-menus, display the corresponding sub-menu as a linear sub-menu having user selectable elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.