Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
  • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
  • G06F3/048—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
  • G06F3/0481—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
  • G06F3/0482—Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F2203/00—Indexing scheme relating to G06F3/00 - G06F3/048
  • G06F2203/048—Indexing scheme relating to G06F3/048
  • G06F2203/04802—3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a system for selecting elements displayed on a screen.
• the invention finds an advantageous application in the general field of graphic interfaces. It applies more specifically to the field of user interactions with graphic interfaces, especially when data lists are particularly important in number, such as digital photos, and pose problems of miniaturization at certain terminals, mobile phones or PDAs for example, because of their very small interaction surfaces.
• the invention is particularly applicable to
• HMI Human Machine Interfaces
• an object of the invention is to propose a system for selecting elements displayed on a screen, said elements being arranged along a helix, which would make it possible to display all the elements of a list, or menu, on an optimal surface and select an element without changing the mode of representation of the propeller, so with an optimal speed of interaction.
• said helix is represented in three dimensions on said screen, and said selection system comprises a pointing device / selection of any element to be selected on the helix and a device handling of the propeller, able to modify at least locally the pitch of the helix.
• the propeller may be desirable to be able to modify characteristics of the propeller so as, for example, to allow easier pointing of elements whose access is made difficult. because of their position on the helix, in particular by masking by other elements located in the foreground, or because of a high density of elements on the turns of the helix.
• said system comprises a device for handling the helix, able to modify at least locally the pitch of the helix. It will be seen later that this arrangement can have multiple applications, in particular it makes possible a "zoom” or “magnifying” effect on the elements to be selected when they are very numerous and therefore too close to each other for can be easily pointed by the cursor. In this case, the pitch of the helix is modified around the element pointed by the pointing / selection device.
• a modification of the pitch of the helix is also implemented when the system according to the invention is able to deploy on the helix of the sub-elements of a selected element by the pointing / selection device.
• This Deployment of the tree naturally requires a reduction of the pitch of the helix and can be accompanied by a "zoom” or "magnifying" effect on the tree thus deployed.
• said manipulation device is able to rotate the helix about its axis. This characteristic is particularly advantageous for bringing into the foreground an element that it is desired to point and select while it was initially in the background and therefore difficult to access, particularly by means of a cursor of the pointing / selection device. It is also provided by the invention that the handling device is capable of modifying the radius of the helix. In particular, the handling device is able to modify the surface occupied by the helix on the screen. The user can both reduce the radius of the propeller and its length by shortening the pitch. It has this way of means to make the propeller more discreet on the screen when it is not used and while its presence would be at the expense of the current application, collaborative teleconference for example.
• the pointing / selection device generally consists of a computer peripheral for animating a cursor indicating where the user can act on the screen.
• said pointing / selection device is an isotonic device. It may be, for example, a 3D pointer of the type commercially available under the trademark "OwI".
• a 2D pointing device can also be used as a "mouse" 2D, provided to associate it with a mode of interaction for access to the 3rd dimension.
• the mouse serves for example to move the cursor in the plane of the screen while an action on complementary means makes it possible to move the cursor in depth on an element located in the background.
• This complementary means is for example a button or the wheel of the mouse, a key on the keyboard, etc.
• the depth excursion can be facilitated by making the elements partially transparent or by automatically projecting the cursor in depth.
• the selection of a pointed element is done in particular by means of a body associated with the mouse by clicking a button, by pressing a key on the keyboard, or by voice command.
• a 2D mouse can also be used as a device for manipulating the helix, associated for example with the mouse wheel to rotate the helix or an interactive element ("widget") present on the screen and on which one can click with the cursor to change the pitch.
• a cursor an interactive element
• said manipulation device is an isometric device of the "trackball” type ("trackball 3D”).
• Trackball 3D isometric device of the "trackball” type
• Space Mouse marketed by the company 3Dconnexion.
• the invention also relates to a method for selecting elements displayed on a screen, said elements being arranged along a helix, remarkable in that said method comprises steps of: - representing said helix in three dimensions on said screen ,
• the invention relates to a computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the method according to the invention when said program is executed on a computer.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a selection system according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a plan view illustrating the selection of an element of the helix.
• Figure 3 is a plan view illustrating the enlargement of a portion of the helix.
• Fig. 4 is a plan view illustrating a tree deployment.
• FIG. 1 illustrates a system and a method for selecting N elements E 1 ,..., E, E N displayed on a screen. These elements belong to a list of objects or data, like the items of a menu, and can be represented indifferently by icons symbolizing a text, 2D images, objects or hierarchical elements, etc.
• the N elements considered are arranged along a helix H represented on the screen according to a 3D scene.
• X be the axis of this helix, that is to say the line around which "turns" the helix in a 3D coordinate system (X, Y, Z).
• the points drawing the helix H are projected on the plane (Y, Z) orthogonal to the X axis according to a circle equation which is a function of the angle ⁇ defined around the X axis:
• p represents the pitch of the helix, the distance traveled by a point of the helix along the X axis for a full circle, that is to say for a turn.
• the variable r represents the radius of the helix, that is to say the radius of the circle drawn on the Y-Z plane by the projection of the helix.
• the set of elements E, of the list are linearly arranged on the helix H, the elements being placed in this case at an equal distance on the helix.
• L is the length of the helix, that is to say the length of the menu occupied on the screen and n is the number of elements per turn
• the pitch p is given by the relation:
• the pitch p is calculated as a function of the variables L, N and the number n of elements per turns, the latter being determined so as to obtain a sufficient readability of the elements given the size of the icons chosen to represent it.
• the pitch p must remain greater than a minimum value, said not ergonomic, corresponding to the minimum distance between two turns to distinguish and interact on two consecutive elements of the list, or menu.
• the user can rotate the helix H about its axis X by means of a handling device, wheel of a 2D mouse or rotation of a trackball ("3D trackball") for example, to bring to the foreground the element he wants to point.
• the pointing / selection device has a function for selecting a pointed element, for example a mouse button or any other device.
• the cursor 10 is positioned on an item of the list, the user has the possibility to select it by activating this selection function.
• the user can also activate a multiple selection mode allowing to simultaneously select several elements of the list, or menu, using for example the "Ctrl" key of the keyboard.
• the pitch is reduced to such an extent that overlap between the elements prevents any ergonomic interaction, that is to say, adapted to the task of selecting the elements. .
• This step enlargement operation can be performed by means of the manipulation device, trackball or 2D mouse associated with a device, wheel, keyboard key, etc.
• the system which is the subject of the invention, also provides for an automatic enlargement of the pitch of the helix to the value of the ergonomic pitch from the simple positioning of the slider 10 on the pointed element.
• a list of elements, or menu can be hierarchical, in the sense that the same element can represent a sub-list, or sub-menu.
• the elements of this sub-list, or sub-elements e are deployed on the helix in the same way as the elements themselves, as illustrated in FIG. 4.
• a number of turns sufficient to support the new elements are inserted into the helix at the location where the selected hierarchical element was located, using the pitch modification procedure described with reference to FIG.
• the step sizes of the pre-existing list and the new list are then recalculated so that the occupied screen area remains constant.
• a different step size can be used to differentiate hierarchical levels from lists and sub-lists.
• the system according to the invention also makes it possible to modify the surface occupied on the screen by the helical 3D menu by modifying the length L and the radius r of the helix.
• This modification can be done by means of the pointing / selection device or the handling device.
• One solution for implementing the display surface modification function using the pointing / selection device consists in integrating into the representation of the helix an interactive element ("widget") 11 ( Figure 1) dedicated to this interaction. Then just select this interactive element to access the editing function.
• Changing the width, or radius causes a proportional resizing of the representation of the elements of the list. For example, dividing the width by two results in a decrease in the size of the elements by two. Changing the length causes the pitch of the helix to change in proportion to the change in length.
• the invention has a large number of advantages:

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• User Interface Of Digital Computer (AREA)
• Position Input By Displaying (AREA)
• Processing Or Creating Images (AREA)

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• 2007
  • 2007-12-14 US US12/520,155 patent/US20100023894A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2007-12-14 WO PCT/FR2007/052524 patent/WO2008087314A2/fr active Application Filing
  • 2007-12-14 EP EP07871940A patent/EP2095215A2/de not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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