WO2010123311A1 - Multidirectional expansion cursor and method for forming a multidirectional expansion cursor - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multidirectional expansion cursor and to a method for forming same. The multidirectional expansion cursor is provided with a plurality of selection keys displayed on a display screen and movable according to the input control of a user, the selection keys are displayed on the display screen to correspond to one or more objects selectable on the display screen, and when one of the selection keys corresponding to an intended object from among the one or more objects is selected through the input control of a user, the intended object is executed. The method for forming the multidirectional expansion cursor comprises the steps of: generating an expansion cursor divided into a plurality of selection keys displayed on a display screen and moved according to the input control of a user; matching the selection keys to one or more objects selectable on the display screen, to display on the display screen; and selecting a selection key that corresponds to an intended object from among the one or more objects in order to execute the object. According to the present invention, a certain intended object from a plurality of objects can quickly and accurately be selected simply by positioning the cursor near that certain object, thus providing the effect of being able to perform fine selections without having to accurately position the cursor on a desired object while surfing the web, gaming, or performing office tasks.

Description

How to implement multidirectional extended cursors and multidirectional extended cursors

The present invention relates to a multi-directional extended cursor partitioned by radial selection keys and a method of implementing the multi-directional extended cursor, wherein the user can move the cursor close to the specific object displayed on the display screen without any effort to precisely position it. The present invention relates to a multi-directional extended cursor and an implementation method thereof that are suitable for a user-friendly environment with excellent user intuition that can quickly and conveniently accurately select a desired object to display or execute an intended content.

As the Windows environment has evolved from the DOS environment, the user interface on the display screen has become a very important factor. That is, by arranging objects such as various types and types of contents at unspecified positions on the display screen, the user can not only easily grasp the contents of the contents but also easily access the contents using a mouse. It is used.

And with a handheld terminal that has fewer keyboards than PCs or laptops, a visual user interface and a user-selectable user interface are even more important.

However, in the current electronic device, an input tool such as a mouse cursor, an optical sensor-type pointer, a joystick, or a finger must be accurately positioned on the content or object in order to select specific content displayed on the display screen. However, for example, when the cursor is moved on the touch pad, it is difficult to precisely move the cursor. When using a finger, an indication of an icon that displays content is smaller than the size of the finger. It was difficult to select exactly the content. In particular, mobile devices are not easy to select and operate smoothly like using a mouse for gaming, web and office work. In other words, precise mouse pointer control is difficult, and it is very difficult to precisely select and manipulate small buttons or lines on the screen with a finger. Therefore, the above-mentioned difficult selection procedure must be repeated several times due to the wrong selection, not only increasing the user's fatigue but also having difficulty in quickly and accurately operating a game, web, and office work like a mouse of a desktop PC.

Also, the conventional cursor simply functions as a tool for selecting content. That is, it is used as a tool that can confirm the user's intention to select specific content by moving the cursor and placing the cursor on the content. Therefore, the cursor is used only for selection except for selecting additional functions by using the left and right buttons of the mouse. In addition, even when the user selects an additional function by using the left and right buttons of the mouse, a quick selection of the left and right buttons must be performed additionally.

The present invention has been devised to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to quickly and accurately select an intended object from one or more objects only by positioning the cursor close to a specific object even on a limited size screen. The present invention relates to a multidirectional extended cursor having excellent user intuitiveness and a method of implementing the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multidirectional extended cursor capable of performing various function commands on a display screen through an input display connected to a cursor, and a method of implementing the same.

Still another object of the present invention is to not only arrange and confirm a plurality of objects arranged arbitrarily, but also to use an extended cursor after inputting a search word to arrange and use an object corresponding to the search word according to an intended criterion. An object of the present invention is to provide a multidirectional extended cursor and a method of implementing the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-directional extended cursor and an implementation method thereof, which can be arranged three-dimensionally for a large number of objects to quickly and easily check the contents of the object.

According to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, the present invention relates to an implementation method of an extended cursor, which is displayed on a display screen and moved according to a user's input operation, divided by a plurality of selection keys. Generating a; Displaying at least one object selectable on the display screen and the selection key on the display screen; And selecting a selection key corresponding to the object to execute an intended object among the one or more objects.

In addition, the display screen is movable on the user's input operation and has a plurality of selection keys, wherein the selection keys are displayed on the display screen to correspond to one or more objects selectable on the display screen, and the user's input When the selection key corresponding to the intended object among the one or more objects is selected by the operation, the intended object is executed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to quickly and accurately select an intended object from one or more objects only by positioning the extended cursor close to a specific object, so that the proximity selection is quick and accurate without having to accurately position the cursor on the intended object. The effect is that you can make a selection.

In addition, according to the present invention, various function commands can be executed on the display screen through the basic cursor or the extended cursor, so that data input including characters and various commands can be easily performed by proximity selection even in a narrow input space. There is an advantage.

In addition, according to the present invention, not only can a plurality of arbitrarily arranged objects be checked, but also an extended cursor after inputting a search word can be used to arrange objects corresponding to the search word according to an intended criterion. The effect is that you can easily select the object you want.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to check the content of the object by arranging a large number of objects three-dimensionally, there is an advantage that can be quickly and easily select the desired object.

1 is a flow chart of a method of implementing an extended cursor according to the present invention;

2 is a perspective view showing an example of an electronic device in which a method according to the present invention is implemented;

3 to 9 show a specific embodiment of the method according to the invention,

10 is a view for explaining an example of the usual use of the expansion cursor according to the present invention,

11 and 12 illustrate another example of an electronic device in which a method according to the present invention is implemented;

13 illustrates an embodiment in which a method according to the invention is implemented in a game,

14 and 15 illustrate an embodiment of a second embodiment of an implementation method of an extended cursor according to the present invention;

16 is a view showing a modification to the second embodiment according to the present invention;

17 to 19 are diagrams showing an implementation example of the third embodiment of the implementation method of the extended cursor according to the present invention;

20 is a view showing a modification of the third embodiment according to the present invention;

21 is a diagram showing that the present invention is run in an office application;

FIG. 22 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a user terminal implemented according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

Hereinafter, a multidirectional extended cursor and an implementation method thereof according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First Embodiment

1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of implementing a multi-directional extended cursor according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of an electronic device in which the method according to the present invention is implemented, and FIGS. 3 to 7 are according to the present invention. A specific embodiment of a direction expanding cursor is shown.

First, the electronic device to which the present invention is implemented may include a display screen 10 and input means 20 that enable a plurality of inputs for moving and selecting a plurality of basic cursors 31 operated on the display screen 10. ) Is sufficient. That is, the electronic device may be a portable terminal of the type shown in FIG. 2 or may be various devices such as a computer, a notebook computer, a PDA, and the like. Here, the basic cursor is generally an object waiting for an input or displaying a position on a display device such as a computer monitor, and means a cursor having a directionality that can be moved according to an operation of an input means such as a mouse. Depending on the choice according to the implementation environment it can be represented in a wide variety of shapes.

The multi-directional extended cursor according to the present invention is displayed on the display screen 10 and movable according to a user's input operation, and has a plurality of selection keys 33, wherein the selection key 33 is the display screen 10. Is displayed on the display screen 10 so as to correspond to the at least one object 40 selectable from the display panel 10, and the selection key 33 corresponding to the intended object 40 among the at least one object is input by a user's input operation. If selected, the intended object 40 is executed.

The method according to the present invention includes a basic cursor 31 displayed and moved on the display screen 10, and a plurality of selection keys 33 connected to the basic cursor 31 to move together with the basic cursor 31; And starting with creating the extended cursor 30 delimited by 33a, 33b). Here, the 'extended cursor' is not a cursor generally used like the basic cursor, but is a kind of an object that can be associated with a selection key to each of a plurality of objects displayed on the display screen while being expanded by a predetermined requirement such as a user's system environment setting. It means a cursor.

Also, in the present exemplary embodiments, the extended cursor includes the basic cursor, but the basic cursor may be omitted according to the user's deactivation option selection, and the basic cursor is located at the center of the extended cursor. It may be possible (FIG. 7). In particular, if the user can grasp the direction by the shape of the extended cursor, the need for including the basic cursor in the extended cursor is less.

As mentioned above, the basic cursor 31 performs operations and functions similar to those of the cursor 31 which is commonly used. However, as shown in FIG. 2, an extended cursor 30 is integrally connected to one end of the basic cursor 31. Note that the extended cursor is not dependent on the default cursor, but it is sufficient to understand that the basic cursor is integrally connected to the outer end of the extended cursor by the user's option setting according to the usage environment. In particular, as described above, the basic cursor 31 may be positioned or not displayed in the center of the extended cursor according to the structure or shape of the extended cursor and the selection keys or according to the user's option setting. In particular, when the object is separated from the object by more than a predetermined distance, the basic cursor is displayed like the extended cursor, but when the object is moved within the predetermined distance, the shape of the extended cursor may be changed so that it is not displayed. Of course, may change. In this case, the extended cursor 30 is usually formed to be the same as or slightly larger than the basic cursor 31 so that the movement of the basic cursor 31 and selection through the basic cursor 31 are not inconvenient. In addition, it is natural that the extended cursor 33 can be driven without displaying the basic cursor 31 from the initial screen.

In addition, the expansion cursor 30 has a plurality of selection keys 33a and 33b formed in a circular shape and radially partitioned from the center as shown in FIG. 2. In this case, the selection key 33b provided at the center may be omitted, and the number of the selection keys 33 may be changed as necessary. In addition, the shape of the extended cursor and the shape of the selection key can be any planar or three-dimensional figure that is geometrically possible as well as circular, and it is natural that the number of radially partitioned partitions or the number of selection keys can be large. However, it is desirable to keep it within the range of 4 to 13 to maintain accuracy, intuition and speed.

Meanwhile, one or more objects 40 may be displayed on the display screen 10 (see FIG. 3). The object may link information to a user interface, link or hypertext, simple text, thumbnail image or icon image, thumbnail movie, various multimedia contents, or any one of them. It may be combined, or it may be a combination of link information in a text and a fragment image or a composite of text and a fragment video, or may be a TV image, various videos, or a player itself, and may include document data, image data, and sound source. Content such as data, video data, or a combination of two or more of them, or may be an application program, or data using a markup language such as html, xml, sgml, or the like. Or, the content menu can be a link pointing to a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or a local storage path. Meaning that you can have, content, menus, icons, folders, characters, items, graphics or display material can include information such as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art easily. It will also be readily understood by one skilled in the art that the scope of the object is not limited to the examples described above. In the present example, for convenience of explanation, the object 40 is described as meaning content menus. Anything may be used as long as it can be clicked or executed with a conventional cursor to move to the actual content for the content 40 or display content related to the content. For example, the object 40 may be displayed in the form of a picture, a letter or a phrase, or a symbol, or may be a character in a game. That is, when the object 40 is in the form of a picture, when the object is clicked or executed, contents corresponding to the picture may be displayed or moved to a corresponding homepage, and the picture may be enlarged and displayed on a display screen. have. When the object 40 is in the form of letters or phrases, the contents represented by the letters or phrases may be displayed or moved to the corresponding homepage when the object 40 is clicked (or executed). In the game, the object may be a character of the game, and when the object is clicked or executed, the object may perform a selection of a character or a specific operation command for the character.

In addition, the object may be a graphic display such as a window window of various shapes and sizes displayed on the display screen.

Next, as the extended cursor 30 moves closer to the object 40 as shown in FIG. 4, the extended cursor 30 is changed in shape as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. One or more objects 40 located within a certain distance and the selection key 33a of the input display unit 33 are connected to each other. In this case, all of the selection keys 33 need not be connected to the object 40. If nine selection keys 33 are provided, the selection keys 33 disposed adjacent to the object 40 may be provided. It is preferable to be connected to the object 40, respectively. In FIGS. 4 to 7, the dotted line illustrated in the center of the display screen 10 is an imaginary line describing a distance range for connecting the object 40 and the selection key 33 to each other. This virtual line is not limited to the horizontal and vertical straight lines, but means a virtual predetermined distance or distance from a plurality of objects. In other words, it is the range in which the proximity selection is possible.

Alternatively, when the objects 40 adjacent to the extension cursor 30 are distributed in the same number as the selection key 33, each selection key 33 of the extension cursor 30 may be connected to the object 40, respectively. .

The select key 33 of the extended cursor 30 shown in FIG. 5 has a circular shape, but is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, it may have a radially small triangular shape on a circular track. At this time, the circular trajectory may be transparent or may be implemented to have an appropriate skin or color to have a beauty in actual implementation. In particular, as shown in Fig. 6 or 7, by displaying a number inside the selection key, in the input method such as a keypad, keyboard, button keys, etc., the selected menu can be accessed directly by pressing the corresponding number. Although indicated by a number here, those skilled in the art may mark other characters or symbols other than the number as necessary to suit the input means, and of course it is irrelevant even if it is not displayed. In addition, a plurality of elongated ellipses arranged radially as shown in FIG. 7 may be used, or all or part of the color may be applied or made transparent. As can be easily predicted from this, it is obvious that those skilled in the art can variously modify or modify the shape and structure of the selection key to be modified as well as the shape of the extended cursor.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, when there are more objects 40 than the selection keys 33 of the extended cursor 30, only once for the object 40 proximate to the extended cursor 30. It is connected to the selection key 33 individually. In this state, when the expansion cursor 30 is moved in a specific direction (for example, in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 8), as shown in FIG. 9, the expansion cursor ( The object 40 proximate to 30 is again individually connected to the selection key 33.

On the other hand, when the selection key 33 and the object 40 are connected to each other in the extended cursor 30, the extended cursor 30 is omitted in the initial form shown in FIG. The key 33 may be changed into an expanded form (see FIGS. 3 and 5 to 7), and the basic cursor may be positioned or not displayed in the center of the extended selection keys. .

When the object 40 displayed on the display screen 10 and the selection key 33 are connected as described above, the selection key 33 connected to the specific object 40 is selected to access contents corresponding to the object 40. You can check it. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the user wants to click on the content 40 called "news" while the object 40 and the selection key 33 are connected, the selection key located at 3 o'clock ( 33), a screen for displaying the contents of the content 40 can be moved.

On the other hand, in the case of playing a game, when the extended cursor 30 is moved within a certain distance from the character 41, the selection key 33 of the extended cursor 30 is extended and connected to the character 41 within a certain distance. In more detail, as shown in FIG. 13, when executing a game called StarCraft, when the extended cursor is moved near the character 41 named Zealot, the selection key 33 of the extended cursor 30 is expanded. It is connected with the character 41. In the present embodiment, eight zelets are set to be within a certain distance and are connected to the central selection key 33b. Here, the number of characters connected to the selection key 33b can be changed by a separate setting, and if more than the set number of characters exist within a predetermined distance, the characters are connected to the selection key 33b in order of the nearest character. In addition, although the character is connected to the selection key 33b in the center in FIG. 13, one or more characters may be connected to each of the selection keys 33a arranged in the radial direction by changing the setting. .

In Fig. 13, the selection key 33b in the center is capable of executing a command of "select / release". This automatically performs a function of releasing or reconnecting the connection with the character 41 connected to the selection key 33b.

In addition, the peripheral selection keys 33a may display various commands of characters which can be performed by a shortcut key or a direct selection of a general cursor. In FIG. 13, the left and right reciprocating command, the attack command, the move command, the stop command, and the hold command are arranged on the peripheral selection key 33a, and the user can select the command to execute the command. In this embodiment, a situation is described in which eight zeolites attack together by selecting a selection key corresponding to the 11 o'clock attack command.

At this time, the movement of the extended cursor 30 and the selection of the selection key 33 are performed by the input means 20. That is, the input means 20 may be a conventional input means 20, such as a keyboard, keypad, etc., the input device (patent application No. 2007-0045255) of the present invention previously filed by the inventor of the present invention ( Hereinafter referred to as 'input device 1' may be used. The input device 1 may be provided integrally with the portable terminal as shown in FIG. 2, or may be provided as a separate device and connected to the terminal through USB.

The input device 1 includes an input unit 21, a first sensing unit (not shown), a second sensing unit (not shown), and a controller (not shown). In more detail, the input unit 21 is provided in the periphery of the display screen 10, and is arranged in a plurality of instruction positions D1, D2, D3, ... The first direction input to move to any one of) and the second direction input to press any one of the instruction position are provided independently or simultaneously.

The first sensing unit is provided to detect the first direction input, and the second sensing unit is provided to sense the second direction input.

In addition, the controller extracts and inputs first data corresponding to the first direction input of the instruction position from the memory unit (not shown) when the first direction input is performed, and the instruction position when the second direction input is performed. Extracts and inputs second data corresponding to the second direction input from the memory unit.

In this case, the plurality of indication positions are provided in positions and numbers corresponding to the plurality of selection keys 33, and the controller inputs the direction input when the first direction input or the second direction input to the input unit is performed. It is determined that the selection key 33 corresponding to the performed position is selected, and a selection command of the object 40 corresponding to the selection key 33 is performed.

In addition, since the first direction input and the second direction input are independently or simultaneously performed with respect to the plurality of instruction positions, the first direction input and the second direction input to select the selection key 33 corresponding to each instruction position. If only one of them is performed, it may be treated as selecting the selection key 33.

Alternatively, the selection of the selection key 33 may be performed only by the second direction input, and the first direction input may be used for the movement of the expansion cursor 30.

In addition, the second direction input may be used to input separate data if the selection key 33 and the object 40 are not connected to each other. For example, even when the extended cursor 30 is in the state as shown in FIG. 2, each selection key 33 has a 'previous screen B', 'post-screen F', and 'enter E'. ',' Refresh (N) ',' Screen Resize (S) ',' Close Screen (C) ',' Favorites (R) ',' Mode Change (M) ', etc. When the second direction input is performed for the corresponding selection key 33 to select a command, the command may be executed (see FIG. 10). In this case, the specific command may be displayed as one of the alphabets representing each command as shown in FIG. 10, but may be displayed in a figure form so as to be easily understood visually.

In addition, since the alphabet or the Hangul alphabet is arranged in the selection key 33, the character input is performed by the first direction input and the second direction input, and then the selection key 33 or a separate key is selected. First and second direction inputs may be used to move the extended cursor 30 and to select the selection key 33.

In addition, the input device 1 may be provided with a central input unit (not shown) on the input unit for selecting the center selection key 33.

On the other hand, as shown in Figure 11, when the display screen 10 is provided with a device that can detect the contact and the movement of the input tool, such as a finger or a stylus pen, such as a touch screen, the input means ( 20, an input device (hereinafter referred to as 'input device 2') which is another application invention (patent application No. 2008-0038457) of the applicant of the present invention may be used.

In more detail, the input device 2 includes a first direction input provided on the display screen 10 and moving in contact with any one of a plurality of instruction positions radially spaced about a reference position, and any one of the instruction positions. Each of the second direction inputs for pressing one is independently performed, and a sensing input unit 23 for sensing each direction input, and first data corresponding to the first direction input of the instruction position when the first direction input is performed. When the second direction input is performed, a control unit may be configured to extract and input second data corresponding to the second direction input of the instruction position from the memory unit.

In this case, the plurality of indication positions are generated with positions and numbers corresponding to the plurality of selection keys 33, and the controller is configured to perform a first direction input or a second direction input by the sensing input unit 23. It is determined that the selection key 33 corresponding to the indication position at which the direction input is performed is selected, and a selection command for the object 40 corresponding to the selection key 33 is performed.

In addition, since the reference position in the input device 2 is provided as a position corresponding to the selection key 33 disposed in the center of the selection key 33 on the screen, the reference position depends on the position of the expansion cursor 30. can be changed.

In addition, the sensing input unit 23 may be configured of only a touch screen, or a pressure sensor, a tactile sensor, or the like may be used together with the touch screen to increase the sensing performance of finger movement and pressure.

In addition, when the user moves on the display screen 10 such as a touch screen while the user places a finger on the extended cursor 30 as shown in FIG. 11, the extended cursor 30 moves with the movement of the finger. Herein, the shape or structure of the extended cursor and the basic cursor may be modified by a user or a person skilled in the art in accordance with the environment or preferences in any of the geometrically possible planar or three-dimensional figures as described above. When the extended cursor 30 approaches the object 40 displayed on the display screen 10 within a predetermined distance, as shown in FIG. 12, the extended cursor 30 is activated on the display screen 10 while the selection key ( 33 and the object 40 are connected to each other. Therefore, the user may perform an object connected to the selection key 33 by performing a first direction input through a contact movement of a finger or a second direction input through pressure with respect to a specific selection key 33 provided at a position corresponding to the indicated position. 40) can be executed. Herein, the extended cursor 30 may be activated and driven from the beginning, as described above.

In addition, the other input through the input device 2 may be applied as is the use example of the input device 1 mentioned above.

Second Embodiment

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. For the same components as in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals will be used in the present embodiment.

14 and 15 show an embodiment of the second embodiment according to the present invention.

As shown, in the present embodiment, it is illustrated that the display screen 10 is implemented on a map on which roads and buildings are displayed. In this case, it is preferable that some or all of the buildings 42 on the map are provided such that the name of the building or the name of the company residing in the building can be displayed on the map or displayed in a separate window when the corresponding building is selected. . That is, in the present embodiment, the building 42 is an object.

In the present embodiment, the expansion cursor 30 is located at one point on the map and each selection key 33 is disposed for the buildings close to the location. In this embodiment, the selection key 33 of the extended cursor 30 is not connected to the object represented by the building 42, but is selected to overlap the building 42 as illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15. The keys 33a. 33b are displayed. Therefore, the user can check the information on the building 42 corresponding to the selection key by selecting specific selection keys 33a and 33b by the input means.

In addition, around the selection keys 33a and 33b arranged on the map, an area display section 35 is displayed so that the user can clearly recognize the selection keys on the map. This is the same principle as the selection key and the object in the first embodiment to be recognized as a connecting line.

On the other hand, this embodiment can be utilized in navigation. That is, in the navigation in which the position of the vehicle is displayed on the map when the vehicle 43 is driven, the expansion cursor 30 may be arranged based on the position of the vehicle 43. In this case, when driving a road in which no building exists, an extension cursor is disposed on the vehicle. When driving in a road where a building exists, the expansion cursor is extended and a selection key is placed on the building.

For example, when the vehicle 43 moves on a map, as shown in FIG. 14, selection keys 33a and 33b are disposed on a building 42 located within a distance set around the vehicle 43. . As the vehicle 43 continues to move, the selection keys 33a and 33b are relocated on adjacent buildings based on the current position of the vehicle 43.

In this case, the selection keys 33a and 33b may be arranged on the building in various forms, but it is preferable that the selection keys 33a and 33b are arranged in a form in which the user can easily recognize the corresponding relationship with the input means. For example, when a total of nine selection keys are provided at the center and the periphery of the extended cursor, the selection keys may be arranged in each building in a matrix form. Therefore, the user can intuitively grasp that the centrally located building corresponds to the central selection key 33b, so that the information on the building 42 can be confirmed by selecting the central selection key 33b.

On the other hand, if the user wants to check the information on the building located more than the distance set from the current vehicle 43, the user can move the expansion cursor 30 on the map using the input means (arrow direction in Fig. 15) . At this time, the expansion cursor 30 is separated from the vehicle 43, and as shown in FIG. 15, the selection keys 33a and 33b are disposed on the surrounding buildings based on the point where the expansion cursor is moved. do.

As described above, by using the extended cursor according to the present embodiment for the purpose of confirming the information on the building displayed on the map, it is possible to obtain information on the intended building more easily and quickly.

Next, a modification of the present embodiment will be described.

16 is a view showing a modification to the second embodiment according to the present invention.

As shown, in this variant, the location of the person 44 is displayed on the map. In this case, the location of each person 44 may be set based on, for example, IP addresses of people who log in to specific sites or programs on the Internet to which the user is currently connected, or based on addresses of acquaintances input by the user.

The current location of the user may be displayed on the map, which is also determined by the user's IP address or the user's input.

At this time, the extended cursor 30 is basically located on the user's position and the selection keys 33a and 33b are arranged for those who are located within the set distance from the user. And, as shown in Fig. 16, the expansion cursor 30 can be moved through the input means, and selection keys are arranged for those located near the expansion cursor when the expansion cursor is moved.

Therefore, when the user wants to check information on a specific person among the people whose selection keys 33a and 33b are arranged, the user may select a selection key corresponding to the person. Then, the information about the person may be displayed in a point on the map or in a separate window.

In addition, in the example shown in Figs. 14 to 16, when the user wants to check only the information of a specific object, for example, he wants to display only the restaurants introduced on the TV near the user's current location, In order to display only the latest buildings among the buildings, or to display an accessor having a specific condition among those currently connected to the Internet, a search box may be activated to specifically designate and display information desired by the user. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the search box can be activated by input operation, for example, by using a separate function key, by using a mode change key, or by pressing or pressing the center selection key 33b for a predetermined time.

Third Embodiment

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. For the same components as in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals will be used in the present embodiment.

17 to 19 are diagrams showing an implementation example of the third embodiment of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, when a plurality of objects are arranged in an arbitrary form on the display screen 10, when the extended cursor 30 approaches the object, the objects are rearranged in a preset form and displayed on the screen. It is characterized by.

In this case, if the select key 33 is provided in total of 9, and the number of objects located within the distance set by the extended cursor 30 exceeds 9, the objects may be selected by the user, modified by date, or alphabetically (or And sorting keys on the selected objects.

The objects may be arranged in a matrix form, and in this case, the set form means a matrix form. Accordingly, each selection key of the extended cursor is disposed on the objects arranged in a matrix so that the user can easily select a specific object.

In the present embodiment, a plurality of videos 45 containing various images are disposed on the display screen 10 as objects, and some of the videos 45 are arranged in a matrix form according to the movement of the expansion cursor 30. The form in which the selection keys 33a and 33b are arranged at 45 is illustrated.

In addition, in the present exemplary embodiment, only a video corresponding to a specific keyword may be extracted from the various videos 45 arranged on the display screen 10. That is, as shown in FIG. 16, if a user wants to watch a video about 'game', the user first inputs 'game' into the search box 50.

In this state, when the extended cursor 30 is moved near the plurality of videos 45, as shown in FIG. 19, videos related to 'game' among the videos are arranged in a matrix form and selected for each video. The keys 33a and 33b are arranged. Therefore, the user can play the video corresponding to the selection key by checking the image displayed for the video arranged on the selection key and selecting a specific selection key. In this case, one side of the extended cursor 30 may display a word “game” as a search target.

Next, a modification of the present embodiment will be described.

20 is a diagram showing a modification to the present embodiment.

As shown, in the present modification, when a plurality of objects larger than the number of selection keys are arranged in the selection key, the selection keys are arranged in a three-dimensional form, and the objects are arranged in the selection key, respectively. That is, as shown in FIG. 20, when the selection keys 33a and 33b are composed of nine pieces, and the plurality of video contents 45 exists in the number exceeding nine, the sorting criteria mentioned above are not included. The first nine videos 45 thus selected are assigned to selection keys 33a and 33b arranged in a matrix form on the top two-dimensional plane, respectively. The next 9 subordinate videos are placed in the 2D plane directly below.

Therefore, the user can not only select a specific video corresponding to the selection keys listed on the top two-dimensional plane through the input operation on the input means, but also activate the selection key on the lower two-dimensional plane and arrange them on the selection key. You can also select a specific video from the videos.

The activation of the selection key may be implemented such that the two-dimensional plane of another layer is relatively blurred with respect to the two-dimensional plane including the selection key. Alternatively, the activation may be implemented in a form in which the two-dimensional plane including the selection key is enlarged or moved to an empty space of the display screen to be displayed.

In addition, the arrow in the drawing is for indicating that the two-dimensional plane activated by the user's input operation can be moved.

In addition, when the object is a video, a representative image of the video may be displayed as an object.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 21, an example of implementing the multi-directional extended cursor of the present invention in Microsoft Excel, which is widely used as an office application, the present invention can be applied and executed in any other general-purpose office work applications. It can be easily understood by those skilled in the art that the operation is easy. In a conventional office application, when the user wants to open a location or folder that needs to be entered, the cursor needs to be correctly positioned with the mouse to execute the operation. However, if the extended cursor of the present invention is applied, for example, when the extended cursor is approached to a folder or a tool window, the adjacent folders or tool windows are connected to the select key by the number of the select keys 33a at a time, and thus the one direction in this connected state. An input operation has an effect of quickly and easily performing selection of a corresponding folder or tool window, input in a selected input window or cell, and various execution commands as shown in FIG. 21. The detailed operation method may be easily operated by those skilled in the art through the description in the above examples, and thus description thereof is omitted for convenience. In particular, when the present invention is applied to a conventional portable terminal with limited screen size and complicated input means, it is almost impossible to use a free office application in the conventional portable terminal. Free running of office applications becomes possible.

Fourth Embodiment

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The same reference numerals are used in the present embodiment for the same components as the above-described embodiments.

22 is a block diagram briefly illustrating a configuration of a user terminal implementing the present invention. The user terminal 100 includes an input unit 110, an output unit 120, a storage unit 140, a controller 150, and a display unit 160. In addition, it is natural that an application and various contents may be downloaded and stored in the storage 140 through a communication interface (not shown) through the Internet or a mobile communication network. User terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a desktop PC (Laptop PC or Notebook PC), Palmtop (Palmtop PC), PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), PMP (Personal Multimedia Player) , Telematics terminal, navigation, mobile phone, smart phone like Blackberry, game terminal like X-Box, PlayStation, Nintendo DS, and the like.

The input unit 110 represents input means for receiving various information or commands from a user, and moves an extended cursor such as a mouse pointer or receives an execution command from the user and provides the input to the controller 150. In addition to the input devices 1 and 2 described above, a keyboard, a directional key, a rotary key, a touch key, a keyboard, a touch screen, a mouse, a keypad of a mobile terminal, a jog dial, and the like may be used as the input unit 110.

The output unit 120 outputs general information necessary for driving the user terminal 100 on the screen, or commands input by the user are processed through the controller 150 to execute the results. For example, a sound output, an image output, execution or activation of applications, and the like are applicable. When a predetermined application (APP) is executed according to a user's input, the controller 150 processes the application to operate the application. In particular, when a user inputs a command for activating the extended cursor module 130 as an input means, the controller 150 processes this to execute the expanded cursor 130.

In addition, the display unit 160 displays the performance result of driving the expansion cursor module 130 through the control unit 150 so that the user can check it. The CRT, LCD, LED, plasma monitor, TV, liquid crystal display, etc. may be used as the display unit 160 to output a user interface and various execution commands of the user. In addition, when an example of the display unit 160 is a touch screen, a display function of various information is also performed, but may be used as an input unit.

The storage unit 140 stores an operating system, a system program and various applications (APP) required for driving the user terminal 100, a data file generated according to a result of executing a user's input command, and particularly, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The extended cursor module 130 is provided to store various data and programs necessary for driving the extended cursor.

The extended cursor module 130 may be implemented through a program for realizing a function corresponding to the above-described embodiments in the user terminal or a recording medium on which the program is recorded, and various information and data necessary for executing the multidirectional extended cursor. You will store and manage the files.

The controller 150 includes a computing module such as a microprocessor, controls the components to oversee the overall operation of the user terminal 100, and in particular, controls the extended cursor module 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Smooth driving of multidirectional extended cursors.

The present invention can be applied to various user terminals, and particularly when applied to a mobile environment, it is possible to quickly and accurately select an intended object among one or more objects simply by positioning the cursor close to a specific object even in a limited size screen.

The rights of the present invention are not limited to the embodiments described above, but are defined by the claims, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications and adaptations within the scope of the claims. It is self-evident.

Claims (42)

1. Generating an extended cursor displayed on a display screen and moved according to a user's input operation and partitioned by a plurality of selection keys;

   Displaying at least one object selectable on the display screen and the selection key on the display screen; And

   And selecting the selection key corresponding to the object to execute an intended one of the one or more objects.
2. The method of claim 1,

   In the generating of the extended cursor, a basic cursor for selecting an object displayed on the display screen may be displayed in connection with one end of the extended cursor, or may be displayed or not displayed in the center of the extended cursor. How to implement multidirectional extended cursors.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,

   In the generating of the extended cursor, the extended cursor is radially partitioned into a plurality of numbers, the method of implementing a multi-directional extended cursor, characterized in that to display a selection key in each partitioned portion.
4. The method according to claim 1 or 2,

   And in the generating of the extended cursor, the objects correspond to the number of selection keys.
5. The method according to claim 1 or 2,

   And in the corresponding step of the object and the selection key, when the extension cursor approaches within the distance set for at least one of the objects, the object and the selection key are individually connected.
6. The method according to claim 1 or 2,

   In the corresponding step of the object and the selection key, according to the properties of the object displayed on the display screen, when the extended cursor approaches within a distance set for at least one of the objects, the selection key for each of the object is to be arranged And the selection key is indicated by a connecting line or a matrix or highlighted.
7. The method of claim 1,

   And the object comprises one of a content, a menu, an icon, a folder, a character, an item, a file, markup language text, a hypertext link, or a graphic display.
8. The method according to claim 1 or 2,

   In the correspondence step of the object and the selection key, when the expansion cursor approaches within a distance set for at least one of the objects, the extension cursor is changed in shape and the corresponding object and the selection key are connected correspondingly. How to implement multidirectional extended cursors.
9. The method of claim 1,

   And the selection key comprises a central selection key for performing a selection or release command and a peripheral selection key connected to the object.
10. The method of claim 1,

    In the correspondence step of the object and the selection key, an object arranged arbitrarily on the display screen is rearranged in a preset form, and the selection keys are arranged on the rearranged object, respectively. How to implement a cursor.
11. The method of claim 10,

    The object rearranged in the set form is selected and arranged based on a predetermined sorting criterion.
12. The method of claim 11,

    And the set form has a matrix form.
13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12,

    When the plurality of objects displayed on the display screen is larger than the number of the selection keys, the objects are extended and arranged in a three-dimensional form including a plurality of two-dimensional planes, and the selection keys are arranged in a three-dimensional shape. Method of implementing a multi-directional extended cursor, characterized in that arranged on each of the objects displayed on the currently active two-dimensional plane.
14. The method of claim 13,

    The selection key is disposed by moving to an object displayed on another two-dimensional plane arranged in a three-dimensional form according to a user's input operation, and the objects displayed on the two-dimensional plane to which the selection key is moved are newly activated. How to implement a direction expanding cursor.
15. The method according to claim 1 or 2,

    And the extension cursor is moved by a predetermined input means, and each selection key of the extension cursor is selected by an operation of the input means.
16. The method of claim 15,

    The input means,

    A first direction input provided at a periphery of the display screen and moving to any one of a plurality of instruction positions radially spaced about a reference position, and a second direction input for pressing any one of the instruction positions are independently performed. Input unit,

    A first sensing unit sensing the first direction input;

    A second sensing unit sensing the second direction input;

    When the first direction input is performed, the first data corresponding to the first direction input of the instruction position; and when the second direction input is performed, the second data corresponding to the second direction input of the instruction position from the memory unit. It comprises a control unit for extracting and inputting,

    The plurality of indication positions are generated by positions and numbers corresponding to the plurality of selection keys.

    When the first direction input or the second direction input by the input unit is performed, the controller determines that the selection key corresponding to the indication position at which the direction input is performed is selected and selects an object corresponding to the selection key. A method of implementing a multidirectional extended cursor, characterized by performing a command.
17. The method of claim 15,

    The input means,

    A first direction input provided on the display screen and moving to any one of a plurality of instruction positions radially spaced about a reference position, and a second direction input for pressing any one of the instruction positions are independently performed. A sensing input unit for sensing each direction input;

    When the first direction input is performed, the first data corresponding to the first direction input of the instruction position; and when the second direction input is performed, the second data corresponding to the second direction input of the instruction position from the memory unit. It comprises a control unit for extracting and inputting,

    The plurality of indication positions are generated by positions and numbers corresponding to the plurality of selection keys.

    When the first direction input or the second direction input by the sensing input unit is performed, the controller determines that the selection key corresponding to the indication position at which the direction input is performed is selected, and determines that the object corresponding to the selection key is selected. A method of implementing a multidirectional extended cursor, characterized by performing a selection command.
18. The method according to claim 1 or 2,

    And in a corresponding step of the object and the selection key, activating a search box for extracting and arranging an object having desired information or attributes among the objects.
19. The method of claim 15,

    The input means may include one of a keyboard, a mouse, a keypad, a touch pad, a directional key, a touch screen, a wheel key, a joystick, a button key, and a rod-shaped key.
20. The method according to claim 1 or 2,

    The form and structure of any one of the extended cursor, the basic cursor or the selection key may be displayed as one or more of the geometrically possible planar and three-dimensional figures.
21. The method according to claim 1 or 2,

    And in the generating step of the extended cursor, the extended cursor is partitioned in 4 to 13 directions to display the selection key in each partitioned portion.
22. It is displayed on the display screen and can be moved according to the user's input operation, and has a plurality of selection keys,

    The selection key is displayed on the display screen so as to correspond to at least one object selectable from the display screen, and if the selection key corresponding to an intended object among the one or more objects is selected by a user's input operation, the intended object Multidirectional expansion cursor;
23. The method of claim 22,

    And a basic cursor for selecting the object displayed on the display screen, wherein the basic cursor may be displayed in connection with one end of the extended cursor, or may be displayed or not displayed in the center of the extended cursor. Multidirectional extended cursors.
24. The method of claim 22 or 23,

    And wherein the plurality of selection keys are respectively displayed in the partition portions divided into a plurality of radial portions.
25. The method of claim 22 or 23,

    And the objects correspond to the number of the selection keys.
26. The method of claim 22 or 23,

    And when the extension cursor approaches within a distance set for at least one of the objects, connecting the object and the selection key individually.
27. The method of claim 22 or 23,

    According to an attribute of the object displayed on the display screen, when the extended cursor approaches within a distance set for at least one of the objects, a selection key is arranged for each of the corresponding objects, wherein the selection key is displayed as a connecting line or a matrix. A multidirectional expanding cursor characterized in form or highlight.
28. The method of claim 22,

    And the object comprises any one of a content, menu, icon, folder, character, item, file, markup language text, hypertext linkage, or graphical display.
29. The method of claim 22 or 23,

    And when the extension cursor approaches within a distance set for at least one of the objects, the extension cursor is changed in shape so that the corresponding object and the selection key are connected correspondingly.
30. The method of claim 22,

    And the selection key comprises a central selection key for performing a selection or release command and a peripheral selection key connected to the object.
31. The method of claim 22,

    And an object arbitrarily arranged on the display screen is rearranged in a preset form, and the selection keys are arranged on the rearranged object, respectively.
32. The method of claim 31, wherein

    And the object rearranged in the set form is selected and arranged by a predetermined sorting criterion.
33. 33. The method of claim 32,

    The set type is a multi-directional extended cursor, characterized in that the matrix form.
34. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 33, wherein

    When the plurality of objects displayed on the display screen is larger than the number of the selection keys, the objects are extended and arranged in a three-dimensional form including a plurality of two-dimensional planes, and the selection keys are arranged in a three-dimensional shape. The multi-directional expansion cursor, characterized in that arranged on each of the objects displayed on the currently active two-dimensional plane.
35. The method of claim 34, wherein

    The selection key is disposed by moving to an object displayed on another two-dimensional plane arranged in a three-dimensional form according to a user's input operation, and the objects displayed on the two-dimensional plane to which the selection key is moved are newly activated. Directional extended cursor.
36. The method of claim 22 or 23,

    And the expansion cursor is moved by a predetermined input means, and each selection key is selected by an operation of the input means.
37. The method of claim 36,

    The input means,

    A first direction input provided at a periphery of the display screen and moving to any one of a plurality of instruction positions radially spaced about a reference position, and a second direction input for pressing any one of the instruction positions are independently performed. Input unit,

    A first sensing unit sensing the first direction input;

    A second sensing unit sensing the second direction input;

    When the first direction input is performed, the first data corresponding to the first direction input of the instruction position; and when the second direction input is performed, the second data corresponding to the second direction input of the instruction position from the memory unit. It comprises a control unit for extracting and inputting,

    The plurality of indication positions are generated by positions and numbers corresponding to the plurality of selection keys.

    When the first direction input or the second direction input by the input unit is performed, the controller determines that the selection key corresponding to the indication position at which the direction input is performed is selected and selects an object corresponding to the selection key. A multidirectional extended cursor characterized by performing a command.
38. The method of claim 36,

    The input means,

    A first direction input provided on the display screen and moving to any one of a plurality of instruction positions radially spaced about a reference position, and a second direction input for pressing any one of the instruction positions are independently performed. A sensing input unit for sensing each direction input;

    When the first direction input is performed, the first data corresponding to the first direction input of the instruction position; and when the second direction input is performed, the second data corresponding to the second direction input of the instruction position from the memory unit. It comprises a control unit for extracting and inputting,

    The plurality of indication positions are generated by positions and numbers corresponding to the plurality of selection keys.

    When the first direction input or the second direction input by the sensing input unit is performed, the controller determines that the selection key corresponding to the indication position at which the direction input is performed is selected, and determines that the object corresponding to the selection key is selected. A multidirectional expansion cursor, characterized in that for performing a selection command.
39. The method of claim 22 or 23,

    And a search box for extracting and arranging an object having desired information or attributes among the objects.
40. The method of claim 36,

    The input means includes a keyboard, a mouse, a keypad, a touch pad, a directional key, a touch screen, a wheel key, a joystick, a button key, a rod-shaped key.
41. The method of claim 22 or 23,

    The shape and structure of any one of the extended cursor, the basic cursor or the selection key may be displayed as one or more of the geometrically possible planar and three-dimensional figures.
42. The method of claim 22 or 23,

    And the selection key is partitioned in 4 to 13 directions and displayed on each partitioned portion.

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