Dynamic Selection Switching View for Overlapping Display Objects
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Solution Overview
Problem
In complexly arranged objects on a display screen, existing methods for selecting a target object are cumbersome, especially when objects are overlapped or nested, requiring multiple clicks or long mouse movements due to fixed list locations and excessive object listings.
Innovation Solution
A method that extracts overlapping objects following a tree structure and displays a selection switching view near the selected object, allowing users to easily select desired objects by switching between candidates listed in a compact format, such as tabs, until a predetermined number of candidates is reached.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If all objects are displayed in a fixed location list, then object selection is enabled, but mouse movement distance increases and selection efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a fixed 2D list location to a dynamic popup menu that appears in multiple dimensions around the cursor position. The popup menu can be positioned above, below, left, or right of the cursor based on screen space availability, adding spatial flexibility and reducing the distance the user's attention must travel across the screen.
Solution Approach 2:
The popup menu acts as an intermediary between the cursor and the full object list. Instead of requiring direct access to a fixed list or multiple clicks on nested objects, the popup menu provides a intermediate selection interface that presents relevant objects in context near the cursor, facilitating faster selection.
2Adaptability or versatility
If all objects are listed for display, then complete selection capability is provided, but list complexity and difficulty of finding desired object increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the relevant subset of objects that are actually visible or near the cursor position and places them in the popup menu. Instead of displaying all objects in the scene graph, it selectively extracts and displays only those objects that are currently accessible or visible from the clicked location, reducing list complexity while maintaining selection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The popup menu provides locally relevant object listings based on the cursor position and visible area. Different regions of the screen context generate different popup contents, with each popup tailored to show objects relevant to that specific location rather than a uniform global list.
3Reliability
If multiple clicks are required to select hidden objects, then complete object selection is achieved, but operation steps and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the scene graph and visible objects before displaying the popup menu. It pre-calculates which objects are visible, which are nested, and what the appropriate selection candidates are, so that when the user clicks, the relevant objects are already prepared and displayed in the popup menu, eliminating the need for multiple exploration clicks.
Solution Approach 2:
The popup menu provides immediate feedback about which objects are currently selectable from the clicked position. By showing the relevant objects in context with visual indicators, the system gives the user feedback about the selection state without requiring multiple trial clicks, thereby improving both accuracy and speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for facilitating selection of an object on the display screen, an apparatus for implementing the method, and a program for causing a computer to function as the apparatus are provided. The method includes the steps of selecting a specific object on the display screen in response to a user input, extracting any of a plurality of objects displayed on the display screen that overlaps the selected specific object as a selection candidate by following a tree structure of the objects, and displaying a selection switching view including an element representing the selection candidate in the vicinity of the selected specific object.