User interface alignment method and apparatus

Abstract

The apparatus and method of the invention relate to data entry and menu selection. Applications include: (a) data entry for ideographic languages, including Chinese, Japanese and Korean; (b) fast food ordering; (c) correction of documents generated by optical character recognition; and (d) computer access and speech synthesis by persons temporarily or permanently lacking normal motor capabilities. In a preferred embodiment, each option of a menu is associated respectively with a selectable region displayed adjacent an edge of a display, forming a perimeter menu and leaving a region in the center of the perimeter menu for the output of an application program. Selectable regions may be on the display, outside the display, or both. A menu option may be selected by clicking on the associated selectable region, by dwelling on it for a selection threshold period or by a cursor path toward the selectable region, or by a combination thereof. Remaining dwell time required to select a selectable region is preferably indicated by the brightness of the selectable region. Submenus of a perimeter menu may also be perimeter menus and the location of a submenu option may be foretold by the appearance of its parent menu option. Menu options may be ideographs sharing a sound, a structure or another characteristic. Ideographs, which may be homophones of one another, may be associated with colored indicating regions and selection of an ideograph may be made by speaking the name of the associated color.

1 . For use with a switch and a display, an apparatus for bringing a first selectable region on the display within a range of motion of a body member of a user, the apparatus comprising: 
 (a) the first selectable region on the display and a second selectable region on the display, the first selectable region and the second selectable region simultaneously visible to the user, the first selectable region and the second selectable region located on opposite sides of the display, wherein a first point on the plane of the display either intersects the first selectable region or is located beyond the boundary of the first selectable region furthest from the second selectable region, and wherein a second point on the plane of the display either intersects the second selectable region or is located beyond the boundary of the second selectable region furthest from the first selectable region;    (b) a receiver for receiving a movement related signal responsive to movement of the body member of the user, wherein a first position of the body member of the user corresponds to a third point on the display located between the first selectable region and the second selectable region, the first position within a first outer fifteen percent of the range of motion of the body member of the user, wherein a second position of the body member of the user corresponds to a fourth point on the plane of the display either intersecting the second selectable region or located beyond the boundary of the second selectable region furthest from the first selectable region, the second position within a second outer fifteen percent of the range of motion of the body member of the user, wherein the first position and the second position are located on opposite sides of the range of motion of the body member of the user, and wherein the distance between the third point and the fourth point equals the distance between the first point and the second point within a margin of one percent of the distance between the first point and the second point; and    (c) signal processing circuitry, responsive to an activation of the switch and thereafter to a period equaling or exceeding a predetermined period of time, for setting the first position of the body member of the user to correspond to the first point and for setting the second position of the body member of the user to correspond to the second point.