Notched slider control for a graphical user interface

摘要

A slide track of a notched slider control can include a continuous path extending between two end points. A slider can be a graphical element able to move along the slide track. The end points can correspond to upper and lower extremes of a value range. Positions between the end points can represent values within the value range. The slide track can include at least one notch that is visually represented within the slide control as a deviation from a straight line segment having the two end points. The notch corresponds to a value within the value range. The notch can causes the slider to become fixed at a point along the slide track whenever a pointing device controlling the slider is moved in a direction of the deviation.

主权项

1. A computing device comprising a processor, a memory, and a display, wherein the display comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) slider control of a graphical user interface of the computing device, said graphical user interface comprising:
a slide track of the slider control comprising a continuous path extending between two end points, wherein a lower one of the two end points corresponds to a lower extreme of a value range, an upper one of the two end points corresponds to an upper extreme of the value range, and positions between the lower end point and the upper end point represent values within the value range, wherein said slide track is visually presented within the graphical user interface and comprises a plurality of notches, wherein at least two of said plurality of notches are positioned on opposing sides of the slide track, and each notch corresponds to at least two notch points each associated with a unique value within the value range, each notch visually represented as a series of four 90 degree turns in the slide track of the slider control; a slider configured as a user selectable graphical element able to move along the slide track, wherein the notch causes the slider moving along the slide track to become fixed at a first notch point associated with the first 90 degree turn of the notch, wherein the first notch point of the notch is associated with a first value within the value range, and further wherein the notch causes the slider moving further along the slide track to become fixed at a second notch point associated with the third 90 degree turn of the notch, wherein the second notch point of the notch is associated with a second value within the value range, wherein the second value is greater than the first value; a value indicator configured to visually present a current value based upon the slider position, wherein the current value presented within the value indicator is configured to dynamically adjust as the slider is moved; and wherein said slide track is configured to permit movement of the slider responsive to approximately straight line movement of a pointing device along a reference direction from one of the two end points to the other that is unaffected by a notch, wherein said slide track is configured to impede motion of the slider responsive to approximately straight line movement of the pointing device that deviates from the reference direction and follows, wherein the impeding of motion follows the angle of and corresponds to a position of the slider at a notch.