User interface for removing an object from a display

1. A system for manipulating images comprising

a screen upon which an image is displayed; and

a computer coupled to the screen, the computer causing the images to be manipulated in response to location inputs from a pointing device, the system being characterized in that:

when the image is being dragged in response to the location inputs and the system detects that the velocity with which the image is being dragged exceeds a threshold velocity, the system responds by removing the image from the display without leaving any representative thereof in the display.

2. The system set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the removed image is automatically replaced by another image.

3. The system set forth in claim 2 wherein:

there is a plurality images, each image belonging to a class of a plurality thereof according to the image's content; and

when the image that is being removed is dragged in a first direction, the removed image is replaced with a different image of the same class; and

when the image that is being removed is dragged in a second direction, the removed image is replaced with an image of a different class.

4. The system set forth in claim 3 wherein:

the classes belong to a hierarchy; and

the second direction includes a third direction specifying a class from a higher level in the hierarchy and a fourth direction specifying a class from a lower level in the hierarchy.

5. The system set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the pointing device is a touch panel.

6. The system set forth in claim 5 wherein:

the touch panel is transparent and is mounted on the screen.

7. A system for manipulating a movable image comprising:

a touch-sensitive screen upon which an image is displayed;

a computer coupled to the screen, the computer causing the image to be manipulated when the touch screen is touched,

the system being characterized in that:

touching the movable image at a point within the image selects the image for moving and

when the point being touched is being continually moved and the system detects that the velocity at which the point is moving exceeds a predetermined threshold velocity, the image being continually moved is removed from the screen without leaving any representative thereof on the screen.

8. The system set forth in claim 7 wherein:

the removed image is automatically replaced by another image.

9. The system set forth in claim 8 wherein:

there is a plurality of images, each image belonging to a class of a plurality thereof according to the image's content; and

when the image that has been removed was moving in a first direction, the removed image is replaced with a different image of the same class; and

when the image that has been removed was moving in a second direction, the removed image is replaced with an image of a different class.

10. The system set forth in claim 9 wherein:

the classes belong to a hierarchy; and

the second direction includes a third direction specifying a class from a higher level in the hierarchy and a fourth direction specifying a class from a lower level in the hierarchy.

11. The system set forth in claim 9 wherein:

touching the movable image and touching the movable image again within a predetermined period selects the movable image for modification.

12. The system set forth in claim 11 wherein:

continually moving the point being touched after the movable image is again touched causes the image to be modified.

13. The system set forth in claim 12 wherein:

continually moving the point being touched in a vertical direction changes the height of the image.

14. The system set forth in claim 12 wherein;

continually moving the point being touched in a horizontal direction changes the width of the image.

15. Apparatus for displaying images, the apparatus comprising:

a touch screen for displaying the images and

a computer coupled to the touch screen,

the computer responding to a continuing touch that moves the image across the touch screen such that when the computer detects that the velocity of the touch exceeds a predetermined threshold, the computer responds by removing the image from the screen, and by replacing the image with a replacement image that is not a representative of the removed image.

16. The apparatus for displaying an image set forth in claim 15, wherein:

there is a plurality of images, each image belonging to a class of a plurality thereof according to the image's content; and

when the continuing touch moves in a first direction, the replaced image is replaced with a replacement image of the same class; and

when the continuing touch moves in a second direction, the replaced image is replaced with a replacement image of a different class.

17. The apparatus set forth in claim 16 wherein:

the classes belong to a hierarchy; and

the second direction includes a third direction specifying a class from a higher level in the hierarchy and a fourth direction specifying a class from a lower level in the hierarchy.