Spiral scrollbar

• US 20050097474A1
• Filed: 10/31/2003
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Accot, Johnny I.
• Granted Patent: US 7,398,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars

Abstract

A method and structure for a graphic user interface comprising a non-linear path region that corresponds to a list of items in a computer application, wherein a length of the path region is directly proportional to an amount of items in the list, a rotatable handle region that corresponds to a subset of the items in the list, a display region that displays the subset, and a handle manipulator for maneuvering the handle region, wherein the non-linear path region comprises a spiral, square, or rectangular configuration, wherein each of the items in the list is represented by a fixed proportion of the path region, wherein the handle region is proportional to a fixed proportion of the path region, and wherein the fixed proportion is a fixed angle.

Claims

1. A graphic user interface comprising:

a non-linear path region that corresponds to a list of items in a computer application; and

a rotatable handle region that corresponds to a subset of the items in the list.

2. The graphic user interface of claim 1, wherein the non-linear path region comprises a spiral configuration.

3. The graphic user interface of claim 1, wherein the non-linear path region comprises a square configuration.

4. The graphic user interface of claim 1, wherein the non-linear path region comprises a rectangular configuration.

5. The graphic user interface of claim 1, wherein each of the items in the list is represented by a fixed proportion of the path region.

6. The graphic user interface of claim 1, wherein the handle region is proportional to a fixed proportion of the path region.

7. The graphic user interface of claim 5, wherein the fixed proportion is a fixed angle.

8. The graphic user interface of claim 6, wherein the fixed proportion is a fixed angle.

9. The graphic user interface of claim 1, wherein a length of the path region is directly proportional to an amount of items in the list.

10. The graphic user interface of claim 1, further comprising a display region that displays the subset.

11. The graphic user interface of claim 1, further comprising a handle manipulator for maneuvering the handle region.

12. A non-linear scrollbar comprising:

a non-linear trough that corresponds to a list of items in a computer application;

a rotatable thumb that corresponds to an accessed portion of the list of items; and

a partition region that corresponds to predetermined transitions between items in the list.

13. The non-linear scrollbar of claim 12, wherein as the thumb rotates, the list of items rotate correspondingly.

14. The non-linear scrollbar of claim 12, wherein the non-linear scrollbar comprises a spiral configuration.

15. The non-linear scrollbar of claim 12, wherein the non-linear scrollbar comprises a square configuration.

16. The non-linear scrollbar of claim 12, wherein the non-linear scrollbar comprises a rectangular configuration.

17. The non-linear scrollbar of claim 12, wherein each of the items in the list is represented by a fixed proportion of the non-linear scrollbar.

18. The non-linear scrollbar of claim 12, wherein the rotatable region is proportional to a fixed proportion of the non-linear scrollbar.

19. The non-linear scrollbar of claim 17, wherein the fixed proportion is a fixed angle.

20. The non-linear scrollbar of claim 18, wherein the fixed proportion is a fixed angle.

21. The non-linear scrollbar of claim 12, wherein a length of the non-linear scrollbar is directly proportional to an amount of items in the list.

22. The non-linear scrollbar of claim 12, wherein the list of items are arranged and displayed circumferentially around a perimeter of the non-linear scrollbar.

23. The non-linear scrollbar of claim 12, further comprising a handle manipulator for maneuvering the rotatable thumb.

24. A method of manipulating data through a graphical user interface, said method comprising:

corresponding a non-linear scrollbar to a list of items in a computer application;

corresponding a rotatable region to an accessed portion of the list of items; and

corresponding a partition region to predetermined transitions between items in the list.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein as the rotatable region rotates, the list of items rotate correspondingly.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the non-linear scrollbar comprises a spiral configuration.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the non-linear scrollbar comprises a square configuration.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the non-linear scrollbar comprises a rectangular configuration.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein each of the items in the list is represented by a fixed proportion of the non-linear scrollbar.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the rotatable region is proportional to a fixed proportion of the non-linear scrollbar.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the fixed proportion is a fixed angle.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the fixed proportion is a fixed angle.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein a length of the scrollbar is directly proportional to an amount of items in the list.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein the list of items are arranged and displayed circumferentially around a perimeter of the non-linear scrollbar.

35. The method of claim 24, further comprising using a handle manipulator for maneuvering the rotatable region.