Scrolling method and apparatus using plurality of blocks into which items are classified

• US 20060268020A1
• Filed: 03/24/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Han, Sang-jun
• Application Number:
  US11/387,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20060268020A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/684
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A method and apparatus for adjusting scrolling speed according to the location of an item currently being highlighted on a screen in a block containing the item. The method includes: measuring a distance between the item currently being highlighted on the screen and a last item of the block containing the item; and reducing the scrolling speed if the measured distance is smaller than a predefined value. Therefore, it is possible for a user to identify the location of desired data while quickly scrolling through a considerable amount of data on a screen.

Claims

1. A method of scrolling through a plurality of items that are classified into a plurality of blocks, the method comprising:

measuring a distance between a current item currently being highlighted on a screen and a last item of a block containing the current item; and

controlling scrolling speed based on the measured distance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising classifying the items into the blocks according to characteristics of the items or an external input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling comprises increasing the scrolling speed if the measured distance is greater than a predefined value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling comprises reducing the scrolling speed if the measured distance is smaller than a predefined value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling comprises maintaining the scrolling speed at a predetermined level corresponding to the measured distance.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the rate at which the scrolling speed changes over time is determined based on the measured distance.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the increasing the scrolling speed comprises continually increasing the scrolling speed.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the increasing the scrolling speed comprises incrementally increasing the scrolling speed over at least two stages.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the controlling further comprises preventing the scrolling speed from being increased over a predefined level.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling further comprises preventing the scrolling speed from being increased over a predefined level.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the decreasing the scrolling speed comprises continually reducing the scrolling speed.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein the decreasing the scrolling speed comprises incrementally reducing the scrolling speed over at least two stages.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein the controlling further comprises preventing the scrolling speed from being reduced below a predefined level.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling further comprises preventing the scrolling speed from being reduced below a predefined level.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if a predetermined input signal is received, highlighting an item of a block other than the block containing the current item.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein, if the current item is a first item in the block, the measured distance is equivalent to an overall block distance, and the scrolling speed is controlled to be maintained at a predetermined level corresponding to the overall block distance.

17. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for executing a method of scrolling through a plurality of items that are classified into a plurality of blocks, the method comprising:

measuring a distance between a current item currently being highlighted on a screen and a last item of a block containing the current item; and

controlling scrolling speed based on the measured distance.

18. The computer readable medium storing a computer program for executing the method of claim 17, the method further comprising classifying the items into the blocks according to characteristics of the items or an external input.

19. The computer readable medium storing a computer program for executing the method of claim 17, wherein the controlling comprises increasing the scrolling speed if the measured distance is greater than a predefined value.

20. The computer readable medium storing a computer program for executing the method of claim 17, wherein the controlling comprises reducing the scrolling speed if the measured distance is smaller than a predefined value.

21. The computer readable medium storing a computer program for executing the method of claim 17, wherein the controlling comprises maintaining the scrolling speed at a predetermined level corresponding to the measured distance.

22. An apparatus for scrolling through and displaying a plurality of items that are classified into a plurality of blocks, the apparatus comprising:

a distance measurement unit which measures a distance between a current item currently being highlighted on a screen and a last item of a block containing the current item; and

a scrolling control unit which controls scrolling speed based on the measured distance.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a block classification unit which classifies the items into the blocks according to characteristics of the items or a user input.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the scrolling control unit increases the scrolling speed if the measured distance is greater than a predefined value.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the scrolling control unit reduces the scrolling speed if the measured distance is smaller than a predefined value.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the scrolling control unit maintains the scrolling speed at a predetermined level corresponding to the measured distance.