METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A DISPLAY OF A DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM

• US 20090055768A1
• Filed: 10/27/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bas Ording, Imran Chaudhri
• Original Assignee: Bas Ording, Imran Chaudhri
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran, Ording, Bas
• Granted Patent: US 7,665,039 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

Method and apparatus for controlling a display of a data processing system. According to one embodiment of the invention, a method of controlling a display of a data processing system includes: displaying a first list as a scrollable view of items in a first mode; receiving an input to switch from the first mode to a second mode; and displaying, in the second mode, a representation of a command which when activated causes a display of a second list of the items. The first list is displayed within a window and the representation is displayed within the window. According to another embodiment of the invention, a method of controlling a display of a data processing system includes: displaying, in a first mode, a slider control having a slider which can be positioned in one of a plurality of positions to select a corresponding one of a plurality of parameters; receiving an input to switch from the first mode to a second mode; and displaying, in the second mode, a representation of a command which when activated causes a display of a list of items corresponding to at least a subset of the plurality of parameters.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a display of a data processing system, said method comprising:

displaying a first list as a scrollable view of items in a first mode, the first list comprising a first plurality of the items and being displayed as part of a window;

receiving an input to switch from said first mode to a second mode; and

displaying, in said second mode after receiving said input, a representation of a command at a position which when activated at said position causes a display of a second list of said items, wherein said second list of said items contains the first plurality of items within a selectable list that are not displayed until said representation of a command is activated;

wherein the window in the first mode has a first size which is larger than a second size of the window in the second mode and wherein said representation is displayed within the window.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the representation of the command is a button.

3. A method as in claim 2 wherein the first and second lists have the same content.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein said input comprises dragging a portion of said window which contains the scrollable view.

5. A method as in claim 4 wherein the window automatically further reduces a height of said window to a minimal predetermined size after dragging of a portion of said window.

6. A method as in claim 1 wherein said input is clicking a button.

7. A method as in claim 1 wherein said second list is displayed within a movable window.

8. A method as in claim 1 wherein said window has buttons for closing the window, minimizing the window and maximizing the window.

9. A method as in claim 8 wherein the window contains a plurality of scrollable views in the first mode.

10. A method as in claim 1 wherein the scrollable view of said items is a scrollable list view of said items.

11. A method as in claim 10 wherein the scrollable list view contains at least one of:

a) scroll arrows; and

b) scroll bar

for scrolling the first list.

12. A method as in claim 1 wherein the second list is scrollable.

13. A method of controlling a display of a data processing system, said method comprising:

displaying, in a first mode, a slider control having a slider which can be positioned in one of a plurality of positions to select, through a positioning of the slider, a corresponding one of a plurality of parameters without displaying all of said plurality of parameters;

receiving an input to switch from said first mode to a second mode;

displaying, in said second mode, a representation of a command which when activated causes a display of a list of items corresponding to at least a subset of said plurality of parameters, wherein at least one of the plurality of parameters is selectable when displayed.

14. A method as in claim 13 wherein the representation of the command is a button.

15. A method as in claim 13 wherein content of the plurality of positions matches corresponding ones of said items.

16. A method as in claim 13 wherein said input is determined from dragging a portion of a window containing the slider.

17. A method as in claim 13 wherein said input is determined from clicking a button.

18. A method as in claim 13 wherein said displaying said slider control and said displaying, in said second mode, occur within a movable window.

19. A method as in claim 18 wherein the window has buttons for closing the window, minimizing the window and maximizing the window.

20. A method as in claim 19 wherein the window automatically further reduces a height of said window to a minimal predetermined size after a dragging of a portion of said window.

21. A machine readable storage medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a digital processing system cause said system to perform a method of controlling a display of a data processing system, said method comprising:

displaying a first list as a scrollable view of items in a first mode, the first list comprising a first plurality of the items and being displayed as part of a window;

receiving an input to switch from said first mode to a second mode; and

displaying, in said second mode after receiving said input, a representation of a command at a position which when activated at said position causes a display of a second list of said items, wherein said second list of said items contains the first plurality of items within a selectable list that are not displayed until said representation of a command is activated;

wherein the window in the first mode has a first size which is larger than a second size of the window in the second mode and wherein said representation is displayed within the window.

22. A media as in claim 21 wherein the representation of the command is a button.

23. A media as in claim 22 wherein the first and second lists have the same content.

24. A media as in claim 21 wherein said input comprises dragging a portion of said window which contains the scrollable view.

25. A media as in claim 24 wherein the window automatically further reduces a height of said window to a minimal predetermined size after dragging of a portion of said window.

26. A media as in claim 21 wherein said input is clicking a button.

27. A media as in claim 21 wherein said second list is displayed within a movable window.

28. A media as in claim 21 wherein said window has buttons for closing the window, minimizing the window and maximizing the window.

29. A media as in claim 28 wherein the window contains a plurality of scrollable views in the first mode.

30. A media as in claim 21 wherein the scrollable view of said items is a scrollable list view of said items.

31. A media as in claim 30 wherein the scrollable list view contains at least one of:

a) scroll arrows; and

b) scroll bar

for scrolling the first list.

32. A media as in claim 21 wherein the second list is scrollable.

33. A machine readable media containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a digital processing system cause said system to perform a method of controlling a display of a data processing system, said method comprising:

displaying, in a first mode, a slider control having a slider which can be positioned in one of a plurality of positions to select, through a positioning of the slider, a corresponding one of a plurality of parameters without displaying all of said plurality of parameters;

receiving an input to switch from said first mode to a second mode;

displaying, in said second mode, a representation of a command which when activated causes a display of a list of items corresponding to at least a subset of said plurality of parameters, wherein at least one of the plurality of parameters is selectable when displayed.

34. A media as in claim 33 wherein the representation of the command is a button.

35. A media as in claim 33 wherein content of the plurality of positions matches corresponding ones of said items.

36. A media as in claim 33 wherein said input is determined from dragging a portion of a window containing the slider.

37. A media as in claim 33 wherein said input is determined from clicking a button.

38. A media as in claim 33 wherein said displaying said slider control and said displaying, in said second mode, occur within a movable window.

39. A media as in claim 38 wherein the window has buttons for closing the window, minimizing the window and maximizing the window.

40. A media as in claim 39 wherein the window automatically further reduces a height of said window to a minimal predetermined size after a dragging of a portion of said window.

41. A data processing system controlling a display, said processing system comprising:

means for displaying a first list as a scrollable view of items in a first mode, the first list comprising a first plurality of the items and being displayed as part of a window;

means for receiving an input to switch from said first mode to a second mode, and

means for displaying, in said second mode after receiving said input, a representation of a command at a position which when activated at said position causes a display of a second list of said items wherein said second list of said items contains the first plurality of items within a selectable list that are not displayed until said representation of a command is activated;

wherein the window in the first mode has a first size which is larger than a second size of the window in the second mode and wherein said representation is displayed within the window.

42. A data processing system controlling a display, said processing system comprising:

means for displaying, in a first mode, a slider control having a slider which can be positioned in one of a plurality of positions to select, through a positioning of the slider, a corresponding one of a plurality of parameters without displaying all of said plurality of parameters;

means for receiving an input to switch from said first mode to a second mode;

means for displaying, in said second mode, a representation of a command which when activated causes a display of a list of items corresponding to at least a subset of said plurality of parameters, wherein at least one of the plurality of parameters is selectable when displayed.