Visual Screen Indicator

• US 20100058179A1
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bedingfield, James Carlton Sr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,443,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/273
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/10 Text processing natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30; processing or translation of natural language G06F40/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/34 for rolling or scrolling

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and method for viewing electronic documents. Briefly described, one embodiment of the system, among others, includes an electronic viewer application to display contents of an electronic document; and a visual indicator logic configured to display at least one visual indicator on the electronic display, each visual indicator indicating a portion of the contents that are to be subsequently displayed on the electronic display in response to a navigation command. Other systems and methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A system for viewing electronic documents on an electronic display, comprising:

an electronic viewer application to display contents of an electronic document; and

a visual indicator logic for displaying a first visual indicator on the electronic display, the first visual indicator indicating a portion of the contents which is currently being displayed that will be displayed in a following screen of content in response to a selection of a next screen command, selection of the next screen command causing the portion of the contents which is currently being displayed and non-displayed content which follows the currently displayed portion of the contents to be shown.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first visual indicator comprises a horizontal bar delineating the portion of the contents that is to be subsequently displayed in response to the next screen command.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first visual indicator comprises an area of semi-transparent shading overlapping the portion of the contents that is to be subsequently displayed in response to the next screen command.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first visual indicator comprises a geometric symbol positioned near the portion of the contents that is to be subsequently displayed in response to the next screen command.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first visual indicator logic activates displaying of the first visual indicator in response to user command.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the user command comprises movement of an input mouse control within a particular area of the electronic display.

7. A method for viewing electronic documents on an electronic display, comprising:

a computer displaying a portion of an electronic document for viewing on the electronic display; and

the computer displaying a first visual indicator within the electronic display, the first visual indicator indicating a portion of document contents which is currently being displayed that will be displayed in a following screen of content in response to a selection of a next screen command, selection of the next screen command causing the portion of the document contents which is currently being displayed and non-displayed document content which follows the currently displayed portion of the document contents to be shown.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

the computer adjusting positioning of the first visual indicator as display of the document is adjusted in response to changes in display settings.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

the computer adjusting positioning of the first visual indicator as display of the document is adjusted in response to one or more navigation commands that are acted upon.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first visual indicator comprises a horizontal bar delineating the portion of the document contents that is to be subsequently displayed in response to the next screen command.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the first visual indicator comprises an area of semi-transparent shading overlapping the portion of the document contents that is to be subsequently displayed in response to the next screen command.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the first visual indicator comprises a geometric symbol positioned near the portion of the document contents that is to be subsequently displayed in response to the next screen command.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

the computer calculating a location of the display where a top of the next screen of document content will reside, wherein the first visual indicator is positioned at the location within the display to indicate the portion of document contents which is currently being displayed that will be displayed in a following screen of content in response to a selection of the next screen command.

14. A computer readable storage medium having a computer program for viewing electronic documents on an electronic display, the program having instructions for performing:

displaying a portion of an electronic document for viewing on the electronic display; and

displaying a first visual indicator within the electronic display, the first visual indicator indicating a portion of document contents which is currently being displayed that will be displayed in a following screen of content in response to a selection of a next screen command, selection of the next screen command causing the portion of the document contents which is currently being displayed and non-displayed document content which follows the currently displayed portion of the document contents to be shown.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, the program further performing:

adjusting positioning of the first visual indicator as display of the document is adjusted in response to changes in display settings.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, the program further performing:

adjusting positioning of the first visual indicator as display of the document is adjusted in response to one or more navigation commands that are acted upon.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the first visual indicator comprises a horizontal bar delineating the portion of the document contents that is to be subsequently displayed in response to the next screen command.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the first visual indicator comprises an area of semi-transparent shading overlapping the portion of the document contents that is to be subsequently displayed in response to the next screen command.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the first visual indicator comprises a geometric symbol positioned near the portion of the document contents that is to be subsequently displayed in response to the next screen command.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, the program further performing:

calculating a location of the display where a top of the next screen of document content will reside, wherein the first visual indicator is positioned at the location within the display to indicate the portion of document contents which is currently being displayed that will be displayed in a following screen of content in response to a selection of the next screen command.