ZONE-BASED FUNCTIONS IN A USER INTERFACE

• US 20110138321A1
• Filed: 12/04/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Allen, Lloyd W. JR., Grigsby, Travis M., Jenkins, Jana H., Miller, Steven M.
• Application Number:
  US12/631,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20110138321A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/786
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars

Abstract

Initiating a predefined function responsive to detecting a selected graphic control moved into a zone within a user interface. One or more zones may be defined, and a corresponding function is defined for each zone. Responsive to movement of the selected graphic control in an orthogonal direction and releasing the control in a particular zone, a particular function is invoked, the particular function corresponding to the zone in which the control is released.

Claims

1. A method for providing zone-based functions in a user interface, comprising using a processor of a computer for:

defining at least one zone for the user interface and for each defined zone, a corresponding function; and

responsive to detecting a selected graphic control moved into a particular one of the at least one defined zone in an orthogonal direction of movement, invoking the function corresponding to the particular zone.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected graphic control is an elevator control of a scroll bar displayed on the user interface.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein moving the selected graphic control comprises dragging a ghosted image of the elevator control.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected graphic control is a progress indicator displayed by a media player.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein detecting the selected graphic control moved into the particular zone comprises detecting a user moving a finger across a finger-operated user interface.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the invoking is further responsive to detecting release of the selected graphic control in the particular zone.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the invoked function comprises increasing granularity of scrolling of a scroll bar from which the selected graphic control is selected.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the invoked function comprises highlighting at least a portion of the user interface.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the invoked function comprises performing a character count of characters displayed within at least a portion of the user interface and displaying the character count on the user interface.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising defining an area to which the invoked function will apply, the area being different from the particular zone.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected graphic control is an elevator control of a vertical scroll bar displayed on the user interface and the orthogonal direction of movement comprises moving the selected graphic control in a horizontal direction.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected graphic control is an elevator control of a horizontal scroll bar displayed on the user interface and the orthogonal direction of movement comprises moving the selected graphic control in a vertical direction.

13. A system for providing zone-based functions in a user interface, comprising:

a computer comprising a processor; and

instructions which are executable, using the processor, to implement functions comprising;

defining at least one zone for the user interface and for each defined zone, a corresponding function; and

responsive to detecting a selected graphic control moved into a particular one of the at least one defined zone in an orthogonal direction of movement, invoking the function corresponding to the particular zone.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the selected graphic control is an elevator control of a scroll bar displayed on the user interface and moving the selected graphic control comprises dragging a ghosted image of the elevator control.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein:

detecting the selected graphic control moved into the particular zone comprises detecting a user moving a finger across a finger-operated user interface; and

the orthogonal direction of movement comprises the user moving the finger in a direction orthogonal to a direction defined for invoking other function in the finger-operated user interface.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the invoking is further responsive to detecting release of the selected graphic control in the particular zone.

17. A computer program product for providing zone-based functions in a user interface, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code configured for;

defining at least one zone within the user interface and for each defined zone, a corresponding function; and

responsive to detecting a selected graphic control moved into a particular one of the at least one defined zone in an orthogonal direction of movement, invoking the function corresponding to the particular zone.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured for altering the definition of at least one defined zone.

19. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured for altering the function corresponding to at least one defined zone.

20. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured for visually indicating a location, within the user interface, of each of the at least one defined zone.