TECHNIQUES FOR NAVIGATING INFORMATION

• US 20150177977A1
• Filed: 03/04/2015
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Amacker, Matthew W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,910,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars

Abstract

Techniques described and suggested herein include systems and methods for navigating content in the form of a scrollable information sets. In an embodiment, a portion of a scrollable information set is displayed on a user device. As the user navigates through the information set, one or more location indicators are modified. The location indicators each correspond to a position within the information set and are configured to facilitate user input for navigating to a corresponding position within the information set.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing information to a user, comprising:

under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,

identifying a size of a scrollable information set;

determining, based at least in part on the size, a graphical map that facilitates user input for navigating from a currently displayed subset of the information set to one or more undisplayed subsets of the information set;

providing for display of a first subset of the information set in connection with a user interface that includes a scrolling control and the graphical map;

receiving user input in connection with the user interface; and

responsive to the user input;

determining one or more subsets of the scrollable information set that have been accessed by the user; and

modifying the map to indicate the determined one or more subsets of the scrollable information set that have been accessed by the user.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the scrollable information set comprises a set of information units numbered in an enumeration and wherein the map associates locations on a display with numbers of the enumeration.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the locations on the display are locations on a scroll bar.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the map indicates the size of the information set.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to the user input, modifying the graphical map and causing replacement of the graphical map with the modified graphical map.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the displayed graphical map includes at least one location indicator corresponding to at least a portion of the subset of information.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein modifying the map includes modifying the appearance of the at least one location indicator.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for causing one or more computer systems to perform a method of providing information, the method comprising:

identifying a size of a scrollable information set;

determining, based at least in part on the size, a graphical map that facilitates user input for navigating from a currently displayed subset of the information set to one or more undisplayed subsets of the information set;

providing for display of a first subset of the information set in connection with a user interface that includes a scrolling control and the graphical map;

receiving user input in connection with the user interface; and

responsive to the user input;

determining one or more subsets of the scrollable information set that have been accessed by the user; and

modifying the map to indicate the determined one or more subsets of the scrollable information set that have been accessed by the user.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the scrollable information set comprises a set of information units numbered in an enumeration and wherein the map associates locations on a display with numbers of the enumeration.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the locations on the display are locations on a scroll bar.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the map indicates the size of the information set.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises, responsive to the user input, modifying the graphical map and causing replacement of the graphical map with the modified graphical map.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the displayed graphical map includes at least one location indicator corresponding to at least a portion of the subset of information.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein modifying the map includes modifying the appearance of the at least one location indicator.

15. A system for providing content, comprising:

a data store having data stored therein;

one or more computing devices collectively operable to;

identify a size of a scrollable information set;

determine, based at least in part on the size, a graphical map that facilitates user input for navigating from a currently displayed subset of the information set to one or more undisplayed subsets of the information set;

provide for display of a first subset of the information set in connection with a user interface that includes a scrolling control and the graphical map;

receive user input in connection with the user interface; and

responsive to the user input;

determine one or more subsets of the scrollable information set that have been accessed by the user; and

modify the map to indicate the determined one or more subsets of the scrollable information set that have been accessed by the user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the scrollable information set comprises a set of information units numbered in an enumeration and wherein the map associates locations on a display with numbers of the enumeration.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the locations on the display are locations on a scroll bar.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the map indicates the size of the information set.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising, responsive to the user input, modifying the graphical map and causing replacement of the graphical map with the modified graphical map.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the displayed graphical map includes at least one location indicator corresponding to at a least portion of the subset of information.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein modifying the map includes modifying the appearance of the at least one location indicator.