Scrolling contents of a window

• US 5,495,566 A
• Filed: 11/22/1994
• Issued: 02/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kwatinetz, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, RUAY L
• Application Number:
  US08/343,780
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 395/157, 395/156, 395/159, 395/161, 345/118, 345/119, 345/157
• US Class Current: 715/785
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

An improved method and system is provided for scrolling contents of a window. In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, variable speed scrolling is provided when scrolling beyond a screen boundary. In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, the variable speed is proportional to the acceleration of the mouse cursor. In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, variable speed scrolling is provided when scrolling beyond a screen boundary. The variable speed of the second aspect of the present invention is inversely proportional to a number of times that scrolling has been initiated. In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, an improved method and system for scrolling in response to navigation key input is provided. In accordance with the third aspect of the present invention, a scrolling mode is selected after examining navigation key input. When the navigation key input comprises more than a predefined number of keys with each key being received within a predefined period of time, the third aspect of the present invention performs jump to scrolling. If there are less than the predefined number of keys or the keys are not within the predefined time period, the third aspect of the present invention performs animated scrolling.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a video display, an input device with an input device indicator that is visible on the video display and reflects movement of the input device, and a computer program for displaying a window with contents on the video display, the window having a predefined area for triggering scrolling the contents of the window, a method for displaying the contents of a window comprising the steps of:

while the input device indicator is moving,

determining a current location of the input device indicator on the video display;

determining an acceleration of the input device indicator when the current location of the input device indicator is within the predefined area, wherein the input device indicator has an associated acceleration;

designating a speed for scrolling the contents of the window such that the designated speed is non-zero and proportional to the acceleration of the input device indicator; and

scrolling the contents of the window at the designated speed.

2. In a computer system having a video display, an input device with an input device indicator that is visible on the video display and reflects movement of the input device, and a computer program for displaying a window with contents on the video display, the window having a predefined area, a method for displaying the contents of a window comprising the steps of:

initiating selection of contents of the window;

while selecting the contents of the window with the input device in response to user input,

determining a current location of the input device indicator on the video display;

determining whether the current location of the input device indicator is within the predefined area; and

when the current location of the input device indicator is within the predefined area,

determining an acceleration of the input device indicator, wherein the input device indicator has an associated acceleration;

designating a speed for the scrolling of the contents of the window such that the designated speed is non-zero and proportional to the acceleration of the input device indicator; and

scrolling the contents of the window at the designated speed.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the computer program is an operating system, wherein the contents of the window are screen objects, and wherein the step of scrolling the contents includes the step of scrolling the screen objects at the designated speed by the operating system.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the computer program is a word processor, wherein the contents of the window is text, and wherein the step of scrolling the contents includes the step of scrolling the text at the designated speed by the word processor.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the computer program is a database, wherein the contents of the window are database records, and wherein the step of scrolling the contents includes the step of scrolling the database records at the designated speed by the database.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the computer program is a spreadsheet program, wherein the contents of the window are spreadsheet cells, and wherein the step of scrolling the contents includes the step of scrolling the spreadsheet cells at the designated speed by the spreadsheet program.

7. In a computer system having a video display, an input device with an input device indicator that is visible on the video display and reflects movement of the input device, and a computer program for displaying a window with contents on the video display, the input device having an associated speed and having an associated acceleration, a method for displaying the contents of the window comprising the steps of:

initiating a selection of the contents of the window with the input device in response to user input;

determining whether the input device indicator is at a window boundary; and

when the input device indicator is at the window boundary,

determining with the computer program whether the speed of the input device indicator is within a predefined range;

when it is determined that the speed is within the predefined range,

determining the acceleration of the input device indicator;

scrolling the window by the computer program at a speed proportional to the acceleration of the input device indicator; and

when it is determined that the speed is not within the predefined range,

scrolling the window by the computer program at a predefined speed.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the input device is a mouse.

9. In a computer system having a video display and a computer program for displaying a window with contents on the video display, a method for displaying contents of a window comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one request in accordance with user input to scroll the contents of the window;

determining a number of requests received for scrolling the contents of the window;

designating a scroll speed that is inversely proportional to the number of requests received; and

scrolling the contents of the window at the designated scroll speed.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the computer program is an operating system, wherein the contents of the window are screen objects, and wherein the step of scrolling the contents includes the step of scrolling the screen objects at the designated speed by the operating system.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the computer program is a word processor, wherein the contents of the window is text, and wherein the step of scrolling the contents includes the step of scrolling the text at the designated speed by the word processor.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the computer program is a database, wherein the contents of the window are database records, and wherein the step of scrolling the contents includes the step of scrolling the database records at the designated speed by the database.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the computer program is a spreadsheet program, wherein the contents of the window are spreadsheet cells, and wherein the step of scrolling includes the step of scrolling the spreadsheet cells at the designated speed by the spreadsheet program.

14. In a computer system having a video display, an input device with an input device indicator that is visible on the video display and reflects movement of the input device, and a computer program for displaying a window with contents on the video display, the window having a predefined area for triggering scrolling the contents of the window, a method for displaying contents of a window comprising the steps of:

initiating a selection of contents of the window with the input device in accordance with user input;

determining a current location of the input device indicator;

determining whether the current location of the input device indicator is within the predefined area of the window;

when the current location of the input device indicator is within the predefined area of the window,

determining a number of times that scrolling of the contents of the window has been initiated during the selection;

designating a scroll speed that is inversely proportional to the number of times that scrolling of the contents of the window has been initiated;

scrolling the contents of the window at the designated scroll speed; and

completing the selection of the contents of the window.

15. In a computer system having a video display, an input device and a computer program for displaying a window on the video display and for displaying contents of the window, the contents having portions, the window divisible into lines of display, a method for displaying contents of a window comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one request from the input device to display a sequential portion of the contents in response to user input;

determining a count of the number of requests received;

determining a time difference between each request received;

when the count is above a predefined threshold and the time difference is below a predefined time difference,

displaying the portion of the contents requested by a last request received; and

when the count is not above the predefined threshold and when the time difference is not below the predefined value,

displaying the portion of the contents requested by each received request with a granularity of a line of display.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the computer program is an operating system, wherein the contents of the window are screen objects, wherein the step of receiving at least one request includes the step of receiving at least one request from the input device to display a sequential portion of the screen objects in response to user input, and wherein the step of displaying the portion of the contents requested by each received request includes the step of displaying the portion of the screen objects requested by each received request with a minimum granularity of a line of display by the operating system.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the computer program is a word processor, wherein the contents of the window is text, wherein the step of receiving at least one request includes the step of receiving at least one request from the input device to display a sequential portion of the text in response to user input, and wherein the step of displaying the portion of the contents requested by each received request includes the step of displaying the portion of the text requested by each received request with a minimum granularity of a line of display by the word processor.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the computer program is a database, wherein the contents of the window are database records, wherein the step of receiving at least one request includes the step of receiving at least one request from the input device to display a sequential portion of the database records in response to user input, and wherein the step of displaying the portion of the contents requested by each received request includes the step of displaying the portion of the database records requested by each received request with a minimum granularity of a line of display by the database.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the computer program is a spreadsheet program, wherein the contents of the window are spreadsheet cells, wherein the step of receiving at least one request includes the step of receiving at least one request from the input device to display a sequential portion of the spreadsheet cells in response to user input, and wherein the step of displaying the portion of the contents requested by each received request includes the step of displaying the portion of the spreadsheet cells requested by each received request with a minimum granularity of a line of display by the spreadsheet program.

20. A device for displaying contents of a window, the device comprising:

a selection component for selecting contents of a window in response to user input;

a calculation component for calculating an acceleration of the selection component when the selection component is selecting contents of the window and the selection component is located within a predefined area of the window;

a speed component for determining a speed for scrolling the contents of the window, said speed being non-zero and proportional to the calculated acceleration of the selection component; and

a scrolling component for scrolling the contents of the window at the determined speed.

21. A device for displaying contents of a window, the device comprising:

a receiver component for receiving requests for initiating scrolling of the contents of a window in response to user input;

a count component for determining a number of the requests for initiating the scrolling of the contents of the window that are received by the receiver component;

a speed component for determining a speed for scrolling the contents of the window that is inversely proportional to the number of the requests for initiating the scrolling of the contents of the window that are received by the receiver component; and

a scrolling component for scrolling the contents of the window at the determined speed.

22. A device for displaying contents of a window, the device comprising:

a selection component for selecting contents of a window in response to user input;

a receiver component for receiving requests to initiate scrolling of the contents of the window;

a count component for determining a number of the requests that are received by the receiver component while the selection component is selecting the contents of the window;

a speed component for determining a speed for scrolling the contents of the window that is inversely proportional to the number of requests that are received by the receiver component; and

a scrolling component for scrolling the contents of the window at the determined speed.

23. A device for scrolling contents of a window, the device comprising:

a receiver component for receiving navigation key input from a user, said navigation key input having a magnitude;

a threshold component for determining when the magnitude of the navigation key input is greater than a predefined threshold and for determining when the navigation key input has been received by the receiver component within a predefined time;

an animation scrolling component for scrolling the contents of the window with a minimum granularity of a line when the threshold component determines that the magnitude of the navigation key input is not greater than the predefined threshold and when the threshold component determines that the navigation key input has not been received by the receiver component within a predefined time; and

a jump component for displaying the contents of the window corresponding to a last of the navigation key input when the threshold component determines that the magnitude of the navigation key input is greater than the predefined threshold and the threshold component determines that the navigation key input has been received by the receiver component within a predefined time.

24. In a computer system having a video display, an input device with an input device indicator that is visible on the video display and reflects movement of the input device, and a computer program for displaying a window with contents on the video display, the input device indicator having an associated acceleration, the window having a predefined area for triggering scrolling the contents of the window, a method for displaying the contents of a window comprising the steps of:

initiating a first selection of the contents of the window;

while performing the first selection,

determining a first current location of the input device indicator on the video display;

determining a first acceleration of the input device indicator when the first current location of the input device indicator is within the predefined area;

designating a first speed for scrolling the contents of the window such that the first speed is non-zero and proportional to the first acceleration of the input device indicator;

scrolling the contents of the window at the first speed;

initiating a second selection of the contents of the window; and

while performing the second selection,

determining a second current location of the input device indicator on the video display;

determining a second acceleration of the input device indicator when the second current location of the input device indicator is within the predefined area;

designating a second speed for scrolling the contents of the window such that the second speed is non-zero and proportional to the second acceleration of the input device indicator; and

scrolling the contents of the window at the second speed.

25. In a computer system having a video display, an input device with an input device indicator that is visible on the video display and reflects movement of the input device, and a computer program for displaying a window with contents on the video display, the input device indicator having an associated acceleration, the window having a predefined area for triggering scrolling the contents of a window, a method for displaying the contents of a window comprising the steps of:

initiating a selection of the contents of the window;

while performing the selection,

determining a first current location of the input device indicator on the video display;

determining a first acceleration of the input device indicator when the first current location of the input device indicator is within the predefined area;

designating a first speed for scrolling the contents of the window such that the first speed is non-zero and proportional to the first acceleration of the input device indicator;

scrolling the contents of the window at the first speed;

determining a second current location of the input device indicator on the video display;

determining a second acceleration of the input device indicator when the second current location of the input device indicator is within the predefined area;

designating a second speed for scrolling the contents of the window such that the second speed is non-zero and proportional to the second acceleration of the input device indicator; and

scrolling the contents of the window at the second speed.

26. In a computer system having a video display, an input device with an input device indicator that is visible on the video display and reflects movement of the input device, and a computer program for displaying a window with contents on the video display, the window having a predefined area, a method for displaying the contents of a window comprising the steps of:

selecting contents of the window with the input device in response to user input;

determining a current location of the input device indicator on the video display;

determining whether the current location of the input device indicator is within the predefined area; and

when the current location of the input device indicator is within the predefined area,

determining an acceleration of the input device indicator, wherein the input device indicator has an associated acceleration;

designating a speed for the scrolling of the contents of the window such that the designated speed is non-zero and proportional to the acceleration of the input device indicator; and

scrolling the contents of the window at the designated speed.