Method and apparatus for locating a point in a list

• US 5,550,559 A
• Filed: 05/23/1994
• Issued: 08/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Poston, Ricky L., Isensee, Scott H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHIN, VIVIAN C
• Application Number:
  US08/247,838
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 395/159, 395/160, 395/157, 345/121, 345/141, 345/123, 345/124, 345/125
• US Class Current: 345/684
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars

Abstract

A method and apparatus for locating a point in a list are provided. The method includes the steps of indexing the list into segments, placing the segments into a viewer on a display, and selecting a desired segment from the viewer to scroll the list to the desired segment. The method may be integrated into a graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a computer system, having at least a display device, memory, and user controls, for scrolling a list of rows, having information therein, to a desired location, wherein at least a first portion of the list is displayed on the display device, comprising the steps of:

indexing said information in said list of rows to generate a unique label segment for each of a number of said rows, each of said unique label segments corresponding to one of said rows;

displaying said unique label segments in a viewer displayed on said display device; and

in response to a selection of at least one of said unique label segments in said viewer using said user controls, wherein said corresponding row of said selected unique label segment is not displayed on said display device, scrolling said list to said corresponding row of said selected unique label segment.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said indexing step comprises the following steps:

alphabetically sorting a plurality of icons within said list into said rows;

locating a label for the first icon in each of said rows and storing said labels into a label index within said memory;

dividing the number of said rows in said list by the number of rows in said viewer to produce a resulting number X;

scanning down said label index and collecting said label every X rows; and

comparing each of said collected labels with the subsequently collected label to establish said unique label segment for each of said X rows.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said displaying step comprises the step of:

positioning each of said unique label segments in a row within said viewer.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein said scrolling step comprises the steps of:

in response to said user controls, positioning a slider over said selected unique label segment in said viewer; and

in response to said user controls, activating said slider.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein said slider encapsulates a number of said rows within said viewer that is substantially equivalent to the number of rows displayed on said display device.

6. An apparatus for scrolling a list of rows, having information therein, to locate a point in the list, comprising:

a display device for displaying at least a first portion of said list;

a processor;

means for controlling said processor to index said information in said list of rows to generate a unique label segment for each of a number of said rows, each of said unique label segments corresponding to one of said rows;

said display device for displaying said unique label segments in a displayed viewer;

user controls for selecting at least one of said unique label segments in said viewer; and

in response to a selection using said user controls, wherein said corresponding row of said selected unique label segment is not displayed on said display device, means for scrolling said list to said corresponding row of said selected unique label segment.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said means for controlling said processor to index said list comprises:

means for alphabetically sorting icons within said list into rows;

means for locating a label for the first icon in each of said rows and storing said labels into a label index;

means for dividing the number of said rows in said list by the number of rows in said viewer to produce a resulting number X;

means for scanning down said label index and collecting said label every X rows; and

means for comparing each of said collected labels with the subsequently collected label to establish said unique label segment for each of said X rows.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said viewer comprises:

each of said segments positioned in rows within said viewer.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said selecting means comprises:

a slider positioned over said select unique label segment on said viewer; and

said user controls for activating said slider.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said user controls comprise a mouse.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said slider encapsulates a number of said rows within said viewer that is substantially equivalent to the number of rows displayed on said display device.