Replacement of traditional scroll bar with a "more" bar

• US 5,896,132 A
• Filed: 02/10/1997
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: James, Donald A., Radhakrishnan, Sockalinga, Xavier, James, Berstis, Viktors
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jackson, Chadwick A.
• Application Number:
  US08/799,909
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 345/340, 345/341, 345/123, 345/342
• US Class Current: 715/786
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars

Abstract

Scroll bars conventionally used in a graphical user interface are replaced with "more" bars at each edge of a display bordering a direction in which more information is available for viewing. Actuation of a cursor on one of the more bars scrolls the display in the direction of the more bar. The more bars provide an intuitive mechanism for controlling the display of graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A method of providing a display control mechanism in a data processing system, comprising:

displaying information in a display area on a display in said data processing system wherein said display area has a fixed size;

identifying all edges of said display area which define a perimeter of said display area in a direction in which said display area may be scrolled to view additional information on said display; and

displaying an indicator only at each edge of said display area in a direction in which said display area may be scrolled to view additional information, said indicator indicating said direction and representing a control mechanism for scrolling said display area in said direction, wherein an intuitive scrolling indicator is provided for a graphical user interface to said data processing system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of displaying an indicator at each edge further comprises displaying a graphical image at at least one edge of said display area representative of said control mechanism for scrolling said display area in said direction.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said step of identifying all edges of said display area which define a perimeter of said display area in a direction in which said display area may be scrolled to view additional information on said display further comprises determining each direction in which said display area may be scrolled to view additional information; and

said step of displaying an indicator at each edge in a direction in which said display area may be scrolled to view additional information further comprises displaying a plurality of indicators, one indicator within said plurality of indicators at each edge of said display area in a direction in which said display area may be scrolled to view additional information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a user actuating an input device controlling said cursor, determining a location of said cursor within said display area;

determining whether said cursor is positioned within a portion of said display area occupied by an indicator; and

responsive to determining that said cursor is positioned within a portion of said display area occupied by an indicator, scrolling said display area in a corresponding direction.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

subsequent to said step of scrolling said display area in said corresponding direction, determining whether additional information may be viewed by additional scrolling of said display area in said corresponding direction; and

responsive to determining that no additional information may be viewed by additional scrolling of said display area in said corresponding direction, removing said indicator occupying said portion of said display area from said display.

6. An apparatus for providing a display control mechanism in a data processing system, comprising;

first display means for displaying information in a display area on a display in said data processing system wherein said display area has a fixed size;

determination means for identifying all edges of said display area which define a perimeter of said display area in a direction in which said display area may be scrolled to view additional information on said display; and

second display means for displaying an indicator only at each edge of said display area in a direction in which said display area may be scrolled to view additional information, said indicator indicating said direction and representing a control mechanism for scrolling said display area in said direction, wherein an intuitive scrolling indicator is provided for a graphical user interface to said data processing system.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said second display means further comprises means for displaying a graphical image at at least one edge of said display area representative of said control mechanism for scrolling said display area in said direction.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein:

said determination means further comprises means for determining each direction in which said display area may be scrolled to view additional information; and

said second display means further comprises means for displaying a plurality of indicators, one indicator within said plurality of indicators at each edge of said display area in a direction in which said display area may be scrolled to view additional information.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

second determination means, responsive to a user actuating an input device controlling said cursor, for determining a location of said cursor within said display area;

third determination means for determining whether said cursor is positioned within a portion of said display area occupied by an indicator; and

scrolling means, responsive to determining that said cursor is positioned within a portion of said display area occupied by an indicator, scrolling said display area in a corresponding direction.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

fourth determination means for determining, after scrolling said display area in said corresponding direction, whether additional information may be viewed by additional scrolling of said display area in said corresponding direction; and

fourth display means, responsive to determining that no additional information may be viewed by additional scrolling of said display area in said corresponding direction, for removing said indicator occupying said portion of said display area from said display.

11. A method of employing a more bar in a data processing system, comprising:

for each direction in which a display area displaying information contained in a memory in said data processing system and having a fixed size may be scrolled to view additional information in said display area, displaying an indicator at an edge of said display area in said direction, said indicator representative of a mechanism for scrolling said display area in said direction;

for each direction in which said display area may not be scrolled to view additional information, not displaying an indicator at an edge of said display area in said direction and displaying information in a portion of said display area which would otherwise be occupied by said suppressed indicator; and

responsive to a user actuating an input device while said cursor is positioned within a space in said display area occupied by a displayed indicator, scrolling said display area in a corresponding direction.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

responsive to a determination, after scrolling said display area in said corresponding direction, that no additional information may be viewed in said display area by additional scrolling of said display area in said corresponding direction, suppressing said displayed indicator and displaying information in a portion of said display area which would otherwise be occupied by said previously displayed indicator.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of displaying an indicator further comprises displaying a plurality of indicators, one indicator within said plurality of indicators at each edge of said display area in a direction in which said display area may be scrolled to view additional information.

14. A graphical user interface for a data processing system, comprising:

a display area having a fixed size and displaying a portion of information contained within a memory in said data processing system;

an indicator displayed in said display area at each edge of said display area bounding said display area in a direction in which said display area may be scrolled to view additional information contained within said memory, said indicator representative of a mechanism for scrolling said display area in said direction, wherein said display area contains an intuitive scrolling indicator; and

no indicators at each edge of said display area bounding said display area in a direction in which said display area may not be scrolled to view additional information contained within said memory.

15. The graphical user interface of claim 14, further comprising:

a plurality of indicators displayed in said display area, one indicator within said plurality of indicators at each edge of said display area bounding said display area in a direction in which said display area may be scrolled to view additional information contained within said memory.

16. The graphical user interface of claim 14, wherein said indicator extends an entire length of said edge.

17. A computer program product for use with a data processing system, comprising:

a computer usable medium;

first instructions on said computer usable medium for each direction in which a display area displaying information contained in a memory in said data processing system and having a fixed size may be scrolled to view additional information in said display area, for displaying an indicator at an edge of said display area in said direction, said indicator representative of a mechanism for scrolling said display area in said direction;

second instructions on said computer usable medium for suppressing display of an indicator at an edge of said display area in a direction in which said display area may not be scrolled to display additional information;

third instructions on said computer usable medium, responsive to a user actuating an input device while said cursor is positioned within a space in said display area occupied by a displayed indicator, for scrolling said display area in a corresponding direction; and

fourth instructions on said computer usable medium, responsive to a determination, after scrolling said display area in said corresponding direction, that no additional information may be viewed in said display area by additional scrolling of said display area in said corresponding direction, for not displaying said indicator.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer computer usable medium is a hard disk drive.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer computer usable medium is a floppy disk.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer computer usable medium is a CD-ROM.