Method and system for locating and displaying the position of a cursor contained within a page of a compound document

• US 6,014,140 A
• Filed: 01/10/1997
• Issued: 01/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Strand, Todd Julius
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THOMAS T
• Application Number:
  US08/780,200
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 345/341, 345/340, 345/973, 345/123, 345/121, 345/145, 345/157, 345/160
• US Class Current: 345/684
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/973 Scroll tool, e.g. window scroll bar

Abstract

A method and system for locating and displaying the actual position of a cursor contained within a predetermined selectable segment of a compound document within a graphical user interface environment within a data-processing system wherein only a portion of the predetermined selectable segment can be displayed at one time. In response to user input, the graphical user interface dynamically moves to the relative location of a predetermined selectable segment of a compound document wherein a cursor is located. Next, if the cursor is not located within a viewable portion of the graphical user interface, the graphical user interface automatically scrolls within the predetermined selectable segment to a relative location of the cursor within the predetermined selectable segment. Thereafter, a portion of the predetermined selectable segment wherein the cursor is located is displayed within the graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for locating and displaying the actual position of a cursor contained within a predetermined selectable segment of a compound document within a graphical user interface environment within said computer system, wherein only a portion of said predetermined selectable segment can be displayed at one time, comprising the steps of:

identifying the relative location within said compound document of a predetermined selectable segment of said compound document wherein a cursor is located;

dynamically moving to the relative location of said predetermined selectable segment within said compound document wherein said cursor is located, in response to user input;

automatically scrolling within said predetermined selectable segment to a relative location of said cursor within said predetermined selectable segment, in response to said movement to said relative location, if said cursor is not located within a viewable portion of said graphical user interface; and

displaying within said graphical user interface a portion of said predetermined selectable segment, wherein said cursor is located, such that the location of said cursor within said predetermined selectable segment may be easily and efficiently made visually available to a user despite the granularity of a selection process being larger than the granularity of a viewing process within said graphical user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of dynamically moving to the relative location of said predetermined selectable segment within said compound document wherein said cursor is located, in response to user input, further comprises the steps of:

activating a selectable cursor position marker located within a scrollbar displayed within a graphical user interface environment; and

,

dynamically moving to the relative location of said predetermined selectable segment within said compound document wherein said cursor is located, in response to said activation of said selectable cursor position marker.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of dynamically moving to the relative location of said predetermined selectable segment within said compound document wherein said cursor is located, in response to user input further comprises the step of:

dynamically moving to the relative location of a page within said compound document wherein said cursor is located, in response to user input, such that said predetermined selectable segment comprises said page.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of automatically scrolling within said predetermined selectable segment to a relative location of said cursor within said predetermined selectable segment, in response to said movement to said relative location, if said cursor is not located within a viewable portion of said graphical user interface, further comprises the step of:

automatically scrolling within said page of said compound document to a relative location of said cursor within said page, in response to said movement to said relative location, if said cursor is not located within a viewable portion of said graphical user interface.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of displaying within said graphical user interface a portion of said predetermined selectable segment wherein said cursor is located, further comprises the step of:

displaying within said graphical user interface a portion of said page wherein said cursor is located.

6. A system for locating and displaying the actual position of a cursor contained within a predetermined selectable segment of a compound document within a graphical user interface environment within a computer system, wherein only a portion of said predetermined selectable segment can be displayed at one time, comprising:

means for identifying the relative location within said compound document of a predetermined selectable segment of said compound document, wherein a cursor is located;

means for dynamically moving to the relative location of said predetermined selectable segment within said compound document wherein said cursor is located, in response to user input;

means for automatically scrolling within said predetermined selectable segment to a relative location of said cursor within said predetermined selectable segment, in response to said movement to said relative location, if said cursor is not located within a viewable portion of said graphical user interface; and

means for displaying within said graphical user interface a portion of said predetermined selectable segment wherein said cursor is located, such that the location of said cursor within said predetermined selectable segment may be easily and efficiently made visually available to a user despite the granularity of a selection process being larger than the granularity of a viewing process within said graphical user interface.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said means for dynamically moving to the relative location of said predetermined selectable segment within said compound document wherein said cursor is located, in response to user input, further comprises:

means for activating a selectable cursor position marker located within a scrollbar displayed within a graphical user interface environment; and

means for dynamically moving to the relative location of said predetermined selectable segment within said compound document wherein said cursor is located, in response to said activation of said selectable cursor position marker.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said predetermined selectable segment of a compound document comprises a page of a compound document within said graphical user interface.

9. A computer program product residing in computer memory in a computer system for permitting a user to locate and display the actual position of a cursor contained within a predetermined selectable segment of a compound document within a graphical user interface environment within said computer system, wherein only a portion of said predetermined selectable segment can be displayed at one time, said computer program product comprising:

instruction means residing in a computer for identifying the relative location within said compound document of a predetermined selectable segment of said compound document, wherein a cursor is located

instruction means residing in a computer for dynamically moving to the relative location of said predetermined selectable segment within said compound document, wherein said cursor is located, in response to user input;

instruction means residing in a computer for automatically scrolling within said predetermined selectable segment to a relative location of said cursor within said predetermined selectable segment, in response to said movement to said relative location, if said cursor is not located within a viewable portion of said graphical user interface; and

instruction means residing in a computer for displaying within said graphical user interface a portion of said predetermined selectable segment wherein said cursor is located, such that the location of said cursor within said predetermined selectable segment may be easily and efficiently made visually available to a user despite the granularity of a selection process being larger than the granularity of a viewing process within said graphical user interface.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein said instruction means residing in a computer for dynamically moving to the relative location of said predetermined selectable segment within said compound document wherein said cursor is located, in response to user input, further comprises:

instruction means residing in a computer for activating a selectable cursor position marker located within a scrollbar displayed within a graphical user interface environment; and

instruction means residing in a computer for dynamically moving to the relative location of said predetermined selectable segment within said compound document, wherein said cursor is located, in response to said activation of said selectable cursor position marker.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein said predetermined selectable segment of a compound document comprises a page of a compound document within said graphical user interface.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein each of said instruction means further comprises signal bearing media.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein said signal bearing media comprises transmission media.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein said signal bearing media comprises recordable media.

15. A method in a computer system for locating and displaying the actual position of a cursor contained within a predetermined selectable segment of a compound document within a graphical user interface environment within said computer system, wherein only a portion of said predetermined selectable segment can be displayed at one time, comprising the steps of:

identifying the relative location within said compound document of a predetermined selectable segment of said compound document, wherein a cursor is located;

activating a selectable cursor position marker located within a scrollbar displayed within said graphical user interface environment;

dynamically moving to the relative location of said predetermined selectable segment within compound document wherein said cursor is located, in response to said activation of said selectable cursor position marker;

automatically scrolling within said predetermined selectable segment to a relative location of said cursor within said predetermined selectable segment, in response to said movement to said relative location, if said cursor is not located within a viewable portion of said graphical user interface; and

displaying within said graphical user interface a portion of said predetermined selectable segment, wherein said cursor is located, such that the location of said cursor within said predetermined selectable segment may be easily and efficiently made visually available to a user despite the granularity of a selection process being larger than the granularity of a viewing process within said graphical user interface.

16. A method in a computer system for locating and displaying the actual position of a cursor contained within a page of a compound document within a graphical user interface environment within said computer system, wherein only a portion of said predetermined selectable segment can be displayed at one time, comprising the steps of:

identifying the relative location within said compound document of a page of said compound document, wherein a cursor is located;

dynamically moving to the relative location of said page within said compound document wherein said cursor is located, in response to user input;

automatically scrolling within said page to a relative location of said cursor within said page, in response to said movement to said relative location, if said cursor is not located within a viewable portion of said graphical user interface; and

displaying within said graphical user interface a portion of said page, wherein said cursor is located, such that the location of said cursor within said page may be easily and efficiently made visually available to a user despite the granularity of a selection process being larger than the granularity of a viewing process within said graphical user interface.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of dynamically moving to the relative location of said page within said compound document wherein said cursor is located, in response to user input, further comprises the steps of:

activating a selectable cursor position marker located within a scrollbar displayed within a graphical user interface environment; and

,

dynamically moving to the relative location of said page within said compound document wherein said cursor is located, in response to user input, in response to said activation of said selectable cursor position marker.