Modal control scrolling of display area

• US 6,313,849 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1999
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ogura, Tsuyoshi, Takase, Harumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Jankus, Almis R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUNNINGHAM, GREGORY F
• Application Number:
  US09/345,721
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 345/123-125, 345/684, 345/685, 345/784, 345/785, 345/786, 345/835, 345/973
• US Class Current: 345/684
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A scrollable mode is caused to enter, in which scrolling using a pointing device can be performed by depressing a specified key in the keyboard, and in the scrollable mode, the display area is caused to be scrolled in a direction corresponding to the moving direction of the cursor which is operated by the pointing device.

Claims

1. A display area scrolling method comprising:

detecting input data from a pointing device;

moving a cursor operated by the pointing device in a moving direction on a display area in response to the input data;

determining whether a specified key in a keyboard is depressed;

entering a scrollable mode when the specified key is depressed; and

when in the scrollable mode;

scrolling through the display area in the moving direction;

limiting movement of the cursor from a starting location by stopping the movement of the cursor within a predetermined distance from the starting location;

resetting the starting location to a location in which the cursor has been stopped when the cursor is moved in a new moving direction; and

scrolling the display area in the new moving direction.

3. A display area scrolling method according to claim 1, further comprising exiting said scrollable mode by one of:

(1) suspending depression of said specified key;

(2) depressing any key in said keyboard other than said specified key; and

(3) depressing a button of said pointing device.

2. A display area scrolling method comprising:

detecting input data from a pointing device;

moving a cursor operated by the pointing device in a moving direction on a display area in response to the input data;

determining whether a specified key in a keyboard is depressed; and

entering a scrollable mode when the specified key is depressed;

when in said scrollable mode;

scrolling through the display area in the moving direction;

limiting movement of the cursor from a starting location by stopping the movement of the cursor within a predetermined distance from the starting location when in the scrollable mode; and

limiting a direction in which said display area is scrolled to only a direction in which a pointer operated by said pointing device is first moved and a direction opposite thereto.

4. A display area scrolling method according to claim 2, further comprising exiting said scrollable mode by one of:

(1) suspending depression of said specified key;

(2) depressing any key in said keyboard other than said specified key; and

(3) depressing a button of said pointing device.