Stationary scrolling for user interfaces

• US 6,433,798 B1
• Filed: 04/30/1999
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Taivalsaari, Antero K. P., Smith, Randall B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MYLINH T
• Application Number:
  US09/303,056
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 345/764, 345/768, 345/766, 345/850, 345/629, 345/851, 345/630, 345/634, 345/637, 345/639, 345/848, 345/854, 345/784, 345/786, 345/973
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/973 Scroll tool, e.g. window scroll bar

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for viewing objects on a display that allows a user to scroll through the objects by varying a non-positional display attribute of the objects. This non-positional display attribute may include attributes such as transparency, fadedness and size. The system operates by receiving an intrinsic value for an object, which specifies a value for a display attribute associated with the object. The system also receives a reference value for the display attribute against which intrinsic values for objects are compared. This reference value may be received from a user through a scroll bar that is manipulated by the user. The system uses the intrinsic value and the reference value to compute a display value for the object. Next, the object is displayed using the display value to specify the non-positional display attribute for the object. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, objects that have an intrinsic value equal to reference value are displayed normally (opaquely) without any fading. Other objects that have a display value close the reference value are displayed translucently, giving the impression that objects are “emerging from the fog” or gradually “fading away.” Objects with a large difference between the intrinsic value of the object and the reference value are not displayed at all.

Claims

1. A method for viewing a plurality of objects on a graphical display that allows a user to scroll through the plurality of objects by varying transparency of the plurality of objects, comprising:

receiving an intrinsic value for an object, the intrinsic value specifying a value for a non-positional display attribute for the object;

receiving a reference value for the non-positional display attribute against which intrinsic values for objects are compared, the reference value being received from a scroll bar that is manipulated by the user;

computing a display value for the object as a function of a difference between the intrinsic value and the reference value, wherein the function assumes a higher value when an absolute value of the difference approaches zero and a lower value when the absolute value of the difference becomes large; and

displaying the object using the display value to specify a transparency for the object;

wherein the steps of, receiving the intrinsic value, receiving the reference value, computing the display value and displaying the object are repeated for the plurality of objects on the graphical display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-positional display attribute is one of transparency, fadedness and size.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of, receiving the intrinsic value, receiving the reference value, computing the display value and displaying the object are repeated for the plurality of objects.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of computing the display value is completed for the plurality of objects before any objects are displayed, and further comprising:

sorting the plurality of objects by display value; and

displaying the plurality of objects in sorted order so that objects with smaller display values do not obscure objects with larger display values.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the reference value includes receiving an input specifying the reference value from the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the reference value entails receiving an input from a scroll bar that is manipulated by the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein computing the display value for the object includes computing a difference between the intrinsic value for the object and the reference value.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the function assumes a higher value when an absolute value of the difference approaches zero and a lower value when the absolute value of the difference becomes large.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-positional display attribute includes a combination of multiple non-positional display attributes.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising drawing a background for the object before displaying the object.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the object includes not displaying the object if the display value for the object falls below a threshold value.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein computing a display value for the object includes using a fixed display value if the object has been selected to remain fixed in the display without scrolling.

14. The medium of claim 12, wherein the non-positional display attribute is one of transparency, fadedness and size.

15. The medium of claim 12, wherein the input receiving mechanism, the computing mechanism and the display mechanism are configured to operate on each object in the plurality of objects.

16. The medium of claim 12, wherein the display mechanism is configured to:

sort the plurality of objects by display value; and

display the plurality of objects in sorted order so that objects with smaller display values do not obscure objects with larger display values.

17. The medium of claim 12, wherein the input receiving mechanism is configured to receive the reference value from the user.

18. The medium of claim 12, wherein the input receiving mechanism is configured to receive an input specifying the reference value from a scroll bar that is manipulated by the user.

19. The medium of claim 12, wherein the computing mechanism is configured to compute a function of a difference between the intrinsic value for the object and the reference value.

20. The medium of claim 17, wherein the function assumes a higher value when an absolute value of the difference approaches zero and a lower value when the absolute value of the difference becomes large.

21. The medium of claim 12, wherein the non-positional display attribute includes a combination of multiple non-positional display attributes.

22. The medium of claim 12, wherein the display mechanism is configured to draw a background for the object before displaying the object.

13. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for viewing a plurality of objects on a graphical display that allows a user to scroll through the plurality of objects by varying a non-positional display attribute of the plurality of objects, comprising:

receiving an intrinsic value for an object, the intrinsic value specifying a value for the non-positional display attribute for the object;

receiving a reference value for the non-positional display attribute against which intrinsic values for objects are compared, the reference value being received from a scroll bar that is manipulated by the user;

computing a display value for the object as a function of a difference between the intrinsic value and the reference value, wherein the function assumes a higher value when an absolute valued of the difference approaches zero and a lower value when the absolute value of the difference becomes large; and

displaying the object using the display value to specify the non-positional display attribute for the object;

wherein the steps of, receiving the intrinsic value, receiving the reference value, computing the display value and displaying the object are repeated for the plurality of objects on the graphical display.