Mechanism for providing intuitive scrolling feedback

• US 6,590,595 B1
• Filed: 02/08/2000
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Tishkova, Osana, Mufti, Fazeel, Berlin, Richard, Wagner, Annette
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NHON D
• Application Number:
  US09/500,287
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 345/784, 345/785, 345/786, 345/787, 345/719, 345/720, 345/721, 345/722, 345/772, 725/37, 725/38, 725/52, 725/53
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars

Abstract

An intuitive scrolling feedback mechanism is provided to enable novice and infrequent computer users to understand and to utilize the scrolling functionality offered by a computing device. Scrolling feedback is provided by displaying a portion of a set of information in a display area. In addition, a control region is displayed, comprising one or more activable controls. These controls, when activated by a user via a user interface, cause a different portion of the set of information to be displayed in the display area. In addition, a status region is displayed, comprising a plurality of location indicators. A subset of the location indicators is displayed in a first manner (e.g. a darker color), while the remainder of the location indicators is displayed in a second and different manner (e.g. a lighter color). The subset of the indicators is determined based upon the portion of the set of information that is currently being displayed in the display region. In effect, the location indicators provide the user with an indication as to where the currently displayed portion is relative to the entire set of information. As the user scrolls forward in the set of information, more location indicators are “filled in” with the darker color. As the user scrolls backward, location indicators are “unfilled”. At any time, the user can get a sense of how far into the set of information he has scrolled by simply viewing the status region. This “filling” and “unfilling” of the location indicators gives the user a very intuitive feel of the scrolling process.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing visual feedback to a user, comprising:

displaying a portion of a set of information in a display area, wherein said set of information cannot be fully displayed in said display area;

displaying a control region, said control region comprising at least one activable control which may be activated via a user interface, and when activated, said activable control causing a different portion of said set of information to be displayed in said display area; and

displaying a status region comprising a plurality of location indicators, a subset of said location indicators being displayed in a first manner and the remainder of said location indicators being displayed in a second and different manner, wherein said subset of said indicators is determined based upon which portion of said set of information is currently being displayed in said display area,

wherein said subset of said indicators is empty when said portion of said set of information that is displayed in said display area is a beginning portion of said set of information, and

wherein said subset of said indicators includes all of said indicators of said plurality when said portion of said set of information that is displayed in said display area is a last portion of said set of information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of said set of information that is currently being displayed in said display area is a current portion, and wherein said subset of said indicators is determined based upon a relative position of said current portion within said set of information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to an activation of said activable control, causing another portion of said set of information to be displayed in said display area;

determining, based upon said another portion of said set of information, an adjusted subset of said location indicators; and

displaying said status region comprising said plurality of location indicators such that said adjusted subset of said indicators is displayed in said first manner and the remainder of said indicators is displayed in said second manner.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying said status region comprises:

determining a size of an area in which said status region is to be displayed; and

adjusting the number of location indicators based upon said size.

5. A computer-implemented method for providing visual feedback to a user, comprising:

displaying a portion of a set of information in a display area, wherein said set of information cannot be fully displayed in said display area;

displaying a control region, said control region comprising at least one activable control which may be activated via a user interface, and when activated, said activable control causing a different portion of said set of information to be displayed in said display area; and

displaying a status region wherein a first portion of said status region is displayed in a first manner and the remainder of said status region is displayed in a second and different manner, and wherein the size of said first portion is determined based upon which portion of said set of information is currently being displayed in said display area,

wherein said size of said first portion is zero when said portion of said set of information that is displayed in said display area is a beginning portion of said set of information, and

wherein said size of said first portion is a size of said entire status region when said portion of said set of information that is displayed in said display area is a last portion of said set of information.

6. An apparatus for providing visual feedback to a user, comprising:

a mechanism for displaying a portion of a set of information in a display area, wherein said set of information cannot be fully displayed in said display area;

a mechanism for displaying a control region, said control region comprising at least one activable control which may be activated via a user interface, and when activated, said activable control causing a different portion of said set of information to be displayed in said display area; and

a mechanism for displaying a status region comprising a plurality of location indicators, a subset of said location indicators being displayed in a first manner and the remainder of said location indicators being displayed in a second and different manner, wherein said subset of said indicators is determined based upon which portion of said set of information is currently being displayed in said display area,

wherein said subset of said indicators is empty when said portion of said set of information that is displayed in said display area is a beginning portion of said set of information, and

wherein said subset of said indicators includes all of said indicators of said plurality when said portion of said set of information that is displayed in said display area is a last portion of said set of information.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the portion of said set of information that is currently being displayed in said display area is a current portion, and wherein said subset of said indicators is determined based upon a relative position of said current portion within said set of information.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a mechanism for causing, in response to an activation of said activable control, another portion of said set of information to be displayed in said display area;

a mechanism for determining, based upon said another portion of said set of information, an adjusted subset of said location indicators; and

a mechanism for displaying said status region comprising said plurality of location indicators such that said adjusted subset of said indicators is displayed in said first manner and the remainder of said indicators is displayed in said second manner.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the mechanism for displaying said status region comprises:

a mechanism for determining a size of an area in which said status region is to be displayed; and

a mechanism for adjusting the number of location indicators based upon said size.

10. An apparatus for providing visual feedback to a user, comprising:

a mechanism for displaying a portion of a set of information in a display area, wherein said set of information cannot be fully displayed in said display area;

a mechanism for displaying a control region, said control region comprising at least one activable control which may be activated via a user interface, and when activated, said activable control causing a different portion of said set of information to be displayed in said display area; and

a mechanism for displaying a status region wherein a first portion of said status region is displayed in a first manner and the remainder of said status region is displayed in a second and different manner, and wherein the size of said first portion is determined based upon which portion of said set of information is currently being displayed in said display area,

wherein said size of said first portion is zero when said portion of said set of information that is displayed in said display area is a beginning portion of said set of information, and

wherein said size of said first portion is a size of said entire status region when said portion of said set of information that is displayed in said display area is a last portion of said set of information.

11. A computer readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to provide visual feedback to a user, comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to display a portion of a set of information in a display area, wherein said set of information cannot be fully displayed in said display area;

instructions for causing one or more processors to display a control region, said control region comprising at least one activable control which may be activated via a user interface, and when activated, said activable control causing a different portion of said set of information to be displayed in said display area; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to display a status region comprising a plurality of location indicators, a subset of said location indicators being displayed in a first manner and the remainder of said location indicators being displayed in a second and different manner, wherein said subset of said indicators is determined based upon which portion of said set of information is currently being displayed in said display area,

wherein said subset of said indicators is empty when said portion of said set of information that is displayed in said display area is a beginning portion of said set of information, and

wherein said subset of said indicators includes all of said indicators of said plurality when said portion of said set of information that is displayed in said display area is a last portion of said set of information.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the portion of said set of information that is currently being displayed in said display area is a current portion, and wherein said subset of said indicators is determined based upon a relative position of said current portion within said set of information.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to cause, in response to an activation of said activable control, another portion of said set of information to be displayed in said display area;

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine, based upon said another portion of said set of information, an adjusted subset of said location indicators; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to display said status region comprising said plurality of location indicators such that said adjusted subset of said indicators is displayed in said first manner and the remainder of said indicators is displayed in said second manner.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions for causing one or more processors to display said status region comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine a size of an area in which said status region is to be displayed; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to adjust the number of location indicators based upon said size.

15. A computer readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to provide visual feedback to a user, comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to display a portion of a set of information in a display area, wherein said set of information cannot be fully displayed in said display area;

instructions for causing one or more processors to display a control region, said control region comprising at least one activable control which may be activated via a user interface, and when activated, said activable control causing a different portion of said set of information to be displayed in said display area; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to display a status region wherein a first portion of said status region is displayed in a first manner and the remainder of said status region is displayed in a second and different manner, and wherein the size of said first portion is determined based upon which portion of said set of information is currently being displayed in said display area,

wherein said size of said first portion is zero when said portion of said set of information that is displayed in said display area is a beginning portion of said set of information, and

wherein said size of said first portion is a size of said entire status region when said portion of said set of information that is displayed in said display area is a last portion of said set of information.