Method and system for accelerated data navigation

• US 6,738,045 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2001
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hinckley, Kenneth P., Bathiche, Steven N
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Osorio, Ricardo
• Application Number:
  US09/791,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20020118169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/159, 345/163, 345/164, 345/167, 345/168, 345/784, 345/785
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• 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

Abstract

A method and system uses an acceleration curve to enhance data navigation. In a preferred embodiment, the scrolling algorithm of an input device with a rotational member accelerates a resultant scroll amount in direct relation to a rotational speed of the rotational member. The acceleration curve may be implemented in a look-up table in the mouse driver. Different acceleration curves may be used based upon whether a user is scrolling up or scrolling down. In a further embodiment, acceleration is temporarily inhibited upon the occurrence of a change in the direction of rotation of the rotational member.

Claims

1. A system for controlling navigation of a data file, comprising:

an input device having a user-actuated input mechanism for generating signals representative of input events;

detection means for detecting a rate of user actuation of said mechanism;

determination means for determining a data file navigation rate representing a navigation amount per input event as an increasing exponential function of the detected rate of user actuation; and

output means for outputting control signals indicative of said navigation rate;

wherein the function is the exponential function Δ

y=C+K₁(1+K₂Δ

t)^α

, wherein Δ

y is the navigation rate, C is a constant, K₁ and K₂ are gain factors, α

is a non-linear parameter, and Δ

t is an indication of the rate of user actuation.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein a first set of values for C, K₁, K₂ and α

are used when actuating the input mechanism in a first direction and a second set of values different from said first set of values are used when actuating the input mechanism in a second direction.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein determination means comprises a lookup function to determine the data file navigation rate based on a lookup table approximating the results of the exponential function.

4. A method for controlling navigation of a data file, comprising the steps of:

detecting a rate of user actuation of a user-actuated input mechanism for generating signals representative of input events on an input device;

determining a data file navigation rate representing a page independent navigation amount per input event as an increasing exponential function of the detected rate of user actuation; and

outputting control signals indicative of said navigation rate;

wherein the function is the exponential function Δ

y=C+K₁(1+K₂Δ

t)^α

, wherein Δ

y is the navigation rate, C is a constant, K₁ and K₂ are gain factors, α

is a non-linear parameter, and Δ

t is an indication of the rate of user actuation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a first set of values for C, K₁, K₂ and α

are used when actuating the input mechanism in a first direction and a second set of values different from said first set of values are used when actuating the input mechanism in a second direction.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein determining a data file navigation rate comprises looking up the data file navigation rate in a lookup table based on the increasing exponential function.

7. A computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method for accelerating scrolling, comprising:

detecting a rate of user actuation of a user-actuated input mechanism, from signals generated by said mechanism which are representative of input events;

determining a data file navigation rate representing a navigation amount per input event, as an increasing exponential function of the detected rate of user actuation; and

outputting control signals indicative of said navigation rate;

wherein in the determining step the function is the exponential function Δ

y=C+K₁(1+K₂Δ

t)^α

, wherein Δ

y is the navigation rate, C is a constant, K₁ and K₂ are gain factors, α

is a non-linear parameter, and Δ

t is an indication of the rate of user actuation.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein a first set of values for C, K₁, K₂ and α

are used when actuating the input mechanism in a first direction and a second set of values different from said first set of values are used when actuating the input mechanism in a second direction.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein determining a data file navigation rate comprises looking up the data file navigation rate in a lookup table based on the increasing exponential function.

10. A system for controlling scrolling of a display, comprising:

an input device having a user-actuated input mechanism;

detection means for detecting a rate of user actuation of said mechanism;

determination means for determining a plurality of line scroll rates of the display as an increasing function of the detected rate of user actuation, wherein each line scroll rate represents a number of lines to be scrolled for a given amount of user actuation of said mechanism; and

output means for outputting control signals indicative of said line scroll rates;

wherein the function is the exponential function Δ

y=C+K₁(1+K₂Δ

t)^α

, wherein Δ

y is the line scroll rate, C is a constant, K₁ and K₂ are gain factors, α

is a non-linear parameter, and Δ

t is an indication of the rate of user actuation.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein a first set of values for C, K₁, K₂ and α

are used when actuating the input mechanism in a first direction and a second set of values different from said first set of values are used when actuating the input mechanism in a second direction.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein determination means comprises a lookup function to determine the line scroll rates based on a lookup table approximating the results of the exponential function.

13. A method for controlling scrolling of a display, comprising:

detecting a rate of user actuation of an input mechanism;

determining a plurality of page independent line scroll rates of the display as an increasing function of the detected rate of user actuation, wherein each line scroll rate represents a number of lines to be scrolled for a given amount of user actuation of said mechanism; and

outputting control signals indicative of said line scroll rates;

wherein the function is the exponential function Δ

y=C+K₁(1+K₂Δ

t)^α

, wherein Δ

y is the line scroll rate, C is a constant, K₁ and K₂ are gain factors, α

is a non-linear parameter, and Δ

t is an indication of the rate of user actuation.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein a first set of values for C, K₁, K₂ and α

are used when actuating the input mechanism in a first direction and a second set of values different from said first set of values are used when actuating the input mechanism in a second direction.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein determining a plurality of line scroll rates comprises looking up the line scroll rates in a lookup table based on the exponential function.

16. A computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method for controlling scrolling of a display, comprising:

detecting a rate of user actuation of an input mechanism;

determining a plurality of line scroll rates of the display as an increasing function of the detected rate of user actuation, wherein the line scroll rate represents a number of lines to be scrolled for a given amount of user actuation of said mechanism;

outputting control signals indicative of said line scroll rates; and

wherein the function is the exponential function Δ

y=C+K₁(1+K₂Δ

t)^α

, wherein Δ

y is the line scroll rate, C is a constant, K₁ and K₂ are gain factors, α

is a non-linear parameter, and Δ

t is an indication of the rate of user actuation.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein a first set of values for C, K₁, K₂ and α

are used when actuating the input mechanism in a first direction and a second set of values different from said first set of values are used when actuating the input mechanism in a second direction.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein determining a plurality of line scroll rates comprises looking up the line scroll rates in a lookup table based on the exponential function.

19. A computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method for controlling scrolling of a display, comprising:

measuring an amount of time between a first scroll input event and a second scroll input event; and

calculating a resultant scroll rate based on the measured amount of time, said resultant scroll rate representing an amount of scrolling to be performed per input event;

wherein the calculating step comprises calculating the resultant scroll rate using the exponential function Δ

y=C+K₁(1+K₂Δ

t)^α

, wherein Δ

y is the line scroll rate, C is a constant, K₁ and K₂ are gain factors, α

is a non-linear parameter, and Δ

t is an indication of the rate of user actuation.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein calculating a resultant scroll rate comprises looking up the resultant scroll rate in a lookup table based on the exponential function.