Speed-dependent automatic zooming interface

• US 6,747,680 B1
• Filed: 12/13/1999
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hinckley, Kenneth P., Horvitz, Eric, Igarashi, Takeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MYLINH T
• Application Number:
  US09/460,028
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 345/660, 345/670, 345/764, 345/667, 345/784, 345/785, 345/163, 345/157, 345/661, 345/665, 345/668, 345/159
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for navigating through a content or document in a display, wherein as the rate of such navigation increases, the scale of the document decreases. Thus, more of the document is viewable in the display. One method involves receiving an input, such as a user input on an input device which may include a joystick, a mouse, a trackball, or other pointing device. The input is mapped to either a speed of navigation through a content space or scale of the content space while being navigated. The other of speed or scale to which the output was not mapped is determined according to the relationship that scale multiplied by speed equals a constant value. The content space is subsequently navigated based on the speed or scale mapped from the input and the scale or speed is determined.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving an input;

displaying a content space on a GUI;

mapping the input to one of speed of navigation through the content space and scale of the content space while being navigated;

determining the other of speed and scale based on scale times speed equaling a constant; and

navigating the content space based on the one of speed and scale mapped from the input and the other of speed and scale determined as based on scale times speed equaling a constant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an input comprises receiving a user input.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving a user input comprises receiving the user input via an input device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the user input via an input device comprises receiving the user input via the input device selected from the group comprising:

at least one button, at least one key, a mouse, a mouse wheel, a joystick, a self-centering input device, a self-centering joystick, a lever, a trackball, a touchpad, and a pointstick.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping the input to one of speed and scale comprises mapping the input to scale.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein mapping the input to scale comprises mapping the input to scale exponentially.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the other of speed and scale based on scale times speed equaling a constant comprises determining speed based on scale times speed equaling the constant.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein mapping the input to scale comprises mapping the input to scale such that the scale has a maximum rate of change in reflecting the input.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein navigating the content space comprises navigating one of:

a word processing document;

a map;

a text document;

an image;

a web page;

a spreadsheet;

a drawing;

an illustration;

a vector graphics-based drawing;

a vector-graphics-based illustration;

a three-dimensional virtual space;

content having a one-dimensional spatial nature;

content having a two-dimensional spatial nature; and

, content leaving a three-dimensional spatial nature.

10. A machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving an input;

displaying a content space on a GUI;

mapping the user input to scale of the content space while being navigated;

determining a speed of navigation through a content space based on scale times speed equaling a constant; and

navigating the content space based on the scale mapped from the user input and the speed determined as based on scale times speed equaling a constant.

11. The medium of claim 10, wherein receiving a user input comprises receiving the user input via an input device.

12. The medium of claim 10, wherein mapping the input to scale comprises mapping the input to scale exponentially.

13. The medium of claim 10, wherein mapping the input to scale comprises mapping the input to scale such that the scale has a maximum rate of change in reflecting the input.

14. The medium of claim 10, wherein navigating the content space comprises navigating one of:

a word processing document;

a map;

a text document;

an image;

a web page;

a spreadsheet;

a drawing;

an illustration;

a vector graphics-based drawing;

a vector-graphics-based illustration;

a three-dimensional virtual space;

content having a one-dimensional spatial nature;

content having a two-dimensional spatial nature; and

, content having a three-dimensional spatial nature.

15. A computerized system comprising:

an input device having at least an output based on a singular user input;

a display means for displaying a content space on a GUI;

a display on which navigation of the content space is shown;

a mapping means for mapping the user input to scale of the content space while being navigated and to determine speed of navigation through the content space based on scale times speed equaling a constant;

a mapping means for mapping the user input to speed of navigation through the content space and to determine scale of the content space while being navigated based on scale times speed equaling a constant; and

,

a computer program designed to receive the singular user input and show the navigation of the content space having speed of navigation and scale while being navigated based only on a user input comprising the singular user input.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the input device comprises a pointing device.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a processor and a computer-readable medium, such that the computer program is executed by the processor from the computer-readable medium.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer program is further designed to map the user input to scale exponentially.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer program is further designed to map the user input to scale such that the scale has a maximum rate of change in reflecting the user input.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the content space comprises one of:

a word processing document;

a map;

a text document;

an image;

a web page;

a spreadsheet;

a drawing;

an illustration;

a vector graphics-based drawing, a vector-graphics-based illustration;

a three-dimensional virtual space;

content having a one-dimensional spatial nature;

content having a two-dimensional spatial nature; and

, content having a three-dimensional spatial nature.

21. A machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to transform a general-purpose computer to a special-purpose computer comprising:

an input device having at least an output based on a singular user input;

a display means for displaying a content space on a GUI;

a display on which navigation of the content space is shown;

a mapping means for mapping the user input to scale of the content space while being navigated and to determine speed of navigation through the content space based on scale times speed equaling a constant;

a mapping means for mapping the user input to speed of navigation through the content space and to determine scale of the content space while being navigated based on scale times speed equaling a constant; and

,

means for receiving the singular user input and for showing the navigation of the content space having speed of navigation and scale while being navigated based only on a user input comprising the singular user input.

22. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving an input;

mapping the input to one of speed navigation through a content space and scale of the content space while being navigated;

determining the other of speed and scale based on scale times speed equaling a function of the input; and

,

navigating the content space based on the one of speed and scale mapped from the input and the other of speed and scale determined as based on scale time speed equaling a function of the input.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving an input comprises receiving a user input.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving a user input comprises receiving the user in put via an input device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein receiving the user input via an input device comprises receiving the user input via the input device selected from the group comprising:

at least one button, at least one key, a mouse, a mouse wheel, a joystick, a self-centering input device, a self-centering joystick, a lever, a trackball, a touchpad, and a pointstick.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein navigating the content space comprises navigating one of:

a word processing document;

a map;

a text document;

an image;

a web page;

a spreadsheet;

a drawing;

an illustration;

a vector-graphics-based drawing;

a vector-graphics-based illustration;

a three-dimensional virtual space;

content having a one-dimensional spatial nature;

content having a two-dimensional spatial nature; and

, content having a three-dimensional spatial nature.