Scrolling method using screen pointing device

• US 6,972,776 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2001
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Davis, Jeffery, Brosnan, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Sumati
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOOD JOHNSON, MOTILEWA
• Application Number:
  US09/812,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20020135602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,722 Days
• Field of Search: 345/684, 345784-786, 345/787
• US Class Current: 345/684
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A method of scrolling through information displayed on a display screen of an electronic device includes providing a first plurality of user selectable scrolling zones on the display screen. Each scrolling zone in the first plurality of scrolling zones is associated with a scrolling technique. The display screen includes a screen pointer controllable by a user with a screen pointing device. Zone selection information identifying a first one of the scrolling zones selected by a user with the screen pointing device is received. The displayed information is scrolled through based on the scrolling technique associated with the selected scrolling zone.

Claims

1. A method of scrolling through information displayed on a display screen of an electronic device, the display screen including a screen pointer controllable by a user with a screen pointing device, the method comprising:

providing a first plurality of user selectable scrolling zones on the display screen, each scrolling zone in the first plurality of scrolling zones associated with a scrolling technique and corresponding to scrolling in a first direction, each of the scrolling zones in the first plurality being positioned substantially adjacent to a first edge of the display screen;

providing a second plurality of user selectable scrolling zones on the display screen, each scrolling zone in the second plurality of scrolling zones associated with a scrolling technique and corresponding to scrolling in a second direction that is different from the first direction, each of the scrolling zones in the second plurality of being positioned substantially adjacent to a second edge of the display screen, wherein the first edge is opposite to the second edge;

receiving zone selection information identifying a first one of the scrolling zones selected by a user with the screen pointing device; and

scrolling through the displayed information based on the scrolling technique associated with the selected scrolling zone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the scrolling techniques associated with the scrolling zones in the first plurality correspond to different scrolling speeds.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the scrolling techniques associated with the scrolling zones in the first plurality correspond to different scrolling granulanties.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the scrolling granularities include line scrolling, paragraph scrolling, and page scrolling.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of scrolling zones is positioned substantially adjacent to a top of the display screen and corresponds to upward scrolling, and wherein the second plurality of scrolling zones is positioned substantially adjacent to a bottom of the display screen and corresponds to downward scrolling.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of scrolling zones is positioned substantially adjacent to a left edge of the display screen and corresponds to leftward scrolling, and wherein the second plurality of scrolling zones is positioned substantially adjacent to a right edge of the display screen and corresponds to rightward scrolling.

7. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

providing a third and a fourth plurality of user selectable scrolling zones on the display screen, each scrolling zone in the third plurality of scrolling zones associated with a scrolling technique and corresponding to scrolling in a third direction that is different from the first and the second directions, each scrolling zone in the fourth plurality of scrolling zones associated with a scrolling technique and corresponding to scrolling in a fourth direction that is different from the first, second, and third directions.

8. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

displaying a first plurality of zone representations on the display screen representing the first plurality of user selectable scrolling zones.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the zone representations indicates a scrolling technique.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the zone representations indicates a boundary of a user selectable scrolling zone.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the scrolling techniques associated with the scrolling zones are user definable.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of user selectable scrolling zones are positioned directly adjacent to one another and spread across substantially an entire width of the display screen.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of user selectable scrolling zones are spaced apart from each other and spread across substantially an entire width of the display screen.

14. The method of claim 1, and further comprising, providing a third plurality of user selectable scrolling zones on the display screen, each scrolling zone in the third plurality of scrolling zones associated with a scrolling technique and corresponding to scrolling in a direction that is different from the first and the second directions, and wherein the first, the second, and the third plurality of user selectable scrolling zones collectively include nine scrolling zones organized into three columns and three rows.

15. The method of claim 14, and further comprising:

sensing a current position of the screen pointer;

identifying a scrolling zone that is positioned near the current position of the screen pointer; and

automatically positioning the screen pointer over the identified scrolling zone.

16. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

providing at least one user selectable action zone on the display screen, the at least one action zone associated with a display modifying action.

17. The method of claim 16, and further comprising:

varying the display modifying action associated with the at least one action zone based upon the content currently displayed on the display screen.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the scrolling zones is defined by hidden boundaries that are invisible to a user of the electronic device.

18. An electronic device comprising:

a display screen for displaying information, the display screen including a screen pointer controllable by a user with a screen pointing device, the display screen including a first plurality of user selectable scrolling zones, each user selectable scrolling zone in the first plurality of scrolling zones associated with a scrolling technique that is different than scrolling techniques associated with the other scrolling zones in the first plurality, having a user selectable area defined by hidden boundaries, and corresponding to scrolling in a first direction; and

a controller for receiving zone selection information identifying a first one of the scrolling zones selected by a user with the screen pointing device, the controller configured to cause information displayed on the display screen to scroll based on the scrolling technique associated with the selected scrolling zone.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein each scrolling technique corresponds to a scrolling speed.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein each scrolling technique corresponds to a scrolling granularity.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the scrolling granularities include line scrolling, paragraph scrolling, and page scrolling.

22. A method of scrolling through information displayed on a display screen of an electronic device, the display screen including a screen pointer controllable by a user with a screen pointing device, the method comprising:

receiving mode selection information from a user, the mode selection information indicating that a user has selected a scroll mode;

receiving movement information provided by a user with the screen pointing device;

determining a first movement direction and a first movement velocity based on the received movement information;

moving the screen pointer based on the received movement information; and

scrolling the displayed information on the display screen in a direction corresponding to the first movement direction and in an amount based on the first movement velocity, the scrolling amount greater than the amount of movement of the screen pointer.