Automatic scrolling

• US 6,975,306 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2004
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sinclair, Michael J., Bathiche, Steven N., Hinckley, Kenneth P., Cauthorn, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAO, LUN YI
• Application Number:
  US10/754,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20040141009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.04, 178/18.05, 178/18.06, 178/18.07, 178/684, 715784-787, 715/973
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/973 Scroll tool, e.g. window scroll bar

Abstract

A scrolling device for a computer may include a touch-sensitive surface, which may be elongated and/or have one or more active regions. Scrolling may be performed in manual as well as automated ways that may result in more accurate and efficient scrolling. Scrolling, as displayed on the screen, may further be rounded to the nearest document text line and/or distance unit, even though a more precise scrolling location value may be stored and/or tracked.

Claims

1. A method for scrolling a document, comprising the steps of:

detecting a touch of a pointer on a portion of a touch-sensitive surface;

first determining whether the pointer is still touching the portion of the touch-sensitive surface upon an expiration of a first timeout, and if so, autoscrolling the document; and

second determining whether the pointer is still touching the portion of the touch-sensitive surface upon an expiration of a second timeout longer than the first timeout, and if not, undoing at least a portion of an amount that the document has autoscrolled.

2. The method of claim 1, further including a step of performing one of a page up operation, a page down operation, a page left operation, or a page right operation, in response to the step of second determining resulting in a determination that the pointer is not still touching the portion of the touch-sensitive surface upon the expiration of the second timeout.

3. The method of claim 1, further including delaying for a delay period beyond the first timeout, the step of autoscrolling the document occurring after the delay period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of undoing includes undoing the entire amount that the document has autoscrolled in the step of autoscrolling.

5. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 1.

6. A method for scrolling a document, comprising steps of:

detecting a touch of a pointer on a portion of a touch-sensitive surface;

first determining whether the pointer is still touching the portion of the touch-sensitive surface upon an expiration of a first timeout, and if so, first scrolling the document by a first amount;

second determining whether the pointer is still touching the portion of the touch-sensitive surface upon an expiration of a second timeout longer than the first timeout, and if not, second scrolling the document by a second amount that depends upon the first amount.

7. The method of claim 6, further including a step of, responsive to the step of second determining resulting in a determination that the pointer is still touching the portion of the touch-sensitive surface upon the expiration of the second timeout, third scrolling the document by a third amount different from the second amount.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of second scrolling includes scrolling the document by the second amount in a direction opposite a direction that the document scrolled in the step of first scrolling.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first amount and the second amount are a same amount but in opposite directions.

10. The method of claim 6, further including a step of, responsive to the step of first determining resulting in a determination that the pointer is not still touching the portion of the touch-sensitive surface upon the expiration of the first timeout, moving the document to a first position,

wherein the step of second scrolling includes scrolling the document by the second amount such that the document is moved to the first position.

11. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for perfonning the steps recited in claim 6.

12. A method for scrolling a document, comprising steps of:

first determining whether a pointer touches a portion of a touch-sensitive surface for at least a first time period;

responsive to the step of first determining resulting in a determination that the pointer touches the portion of the touch-sensitive surface for at least the first time period, first scrolling the document by a first amount;

second determining whether the pointer continues to touch the portion of the touch-sensitive surface for at least a second time period after the first time period; and

responsive to the step of second determining resulting in a determination that the pointer continues to touch the portion of the touch-sensitive surface for at least the second time period, second scrolling the document by a second amount that depends upon the first amount.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of second scrolling includes scrolling the document in a direction opposite a direction that the document scrolls in the step of first scrolling.

14. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 12.