Accelerated data navigation

• US 7,277,084 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2005
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bathiche, Steven N., Hinckley, Kenneth P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Osorio; Ricardo
• Application Number:
  US11/256,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20060038784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/159, 345/163, 345/164, 345/167, 345/168, 715/784, 715/785
• 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 computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions for performing a method for accelerated data navigation, said method comprising steps of:

determining a rate of user actuation of a multidirectional user-actuated input mechanism;

converting the rate of user actuation into a scroll rate according to an exponential acceleration curve; and

forcing the scroll rate to a default value for a predetermined amount of time upon detecting a change in direction of user actuation of the multidirectional user-actuated input mechanism;

outputting the scroll rate for use by a data processing system to scroll data displayed on a video display device based on the scroll rate.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the converting step comprises using a first acceleration curve when the multidirectional user-actuated input mechanism is actuated in a first direction, and using a second acceleration curve when the multidirectional user-actuated input mechanism is actuated in a second direction, wherein the first and second acceleration curves have at least one different acceleration rate from each other in their respective directions.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the converting step comprises rounding up the scroll rate to a predetermined amount. When it would otherwise be below the predetermined amount.

4. 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, wherein the user-actuated input mechanism comprises a rotational member, and the rate of user actuation comprises a rotational speed of the rotational member;

determining a plurality of scroll rates of the display as an increasing exponential function of the detected rate of user actuation, wherein the scroll rate represents an amount of scrolling to be performed for a given amount of user actuation of said mechanism, based on a default unit of scrolling;

monitoring a direction of rotation of the rotational member;

when the direction of rotation of the rotational member changes, fixing the scroll rate at a default value for a predetermined amount of time, and

outputting control signals indicative of said scroll rate.

5. The computer readable medium according to claim 4, wherein the determining step comprises rounding the scroll rate up to a predetermined level when the scroll rate would otherwise be less than the predetermined level.

6. The computer readable medium according to claim 4, wherein the default unit of scrolling is line-based.

7. The computer readable medium according to claim 6, wherein the default unit of scrolling is one line.

8. 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 next scroll input event; and

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

wherein the calculating step comprises forcing the resultant scroll rate to a default value for a predetermined amount of time when a change in direction of scrolling is detected.

9. The computer readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the calculating step comprises rounding the scroll rate up to a predetermined level when the scroll rate would otherwise be less than the predetermined level.

10. The computer readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the scroll rate comprises a line scroll rate.