Automatically centered scrolling in a tab-based user interface

• US 7,412,660 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Palmsource Incorporated (Access Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Palmsource Incorporated (Access Company Limited)
• Inventors: Donalson, Jesse
• Primary Examiner(s): Bautista; X. L
• Application Number:
  US11/781,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20070266334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 715/767, 715/776, 715/777, 715/784, 715/785, 715/786, 715/802, 715/810, 715828-830, 715833-835, 715/864
• US Class Current: 715/777
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04802 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A method and apparatus for presenting a tab-based graphic user interface (GUI) having more tabs than can be fitted across a screen side for a computer system. The computer system can be handheld devices such as personal digital assistants (PDA'"'"'s) and cell phones. The tab-based GUI displays as many tabs as possible on the screen side. The on-screen tabs are arranged in a sequence on a side of the display screen wherein each of these displayed tabs is adapted to be selected by a user for entering into a file category. The off-screen and on-screen tabs form a circular array conceptually such that a portion of the circular array being displayed on the screen side is the sequence of the on-screen tabs. In response to the selection of a on-screen tab, the selected on-screen tab is automatically scrolled to the center position of the screen side. In response to the selection of another on-screen tab, the newly selected on-screen tab is automatically scrolled to the center position of the screen side. Any tab, whether on-screen or off-screen, can eventually be selected by repeatedly selecting a tab on-screen on the left-most position of the screen side until the desired tab is on-screen for selection.

Claims

1. For a computer system, a method for presenting a tab-based graphic user interface having more tabs than can fit across a screen side, said method comprising the steps of:

a) displaying as many on-screen tabs as fit across a length of said screen side, said on-screen tabs arranged in a sequence wherein said on-screen tabs are adapted to be selected by a user for displaying information related to a selected tab; and

b) in response to the selection of a first on-screen tab, automatically scrolling said sequence of tabs such that said first on-screen tab is positioned in a designated position of said screen side; and

c) displaying information related to said first on-screen tab.

2. A method for presenting a tab-based graphic user interface displayed on an electronic device having more tabs than can fit across a length of a screen, the method comprising the steps of:

a) displaying as many user-selectable on-screen tabs as fit across the length of the screen in a sequence from a first end to a second end;

b) in response to the selection of a first on-screen tab, automatically scrolling said sequence of tabs such that said first on-screen tab moves to one of the first end, the second end, or a center midway between the first and second ends of the displayed sequence on the screen side; and

c) displaying information related to said first on-screen tab.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the on-screen tabs are displayed in a vertical orientation.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the on-screen tabs are displayed in a horizontal orientation.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the on-screen tabs form a circular array together with off-screen tables such that the portion of the circular array being displayed on the length of the screen contains at its center the last-selected tab.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the on-screen tabs form a linear array together with off-screen tables such that the portion of the linear array being displayed on the length of the screen contains at its center the last-selected tab.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic device is a handheld device.

8. A computing device having a display screen and memory storing therein computer code executed by the computing device to perform the steps comprising:

a) providing a tab-based user interface;

b) displaying as many user-selectable on-screen tabs as fit across the length of the display screen in a sequence from a first end to a second end;

c) in response to the selection of a first on-screen tab, automatically scrolling said sequence of tabs such that said first on-screen tab moves to one of the first end, the second end or a center midway between the first and second ends of the displayed sequence on the screen side; and

d) displaying information related to said first on-screen tab.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the on-screen tabs are displayed in a vertical orientation.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the on-screen tabs are displayed in a horizontal orientation.

11. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the on-screen tabs form an away together with off-screen tables such that the portion of the array being displayed on the length of the screen contains at its center the last-selected tab.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the computing device comprises a handheld device.