Method and system for zooming in and out of paginated content

• US 7,434,174 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2005
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sellers, Timothy D., Dersch, Joshua A., Newton-Smith, Jeremy W. J., Grantham, Heather L.
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US11/073,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20060197782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 715/719, 715/720, 715/722, 715/760, 715/764, 715/765, 715/779, 715/781, 715/810, 715/835, 715/846, 715/856, 715/501.1, 715/205
• US Class Current: 715/800
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A method and system for changing the zoom applied to a document. A request is received to change the zoom of a document displayed in a viewing area. A focal point is determined based on whether an insertion point or active selection is currently displayed in the viewing area. Then, the viewable area of the document is displayed in the viewing area based on the focal point and the zoom change.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for changing the zoom of a document displayed in a viewing area, the method comprising:

receiving a zoom change for a document displayed in the viewing area;

determining whether the zoom change is a zoom out or a zoom in;

determining a focal point for the document;

when the zoom change is a zoom in, determining if the focal point is at the center of the viewing area;

when the zoom change is a zoom in and the focal point is at the center of the viewing area, keeping the focal point at the center of the viewing area;

when the zoom change is a zoom in and the focal point is not at the center of the viewing area, calculating a new position for the focal point; and

displaying a viewable area of the document based on the focal point and the zoom change.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the zoom change is received in response to a user selecting a zoom toolbar item.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the zoom change is received in response to an application calling an application programming interface of a document view control.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein determining a focal point for the document comprises determining whether an insertion point is displayed in the viewing area, and if so, setting the focal point to the insertion point.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein determining a focal point for the document comprises determining whether any part of an active selection is displayed in the viewing area, and if so, setting the focal point to the beginning of the active selection.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein determining a focal point for the document comprises determining that neither an insertion point nor any part of an active selection is visible in the viewing area and setting the focal point to the center of the viewing area.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein displaying a viewable area of the document based on the focal point and the zoom change comprises calculating a location in the viewing area at which the focal point is displayed.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein calculating a location in the viewing area at which the focal point is displayed comprises determining a location in the viewing area which reduces dead space when the focal point is displayed at the location at the zoom change.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein calculating a location in the viewing area at which the focal point is displayed comprises determining that the location is in the center of the viewing area when no dead space is displayed when displaying the focal point at the location.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein calculating a location in the viewing area at which the focal point is displayed comprises determining that the location is centered vertically in the viewing area in response to a zoom change that is a zoom out.

11. A method for changing the zoom of a document displayed in a viewing area, the method comprising:

receiving a zoom change for a document displayed in the viewing area;

determining whether the zoom change is a zoom out or a zoom in;

determining a focal point for the document;

when the zoom change is a zoom in, determining if the focal point is at the center of the viewing area;

when the zoom change is a zoom in and the focal point is at the center of the viewing area, keeping the focal point at the center of the viewing area;

when the zoom change is a zoom in and the focal point is not at the center of the viewing area, calculating a new position for the focal point; and

displaying a viewable area of the document based on the focal point and the zoom change.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining a focal point of the document comprises determining whether an insertion point is displayed before the instruction is received, and if so, setting the focal point to the insertion point.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining a focal point of the document comprises determining whether an active selection is displayed before the instruction is received, and if so, setting the focal point to a beginning, top, bottom, end, left, or right of the active selection.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein determining a focal point of the document comprises determining that neither an insertion point nor an active selection is displayed before the instruction is received.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising setting the focal point to a point in the document corresponding to the center of the viewing area.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising setting the focal point to a page in the document, wherein the page covers the largest area of any page displayed in the viewable area before the instruction is received.

17. An apparatus for viewing documents, comprising one or more computer processors, one or more computer-readable storage media and upon which is being performed the method of claim 11.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the focal point further determines where the part of the document is displayed in the viewing area.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the focal point comprises one of a point of an active selection, an insertion point, and a center of the viewing area.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the method includes instantiating a document viewing component comprising a control arranged to be instantiated by an application component.