Method and system for improved viewing and navigation of content

• US 7,441,207 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2004
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ma, Wei-Ying, Filner, Aaron S., McLain, Jay F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): PESIN, BORIS M
• Application Number:
  US10/804,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20050210399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 345/792, 715/864, 715/794, 715/784, 715/819, 715/829
• US Class Current: 715/864
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• 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 system and method for small computing devices that present a thumbnail image of content such as a web page, allows a viewer to select a region, and zooms in on the selected region in a way that reduces scrolling and helps users to understand the content they are reading. The page is scaled such that a user need only scroll in one dimension to see the content, and is divided into regions. Regions may be arranged as cells of a grid, or arranged by logically-related content. A user navigates among the regions as desired, selects a region from the thumbnail view, and obtains an expanded version of that region. In the expanded view, the region is ordinarily scaled so that the user scrolls in only one dimension to view the content of the region. Browser “Back” commands are supported, as are frames.

Claims

1. In a mobile computing device having limited display capabilities, a method for displaying a full readable content page despite the limited display capabilities of the mobile device, the method comprising:

dividing a page of content into a plurality of regions;

displaying the plurality of the regions of the page of content together as a thumbnail and in a reduced size on a display of a mobile computing device;

detecting a request to display a selected one of the regions;

replacing the thumbnail on the display by displaying the selected region in a size that is expanded relative to the reduced size of the selected region in the thumbnail;

from the displayed selected region in the expanded size, detecting a request to display a second region of the plurality of regions of the content page and determining which of the plurality of regions is the second region, the second region having been displayed in the thumbnail and excluded from the selected region displayed in the expanded size;

in response to after detecting the request to display the second region that is excluded from the selected region and determining which of the plurality of regions is the second region, temporarily re-displaying the thumbnail on the display, wherein the temporarily displayed thumbnail now highlights the newly selected second region when the thumbnail reappears; and

after temporarily displaying the thumbnail following selection of the second region, displaying the second region on the display in a size that is expanded relative to the reduced size of the second region in the thumbnail.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein dividing the content into the regions comprises providing a navigation grid having a plurality of regions which can each be navigated to via navigation commands.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein dividing the content into the regions comprises panelizing the content into panelized regions.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, providing a tooltip that is based on the content of a region that is being displayed in the reduced size.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the selected region in the expanded size comprises scaling the selected region such that its content can be viewed by scrolling in only one dimension.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein detecting a request to display a second region comprises scrolling in a second dimension, wherein scrolling in a second dimension is indicative of a request to change the displayed region from the previously selected region to another region.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising, providing a visual indication of the change of regions.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein scrolling in the one dimension beyond a limit in the region changes the displayed region from the previously selected region to another region.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising, providing a visual indication of the change of regions.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising, when the regions are displayed together in a reduced size, providing a cursor that indicates which region will be selected as the selected region upon detecting the request to display one of the regions.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein dividing the content into the regions comprises providing a navigation grid having a plurality of regions which can each be navigated to via navigation commands, and wherein the cursor is provided as a grid framing marker.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein dividing the content into the regions comprises panelizing the content into panelized regions, and wherein providing the cursor comprises marking a border around a panelized region.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the regions in the reduced size comprises scaling the regions such that the regions can be viewed by scrolling in only one dimension.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising, receiving the content as a web page.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising scrolling within the selected region.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein scrolling within the selected region comprises jumping between two links based on a single directional command.

17. In a mobile phone having computing capabilities and limited display capabilities on a display, a method for displaying a full readable Web content page despite the limited display capabilities of the mobile device, the method comprising:

dividing a page of content into a plurality of regions, the page being accessible by the mobile phone over the Internet;

displaying the plurality of the regions of the page of content together as a thumbnail and in a reduced size on the display of the mobile phone, such that all of the plurality of regions are displayed and such that each of the plurality of regions is individually selectable on the thumbnail;

receiving user input selecting a particular region of the plurality of regions;

detecting a request to display the particular region of the plurality of regions selected by the user;

in response to detecting the request to display the particular region, replacing the thumbnail on the display by displaying only the particular region and in a size that is expanded relative to the reduced size of the content region in the thumbnail, such that the displayed particular region consumes substantially the entire display of the mobile phone, and wherein only a portion of the particular region consumes the entire display and additional portions are available by scrolling in only a single, predefined direction;

receiving user input in the predefined direction and, in response, scrolling to the additional portions of the particular region;

from the displayed selected region, detecting user input in a direction perpendicular to the predefined direction and, in response determining that the use input is a request to display a second region of the plurality of regions of the content page;

determining which of the plurality of regions is the second region, the second region having been displayed in the thumbnail and excluded from the particular region displayed in the expanded size;

after determining which of the plurality of regions is the second region, temporarily re-displaying the thumbnail on the display, wherein the temporarily displayed thumbnail, when it reappears on the display, now highlights the newly selected second region; and

after temporarily displaying the thumbnail following selection of the second region, displaying the second region on the display in a size that is expanded relative to the reduced size of the second region in the thumbnail.