Intelligent scrolling

• US 7,456,850 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sullivan, John, Mercer, Paul, Meier, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung; Kee M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amini; Javid A
• Application Number:
  US10/741,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20040135797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,804 Days
• Field of Search: 345/684, 345/685, 345/157
• US Class Current: 345/684
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop

Abstract

A method and apparatus for intelligent scrolling. In a computer system that has a user interface which allows for the movement of items from a first open window to a second open window or to a second region, such as a desktop, the present invention allows a user to select one or more items in the first window, move the selected item(s) to within a predetermined distance from an edge of the first window for a predetermined period of time and cause the viewable portion of the data and/or document within the first window to scroll in a corresponding direction.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method for controlling a display, said method comprising:

receiving a user selection of an object displayed within a first region on said display, wherein the user selection selects the object to be a selected object, wherein the object is not a dedicated selectable input for movement of said display;

receiving an input indicating a user positioning of said selected object at a predetermined scrolling area which is near an edge of the first region; and

scrolling, in response to said input, displayed items within said first region, wherein said first region is a directory of said items, wherein the selected object is an item within the directory; and

determining that said selected object is no longer in said predetermined scrolling area; and

terminating said scrolling of said displayed items within said first region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first region is within a hierarchy of regions.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that a predetermined period of time has elapsed while said selected object has been positioned in said predetermined scrolling area.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said predetermined period of time is one-sixth of a second.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said directory is within a hierarchical file system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said object includes text.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said object is displayed within a list of items of said first region.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said list of items comprises items listed in a predetermined order.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said predetermined order is alphabetical.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a rate of scrolling of said displayed items within said first region is determined based on a location of said object within said predetermined scrolling area.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said object is selected from the group consisting of a data file, an executable code file, an icon, and a directory.

12. An apparatus for controlling a display, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a user selection of an object displayed within a first region on said display, wherein the user selection selects the object to be a selected object, wherein the object is not a dedicated selectable input for movement of said display;

means for receiving an input indicating a user positioning of said selected object at a predetermined scrolling area which is near an edge of the first region; and

means for scrolling, in response to said input, displayed items within said first region, wherein said first region is a directory of said items, wherein the selected object is an item within the directory; and

means for determining that said selected object is no longer in said predetermined scrolling area; and

means for terminating said scrolling of said displayed items within said first region.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said first region is within a hierarchy of regions.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for determining that a predetermined period of time has elapsed while said selected object has been positioned in said predetermined scrolling area.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said predetermined period of time is one-sixth of a second.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said directory is within a hierarchical file system.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said object includes text.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said object is displayed within a list of items of said first region.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said list of items comprises items listed in a predetermined order.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said predetermined order is alphabetical.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a rate of scrolling of said displayed items within said first region is determined based on a location of said object within said predetermined scrolling area.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said object is selected from the group consisting of a data file, an executable code file, an icon, and a directory.

23. A system comprising:

a processing unit coupled to a memory through a bus; and

a process for controlling a display, the process executed from the memory by the processing unit to cause the processing unit to receive a user selection of an object displayed within a first region on said display, receive an input indicating a user positioning of said selected object at a predetermined scrolling area which is near an edge of the first region, and scroll, in response to said input, displayed items within said first region, wherein said first region is a directory of said items, wherein the selected object is an item within the directory, and wherein the object is not a dedicated selectable input for movement of said display; and

wherein the process further causes the processing unit to determine that said selected object is no longer in said predetermined scrolling area, and terminate said scrolling of said displayed items within said first region.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said first region is within a hierarchy of regions.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the process further causes the processing unit to determine that a predetermined period of time has elapsed while said selected object has been positioned in said predetermined scrolling area.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said predetermined period of time is one-sixth of a second.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein said directory is within a hierarchical file system.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein said object includes text.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein said object is displayed within a list of items of said first region.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said list of items comprises items listed in a predetermined order.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein said predetermined order is alphabetical.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein a rate of scrolling of said displayed items within said first region is determined based on a location of said object within said predetermined scrolling area.

33. The system of claim 23, wherein said object is selected from the group consisting of a data file, an executable code file, an icon, and a directory.

34. A machine implemented method for controlling a display, said method comprising:

receiving a user selection of an object displayed within a first region on said display, wherein the user selection selects the object to be a selected object, wherein the object is not a dedicated selectable input for movement of said display;

receiving an input indicating a user positioning of said selected object at a predetermined scrolling area which is near an edge of the first region; and

scrolling, in response to said input, displayed items within said first region, wherein said first region is a list of items, wherein the selected object is an item in the list of items; and

determining that said selected object is no longer in said predetermined scrolling area; and

terminating said scrolling of said displayed items within said first region.

35. A method as in claim 34, wherein said first region is within a hierarchy of regions.

36. A method as in claim 34, further comprising determining that a predetermined period of time has elapsed while said selected object has been positioned in said predetermined scrolling area.

37. A method as in claim 36, wherein said predetermined period of time is one-sixth of a second.

38. A method as in claim 34, wherein said list is within a directory a hierarchical file system.

39. A method as in claim 34, wherein said object includes text.

40. A method as in claim 34, wherein a rate of scrolling of said displayed items within said first region is determined based on a location of said object within said predetermined scrolling area.

41. A method as in claim 34, wherein said object is selected from the group consisting of a data file, an executable code file, an icon, and a directory.

42. A method as in claim 34, wherein said list of items comprises items listed in a predetermined order.

43. A method as in claim 42, wherein said predetermined order is alphabetical.

44. An apparatus for controlling a display, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a user selection of an object displayed within a first region on said display, wherein the user selection selects the object to be a selected, wherein the object is not a dedicated selectable input for movement of said display;

means for receiving an input indicating a user positioning of said selected object at a predetermined scrolling area which is near an edge of the first region; and

means for scrolling, in response to said input, displayed items within said first region, wherein said first region is a list of items, wherein the selected object is an item in the list of items; and

means for determining that said selected object is no longer in said predetermined scrolling area;

and means for terminating said scrolling of said displayed items within said first region.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein said first region is within a hierarchy of regions.

46. The apparatus of claim 44, further comprising means for determining that a predetermined period of time has elapsed while said selected object has been positioned in said predetermined scrolling area.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein said predetermined period of time is one-sixth of a second.

48. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein said list is within a directory a hierarchical file system.

49. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein said object includes text.

50. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein a rate of scrolling of said displayed items within said first region is determined based on a location of said object within said predetermined scrolling area.

51. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein said object is selected from the group consisting of a data file, an executable code file, an icon, and a directory.

52. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein said list of items comprises items listed in a predetermined order.

53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein said predetermined order is alphabetical.

54. A system comprising:

a processing unit coupled to a memory through a bus; and

a display, the processing unit being configured to execute from the memory a process to receive a user selection of an object displayed within a first region on said display, receive an input indicating a user positioning of said selected object at a predetermined scrolling area which is near an edge of the first region, and scroll, in response to said input, displayed items within said first region, wherein said first region is a list of items, wherein the selected object is an item in the list of items, and wherein the object is not a dedicated selectable input for movement of said display; and

wherein the process further causes the processing unit to determine that said selected object is no longer in said predetermined scrolling area, and terminate said scrolling of said displayed items within said first region.

55. The system of claim 54, wherein said first region is within a hierarchy of regions.

56. The system of claim 54, wherein the process further causes the processing unit to determine that a predetermined period of time has elapsed while said selected object has been positioned in said predetermined scrolling area.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein said predetermined period of time is one-sixth of a second.

58. The system of claim 54, wherein said list is within a directory a hierarchical file system.

59. The system of claim 54, wherein said object includes text.

60. The system of claim 54, wherein a rate of scrolling of said displayed items within said first region is determined based on a location of said object within said predetermined scrolling area.

61. The system of claim 54, wherein said object is selected from the group consisting of a data file, an executable code file, an icon, and a directory.

62. The system of claim 54, wherein said list of items comprises items listed in a predetermined order.

63. The system of claim 62, wherein said predetermined order is alphabetical.