Visual screen indicator

• US 7,627,819 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bedingfield, James Carlton Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton; Dough
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, TIONNA M
• Application Number:
  US11/264,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20070101263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 715/526, 715/273
• US Class Current: 715/273
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/10 Text processing natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30; processing or translation of natural language G06F40/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/34 for rolling or scrolling

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and method for viewing electronic documents. Briefly described, one embodiment of the system, among others, includes an electronic viewer application to display contents of an electronic document; and a visual indicator logic configured to display at least one visual indicator on the electronic display, each visual indicator indicating a portion of the contents that are to be subsequently displayed on the electronic display in response to a navigation command. Other systems and methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A system for viewing electronic documents on an electronic display, comprising:

a computer;

an electronic viewer application to display contents of an electronic document; and

a visual indicator logic for displaying at least one visual indicator on the electronic display, the at least one visual indicator indicating a portion of the contents that are to be subsequently displayed on the electronic display in response to a selection of a navigation command, the navigation command comprising at least a next screen command, selection of the next screen command causing non-displayed content which follows currently displayed content to be shown,

wherein the navigation command comprises a previous screen command, selection of the previous screen command causing non-displayed content which precedes currently displayed content to be shown, and

wherein the navigation command is distinct for the at least one visual indicator, the at least one visual indicator comprising a first indicator for a next screen command and a second indicator for a previous screen command.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one visual indicator comprises a horizontal bar delineating the portion of the contents that is to be subsequently displayed in response to the navigation command.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one visual indicator comprises an area of semi-transparent shading overlapping the portion of the contents that is to be subsequently displayed in response to the navigation command.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator logic activates displaying of the at least one visual indicator in response to user command.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the user command comprises directing movement of an input mouse control within a particular area of the electronic display.

6. A method for viewing electronic documents on an electronic display, comprising:

displaying a portion of an electronic document for viewing; and

displaying at least one visual indicator, the at least one visual indicator indicating the portion of the document that is to be subsequently shown on the electronic display in response to a particular screen command, the screen command comprising at least a next screen command, selection of the next screen command causing non-displayed content which follows currently displayed content to be shown in a subsequent screen of the display,

wherein the particular screen command comprises a previous screen command, selection of the previous screen command causing non-displayed content which precedes currently displayed content to be shown, and

wherein the particular screen command is distinct for the at least one visual indicator, the at least one visual indicator comprising a first indicator for a next screen command and a second indicator for a previous screen command.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

adjusting positioning of the at least one visual indicator as display of the document is adjusted in response to changes in display settings.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

adjusting positioning of the at least one visual indicator as display of the document is adjusted in response to navigation commands that are acted upon.

9. A computer readable storage medium having a computer program for viewing electronic documents on an electronic display, the program having instructions for performing:

displaying a portion of an electronic document for viewing; and

displaying at least one visual indicator, the at least one visual indicator indicating the portion of the document that is to be subsequently shown on the electronic display in response to a particular screen command, the screen command comprising at least a next screen command, selection of the next screen command causing non-displayed content which follows currently displayed content to be shown in a subsequent screen of the display,

wherein the particular screen command is distinct for each visual indicator, the at least one visual indicator comprising a first indicator for a next screen command and a second indicator for a previous screen command.

10. The medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions for performing:

adjusting positioning of the at least one visual indicator as display of the document is adjusted in response to changes in display settings.

11. The medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions for performing:

adjusting positioning of the at least one visual indicator as display of the document is adjusted in response to navigation commands that are acted upon.

12. The medium of claim 9, wherein the particular screen command comprises a previous screen command, selection of the previous screen command causing non-displayed content which precedes currently displayed content to be shown.