Accelerated scrolling

• US 7,665,034 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Levi Montalcini, Alessandro
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MYLINH T
• Application Number:
  US11/002,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,901 Days
• Field of Search: 715/786, 715/785, 715/784, 715/830, 715/831, 715/866, 345/163, 345/157, 345/164, 345/167
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A system and method for accelerating scrolling of a display is disclosed. When a wheel of a wheeled pointing device is actuated by a user at a first rotational rate, the display in a window scrolls up or down one line at a time. When the wheel is rotated at a second rotational rate, the display in the window scrolls up or down multiple lines at a time. In additional embodiments, the scrolling technique shifts from one line at a time/multiple lines at a time to a page or pages at a time when the wheel is rotated for at a rotational rate for a minimum period of time.

Claims

1. A system for controlling scrolling of a display comprising:

an input device having a rotational member including a wheel configured for movement; and

a control system that monitors a first rate of rotation, a second rate of rotation, and a third rate of rotation of the rotational member, wherein the second rate of rotation is greater than the first rate of rotation, wherein the third rate of rotation is greater than the second rate of rotation, wherein the control system is configured to determine whether a rotation rate of the rotational member is at the first, second, or third rates of rotation, and wherein the control system is in a single-line scrolling mode at the first rate of rotation, the control system is in a plural-line scrolling mode at the second rate of rotation, and the control system is in a page scrolling mode at the third rate of rotation,

wherein the control system is further configured to generate a flag for indicating that the page scrolling mode has been entered, said control system outputting at least one scroll signal for controlling the scrolling of said display in relation to the control system being in one of the first, second, and third rates of rotation; and

wherein said control system outputs said at least one scroll signal to automatically scroll in either the single-line, plural-line, or page scrolling mode, wherein the control signal controls scrolling at a single line per notch of the wheel movement in the single-line mode, wherein the control signal controls scrolling at multiple lines per notch of the wheel movement in the plural-line mode, and wherein the control signal controls scrolling at a page per notch of the wheel movement in the page scrolling mode, wherein in the page scrolling mode, each notch associated with the wheel always scrolls a subsequent or immediately preceding page based on a direction of movement of the notch until the rotation rate falls below a predetermined amount of rate.

2. A method for controlling scrolling of a display comprising the steps of:

receiving signals indicative of operation of a rotational member including a wheel on a computer input device;

monitoring a first rate of rotation, a second rate of rotation, and a third rate of rotation of the rotational member, wherein the second rate of rotation is greater than the first rate of rotation, wherein the third rate of rotation is greater than the second rate of rotation, and wherein the rate is defined as number of lines per notch;

determining whether the rotational rate of the rotational member is at the first, second, or third rates of rotation;

entering a single-line scrolling mode, a plural-line scrolling mode, or a page scrolling mode if the rotation rate is at the first, second, or third rates of rotation, respectively;

generating a flag for indicating that the page scrolling mode has been entered;

processing said signals in accordance with the entered mode;

outputting scroll control signals in accordance with said processing step, wherein said scroll control signals control said display to automatically scroll at least one page in the page scrolling mode, wherein said scroll control signals control said display to automatically scroll one line in the single-line scrolling mode, wherein said scroll control signals control said display to automatically scroll multiple lines in the plural-line scrolling mode; and

wherein in the page scrolling mode, each notch associated with the wheel always scrolls a subsequent or immediately preceding page based on a direction of movement of the notch until the rotational rate falls below a predetermined amount of rate.

3. A computer-readable physical storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for controlling scrolling of a display, the computer readable instructions when executed cause a computer system to execute steps of:

receiving signals indicative of operation of a rotational member including a wheel on a computer input device;

monitoring a first rate of rotation, a second rate of rotation, and a third rate of rotation of the rotational member, wherein the second rate of rotation is greater than the first rate of rotation, wherein the third rate of rotation is greater than the second rate of rotation, and wherein the rate is defined as number of lines per notch;

determining whether the rotational rate of the rotational member is at the first, second, or third rates of rotation;

entering a single-line scrolling mode, a plural-line scrolling mode, or a page scrolling mode if the rotation rate is at the first, second, or third rates of rotation, respectively;

generating a flag for indicating that the page scrolling mode has been entered;

processing said signals in accordance with the entered mode;

outputting scroll control signals in accordance with said processing step, wherein said scroll control signals control said display to automatically scroll at least one page in the page scrolling mode, wherein said scroll control signals control said display to automatically scroll one line in the single-line scrolling mode, wherein said scroll control signals control said display to automatically scroll multiple lines in the plural-line scrolling mode; and

wherein in the page scrolling mode, each notch associated with the wheel always scrolls a subsequent or immediately preceding page based on a direction of movement of the notch until the rotational rate falls below a predetermined amount of rate.

4. An input device for scrolling an image relative to a display screen in first and second perpendicular scrolling directions, comprising:

a rotatable member configured to cause scrolling of the image in the first direction responsive to rotation thereof; and

the rotatable member being configured to cause scrolling of the image in the second direction responsive to rotation and a scroll direction signal for the second direction thereof; and

a sensing system configured for monitoring a first rate of rotation, a second rate of rotation, and a third rate of rotation of said rotational member, wherein the second rate of rotation is greater than the first rate of rotation, wherein the third rate of rotation is greater than the second rate of rotation, wherein the rate is defined as a number of lines per notch and said sensing system configured to determine whether a rotation rate of the rotational member is at the first, second, or third rates of rotation and output at least one signal indicative of the respective rate of rotation, wherein a single-line scrolling mode is entered at the first rate of rotation, a plural-line scrolling mode is entered at the second rate of rotation, and a page scrolling mode is entered at the third rate of rotation, wherein the sensing system is configured to monitor a relative rate between the first and second rates of rotation, and outputting at least one scroll signal in relation to the modes, the sensing device further configured to generate a flag for indicating said switching;

wherein said at least one scroll signal is monitored to determine a change in mode and the scrolling of said image, in at least one of said first direction and second direction, is automatically controlled based on the change in mode, wherein the scroll signal controls scrolling at a single line per rotatable member movement in the single-line mode, wherein the scroll signal controls scrolling at multiple lines per rotatable member movement in the plural-line mode, wherein the scroll signal controls scrolling at a page per rotatable member movement in the page scrolling mode, and wherein scrolling in said first direction involves scrolling a subsequent page or a predetermined number of lines per notch associated with said rotational member until the relative rate falls below a predetermined amount of rate and wherein scrolling in said second direction involves scrolling a preceding page or a preceding predetermined number of lines per notch associated with said rotational member until the relative rate falls above the predetermined amount of rate.

5. A method of controlling scrolling of a display comprising the steps of:

receiving signals indicative of the operation of a rotational member including a wheel on a computer input device;

said wheel having at least a portion extending from an outer surface of the input device;

said portion being configured to receive a manual movement to provide rotation of said rotational member;

said rotational member having a plurality of notches;

monitoring a first rate of rotation, a second rate of rotation, and a third rate of rotation of the rotational member, wherein the second rate of rotation is greater than the first rate of rotation, wherein the third rate of rotation is greater than the second rate of rotation, and wherein the rate is defined as number of lines per notch;

determining whether the rotation rate of the rotational rate of the rotational member is at the first, second, or third rates of rotation;

entering a single-line scrolling mode, a plural-line scrolling mode, or a page scrolling mode if the rotation rate is at the first, second, or third rates of rotation, respectively;

generating a flag for indicating that the page scrolling mode has been entered;

processing said signals in accordance with the entered mode; and

outputting scroll control signals in accordance with said processing step, wherein said scroll control signals control said display to automatically scroll one line in the single-line scrolling mode, wherein said scroll control signals control said display to automatically scroll multiple lines in the plural-line scrolling mode, wherein said scroll control signals control said display to automatically scroll a page in the page scrolling mode, and wherein said automatically scrolling is based on subsequent to or immediately preceding predetermined number of lines per notch of said rotational member in a direction of movement of the notch until a relative rate of the rotational member falls below a predetermined amount of rate.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said computer input device is a mouse.