System and method for navigation of display data

• US 7,750,825 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2007
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Zuverink, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout; Brent
• Application Number:
  US11/684,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20080218523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 3409951-99515, 701208-212, 345/671, 345/684, 345/784, 455/404.2, 455/457, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 340/995.15
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

Navigating display data (e.g., large documents) on an electronic display is described in which a first set of visual indicators are layered over the portion of the portion of data displayed on the electronic display. The user selects a particular navigation task, which selection signal is received by the navigation application. The navigation application determines a section of interest based on the particular navigation task selected and layers a second set of visual indicators over the portion of the display data defined by all of the sections other than the section of interest. The navigation application then animates movement of the display data and both sets of visual indicators on the electronic display according to the particular navigation task selected.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

rendering a set of visual indicators over a graphic displayed on an electronic display of a device, the device comprising a processor executing code stored on a computer-readable medium to cause the device to render the set of visual indicators over the graphic, wherein said set of visual indicators divides said graphic into a plurality of sections;

determining a size of each section of the plurality of sections based at least in part on an amount of concentration of display data in a portion of the graphic contained within each section of the plurality of sections;

receiving a signal to execute a navigation function associated with a section of interest of said plurality of sections; and

responsive to receiving said signal, animating movement of said graphic and said set of visual indicators on the electronic display of the device according to said navigation function.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

returning said set of visual indicators to an original location on said display after said animation, wherein said set of visual indicators divides said moved graphic into a plurality of new sections.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said graphic is a subpart of a larger graphic that is larger than said electronic display.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 further comprising:

removing a part of said graphic from a visible area of said display according to said movement; and

inserting a replacement graphic part to said visible area of said display, wherein said replacement graphic part originates from said larger graphic not visible on said display, and wherein a combination of said remaining graphic and said replacement graphic fills said electronic display.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said rendering comprises:

rendering a set of intersecting grid lines over said graphic, wherein one or more intersections make said plurality of sections.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said navigation function comprises at least one of:

panning;

zooming in;

or

zooming out.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein receiving the signal to execute the navigation function associated with the section of interest of the plurality of sections comprises:

receiving the signal identifying a center section as said section of interest when said selected navigation function is one of;

zooming in and zooming out; and

receiving the signal identifying a center edge section as said section of interest when said selected navigation function is said panning wherein an edge associated with said identified center edge section corresponds to a direction of said panning.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein receiving the signal to execute the navigation function associated with the section of interest of the plurality of sections comprises:

receiving a selection signal from a user indicating said section of interest.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving edit input from a user to edit a location of said set of visual indicators; and

re-rendering said set of visual indicators to said location on said display.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:

rendering a plurality of dividers over a graphic displayed on an electronic display of a device, the device comprising a navigation application stored on a computer-readable medium for causing the device to render the plurality of dividers over the graphic, said plurality of dividers defining a plurality of sections in the graphic;

determining the plurality of sections based on the graphic by determining a size of a section of the plurality of sections based on an amount of concentration of display data contained in a corresponding portion of the graphic to be contained within the section;

receiving at least one navigation signal for navigating said graphic, the at least one navigation signal identifying a section of interest from the plurality of sections and representing a navigating function, the section of interest comprising a portion of the graphic;

de-emphasizing the plurality of sections other than the section of interest; and

moving said graphic on said electronic display according to said navigation function, wherein moving the graphic comprises moving the portion of the graphic from the section of interest to a new section of interest of the plurality of sections.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 further comprising:

after said moving, re-rendering said plurality of dividers at an original position on said electronic display over a new portion of a new graphic, said new portion of the new graphic resulting from said moving.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 further comprising:

inserting additional portions of said graphic onto said electronic display to fill parts of said electronic display left empty by moved portions of said graphic.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein said plurality of sections are equal-sized.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein said navigation function comprises one or more of:

moving laterally across said graphic;

magnifying content of said portion of the graphic;

or

de-magnifying said content of said portion of the graphic.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 wherein said navigation function comprises one of:

said magnifying and said de-magnifying, said receiving the at least one navigation signal for navigating said graphic comprises;

identifying one of said plurality of sections located at a center of said electronic display.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 wherein said navigation signal comprises said moving laterally, said receiving the at least one navigation signal for navigating said graphic comprises:

identifying one of said plurality of sections located on a center edge of said electronic display wherein an edge associated with said identified one corresponds to a direction of said lateral movement.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein said receiving the at least one navigation signal for navigating said graphic comprises:

receiving a selection indication from a user identifying a specific one of said plurality of sections as said section of interest.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving edit signals from a user identifying a new location for one or more of said plurality of dividers; and

repositioning said identified one or more of said plurality of dividers to said new location.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein said graphic is larger than said electronic display.

20. A computer program product having computer program logic stored on a computer-readable medium, said computer program product comprising:

code for rendering a first set of visual indicators over a graphic displayed on an electronic device, wherein said first set of visual indicators divides said graphic into a plurality of sections;

code for determining the plurality of sections based on the graphic comprising code for determining a size of a section of the plurality of sections based on an amount of concentration of display data contained in a corresponding portion of the graphic to be contained within the section;

code for receiving a signal to execute a navigation function associated with a section of interest of said plurality of sections, wherein the section of interest is determined based on the navigation function;

code, executable responsive to said signal, for layering a second set of visual indicators over a part of said graphic defined by each of said plurality of sections other than said section of interest; and

code for animating movement of said graphic and said first and second sets of visual indicators on said electronic device according to said navigation function, wherein code for animating movement comprises animating movement of a portion of the graphic from the section of interest to a new section of interest of the plurality of sections.

21. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising:

code for returning said first set of visual indicators to an original location on said display after said animation, wherein said first set of visual indicators visually divides said moved graphic into a plurality of new sections.

22. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein said graphic is a subpart of a larger graphic that is larger than a display of said electronic device.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 further comprising:

code for removing a part of said graphic from a visible area of said display according to said movement; and

code for inserting a replacement graphic part to said visible area of said display, wherein said replacement graphic part originates from said larger graphic not visible on said display, and wherein a combination of said remaining graphic and said replacement graphic fills said display.

24. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein said code for rendering comprises:

code for rendering a set of intersecting grid lines over said graphic, wherein one or more intersections make said plurality of sections equal-sized.

25. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein said navigation function comprises at least one of:

panning;

zooming in;

or

zooming out.

26. The computer program product of claim 25 wherein said code for receiving the signal to execute the navigation function associated with the section of interest of the plurality of sections comprises:

code for identifying a center section as said section of interest when said selected navigation function is one of;

zooming in or zooming out; and

code for identifying a center edge section as said section of interest when said selected navigation function is said panning, wherein an edge associated with said identified center edge section corresponds to a direction of said panning.

27. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein said code for receiving the signal to execute the navigation function associated with the section of interest of the plurality of sections comprises:

code for receiving a selection signal from a user indicating said section of interest.

28. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising:

code for receiving edit input from a user to edit a location of said first set of visual indicators; and

code for re-rendering said first set of visual indicators to said location on said display.

29. A system comprising:

a mobile device comprising an electronic display, a processor and a navigation application stored on a computer-readable medium, wherein the processor is configured to execute the navigation application to cause the mobile device to;

render a plurality of dividers over a document portion displayed on the electronic display, said plurality of dividers visually dividing said document portion into a plurality of sections;

determine a size of each section of said plurality of sections based at least in part on an amount of concentration of display data contained in a corresponding portion of said document portion to be contained within each section of the plurality of sections;

receive a navigation signal for navigating said document portion, wherein said document portion is a portion of a document larger than said electronic display;

determine a section of interest from said plurality of sections, wherein said section of interest is indicative of said navigation signal; and

move said document portion on said electronic display according to said navigation signal, wherein each of said plurality of sections other than said section of interest is visually de-emphasized during said move.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein said electronic display comprises a small-screen display.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein the mobile device is capable of:

after moving, re-rendering said plurality of dividers at an original position on said electronic display over a new document portion, said new document portion resulting from moving.

32. The system of claim 29 where the mobile device is capable of:

inserting additional portions of said document onto said electronic display to fill parts of said electronic display left empty by moved portions of said document portion moved off of said electronic display during moving.

33. The system of claim 29 wherein said plurality of sections are equal-sized.

34. The system of claim 29 wherein said navigation signal identifies at least one of:

moving laterally across said document;

magnifying content of said document portion;

or

de-magnifying said content of said document portion.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said navigation signal identifies at least one of said magnifying or said de-magnifying, and wherein said mobile phone is capable of determining the section of interest from the plurality of sections by:

identifying one of said plurality of sections located at a center of said electronic display.

36. The system of claim 34 wherein said navigation signal identifies said moving laterally, and wherein the mobile phone is capable of determining the section of interest from the plurality of sections by:

identifying one of said plurality of sections located on a center edge of said electronic display wherein an edge associated with said identified one corresponds to a direction of said lateral movement.

37. The system of claim 29 wherein the mobile phone is capable of determining the section of interest from the plurality of sections by:

receiving a selection indication from a user identifying a specific one of said plurality of sections as said section of interest.

38. The system of claim 29 wherein the mobile phone is capable of:

receiving edit signals from a user identifying a new location for one or more of said plurality of dividers; and

repositioning said identified one or more of said plurality of dividers to said new location.