Navigating displayed content on a mobile device

• US 8,060,836 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2007
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Helio LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Virgin Mobile USA LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Duarte, Matias
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitaro; Ryan
• Application Number:
  US11/724,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20080168385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 715784-787
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for displaying scrollable information with an improved indicator of relative position. Certain embodiments may be use a focus element that indicates, by its relative position within the display, the relative position of the scrollable information displayed.

Claims

1. A mobile electronic device comprising:

a display screen;

an input interface;

a processor, coupled to the display and the input interface; and

a memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

display a portion of a document in the display screen of the mobile electronic device, the document including scrollable information, wherein the displayed portion of the document defines a scroll position within the document of the displayed portion of the document, the displayed portion of the document faded at an edge of the display screen to indicate a scrollable direction,

display a focus element overlaying a pane of the displayed portion of the document, wherein the position of the displayed focus element in the display screen corresponds to the scroll position of the displayed portion of the document, to indicate the scroll position within the document of the displayed portion of the document, and wherein the pane substantially extends across the screen in a direction orthogonal to the scrollable direction,

receive user inputs via an input interface of the device to scroll the document in the display screen, and

responsive to the user inputs, scroll the document in the display screen and adjusting the position of the focus element in the display screen to correspond to the scroll position of the displayed portion of the document.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the position of the displayed focus element in the display screen indicates a vertical scroll position within the document of the displayed portion of the document.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the position of the displayed focus element in the display screen indicates a horizontal scroll position within the document of the displayed portion of the document.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to display the portion of the document in the display screen using a visual technique wherein the pane of the document that is within the focus element has a distinct appearance from the portion of the document that is outside the focus element.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the visual technique includes at least one of:

focusing, highlighting, and background colors.

6. A method comprising:

displaying scrollable information in a display screen of an electronic device, wherein the display screen displays less than all of the scrollable information at a time, the displayed scrollable information faded in a direction in which the scrollable information can be scrolled;

displaying a focus element on the display screen, the focus element overlaying a pane of the displayed scrollable information on the display screen, wherein the focus element is positioned within the display screen such that a relative position of the focus element with respect to the display screen corresponds to a relative position of the displayed scrollable information with respect to the entire scrollable information, and wherein the pane substantially extends across the screen in a direction orthogonal to the scrolling direction;

receiving a user input via an input interface of the device to scroll the scrollable information; and

responsive to the user input,

scrolling the scrollable information so that a different portion of the scrollable information is displayed on the display screen, and

moving the displayed focus element within the display screen so that the relative position of the focus element with respect to the display screen corresponds to a relative position of the displayed different portion of the scrollable information with respect to the entire scrollable information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the relative position of the focus element with respect to the display screen indicates a vertical position of the displayed scrollable information with respect to the entire scrollable information.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the relative position of the focus element with respect to the display screen indicates a horizontal position of the displayed scrollable information with respect to the entire scrollable information.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the scrollable information comprises text.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein displaying the scrollable information in the display screen comprises displaying the scrollable information that is within the focus element in a focused state and displaying the scrollable information that is outside the focus element in an unfocused state.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein displaying the scrollable information in the display screen comprises using a visual technique wherein the scrollable information that is within the focus element has a distinct appearance from the scrollable information that is outside the focus element.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the visual technique includes at least one of highlighting and background colors.

13. A method comprising:

displaying a portion of a document in a display screen of an electronic device, the document including scrollable information, wherein the displayed portion of the document defines a scroll position within the document of the displayed portion of the document, the displayed portion of the document faded in a direction in which the document can be scrolled;

displaying a focus element overlaying a pane of the displayed portion of the document, wherein the position of the displayed focus element in the display screen corresponds to the scroll position of the displayed portion of the document, to indicate the scroll position, and wherein the pane substantially extends across the screen in a direction orthogonal to the scrolling direction;

receiving user inputs via an input interface of the device to scroll the document in the display screen; and

responsive to the user inputs, scrolling the document in the display screen and adjusting the position of the focus element in the display screen to correspond to the scroll position of the displayed portion of the document.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the scrollable information in the document comprises text.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein displaying the portion of the document in the display screen comprises using a visual technique wherein the pane of the document that is within the focus element has a distinct appearance from the portion of the document that is outside the focus element.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the visual technique includes at least one of:

focusing, highlighting, and background colors.