Selective rendering of off-screen content

• US 8,384,726 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Grabowski, John Ralph, Kloba, Grace Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HAU H
• Application Number:
  US13/223,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20130050249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 345/539, 345/545, 345/548
• US Class Current: 345/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/40 Hidden part removal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/346 for systems having a bit-mapped display memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/393 Arrangements for updating the contents of the bit-mapped memory

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods for selectively pre-rendering off-screen content for display before the content comes on-screen on a device are provided. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a request to display content on a device and dividing the content into a first displayable portion that is based on a size of a viewport of the device and a second displayable portion that is outside the viewport. The method also includes rendering and displaying the first displayable portion of content within the viewport, and selecting a subset of the second displayable portion of content for rendering off-screen based on a predetermined rule. Systems, graphical user interfaces, and machine-readable media are also provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for selectively pre-rendering off-screen content for display before the content comes on-screen on a device, the method comprising:

receiving a request to display content on a device;

dividing the content into a first displayable portion that is based on a size of a viewport of the device and a second displayable portion that is outside the viewport;

rendering and displaying the first displayable portion of content within the viewport;

determining, prior to rendering the second displayable portion of content off-screen, whether to render off-screen a selected subset of the second displayable portion of content based on at least one of an available memory capacity, available processing capacity, or available battery capacity of the device; and

providing data for rendering off-screen the selected subset of the second displayable portion of content.

2. The computer-method of claim 1, comprising further determining whether to render off-screen the selected subset of the second displayable portion of content for rendering off-screen based on a predetermined rule.

3. The computer-method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined rule is based on at least one of the content, a viewing history of a user, and a proximity of the subset of the second displayable portion to the viewport.

4. The computer-method of claim 3, wherein the first displayable portion and the second displayable portion are each divided into equally sized tiles.

5. The computer-method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined rule comprises selecting a tile located off-screen below the viewport for rendering off-screen before selecting a tile located off-screen above the viewport for rendering off-screen.

6. The computer-method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined rule comprises selecting a tile located off-screen to the right of the viewport for rendering off-screen before selecting a tile located off-screen to the left of the viewport for rendering off-screen.

7. The computer-method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined rule comprises selecting a first tile located off-screen for rendering off-screen that is closer to the viewport before selecting a second tile located off-screen for rendering off-screen that is farther from the viewport than the first tile.

8. The computer-method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined rule comprises selecting a tile located off-screen in the reading direction of the content for rendering off-screen before a tile located off-screen in the direction opposite of the reading direction of the content.

9. The computer-method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined rule comprises selecting a tile located off-screen in the direction of the last scrolling input by the user for rendering off-screen before a tile located off-screen in the direction opposite of the direction of the last scrolling input by the user.

10. A system for selectively pre-rendering off-screen content for display before the content comes on-screen on a device, the system comprising:

a memory comprising content for display;

a processor configured to;

receive a request to display content on a device;

divide the content into a first displayable portion that is based on a size of a viewport of the device and a second displayable portion that is outside the viewport;

render and display the first displayable portion of content within the viewport; and

determine, prior to rendering the second displayable portion of content off-screen, whether to render off-screen a selected subset of the second displayable portion of content based on at least one of an available memory capacity, available processing capacity, or available battery capacity of the device; and

provide data for rendering off-screen the selected subset of the second displayable portion of content.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to further determine whether to render off-screen the selected subset of the second displayable portion of content for rendering off-screen based on a predetermined rule, wherein the predetermined rule is based on at least one of the content, a viewing history of a user, and a proximity of the subset of the second displayable portion to the viewport.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to divide first displayable portion and the second displayable portion into equally sized tiles.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the predetermined rule comprises the processor selecting a tile located off-screen below the viewport for rendering off-screen before selecting a tile located off-screen above the viewport for rendering off-screen.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the predetermined rule comprises the processor selecting a tile located off-screen to the right of the viewport for rendering off-screen before selecting a tile located off-screen to the left of the viewport for rendering off-screen.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the predetermined rule comprises the processor selecting a first tile located off-screen for rendering off-screen that is closer to the viewport before selecting a second tile located off-screen for rendering off-screen that is farther from the viewport than the first tile.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the predetermined rule comprises the processor selecting a tile located off-screen in the reading direction of the content for rendering off-screen before a tile located off-screen in the direction opposite of the reading direction of the content.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the predetermined rule comprises the processor selecting a tile located off-screen in the direction of the last scrolling input by the user for rendering off-screen before a tile located off-screen in the direction opposite of the direction of the last scrolling input by the user.

18. A web browser that selectively pre-renders off-screen content for display before the content comes on-screen on a device, the web browser comprising:

a display area, based on the size of a viewport of the device, configured to display content on the device,

wherein the content is divided into a first displayable portion that is based on a size of the display area and a second displayable portion that is outside the display area, the first displayable portion and the second displayable portion each divided into equally sized tiles,

wherein the first displayable portion of content is rendered and displayed within the display area, and

wherein, prior to rendering the second displayable portion of content off-screen, a selected subset of the second displayable portion of content is determined whether to be rendered off-screen based on at least one of an available memory capacity, available processing capacity, or available battery capacity of the device, and

wherein the selected subset of the second displayable portion of content is rendered off-screen.

19. The web browser of claim 18, wherein the selected subset of the second displayable portion of content for rendering off-screen is selected based on a predetermined rule, the predetermined rule based on at least one of the content, a viewing history of a user, and a proximity of the subset of the second displayable portion to the viewport.

20. The web browser of claim 19, wherein the predetermined rule comprises:

selecting a tile located off-screen below the viewport for rendering off-screen before selecting a tile located off-screen above the viewport for rendering off-screen;

selecting a tile located off-screen to the right of the viewport for rendering off-screen before selecting a tile located off-screen to the left of the viewport for rendering off-screen; and

selecting a first tile located off-screen for rendering off-screen that is closer to the viewport before selecting a second tile located off-screen for rendering off-screen that is farther from the viewport than the first tile.

21. The web browser of claim 19, wherein the predetermined rule comprises selecting a tile located off-screen in the reading direction of the content for rendering off-screen before a tile located off-screen in the direction opposite of the reading direction of the content.

22. The web browser of claim 19, wherein the predetermined rule comprises selecting a tile located off-screen in the direction of the last scrolling input by the user for rendering off-screen before a tile located off-screen in the direction opposite of the direction of the last scrolling input by the user.

23. A machine-readable storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions for causing a processor to execute a method for selectively pre-rendering off-screen content for display before the content comes on-screen on a device, the method comprising:

receiving a request to display content on a device;

dividing the content into equally sized tiles; and

rendering and displaying tiles located within a viewport of the device;

determining, prior to rendering the remaining tiles off-screen, whether to render off-screen a selected subset of the remaining tiles based on at least one of an available memory capacity, available processing capacity, or available battery capacity of the device.