Method and system for navigating within an image

• US 8,482,522 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2009
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Andert, Markus, Kocourek, Christine
• Primary Examiner(s): Pervan, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/610,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20100045706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 345163-167, 345/157, 345173-178, 345/661, 345/671, 715700-866, 178 1801- 1907
• US Class Current: 345/157
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

The present invention relates to at least one image section which is represented according to a zoom factor selected from a number of different zoom factors. Either the represented image section is changed when the zoom factor is lower than a zoom threshold value, or a marker representation superimposing the image section is displaced when the zoom factor is higher than a zoom threshold value, via input elements.

Claims

1. A method for displaying content on a computing device, the method being performed by a processor of the computing device and comprising:

displaying the content on a display of the computing device according to a zoom factor having a value that is less than a predefined threshold value, wherein when the value of the zoom factor is less than the predefined threshold value, directional user input causes the displayed content to be moved;

receiving a user input to zoom in on the displayed content;

in response to receiving the user input, (i) magnifying the displayed content so that a portion of the displayed content is displayed on the display of the computing device, and (ii) determining the value of the zoom factor; and

in response to determining that the value of the zoom factor is greater than the predefined threshold value, (i) displaying a marker on the magnified portion of the displayed content, and (ii) enabling the marker to be moved, instead of the magnified portion of the displayed content, in response to receiving directional user input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed content corresponds to Internet content.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the Internet content includes an HTML page.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising enabling a user to select a link that is displayed on the portion of the displayed content.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising when the value of the zoom factor is greater than the predefined threshold value, (i) receiving a first directional user input, and (ii) moving the displayed marker in a direction corresponding to the first directional user input.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the content on the display of the computing device includes receiving data corresponding to the content over a mobile radio network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed content corresponds to text.

8. A computing device comprising:

a display;

one or more input mechanisms;

a processor coupled to the display and the one or more input mechanisms, the processor to;

display content on the display according to a zoom factor having a value that is less than a predefined threshold value, wherein when the value of the zoom factor is less than the predefined threshold value, directional user input causes the displayed content to be moved;

receive a user input via the one or more input mechanisms to zoom in on the displayed content;

in response to receiving the user input, (i) magnify the displayed content so that a portion of the displayed content is displayed on the display, and (ii) determine the value of the zoom factor; and

in response to determining that the value of the zoom factor is greater than the predefined threshold value, (i) display a marker on the magnified portion of the displayed content, and (ii) enable the marker to be moved, instead of the magnified portion of the display content, in response to receiving directional user input.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the displayed content corresponds to Internet content.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the Internet content includes an HTML page.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the processor further enables a user to select a link that is displayed on the portion of the displayed content using the one or more input mechanisms.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the processor, when the value of the zoom factor is greater than the predefined threshold value, (i) receives a first directional user input, and (ii) moves the displayed marker in a direction corresponding to the first directional user input.

13. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the processor displays the content on the display by receiving data corresponding to the content over a mobile radio network.

14. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the displayed content corresponds to text.

15. A method for displaying content on a computing device, the method being performed by a processor of the computing device and comprising:

displaying the content on a display of the computing device according to a zoom factor having a value that is less than a predefined threshold value, wherein when the value of the zoom factor is less than the predefined threshold value, directional user input causes the displayed content to be moved;

receiving a user input via an input mechanism to zoom in on the displayed content, wherein the input mechanism is a touch-sensitive input mechanism;

in response to receiving the user input, (i) magnifying the displayed content so that a portion of the displayed content is displayed on the display of the computing device, and (ii) determining the value of the zoom factor; and

in response to determining that the value of the zoom factor is greater than the predefined threshold value, (i) displaying a marker on the magnified portion of the displayed content, and (ii) enabling the marker to be moved, instead of the magnified portion of the displayed content, in response to receiving directional user input.