Method and device for enhancing scrolling operations in a display device

• US 8,812,985 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Akella, Venkata Sastry
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOI, DAVID E
• Application Number:
  US12/609,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20110107264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 715/830, 715/784, 715/786, 715/769, 715/201, 345/685, 345/684, 345/676
• US Class Current: 715/830
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A method and device for enhancing scrolling operations in a display of a device is disclosed. The method includes detecting a scrolling operation on a list of objects in a linear direction. During the scrolling operation, it is determined whether the list of objects is reaching an end and at least one object at the end of the list of objects is extended in the linear direction in response to reaching the end of the list of objects. Further, the method includes determining that the object(s) is reaching a peak length of extension in the linear direction and retracting the object(s) in a reverse linear direction in response to reaching the peak length or in response to detecting that the scrolling operation is terminated.

Claims

1. A method in a display of a device, the method comprising:

detecting a scrolling operation on a list of objects in a linear direction;

measuring intensity of the scrolling operation;

determining that the list of objects is reaching an end during the scrolling operation;

extending at least one object at the end of the list of objects in the linear direction by modifying at least one dimension of the at least one object in response to reaching the end of the list of objects;

determining a peak length in a linear direction based on the intensity of the scrolling operation;

determining that the at least one object is reaching the peak length of extension in the linear direction; and

retracting the at least one object in a reverse linear direction by again modifying the at least one dimension of the at least one object in response to reaching the peak length.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the list of objects is reaching an end comprises determining that the at least one object at the end of the list of objects will be displayed during the scrolling operation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the list of objects is reaching an end comprises determining that the at least one object at the end of the list of objects has been displayed during the scrolling operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein extending at least one object at the end of the list of objects in the linear direction includes extending a predetermined quantity of objects at the end of the list of objects in a linear direction.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined quantity is one object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein extending at least one object at the end of the list of objects in the linear direction includes extending a predetermined length of objects at the end of the list of objects in a linear direction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein extending at least one object at the end of the list of objects in the linear direction includes extending one dimension of the at least one object while maintaining other dimensions of the at least one object.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring intensity of the scrolling operation includes measuring velocity or acceleration of the scrolling operation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the peak length in the linear direction based on the intensity of the scrolling operation includes determining the peak length in the linear direction proportional to the intensity of the scrolling operation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein extending at least one object at the end of the list of objects in the linear direction comprises increasing the peak length of each object of the at least one object with each subsequent object.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the scrolling operation has terminated; and

retracting the at least one object in the reverse linear direction in response to determining that the scrolling operation has terminated.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one object had an original length before extending the at least one object at the end of the list of objects in the linear direction; and

retracting the at least one object in the reverse linear direction includes retracting the at least one object back to the original length of the at least one object.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one object had an original length before extending the at least one object at the end of the list of objects in the linear direction; and

retracting the at least one object in the reverse linear direction includes retracting the at least one object to a reduced length less than the original length of the at least one object and, eventually, returning to the original length of the at least one object.

14. A device comprising:

a display for rendering a list of objects;

a user interface configured to receive a user input to perform a scrolling operation on the list of objects in a linear direction; and

a processor configured to determine that the list of objects is reaching an end during the scrolling operation, extend at least one object at the end of the list of objects in the linear direction by modifying at least one dimension of the at least one object in response to reaching the end of the list of objects, measure intensity of the scrolling operation, determine a peak length in a linear direction based on the intensity of the scrolling operation;

determine that the at least one object is reaching the peak length of extension in the linear direction, and retracting the at least one object in a reverse linear direction by again modifying the at least one dimension of the at least one object in response to reaching the peak length.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the user input is received by means of a touch input, a key input, or a cursor movement.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the list of objects includes text or graphics or both.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the scrolling operation has terminated;

and retract the at least one object in the reverse linear direction in response to determining that the scrolling operation has terminated.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the reverse linear direction is a direction opposite the linear direction.