Method and apparatus for accelerated scrolling

• US 9,009,626 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Tsuk, Robert W., Robbin, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): TITCOMB, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US11/959,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20080098330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,673 Days
• Field of Search: 715700-867, 715961-978, 345/156
• US Class Current: 715/830
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/34 for rolling or scrolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

Improved approaches for users to interact with graphical user interfaces of computing devices are disclosed. A rotational user action supplied by a user via a user input device can provide accelerated scrolling. The accelerated nature of the scrolling enables users to scroll or traverse a lengthy data set (e.g., list of items) faster and with greater ease. The amount of acceleration provided can be performed in successive stages, and/or performed based on the speed of the rotational user action. In one embodiment, the rotational user action is transformed into linear action with respect to a graphical user interface. The resulting acceleration effect causes the linear action to be enhanced such that a lengthy data set is able to be rapidly traversed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, on a computing device, input corresponding to a rotational movement, wherein a rotational movement is associated with a number of units;

determining an acceleration factor, wherein determining the acceleration factor includes determining a number of units associated with the rotational movement;

determining a speed associated with the input corresponding to the rotational movement;

determining that a duration of the input corresponding to the rotational movement has exceeded a threshold amount of time, wherein an input speed during the duration of the input is maintained within a threshold of the determined speed;

modifying the acceleration factor in response to determining that the duration of the input corresponding to the rotational movement has exceeded the threshold amount of time; and

modifying the number of units associated with the rotational movement, wherein modifying the number of units is based upon the modified acceleration factor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold amount of time is set based on an application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the rotational movement includes a rate of rotation, and wherein the rate of rotation for the rotational movement varies from one application to another application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of units is associated with a list media items.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a portable media player.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the acceleration factor is automatically increased when the threshold amount of time is exceeded.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

resetting the acceleration factor when the speed of the rotational movement falls below a threshold value.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining the acceleration factor when the acceleration factor has reached a maximum acceleration value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the rotational movement corresponds to a linear movement.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the input is received using a touchpad coupled to the computing device.

11. A computer-implemented system, comprising:

one or more data processors;

one or more non transitory computer-readable storage media containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including;

receiving input corresponding to a rotational movement, wherein a rotational movement is associated with a number of units;

determining an acceleration factor, wherein determining the acceleration factor includes determining a number of units associated with the rotational movement;

determining a speed associated with the input corresponding to the rotational movement;

determining that a duration of the input corresponding to the rotational movement has exceeded a threshold amount of time, wherein an input speed during the duration of the input is maintained within a threshold of the determined speed;

modifying the acceleration factor in response to determining that the duration of the input corresponding to the rotational movement has exceeded the threshold amount of time; and

modifying the number of units associated with the rotational movement, wherein modifying the number of units is based upon the modified acceleration factor.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the threshold amount of time is set based on an application.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the rotational movement includes a rate of rotation, and wherein the rate of rotation for the rotational movement varies from one application to another application.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the number of units is associated with a list media items.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the system includes a portable media player.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the acceleration factor is automatically increased when the threshold amount of time is exceeded.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

resetting the acceleration factor when the speed of the rotational movement falls below a threshold value.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

maintaining the acceleration factor when the acceleration factor has reached a maximum acceleration value.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the rotational movement corresponds to a linear movement.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the input is received using a touchpad.

21. A computer-program product for scrolling through content, tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive input corresponding to a rotational movement, wherein a rotational movement is associated with a number of units;

determine an acceleration factor, wherein determining the acceleration factor includes determining a number of units associated with the rotational movement;

determine a speed associated with the input corresponding to the rotational movement;

determine that a duration of the input corresponding to the rotational movement has exceeded a threshold amount of time, wherein an input speed during the duration of the input is maintained within a threshold of the determined speed;

modify the acceleration factor in response to determining that the duration of the input corresponding to the rotational movement has exceeded the threshold amount of time; and

modify the number of units associated with the rotational movement, wherein modifying the number of units is based upon the modified acceleration factor.

22. The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein the threshold amount of time is set based on an application.

23. The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein the rotational movement includes a rate of rotation, and wherein the rate of rotation for the rotational movement varies from one application to another application.

24. The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein the number of units is associated with a list media items.

25. The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein the computer program product is a portable media player.

26. The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein the acceleration factor is automatically increased when the threshold amount of time is exceeded.

27. The computer-program product of claim 21, further comprising instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

reset the acceleration factor when the speed of the rotational movement falls below a threshold value.

28. The computer-program product of claim 21, further comprising instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

maintain the acceleration factor when the acceleration factor has reached a maximum acceleration value.

29. The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein the rotational movement corresponds to a linear movement.

30. The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein the input is received using a touchpad coupled to the computer-program product.