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Presenting and zooming a set of objects within a window

  • US 9,335,916 B2
  • Filed: 04/15/2009
  • Issued: 05/10/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2009
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

  • receiving a request to display a list of an ordered plurality of objects in a display window on a graphical display device, the display window having an insufficient size to display all of the objects in the list simultaneously, the display window having an associated slider bar having a plurality of notches;

    sorting the plurality of objects according to specified sort criteria to produce the ordered plurality of objects;

    determining a maximum number of elements which can be displayed simultaneously in the display window;

    generating a plurality of categories equal to the maximum number of elements which can be displayed simultaneously in the display window, wherein each of the generated plurality of categories is associated with a consecutive sequence of objects among the ordered plurality of objects;

    assigning, to each of the generated plurality of categories, a label indicative of both a first object and a last object of the consecutive sequence associated with the category;

    distributing each of the ordered plurality of objects to one of the generated plurality of categories;

    outputting, in response to the request, a list of the generated plurality of categories within the display window on the graphical display device;

    receiving a selection of one of the generated plurality of categories; and

    upon determining that a number of objects distributed to the selected category is greater than the maximum number of elements which can be displayed simultaneously in the display window, then, by operation of one or more computer processors;

    generating a plurality of sub-categories, the number of sub-categories being less than or equal to the maximum number of elements which can be displayed simultaneously in the display window, wherein the plurality of categories, the plurality of sub-categories, and the plurality of objects each belong to successively lower levels of a hierarchy of displayable elements, wherein each level of the hierarchy is represented by a different notch of the plurality of notches of the slider bar;

    distributing each of the ordered plurality of objects in the selected category to one of the generated plurality of sub-categories;

    outputting, in response to the selection of one of the plurality of categories, a list of the generated plurality of sub-categories within the display window on the graphical display device, thereby replacing the list of the generated plurality of categories within the display window;

    wherein the slider bar is controllable to cause displayable elements of a level of the hierarchy, that is represented by a specified notch, to be output within the display window of the graphical display device.

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