Scrolling web pages using direct interaction

• US 20060048073A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jarrett, Robert J., Duncan, Richard J., Rimas-Ribikauskas, Emily K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,681,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention provide a system and method for scrolling or dragging information on a display. A panning tool is provided that may scroll information, such as a web page, on a display in tandem with movement of a cursor. If interactive elements are present on the page or document, an interactive element may be activated as desired. Scrolling may be accomplished with the panning tool either on non-interactive elements or interactive elements that are not required to be activated. Furthermore, inertia of movement of the information on a display is optimized and autoscrolling is provided in which a page or document may be scrolled without dragging.

Claims

1. A method of providing a display control mechanism for information in a data processing system, comprising:

displaying information in a display area on a display in said data processing system;

displaying a cursor on said display, said cursor capable of being activated by an input device;

scrolling the displayed information after activating the cursor with the input device, the scrolling of the displayed information being in tandem with moving said cursor in the display area, wherein the displayed information in the display area continues scrolling when the cursor is deactivated.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein scrolling of the displayed information in the display area stops after the cursor is deactivated for a predetermined period of time.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the predetermined period of time is 500 ms.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the length of the predetermined period of time is based on one of the speed, acceleration, or distance of scrolling of the displayed information in tandem with moving the cursor in the display area.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the length of the predetermined period of time is based on the speed of scrolling of the displayed information in tandem with moving the cursor in the display area.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the scrolling of the displayed information in the display area decelerates after the cursor is deactivated.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein scrolling of the displayed information in the display area after the cursor is deactivated stops after a predetermined portion of the information is scrolled.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the scrolling of the displayed information in the display area stops when the cursor is reactivated with the input device in the display area.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the displayed information in the display area is scrolled in tandem with movement of the cursor after the cursor is reactivated in the display area.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is a web page.

11. The method of claim 61 wherein the direction of the scrolling of the displayed information is within a tolerance range of the direction of the moving of the cursor.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the tolerance range is 20 pixels.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the direction of scrolling of the displayed information is horizontal or vertical.

14. A system of providing a display control mechanism for information in a data processing system, comprising:

a display for displaying information in a display area and for displaying a cursor, said cursor capable of being activated by an input device;

a processor for scrolling the displayed information after activating the cursor with the input device, the scrolling of the displayed information being in tandem with moving said cursor in the display area, wherein the displayed information in the display area continues scrolling when the cursor is deactivated.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein scrolling of the displayed information in the display area stops after the cursor is deactivated for a predetermined period of time.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the predetermined period of time is 500 ms.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the length of the predetermined period of time is based on one of the speed, acceleration, or distance of scrolling of the displayed information in tandem with moving the cursor in the display area.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the length of the predetermined period of time is based on the speed of scrolling of the displayed information in tandem with moving the cursor in the display area.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the scrolling of the displayed information in the display area decelerates after the cursor is deactivated.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein scrolling of the displayed information in the display area after the cursor is deactivated stops after a predetermined portion of the information is scrolled.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the scrolling of the displayed information in the display area stops when the cursor is reactivated with the input device in the display area.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the displayed information in the display area is scrolled in tandem with movement of the cursor after the cursor is reactivated in the display area.

23. The system of claim 14 wherein the information is a web page.

24. The system of claim 14 wherein the direction of the scrolling of the displayed information is within a tolerance range of the direction of the moving of the cursor.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the tolerance range is 20 pixels.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the direction of scrolling of the displayed information is horizontal or vertical.

27. A computer-readable medium comprising executable code for performing the steps of:

displaying information in a display area on a display;

displaying a cursor on said display, said cursor capable of being activated by an input device;

scrolling the displayed information after activating the cursor with the input device, the scrolling of the displayed information being in tandem with moving said cursor in the display area, wherein the displayed information in the display area continues scrolling when the cursor is deactivated.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein scrolling of the displayed information in the display area stops after the cursor is deactivated for a predetermined period of time.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the predetermined period of time is 500 ms.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the length of the predetermined period of time is based on one of the speed, acceleration, or distance of scrolling of the displayed information in tandem with moving the cursor in the display area.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the length of the predetermined period of time is based on the speed of scrolling of the displayed information in tandem with moving the cursor in the display area.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the scrolling of the displayed information in the display area decelerates after the cursor is deactivated.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein scrolling of the displayed information in the display area after the cursor is deactivated stops after a predetermined portion of the information is scrolled.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein the scrolling of the displayed information in the display area stops when the cursor is reactivated with the input device in the display area.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the displayed information in the display area is scrolled in tandem with movement of the cursor after the cursor is reactivated in the display area.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein the information is a web page.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 27 wherein the direction of the scrolling of the displayed information is within a tolerance range of the direction of the moving of the cursor.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 37 wherein the tolerance range is 20 pixels.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 37 wherein the direction of scrolling of the displayed information is horizontal or vertical.