Scrolling interface

• US 20080155473A1
• Filed: 12/07/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: DUHIG, JONATHAN ANTHONY
• Granted Patent: US 8,397,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/818
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• 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 of browsing an ordered set of items on a display device is disclosed. The method displays the ordered set of items as ordered subsets (301-308) of the items, the subsets being arranged in parallel, each subset comprising a corresponding number (310, 311, 312) of a plurality of the items. The method selects one item (310) from one subset (305) as a focus item. The method then spatially separates the items preceding and the items following the focus item in the ordered set and displays the focus item in a different relative spatial arrangement (702) compared to the remaining displayed items.

Claims

1. A method of browsing a set of items on a display device, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying the set of items as subsets of the items, the subsets being arranged in parallel, each subset comprising a corresponding number of a plurality of the items and each item having a corresponding individual position in the corresponding subset;

(b) selecting one item from one said subset as a focus item; and

(c) spatially separating the items preceding and the items following the focus item in the ordered set and displaying said focus item in a different relative spatial arrangement compared to the remaining displayed items.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises selecting said one item from said one subset in a display order.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein step (c) comprises displaying said focus item at a size perceptibly larger that a size of the remaining displayed items.

4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of detecting a user input to select a next item in the ordered set as a new focus item and repeating step (c) to display the new focus item in the different relative spatial arrangement.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the displayed focus item substantially defines the spatial separation.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein excepting the focus item, the displaying of step (c) substantially maintains the relative spatial arrangement of all remaining displayed items including the displayed ordering of the items within the subsets.

7. A method according to claim 4 wherein the focus item remains in a substantially constant display location during the browsing.

8. A method according to claim 4 wherein during display of one said focus item, at least one further item of the corresponding subset is displayed in a location displaced from uniformity relative to the remainder of the subsets.

9. A method of scrolling an ordered set of items on a display device, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying the ordered set of items as ordered subsets of the items, the subsets of items being represented in a 2-dimensional arrangement, each subset comprising a corresponding number of a plurality of the items;

(b) selecting one item from one said subset as a focus item; and

(c) spatially separating the items preceding and the items following the focus item in the ordered set and displaying said focus item in a different relative spatial arrangement compared to the 2-dimensional arrangement of those items preceding and those items following the focus item.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the focus item is displayed at a focus location that spatially separates the ordered subsets of items preceding and following the focus item.

11. A method according to claim 10 each said item is associated with a corresponding individual display location within the corresponding subset in the 2-dimensional arrangement.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein upon selection of a first said item of a particular subset as the focus item, the remaining said items of said particular subset remain displayed in their corresponding individual display locations in the preceding 2-dimensional arrangement adjacent the focus location.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein upon selecting a next item of said particular subset as the focus item in accordance with a scrolling operation, said first item vacates said focus location and returns to a corresponding individual location in the subset in the following 2-dimensional arrangement, said next item enters the focus location, and said next item is removed from the corresponding individual location in the preceding 2-dimensional arrangement.

14. A display interface for scrolling items of a collection, each said item having a corresponding individual position in said collection, said interface comprising:

a focus display location at which a focus item is displayable, said focus item being one item of said collection;

first and second 2-dimensional repeating arrangements of said items spatially separated by said focus display location, said first arrangement preceding said focus display location in a direction of scroll and said second arrangement following said focus display location in the direction of scroll, each said arrangement including a repeating plurality of standard display locations, each said standard display location having associated therewith a corresponding one of said items;

wherein

a first scroll of said collection causes a first said item to depart the corresponding standard display location in the first arrangement and to occupy the focus location as the focus item; and

an immediately following scroll of said collection causes said first item to depart the focus location and to occupy, in the second arrangement, the standard display location corresponding to that occupied by the first item in the first arrangement.

15. A display interface according to claim 14 wherein the immediately following scroll causes a second, immediately following said first item in the collection, to depart a corresponding standard display location in the first arrangement and to occupy the focus location as the focus item.

16. A display interface according to claim 14 wherein the focus item is presented within the focus location in a different spatial relationship to those items presented within the standard display locations of the first and second arrangements.

17. A display interface according to claim 14 wherein the 2-dimensional repeating arrangements comprise parallel arranged stacks of display locations within which representations of said items are displayable.

18. A display interface according to claim 14 wherein the 2-dimensional repeating pattern comprises a repeating non-uniform configuration of said standard display locations within which representations of said items are displayable.

19. A display interface according to claim 14 wherein said items in said collection are ordered and said display locations are populated by said items in said order.

20. A computer readable medium having a computer program recorded thereon and adapted to make a computer device execute a procedure to browse an ordered set of items on a display device, said program comprising:

code for displaying the ordered set of items as ordered subsets of the items, the subsets being arranged in parallel, each subset comprising a corresponding number of a plurality of the items;

code for selecting one item from one said subset as a focus item; and

code for spatially separating the items preceding and the items following the focus item in the ordered set and displaying said focus item in a different relative spatial arrangement compared to the remaining displayed items.

21. A computer readable medium according to claim 20 wherein after display of said focus items the code for selecting is configured to identify a next item in the ordered set as a new focus item and to display the new focus item in the different relative spatial arrangement.

22. A computer readable medium according to claim 21 wherein the code for selecting is responsive to a scrolling input resulting from user action.

23. A computer readable medium according to claim 20 wherein the displayed focus item substantially defines the spatial separation.

24. Computer apparatus for browsing an ordered set of items on a display device, said comprising:

display means for displaying on said display device the ordered set of items as ordered subsets of the items, the subsets being perceptively identifiable, each subset comprising a corresponding number of a plurality of the items;

means for selecting one item from one said subset as a focus item; and

means for spatially separating the items preceding and the items following the focus item in the ordered set and displaying said focus item in a different relative spatial arrangement compared to the remaining displayed items.

25. Computer apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said perceptively identifiable subsets are at least one of parallel arranged and uniformly arranged.