Scrolling interface

• US 20080155475A1
• 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 8,856,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42215 by measuring the time interval during which a key is pressed, e.g. for inputting sequences of digits when selecting a television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of browsing a set of items on a display device. The method displays a plurality of items (303-307) of the set on a display device in a first arrangement (FIG. 3A) for browsing. Scrolling of the items can then occur in the first arrangement by responding to user action on a user actuable control (105, 602, 603). The method further detects a predetermined characteristic (eg. time) of the user action on the user actuable control and, upon detecting the predetermined characteristic, displays the items in a second arrangement (FIG. 3B) for scrolling wherein the items (308, 309) in the second arrangement are positioned in a different spatial relationship relative to each other from the first arrangement.

Claims

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

(a) displaying a plurality of items of said set on a display device in a first arrangement for browsing;

(b) scrolling the items in said first arrangement by responding to a user action on a user actuable control; and

(c) detecting a predetermined characteristic of the user action on the user actuable control and, upon detecting said predetermined characteristic, displaying the items in a second arrangement for scrolling wherein said items in said second arrangement are positioned in a different spatial relationship relative to each other from said first arrangement.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said predetermined characteristic of user action comprises a continuous actuation of the user actuable control.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said predetermined characteristic comprises a continuous actuation for a predetermined period of time of the user actuable control.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said predetermined characteristic of user action is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) repeated instances of the user action;

(b) repeated instances of the user action within a predetermined period of time;

(c) repeated instances of the user action followed by a pause of a predetermined amount of time;

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said predetermined characteristic of user action is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a changed intensity of the user action; and

(b) cessation of the user action.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the changed intensity of the user action is selected from the group consisting of a speed of rotation of the user actuable control, an amount of force applied to the user actuable control, and a proximity associated with the user actuable control.

7. A method of claim 1 wherein said first arrangement comprises at least one row of said items and said second arrangement has a different number of rows than said first arrangement.

8. A method of claim 1 wherein said first arrangement comprises at least one column of said items said second arrangement has a different number of columns than said first arrangement.

9. A method of claim 1 wherein said second arrangement has a different flow rate of said items than said first arrangement.

10. A method of claim 1 wherein said items in said first arrangement are aligned to a curve with a first radius and said items in said second arrangement are aligned to a curve with different radius

11. A method of claim 1 wherein items in said first arrangement are one of evenly or unevenly spaced and items in said second arrangement are the other of unevenly or evenly spaced.

12. A method of claim 1 wherein items in said second arrangement are displayed at substantially different sizes and items in said first arrangement are displayed at substantially similar sizes.

13. A method according to claim 1 wherein said set of items are displayed on the display device in a display window and a size of said display window remains unaltered for each of said first arrangement and said second arrangement.

14. A method according to claim 1 wherein said set of items are displayed on the display device in a display window and a size of said display window is different in said second arrangement from the size in the first arrangement.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the size of the display window varies with continuous or continued actuation of the user actuable control.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the size of the viewing window increase with continuous or continued actuation of the user actuable control and the size decreases with cessation of such actuation.

17. A method according to claim 1 wherein said browsing comprises scrolling of the items displayed by the display device, said scrolling resulting from the user action on the user actuable control.

18. A user interface comprising:

a viewing widow displayable upon a display device;

a representation within the viewing window in a first arrangement of a plurality of items of a collection;

a user actuable control responsive to user action to permit browsing of the items in said first arrangement; and

a detecting arrangement configured to detect a predetermined characteristic of the user action on the user actuable control and, upon detecting said predetermined characteristic, to alter the representation of the items to a second arrangement for browsing wherein said items in said second arrangement are positioned in a different spatial relationship relative to each other from said first arrangement.

19. An interface according to claim 18 wherein said user actuable control is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a key switch of a keyboard;

(b) a switch of a pointer device;

(c) a combination of a cursor associated with a pointer device and a virtual switch formed in an image upon the display device and associated with the viewing window;

(d) a combination of a cursor associated with a mouse pointer, a switch of the pointer device and an virtual switch formed in an image upon the display device and associated with the viewing window; and

(e) a scroll wheel.

20. An interface according to claim 18 wherein said predetermined characteristic of user action comprises a continuous or continued actuation of the user actuable control.

21. An interface according to claim 20 wherein said predetermined characteristic comprises a continuous or continued actuation for a predetermined period of time of the user actuable control.

22. An interface according to claim 18 wherein said predetermined characteristic of user action is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) repeated instances of the user action;

(b) repeated instances of the user action within a predetermined period of time;

(c) repeated instances of the user action followed by a pause of a predetermined amount of time;

(d) a changed intensity of the user action; and

(e) cessation of the user action.

23. A computer readable medium having a computer program recorded thereon, the computer program being executable in a computing device to browse a set of items displayable on a display device, said program comprising:

code for displaying a plurality of items of said set on a display device in a first arrangement for browsing;

code for browsing the items in said first arrangement by responding to user action on a user actuable control; and

code for detecting a predetermined characteristic of the user action on the user actuable control and, upon detecting said predetermined characteristic, displaying the items in a second arrangement for browsing wherein said items in said second arrangement are positioned in a different spatial relationship relative to each other from said first arrangement.

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

means for displaying a plurality of items of said set on a display device in a first arrangement for browsing;

browsing means for browsing the items in said first arrangement by responding to user action on a user actuable control;

means for detecting a predetermined characteristic of the user action on the user actuable control; and

means, responsive to the detecting of said predetermined characteristic, for displaying the items in a second arrangement for browsing wherein said items in said second arrangement are positioned in a different spatial relationship relative to each other from said first arrangement.