Turbo-scroll mode for rapid data item selection

• US 20090007007A1
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Voros, Kristina M., Law, Veronica Y., Azera, Frederic, Marashi, Suzan, Oshiro, Marc S., Coomer, Christen E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,701,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/786
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

Described is a scrolling technology including a turbo-scroll mode that is automatically entered to increase the rate of scrolling through a set of items, (e.g., media content). The turbo-scroll mode may be triggered by holding down a scroll button for a period of time. In the turbo-scroll mode, visual cues are provided to assist the user in knowing a current relative position within the set of items. The visual cues may correspond to text metadata, such as letters indicative of an alphabetic position of scrolling, displaying a list or filtered sub-list of label data for items proximate the scroll position, a graphical position indicator, a channel indicator or time indicator for an electronic program guide, fading the electronic program guide into a background representation thereof, and/or providing at least two letters indicative of an alphabetic position of scrolling through the items.

Claims

1. At least one computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform steps, comprising:

detecting actuation of a mechanism directed towards scrolling through a set of items, and in response, scrolling through the items;

detecting a secondary trigger related to the scrolling, and in response, entering a turbo-scroll mode including increasing a rate of scrolling through the items and providing one or more visual cues corresponding to the type of item, the type of scrolling, or both the type of item and the type of scrolling.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein detecting actuation of the mechanism directed towards scrolling comprises receiving a signal corresponding to a directional button being actuated, and wherein detecting the secondary trigger comprises determining that the directional button continues to be actuated for a period of time.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2 having further computer-executable instructions, comprising, initializing a timer upon receiving the signal corresponding to the directional button being actuated, and wherein determining that the directional button continues to be actuated for the period of time comprises evaluating a state of the timer.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein providing the one or more visual cues comprises providing text metadata indicative of a relative current position of scrolling through the items.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein providing the text metadata comprises displaying at least one letter indicative of an alphabetic position of scrolling through the items.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein providing the text metadata comprises displaying a list or filtered sub-list of label data for at least some items proximate the relative current position of scrolling through the items.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6 wherein displaying the list or filtered sub-list of label data comprises displaying items belonging to a sub-group, displaying recently-selected items, displaying most popular items, or displaying most frequently selected items.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein providing the one or more visual cues comprises providing a graphical position indicator indicative of a relative current position of scrolling through the items.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein providing the one or more visual cues comprises providing a channel indicator or time indicator for an electronic program guide while fading the electronic program guide into a background representation thereof.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 having further computer-executable instructions, comprising detecting possible termination of the turbo-scroll mode, and in response, terminating the turbo-scroll mode unless course correction is active and scrolling resumes within a certain period of time, or resuming scrolling in the turbo-scroll mode when course correction is active and scrolling resumes within the certain period of time.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein providing the one or more visual cues comprises providing at least two letters indicative of an alphabetic position of scrolling through the items.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein providing the one or more visual cues comprises providing a secondary sort along with an indicator of items that are in the secondary sort and proximate a current position of scrolling through the items.

13. In a computing environment, a system comprising:

a scroll mechanism including a turbo-scroll mode that when activated, provides rapid scrolling through a set of items and outputs one or more visual cues that indicate that rapid scrolling is active and that assist in finding a particular item within the set, the visual cues based on the type of item, the type of scrolling, or both the type of item and the type of scrolling; and

means coupled to the scroll mechanism for activating the turbo-scroll mode.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the means coupled to the scroll mechanism for activating the turbo-scroll mode include a directional button that triggers a timer, and wherein actuation of the directional button for a period of time as achieved by the timer activates the turbo-scroll mode that includes one or more scrolling rates that are different from a rate of scrolling when the turbo-scroll mode is not activated.

15. The system of claim 13 further comprising means coupled to the scroll mechanism for deactivating the turbo-scroll mode when a course correction mode is not active and scrolling is not resumed within a course correction time.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the means coupled to the scroll mechanism for activating the turbo-scroll mode include a mechanism for checking whether a sufficient quantity of items are available for scrolling, and if so, allowing activation of the turbo-scroll mode.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the scroll mechanism outputs the one or more visual cues by outputting at least one of:

text metadata indicative of a relative current position of scrolling through the items, at least one letter indicative of an alphabetic position of scrolling through the items, a list or filtered sub-list of label data for at least some items proximate the relative current position of scrolling through the items, a graphical position indicator indicative of a relative current position of scrolling through the items, a channel indicator or time indicator for an electronic program guide, or a faded background representation of a subset of the items being scrolled, or any combination thereof.

18. In a computing environment, a method comprising:

scrolling through a set of items at a first rate;

entering a turbo-scroll mode in response to a triggering event, including continuing scrolling through the set of items at a second rate that is faster than the first rate, and outputting one or more visual cues to assist in stopping the scrolling at the second rate at or near a particular item within the set, the visual cues based on the type of item, the type of scrolling, or both the type of item and the type of scrolling.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein entering the turbo-scroll mode in response to the triggering event comprises detecting that a scroll actuation mechanism continues to be activated for a period of time and that a sufficient quantity of items are available for scrolling at the second rate.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising detecting deactivation of the scroll actuation mechanism, and in response, determining whether a course correction mode is active, and if not, exiting the turbo-scroll mode, and if so, resuming scrolling in the turbo-scroll mode if scrolling is resumed within a course correction time.