Intelligent scrolling

• US 5,825,349 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Sullivan, John, Mercer, Paul, Meier, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHANH DUY
• Application Number:
  US08/465,918
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 345/123, 345/121, 345/124, 345/125, 345/119, 345/120, 345/156, 345/157, 345/145, 345/146
• US Class Current: 345/684
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop

Abstract

A method and apparatus for intelligent scrolling. In a computer system that has a user interface which allows for the movement of items from a first open window to a second open window or to a second region, such as a desktop, the present invention allows a user to select one or more items in the first window, move the selected item(s) to within a predetermined distance from an edge of the first window for a predetermined period of time and cause the viewable portion of the data and/or document within the first window to scroll in a corresponding direction.

Claims

1. A file management system for a computer system having a display, a processor and a memory for storing files managed by said file management system, comprising:

a first region displayed on said display having a data display area;

a cursor displayed on said display; and

a first scroll area associated with said first region,

said file management system allowing scrolling of contents displayed in said data display area of said first region in a first direction when said cursor has selected an item which represents a file managed by said file management system and said cursor has been moved with said item to said first scroll area and said cursor is disposed in said first scroll area and wherein said first scroll area scrolls said contents along only said first direction when in a first context,

said file management system allowing said item to be dragged outside of said first region, and

said file management system determining whether to scroll said contents displayed in said first region or to allow said item to be dragged outside of said first region.

2. The file management system as described in claim 1, further comprising a second scroll area associated with said first region, said file management system scrolling contents displayed in said data display area in said first region in a second direction different from said first direction when said cursor has selected an item which represents a file managed by said file management system and is disposed in said second scroll area.

3. The file management system as described in claim 1, wherein said contents in said data display area of said first region do not scroll in said first direction when said cursor is disposed in said first scroll area and has not selected an item.

4. The file management system as described in claim 1, said file management system further having the capability to move said item from a first portion of said data display area of said first region to a second portion of said data display area of said first region, said first portion visible and said second non-visible prior to said scrolling.

5. The file management system as described in claim 4 further comprising a further item disposed in said second portion, said file management system further having the capability to deposit said item into said further item.

6. A file management system as in claim 1 wherein said file management system allows said item to be dragged outside of said data display area of said first region and wherein said file management system determines whether to scroll said contents displayed in said first region or to allow said item to be dragged outside of said first region.

7. A file management system as in claim 1 wherein said first region is a window.

8. A file management system as in claim 7 wherein said file management system determines whether to scroll or to allow said item to be dragged by determining whether said cursor is near said first scroll area for a predetermined period of time.

9. A computer readable medium storing sequences of instructions for a file management system which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

determining if a first item within a data display area of a first region of a display has been selected by a user by positioning a cursor over said first item so that said first item is associated with said cursor for further operation or manipulation, said first item representing a file managed by said file management system;

determining if said cursor has been moved with said first item and positioned over a predetermined scrolling area associated with said first region;

determining whether to scroll said contents of said first region or to allow said one of items to be dragged outside of said first region; and

scrolling the contents of said data display area of said first region while said cursor is positioned over said predetermined scrolling area and while said first item is associated with said cursor, to display a second item and wherein said predetermined scrolling area scrolls the contents along only a first direction when in a first context.

10. The computer readable medium as described in claim 9 further storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the further steps of:

determining if a switch has been placed in a first predetermined position when said cursor is positioned over said first item;

determining if said switch remains in said first predetermined position when said cursor has been positioned over said predetermined scrolling area; and

,

scrolling the contents of said data display area of said first region while said cursor is positioned over said predetermined scrolling area while said switch remains in said first predetermined position.

11. The computer readable medium as described in claim 10 further storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the further steps of:

determining if said cursor has been positioned over said second item and if said switch has been positioned in a second predetermined position; and

,

depositing said first item into said second item if said cursor has been positioned over said second item and said switch has been placed in said second predetermined position.

12. The computer readable medium as in claim 11 wherein said second item is a folder which represents a sub-directory and wherein said first item is placed inside said folder by said depositing step.

13. The computer readable medium as described in claim 9 further storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the further step of:

moving said first item from a first data display area portion of said first region to a second data display area portion of said first region, said first portion visible and said second portion non-visible prior to said scrolling.

14. The computer readable medium as described in claim 13 further storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the further step of:

depositing said first item into said second item disposed in said second data display area portion.

15. The computer readable medium as in claim 9 further storing instructions which when executed cause the processor to perform steps comprising:

depositing said first item into said second item, said second item being a folder which represents a sub-directory and wherein said first item is placed inside said folder by said depositing step.

16. A computer readable medium as in claim 9 further storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the further steps of:

determining whether to scroll the contents of said first region or to allow said first item to be dragged outside of said first region.

17. A computer readable medium as in claim 9 wherein said first region comprises a first window and said first item is capable of being dragged from said first window to a second window.

18. A computer readable medium storing sequences of instructions for a file management system, which when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

determining if a cursor has been positioned near a first scroll area displayed on a display, said first scroll area associated with a first region displayed on said display, said first region having a data display area displaying a first plurality of items representing files managed by said file management system;

determining if said computer system is in a first user operation context or a second user operation context wherein said second user operation context is determined by whether one of said items has been selected and has been moved with said cursor;

determining whether to scroll said contents of said first region or to allow said one of said items to be dragged outside of said first region; and

scrolling contents of said data display area of said first region in a first direction to display a second plurality of items representing files managed by said file management system if said computer system is in said first user operation context while said cursor is positioned near any part of said first scroll area, and scrolling said contents in a second direction different from and perpendicular to said first direction if said computer system is in said second user operation context while said cursor is positioned near said first scroll area and wherein said first scroll area scrolls said contents along only said first direction when in said first user operation context.

19. The computer readable medium as described in claim 18 wherein when in said first user operation context said first scroll area scrolls said contents along an up/down direction.

20. The computer readable medium as described in claim 18 further storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

determining if said cursor has been positioned over a second scroll area associated with said first region;

determining if said computer system is in said first user operation context or said second user operation context; and

,

scrolling said contents of said data display area of said first region in said second direction if said computer system is in said first user operation context while said cursor is positioned over said second scroll area and scrolling said contents in said first direction if said computer system is in said second user operation context while said cursor is positioned over said second scroll area.

21. The computer readable medium as in claim 20 further storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:

moving a first item from a first portion of said data display area of said first region to a second portion of said data display area of said first region, said first portion being visible and said second portion being non-visible prior to said scrolling;

depositing said first item into a second item disposed in said second portion, said second item being a folder which represents a sub-directory.

22. A computer readable medium as in claim 21 further storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, allow a user to move said first item from said first region which is a first window to a second window.

23. The computer readable medium as described in claim 18 further storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the step of:

moving a first item from a first data display area portion of said first region to a second data display area portion of said first region, said first portion being visible and said second portion being non-visible prior to said scrolling.

24. The computer readable medium as described in claim 23 further storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the step of:

depositing said first item into a second item disposed in said second portion.

25. The computer readable medium as in claim 24, wherein said second item is a folder which represents a sub-directory and wherein said first item is placed inside said folder by said depositing step.

26. A computer readable medium as in claim 18 further storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method further comprising:

determining whether to scroll said contents of said data display area of said first region in said second direction or to allow said one of said items to be dragged outside of said first region.

27. A computer readable medium as in claim 18 wherein said first region comprises a first window and said one of said items is capable of being dragged from said first window to a second window.

28. A computer readable medium storing executable computer program instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

determining if a first item within a data display area of a first window of a display has been selected by a user by positioning a cursor over said first item so that said first item is associated with said cursor for further operation or manipulation;

determining if said cursor has been moved with said first item and positioned over a predetermined scrolling area of said first window;

determining whether to scroll said contents of said first window or to allow said first item to be moved from said first window to said second window; and

scrolling the contents of said data display area of said first window while said cursor is positioned over said predetermined scrolling area and while said first item is associated with said cursor, to display a second item and wherein said instructions also provide a capability of allowing a user to move said first item from said first window to a second window and wherein said predetermined scrolling area scrolls the contents along only a first direction when in a first context.

29. The computer readable medium as described in claim 28 further storing instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to perform said method which further comprises:

determining if a switch has been placed in a first predetermined position when said cursor is positioned over said first item;

determining if said switch remains in said first predetermined position when said cursor has been positioned over said predetermined scrolling area; and

scrolling the contents of said first window while said cursor is positioned over said predetermined scrolling area while said switch remains in said first predetermined position.

30. The computer readable medium as described in claim 29 further storing instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to perform said method which further comprises:

determining if said cursor has been positioned over said second item and if said switch has been positioned in a second predetermined position; and

depositing said first item into said second item if said cursor has been positioned over said second item and said switch has been placed in said second predetermined position.

31. The computer readable medium as described in claim 28 further storing instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to perform said method which further comprises:

moving said first item from a first portion of said data display area of said first window to a second portion of said data display area of said first window, said first portion being visible and said second portion being non-visible prior to said scrolling.

32. The computer readable medium as described in claim 31 further storing instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to perform said method which further comprises:

depositing said first item into said second item disposed in said second portion.

33. A computer readable medium as in claim 28 further storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform said method which further comprises:

determining whether to scroll said contents of said data display area of said first window or to allow said first item to be moved from said first window to said second window.

34. A computer system having a file management system which comprises:

means for determining if a first item within a data display area of a first region of a display has been selected by a user by positioning a cursor over said first item so that said first item is associated with said cursor for further operation or manipulation, said first item representing a file managed by said file management system;

means for determining if said cursor has been moved with said first item and positioned over a predetermined scrolling area;

means for determining whether to scroll the contents of said first region or to allow said first item to be dragged outside of said first region; and

means for scrolling the contents of said data display area of said first region while said cursor is positioned over said predetermined scrolling area and while said first item is associated with said cursor, to display a second item and wherein said predetermined scrolling area scrolls the contents along only a first direction when in a first context.

35. The computer system as in claim 34 further comprising:

means for determining if a switch has been placed in a first predetermined position when said cursor is positioned over said first item;

means for determining if said switch remains in said first predetermined position when said cursor has been positioned over said predetermined scrolling area; and

means for scrolling the contents of said data display area of said first region while said cursor is positioned over said predetermined scrolling area while said switch remains in said first predetermined position.

36. The computer system as in claim 35 further comprising:

means for determining if said cursor has been positioned over said second item and if said switch has been positioned in a second predetermined position; and

means for depositing said first item into said second item if said cursor has been positioned over said second item and said switch has been placed in said second predetermined position.

37. The computer system as in claim 34 comprising:

means for moving said first item from a first data display area portion of said first region to a second data display area portion of said first region, said first portion being visible and said second portion being non-visible prior to said scrolling.

38. The computer system as in claim 37 further comprising:

means for depositing said first item into said second item disposed in said second portion.

39. A computer system as in claim 34 further comprising:

means for determining whether to scroll the contents of said data display area of said first region or to allow said first item to be dragged outside of said first region.