Scroll bar amplification apparatus and method

• US 5,874,961 A
• Filed: 03/19/1997
• Issued: 02/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Day, Paul Reuben, Bates, Cary Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Katbab, A.
• Application Number:
  US08/820,798
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 345/341
• US Class Current: 715/786
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method for a secondary scroll bar that yields increased granularity in scrolling through a viewable object, such as a document displayed within a window of a graphical user interface of a computer system. Initially, an icon is displayed within the graphical user interface which, when activated by a user, provides this secondary scroll bar. Next, the secondary scroll bar is displayed within the window in response to a selection of the icon by a user, wherein the secondary scroll bar allows a user to scroll through a narrowly defined region of the viewable object, in response to activation of the icon. Delimiter marks are also displayed within a primary scroll bar upon which the secondary scroll bar is dependent, in response to the selection by the user of the secondary scroll bar. The delimiter marks indicate a searchable range of the viewable object by the secondary scroll bar. Thereafter, the user can scroll through the narrowly defined region of the viewable object by utilizing the secondary scroll bar. Additionally, multiple additional scroll bars can be activated by the user to provide increased granularity on multiple levels when scrolling through the viewable object.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use with viewable objects in a data-processing system, comprising:

a secondary scroll bar utilized in association with a primary scroll bar displayed within a graphical user interface, said primary scroll bar having a specified granularity, wherein said secondary scroll bar increases granularity to a finer granularity than said specified granularity while scrolling through a viewable object in response to an activation of said secondary scroll bar;

an icon located within said graphical user interface, wherein said icon provides an increased granularity scrolling mechanism in response to a user selection thereof;

a display mechanism that displays said secondary scroll bar within said graphical user interface in response to a selection of said icon by a user, wherein said secondary scroll bar allows a user to scroll through a narrowly defined region of said viewable object;

a delimiter that provides delimiter marks indicative of a searchable range of said viewable object by said secondary scroll bar, wherein said delimiter marks are displayed within said primary scroll bar, in response to said selection of said icon; and

a scroll mechanism which scrolls through said narrowly defined region of said viewable object, in response to a user input within said secondary scroll bar.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said delimiter further comprises at least two delimiter marks, wherein said at least two delimiter marks correspond to a boundary of a searchable range of said viewable object by said secondary scroll bar.

3. An apparatus for use with viewable objects in a data-processing system, comprising:

a secondary scroll bar that scrolls in a first axis and which is utilized in association with a primary scroll bar that also scrolls in said first axis, said secondary scroll bar and said primary scroll bar displayed within a graphical user interface, wherein said primary scroll bar has a specified granularity and said secondary scroll bar increases granularity to a finer granularity than said specified granularity while scrolling through a viewable object in response to an activation of said secondary scroll bar;

an icon located within said graphical user interface, wherein said icon provides an increased granularity scrolling mechanism in response to a user selection thereof;

a display mechanism that displays said secondary scroll bar within said graphical user interface in response to a selection of said icon by a user, wherein said secondary scroll bar allows a user to scroll through a narrowly defined region of said viewable object;

a delimiter that provides delimiter marks indicative of a searchable range of said viewable object by said secondary scroll bar, wherein said delimiter marks are displayed within said primary scroll bar, in response to said selection of said icon; and

a scroll mechanism which scrolls through said narrowly defined region of said viewable object, in response to a user input within said secondary scroll bar.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said delimiter further comprises at least two delimiter marks, wherein said at least two delimiter marks correspond to a boundary of a searchable range of said viewable object by said secondary scroll bar.

5. A program product residing in computer memory in a computer system for use with viewable objects, said program product comprising:

a secondary scroll bar utilized in association with a primary scroll bar displayed within a graphical user interface, said primary scroll bar having a specified granularity, wherein said secondary scroll bar increases granularity to a finer granularity than said specified granularity while scrolling through a viewable object in response to an activation of said secondary scroll bar;

an icon located within said graphical user interface wherein said icon provides an increased granularity scrolling mechanism in response to a user selection thereof;

a display mechanism that displays said secondary scroll bar within said graphical user interface in response to a selection of said icon by a user, wherein said secondary scroll bar allows a user to scroll through a narrowly defined region of said viewable object;

a delimiter that provides delimiter marks indicative of a searchable range of said viewable object by said secondary scroll bar, wherein said delimiter marks are displayed within said primary scroll bar, in response to said selection of said icon;

a scroll mechanism which scrolls through said narrowly defined region of said viewable object, in response to a user input within said secondary scroll bar; and

signal-bearing means bearing said secondary scroll bar, said icon, said display mechanism, said delimiter, and said scroll mechanism.

6. The program product of claim 5 wherein said delimiter further comprises at least two delimiter marks, such that said at least two delimiter marks correspond to a boundary of a searchable range of said viewable object by said secondary scroll bar.

7. The program product of claim 6 wherein:

said signal-bearing means further comprises transmission media.

8. The program product of claim 6 wherein:

said signal-bearing means further comprises recordable media.

9. A program product residing in computer memory in a computer system for use with viewable objects, said program product comprising:

a secondary scroll bar that scrolls in a first axis and which is utilized in association with a primary scroll bar that also scrolls in said first axis, said secondary scroll bar and said primary scroll bar displayed within a graphical user interface, wherein said primary scroll bar has a specified granularity and said secondary scroll bar increases granularity to a finer granularity than said specified granularity while scrolling through a viewable object in response to an activation of said secondary scroll bar;

an icon located within said graphical user interface wherein said icon provides an increased granularity scrolling mechanism in response to a user selection thereof,

a display mechanism that displays said secondary scroll bar within said graphical user interface in response to a selection of said icon by a user, wherein said secondary scroll bar allows a user to scroll through a narrowly defined region of said viewable object;

a delimiter that provides delimiter marks indicative of a searchable range of said viewable object by said secondary scroll bar, wherein said delimiter marks are displayed within said primary scroll bar, in response to said selection of said icon,

a scroll mechanism which scrolls through said narrowly defined region of said viewable object, in response to a user input within said secondary scroll bar; and

signal-bearing means bearing said secondary scroll bar, said icon, said display mechanism, said delimiter, and said scroll mechanism.

10. The program product of claim 9 wherein said delimiter further comprises at least two delimiter marks, such that said at least two delimiter marks correspond to a boundary of a searchable range of said viewable object by said secondary scroll bar.

11. The program product of claim 10 wherein:

said signal-bearing means further comprises transmission media.

12. The program product of claim 10 wherein:

said signal-bearing means further comprises recordable media.

13. A method for increasing granularity while scrolling through a viewable object displayed within an interface having a primary scroll bar, comprising the steps of:

displaying an icon within said interface, wherein said icon provides an increased granularity scrolling mechanism in response to a user selection thereof;

displaying a secondary scroll bar within said interface, in response to a selection of said icon by a user, wherein said secondary scroll bar allows a user to scroll through a narrowly defined region of said viewable object;

displaying within said primary scroll bar, delimiter marks indicative of a searchable range of said viewable object by said secondary scroll bar, in response to said selection of said icon; and

scrolling through said narrowly defined region of said viewable object in response to a user input within said secondary scroll bar.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of modifying said delimiter to further comprise at least two delimiter marks, wherein said at least two delimiter marks correspond to a boundary of a searchable range of said viewable object by said secondary scroll bar.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of modifying said secondary scroll bar to further comprise:

a secondary scroll bar utilized in association with a primary scroll bar displayed within said interface, said primary scroll bar having a specified granularity, wherein said secondary scroll bar increases granularity to a finer granularity than said specified granularity while scrolling through a viewable object in response to an activation of said secondary scroll bar.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of modifying said secondary scroll bar to further comprise:

a secondary scroll bar that scrolls in a first axis and which is utilized in association with a primary scroll bar that also scrolls in said first axis, said secondary scroll bar and said primary scroll bar displayed within said interface, wherein said primary scroll bar has a specified granularity and said secondary scroll bar increases granularity to a finer granularity than said specified granularity while scrolling through a viewable object in response to an activation of said secondary scroll bar.

17. An apparatus for use with viewable objects in a data-processing system, comprising:

a secondary scroll bar utilized in association with a primary scroll bar displayed within a graphical user interface, said primary scroll bar having a specified granularity, wherein said secondary scroll bar increases granularity to a finer granularity than said specified granularity while scrolling through a viewable object in response to an activation of said secondary scroll bar;

an icon located within said graphical user interface wherein said icon provides an increased granularity scrolling mechanism in response to a user selection thereof;

a display mechanism that displays said secondary scroll bar within said graphical user interface in response to a selection of said icon by a user, wherein said secondary scroll bar allows a user to scroll through a narrowly defined region of said viewable object;

a delimiter that provides delimiter marks indicative of a searchable range of said viewable object by said secondary scroll bar, wherein said delimiter marks are displayed within said primary scroll bar, in response to said selection of said icon; and

a scroll mechanism which scrolls through said narrowly defined region of said viewable object, in response to a user input within said secondary scroll bar; and

wherein said delimiter further comprises at least two delimiter marks, such that said at least two delimiter marks correspond to a boundary of a searchable range of said viewable object by said secondary scroll bar.

18. An apparatus for use with viewable objects in a data-processing system, comprising:

a secondary scroll bar that scrolls in a first axis and which is utilized in association with a primary scroll bar that also scrolls in said first axis, said secondary scroll bar and said primary scroll bar displayed within a graphical user interface, wherein said primary scroll bar has a specified granularity and said secondary scroll bar increases granularity to a finer granularity than said specified granularity while scrolling through a viewable object in response to an activation of said secondary scroll bar;

an icon located within said graphical user interface, wherein said icon provides an increased granularity scrolling mechanism in response to a user selection thereof;

a display mechanism that displays said secondary scroll bar within said graphical user interface, in response to a selection of said icon by a user, wherein said secondary scroll bar allows a user to scroll through a narrowly defined region of said viewable object;

a delimiter that provides delimiter marks indicative of a searchable range of said viewable object by said secondary scroll bar, wherein said delimiter marks are displayed within said primary scroll bar, in response to said selection of said icon; and

a scroll mechanism which scrolls through said narrowly defined region of said viewable object, in response to a user input within said secondary scroll bar; and

wherein said delimiter further comprises at least two delimiter marks, wherein said at least two delimiter marks correspond to a boundary of a searchable range of said viewable object by said secondary scroll bar.

19. A program product residing in computer memory in a computer system for use with viewable objects, said program product comprising:

a secondary scroll bar utilized in association with a primary scroll bar displayed within a graphical user interface, said primary scroll bar having a specified granularity, wherein said secondary scroll bar increases granularity to a finer granularity than said specified granularity while scrolling through a viewable object in response to an activation of said secondary scroll bar;

an icon located within said graphical user interface wherein said icon provides an increased granularity scrolling mechanism in response to a user selection thereof;

a display mechanism that displays said secondary scroll bar within said graphical user interface in response to a selection of said icon by a user, wherein said secondary scroll bar allows a user to scroll through a narrowly defined region of said viewable object;

a delimiter that provides delimiter marks indicative of a searchable range of said viewable object by said secondary scroll bar, wherein said delimiter marks are displayed within said primary scroll bar, in response to said selection of said icon, such that said delimeter comprises at least two delimiter marks, wherein said at least two delimiter marks correspond to a boundary of a searchable range of said viewable object by said secondary scroll bar;

a scroll mechanism which scrolls through said narrowly defined region of said viewable object, in response to a user input within said secondary scroll bar;

signal-bearing means bearing said secondary scroll bar, said icon, said display mechanism, said delimiter, and said scroll mechanism.

20. The program product of claim 19 wherein said signal-bearing means further comprises transmission media.

21. The program product of claim 19 wherein said signal-bearing means further comprises recordable media.

22. A program product residing in computer memory in a computer system for use with viewable objects, said program product comprising:

a secondary scroll bar that scrolls in a first axis and which is utilized in association with a primary scroll bar that also scrolls in said first axis, said secondary scroll bar and said primary scroll bar displayed within a graphical user interface, wherein said primary scroll bar has a specified granularity and said secondary scroll bar increases granularity to a finer granularity than said specified granularity while scrolling through a viewable object in response to an activation of said secondary scroll bar;

an icon located within said graphical user interface wherein said icon provides an increased granularity scrolling mechanism in response to a user selection thereof;

a display mechanism that displays said secondary scroll bar within said graphical user interface in response to a selection of said icon by a user, wherein said secondary scroll bar allows a user to scroll through a narrowly defined region of said viewable object;

a delimiter that provides delimiter marks indicative of a searchable range of said viewable object by said secondary scroll bar, wherein said delimiter marks are displayed within said primary scroll bar, in response to said selection of said icon, said delimeter comprising at least two delimiter marks, such that said at least two delimiter marks correspond to a boundary of a searchable range of said viewable object by said secondary scroll bar;

a scroll mechanism which scrolls through said narrowly defined region of said viewable object, in response to a user input within said secondary scroll bar; and

signal-bearing means bearing said secondary scroll bar, said icon, said display mechanism, said delimiter, and said scroll mechanism.

23. The program product of claim 22 wherein said signal-bearing means further comprises transmission media.

24. The program product of claim 22 wherein said signal-bearing means further comprises recordable media.