Displaying interactive bitmap images within a display space

• US 6,317,140 B1
• Filed: 08/02/1999
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Livingston, Kris R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US09/365,657
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 345/123, 345/127, 345/128, 345/129, 345/660, 345/667, 345/670, 345/671, 345/684
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/045 Zooming at least part of an image, i.e. enlarging it or shrinking it
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/00 Specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A bitmap image is displayed within a display area. The display area has a central region and an edge region. A portion of the bitmap is selected by positioning a moveable pointer in the central region over the portion of the bitmap to be selected. The portion of the bitmap is then displayed in the display area. The bitmap image is scrolled by positioning the moveable pointer in the edge region of the display area.

Claims

1. A method for displaying an interactive bitmap image in a display area, the method comprising:

(a) providing a display area defined by a perimeter, the display area having a central region and an edge region;

(b) recognizing a location of a moveable pointer;

(c) displaying in the display area, the entire bitmap image at a scale to fit within the display area;

(d) responsive to recognizing the location of the moveable pointer within the display area, displaying within the display area, in place of the entire bitmap image, a portion of the bitmap image; and

,

(e) scrolling the bitmap image through the display area in a direction indicated by the location of the pointer within the edge region of the display area.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the entire bitmap image within the display area includes displaying the entire bitmap image at a reduced scale.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the portion of the bitmap image includes displaying the portion of the bitmap image at an enlarged scale.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the portion of the bitmap image includes displaying the portion of the bitmap image at full scale.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein scrolling the bitmap image includes scrolling the bitmap image at a rate determined by the location of the pointer within the edge region of the display area.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the portion of the bitmap image in the display area includes displaying after the entire bitmap image and before the portion of the bitmap, at least one intermediate section of the bitmap image, each intermediate section of the bitmap image including at least the portion of the bitmap image and each intermediate section of the bitmap image displayed at a scale greater than the scale of the previous display.

7. A system for displaying an interactive bitmap image in a display area, the system comprising:

(a) a display area defined by a perimeter, the display area having a central region and an edge region;

(b) a moveable pointer;

(c) means for recognizing a location of the moveable pointer;

(d) means for displaying in the display area, the entire bitmap image at a scale to fit within the display area;

(e) means, responsive to recognizing the location of the moveable pointer within the display area, for displaying within the display area, in place of the entire bitmap image, a portion of the bitmap image; and

,

(f) means for scrolling the bitmap image through the display area in a direction indicated by the location of the pointer within the edge region of the display area.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the means for displaying the entire bitmap image within the display area includes means for displaying the entire bitmap image at a reduced scale.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the means for displaying the portion of the bitmap image includes means for displaying the portion of the bitmap image at an enlarged scale.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the means for displaying the portion of the bitmap image includes means for displaying the portion of the bitmap image at full scale.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the means for scrolling the bitmap image includes means for scrolling the bitmap image at a rate determined by the location of the pointer within the edge region of the display area.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the means for displaying the portion of the bitmap image in the display area includes means for displaying after the entire bitmap image and before the portion of the bitmap, at least one intermediate section of the bitmap image, each intermediate section of the bitmap image including at least the portion of the bitmap image and each intermediate section of the bitmap image displayed at a scale greater than the scale of the previous display.

13. A program storage system readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program, applet, or instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for displaying an interactive bitmap image in a display area, the method steps comprising:

(a) providing a display area defined by a perimeter, the display area having a central region and an edge region;

(b) recognizing a location of a moveable pointer;

(c) displaying in the display area, the entire bitmap image at a scale to fit within the display area;

(d) responsive to recognizing the location of the moveable pointer within the display area, displaying within the display area, in place of the entire bitmap image, a portion of the bitmap image; and

,

(e) scrolling the bitmap image through the display area in a direction indicated by the location of the pointer within the edge region of the display area.

14. The program storage system of claim 13 wherein the method step of displaying the entire bitmap image within the display area includes displaying the entire bitmap image at a reduced scale.

15. The program storage system of claim 13 wherein the method step of displaying the portion of the bitmap image includes displaying the portion of the bitmap image at an enlarged scale.

16. The program storage system of claim 13 wherein the method step of displaying the portion of the bitmap image includes displaying the portion of the bitmap image at full scale.

17. The program storage system of claim 13 wherein the method step of scrolling the bitmap image includes scrolling the bitmap image at a rate determined by the location of the pointer within the edge region of the display area.

18. The program storage system of claim 13 wherein the method steps of displaying the portion of the bitmap image in the display area includes displaying after the entire bitmap image and before the portion of the bitmap, at least one intermediate section of the bitmap image, each intermediate section of the bitmap image including at least the portion of the bitmap image and each intermediate section of the bitmap image displayed at a scale greater than the scale of the previous display.