Display control for software notes

• US 6,331,866 B1
• Filed: 09/28/1998
• Issued: 12/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Eisenberg, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US09/162,216
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 345/341, 345/973, 345/345, 345/155, 345/346, 345/326, 345/123, 345/125, 345/339, 345/350, 345/113, 345/114, 345/118, 707/512
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04801 Cursor retrieval aid, i.e. visual aspect modification, blinking, colour changes, enlargement or other visual cues, for helping user do find the cursor in graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars

Abstract

A method for controlling presentation of the content of a note on a display facilitates the editing of note content by a user. A computer user can view different portions of the note content quickly and easily, particularly when the note content extends beyond the displayed portion. A user can gain easy access to different portions of a note by simply clicking at desired positions along a content extent bar. The content extent bar can be made to indicate positioning from the beginning of the note content to the end. A current view bar indicates the position of a currently displayed portion of the note content. The user can drag the current view bar to display another portion of the note content. A cursor indicator can be displayed relative to the content extent bar. Upon selection of the cursor indicator, a portion of the note content containing the edit cursor is displayed. In the event the user marks a portion of the text, e.g., for a cut, copy, or formatting operation, a selected content indicator also can be displayed relative to the content extent bar. The selected content indicator can be sized to indicate the extent and position of the selected portion of the note content relative to the content extent.

Claims

1. A method for controlling presentation of the content of a note on a display, the method comprising:

displaying a portion of the note content;

displaying a content extent bar representative of the extent of the note content, the content extent bar extending in a horizontal direction;

processing user input specifying a position on the content extent bar, the specified position being representative of a corresponding position in the note content; and

displaying a different portion of the note content proximate to the corresponding position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of displaying a different portion of the note content includes moving vertically to the different portion in the note content.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a current view bar relative to the content extent bar, the current view bar indicating a position of a currently displayed portion of the note content within the content extent; and

moving the current view bar relative to the content extent bar upon display of the different portion of the note content to indicate the position of the different portion of the note content within the content extent.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

processing user input specifying movement of the current view bar relative to the content extent bar; and

displaying a different portion of the note content based on the position of the current view bar following movement of the current view bar.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the act of displaying a different portion of the note content based on the position of the current view bar includes displaying a different portion of the note content at a position relative to the content extent that is approximately proportional to a position of the current view bar relative to the content extent bar.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a cursor indicator relative to the content extent bar to indicate a position of an edit cursor within the content extent.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

processing user input selecting the cursor indicator; and

displaying, in response to the user input selecting the cursor indicator, a portion of the note content containing the edit cursor.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a selected content indicator relative to the content extent bar to indicate a position of a selected portion of the note content within the content extent.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

processing user input selecting a different portion of the note content; and

moving the selected content indicator relative to the content extent bar to indicate the position of the different selected portion of the note content within the content extent.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising sizing the selected content indicator to indicate an extent of the selected portion of the note content relative to the content extent.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying up and down scroll controls for the content extent bar adjacent one another;

vertically scrolling the note content upward in response to user selection of the down scroll control; and

vertically scrolling the note content downward in response to user selection of the down scroll control.

12. A method for controlling presentation of the content of a note on a display, the method comprising:

displaying a portion of the note content;

displaying a content extent bar representative of the extent of the note content, the content extent bar extending in a horizontal direction; and

displaying a cursor indicator relative to the content extent bar to indicate a position of an edit cursor within the content extent.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

processing user input selecting the cursor indicator; and

displaying, in response to the user input selecting the cursor indicator, a portion of the note content containing the edit cursor.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

processing user input specifying a position on the content extent bar, the specified position being representative of a corresponding position in the note content; and

displaying a different portion of the note content proximate to the corresponding position.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

processing user input specifying a position on the content extent bar; and

displaying a different portion of the note content by moving vertically to the different portion in the note content.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

displaying a current view bar relative to the content extent bar, the current view bar indicating a position of a currently displayed portion of the note content within the content extent; and

moving the current view bar relative to the content extent bar upon display of the different portion of the note content to indicate the position of the different portion of the note content within the content extent.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

processing user input to move the current view bar relative to the content extent bar to thereby select the position of the different portion of the note content; and

displaying the different portion of the note content based on the position of the current view bar following movement of the current view bar.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the act of displaying the different portion of the note content based on the position of the current view bar includes displaying a different portion of the note content at a position relative to the content extent that is approximately proportional to a position of the current view bar relative to the content extent bar.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising displaying a selected content indicator relative to the content extent bar to indicate a position of a selected portion of the note content within the content extent.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

processing user input selecting a different portion of the note content; and

moving the selected content indicator relative to the content extent bar to indicate the position of the different selected portion of the note content within the content extent.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising sizing the selected content indicator to indicate an extent of the selected portion of the note content relative to the content extent.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

displaying up and down scroll controls for the content extent bar adjacent one another;

vertically scrolling the note content upward in response to user selection of the up scroll control; and

vertically scrolling the note content downward in response to user selection of the down scroll control.

23. A method for controlling presentation of the content of a note on a display, the method comprising:

displaying a portion of the note content;

displaying a content extent bar that indicates the extent of the note content; and

displaying a selected content indicator relative to the content extent bar to indicate a position of a selected portion of the note content within the content extent, the selected content indicator sized to indicate an extent of the selected portion of the note content relative to the content extent.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

processing user input selecting a different portion of the note content; and

moving the selected content indicator relative to the content extent bar to indicate the position of the different selected portion of the note content within the content extent.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

processing user input specifying a position on the content extent bar, the specified position being representative of a corresponding position in the note content; and

displaying a different portion of the note content proximate to the corresponding position.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

displaying the content extent bar to extend in a horizontal direction;

processing user input specifying a position on the content extent bar; and

displaying a different portion of the note content by moving vertically to the different portion in the note content.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

displaying a current view bar relative to the content extent bar, the current view bar indicating a position of a currently displayed portion of the note content within the content extent; and

moving the current view bar relative to the content extent bar upon display of the different portion of the note content to indicate the position of the different portion of the note content within the content extent.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

processing user input to move the current view bar relative to the content extent bar to thereby select the position of the different portion of the note content; and

displaying the different portion of the note content based on the position of the current view bar following movement of the current view bar.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the act of displaying the different portion of the note content based on the position of the current view bar includes displaying a different portion of the note content at a position relative to the content extent that is approximately proportional to a position of the current view bar relative to the content extent bar.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

displaying a cursor indicator relative to the content extent bar to indicate a position of an edit cursor within the content extent;

processing user input selecting the cursor indicator; and

displaying, in response to the user input selecting the cursor indicator, a portion of the note content containing the edit cursor.

31. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

displaying up and down scroll controls for the content extent bar adjacent one another;

vertically scrolling the note content upward in response to user selection of the up scroll control; and

vertically scrolling the note content downward in response to user selection of the down scroll control.

32. A method for controlling presentation of a note displayed on a computer display, the method comprising:

displaying a portion of the content of the note;

displaying a content extent bar with a horizontal orientation on the computer display, the content extent bar indicating the extent of content of the displayed note;

displaying a current view bar that is movable relative to the content extent bar to indicate a position of a currently displayed portion of the note content within the content extent;

displaying a cursor indicator that is movable relative to the content extent bar to indicate a position of an edit cursor within the content extent;

displaying a selected content indicator that is movable and sizable relative to the content extent bar to indicate a position and size of a selected portion of the note content within the content extent;

processing user input specifying a different portion of the note content to be displayed;

displaying a different portion of the note content by moving vertically to the different portion in the note content; and

moving the current view bar relative to the content extent bar to indicate a position of the different portion of the note content within the content extent.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

processing user input specifying a different selected portion of the note content; and

moving and sizing the selected content indicator relative to the content extent bar to indicate the position and size of the different selected portion within the content extent.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

processing user input selecting the cursor indicator; and

displaying, in response to selection of the cursor indicator, a different portion of the note content containing the edit cursor.

35. An article of manufacture encoded with computer-readable program code arranged such that, upon execution by a computer, the computer controls presentation of the content of a note on a display, the computer performing the acts of:

displaying a portion of the note content;

displaying a content extent bar representative of the extent of the note content, the content extent bar extending in a horizontal direction;

processing user input specifying a position on the content extent bar, the specified position being representative of a corresponding position in the note content; and

displaying a different portion of the note content proximate to the corresponding position.

36. An article of manufacture encoded with computer-readable program code arranged such that, upon execution by a computer, the computer controls presentation of the content of a note on a display, the computer performing the acts of:

displaying a portion of the note content;

displaying a content extent bar representative of the extent of the note content, the content extent bar extending in a horizontal direction; and

displaying a cursor indicator relative to the content extent bar to indicate a position of an edit cursor within the content extent.

37. An article of manufacture encoded with computer-readable program code arranged such that, upon execution by a computer, the computer controls presentation of the content of a note on a display, the computer performing the acts of:

displaying a portion of the note content;

displaying a content extent bar that indicates the extent of the note content; and

displaying a selected content indicator relative to the content extent bar to indicate a position of a selected portion of the note content within the content extent, the selected content indicator sized to indicate an extent of the selected portion of the note content relative to the content extent.

38. An article of manufacture encoded with computer-readable program code arranged such that, upon execution by a computer, the computer controls presentation of the content of a note on a display, the computer performing the acts of:

displaying a portion of the content of the note;

displaying a content extent bar with a horizontal orientation on the computer display, the content extent bar indicating the extent of content of the displayed note;

displaying a current view bar that is movable relative to the content extent bar to indicate a position of a currently displayed portion of the note content within the content extent;

displaying a cursor indicator that is movable relative to the content extent bar to indicate a position of an edit cursor within the content extent;

displaying a selected content indicator that is movable and sizable relative to the content extent bar to indicate a position and size of a selected portion of the note content within the content extent;

processing user input specifying a different portion of the note content to be displayed;

displaying a different portion of the note content by moving vertically to the different portion in the note content; and

moving the current view bar relative to the content extent bar to indicate a position of the different portion of the note content within the content extent.