Smooth scrolling system and method

• US 6,856,326 B1
• Filed: 01/28/2000
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zhai, Shumin
• Primary Examiner(s): Razavi, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAVAN, THU THAO
• Application Number:
  US09/493,473
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• Field of Search: 345/684, 345/687, 345/688, 345/689, 345/830, 345/833, 345/685, 345/686, 345/784, 345/785, 345/786, 345/787, 345/788, 345/789, 345/802, 345/973, 382/120, 382/121, 382/122, 382/123, 382312-324, D14/487
• US Class Current: 345/684
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system and method for smooth scrolling a document and/or window within a graphical user interface is disclosed. The present invention in some preferred embodiments permits augmentation of traditional LINE UP/DOWN, PAGE UP/DOWN, and manual THUMBTRACK scrolling with a smooth scrolling alternative that augments additional hardware input features that may be present on several user input devices such a mouse, trackball, touchpad, Thinkpoint™ pointing device and the like. The present invention generally solves the problem associated with providing the user the proper degree of scrolling feedback within the graphical user environment, irrespective of the size of the document being viewed.

Claims

1. A method on an information processing system for smooth scrolling, comprising:

obtaining a height and/or width of a window;

obtaining metadata of a scroll bar in the window, wherein the metadata includes a current scroll bar position;

receiving from a pointing device a scrolling signal associated with the window, wherein the scrolling signal includes input values of a scrolling indicator and a sensitivity factor;

transforming the input values;

normalizing a scroll box increment of the window according to a size of a document in the window;

calculating a new scroll bar position based on the metadata of the scroll bar and the input values; and

scrolling the window to the new scroll bar position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pointing device is a mouse.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transforming the input comprises:

transforming the input values using a translation table.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transforming the input comprises:

transforming the input values using a transfer function.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the transfer function includes three segments, wherein in the first segment output values are proportional to output values, in the second segment output values remain the same as output values increase, and in the third segment output values are proportional to output values.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the normalizing a scroll box further includes:

modifying a scroll box increment of the window according to a size of a document in the window, such that scrolling of the window results in uniform page movements regardless of a size of a document in the window.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the window is scrolled to the new scroll bar position at a rate of zero to twenty lines per second.

8. A computer readable medium on an information processing system including computer instructions for smooth scrolling, the computer instructions including instructions for:

obtaining a height and/or width of a window;

obtaining metadata of a scroll bar in the window, wherein the metadata includes a current scroll bar position;

receiving from a pointing device a scrolling signal associated with the window, wherein the scrolling signal includes input values of a scrolling indicator and a sensitivity factor;

transforming the input values;

normalizing a scroll box increment of the window according to a size of a document in the window;

calculating a new scroll bar position based on the metadata of the scroll bar and the input values; and

scrolling the window to the new scroll bar position.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the pointing device is a mouse.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions for transforming comprise:

transforming the input values using a translation table.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions for transforming comprise:

transforming the input values using a transfer function.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the transfer function includes three segments, wherein in the first segment output values are proportional to output values, in the second segment output values remain the same as output values increase, and in the third segment output values are proportional to output values.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions for normalizing comprise:

normalizing a scroll box increment of the window according to a size of a document in the window, such that scrolling of the window results in uniform page movements regardless of a size of a document in the window.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the window is scrolled to the new scroll bar position at a rate of zero to twenty lines per second.

15. An information processing system for smooth scrolling, comprising:

a message filter module for receiving from a pointing device a scrolling signal associated with the window, wherein the scrolling signal includes input values of a scrolling indicator and a sensitivity factor;

a transfer function module for transforming the input values;

an API message generator for generating an API scroll message based on the input values that were transformed;

an API message transmitter for transmitting the API scroll message to an application API; and

an application for;

obtaining a height and/or width of the window;

obtaining metadata of a scroll bar in the window, wherein the metadata includes a current scroll bar position;

normalizing a scroll box increment of the window according to a size of a document in the window;

calculating a new scroll bar position based on the metadata of the scroll bar and the input values; and

scrolling the window to the new scroll bar position.

16. The information processing system of claim 15, wherein the pointing device is a mouse.

17. The information processing system of claim 15, wherein the transforming the input comprises:

transforming the input values using a translation table.

18. The information processing system of claim 15, wherein the transforming the input includes comprises:

transforming the input values using a transfer function.

19. The information processing system of claim 18, wherein the transfer function includes three segments, wherein in the first segment output values are proportional to output values, in the second segment output values remain the same as output values increase, and in the third segment output values are proportional to output values.

20. The information processing system of claim 15, wherein the normalizing the input comprises:

modifying a scroll box increment of the window according to a size of a document in the window, such that scrolling of the window results in uniform page movements regardless of a size of a document in the window.

21. The information processing system of claim 15, wherein the window is scrolled to the new scroll bar position at a rate of zero to twenty lines per second.