Graphical user interface for direct control of display of data

• US 7,134,093 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2001
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bailey, John H., Etgen, Michael P., Zegarra, Emilio F., Li, Dong Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): PITARO, RYAN F
• Application Number:
  US09/837,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20020154173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,029 Days
• Field of Search: 345/786, 345/716, 345/501, 345/619, 345/833
• US Class Current: 715/786
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/974 Slider control as on-screen object in operator interface

Abstract

A graphical user interface for direct control of data displayed in a window-based computing environment. A slider element is displayed which is variable in size according to user input. The slider defines a selected area of an image, which is then displayed. The scope of the selected area corresponds to the size of the slider. The resizable slider is then resized by a user'"'"'s direct manipulation, e.g. by a click-and-drag technique, to redefine the selected area, which is then displayed. The scope of the redefined selected area corresponds to the size of the resized slider. Accordingly, a user directly controls (by resizing the slider) the scope of data displayed in a window, and directly controls the presentation of data by translating the slider to define various selected areas. More than one independently resizable slider may intersect to define the selected area and provide independent control of scope in various directions.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a user-selected portion of an image, said method comprising:

displaying said image via a graphical user interface;

providing a display area of a certain size via the graphical user interface, said display area being provided adjacent said image;

displaying a first slider that is variable in size according to user input, said first slider being displayed superimposed aver said image to define a corresponding first portion of said image within a boundary of said first slider;

displaying a second slider, said second slider being distinct from said first slider and being superimposed over said image, both said first slider and said second slider being displayed in two-dimensional space, said second slider cooperating with said first slider to define a portion of said image at an intersection of said second slider and said first slider, said first slider being translatable and resizable along a first axis within said two-dimensional space that is orthogonal to a second axis within said two-dimensional space along which said second slider is translatable and resizable, said second slider being variable in size according to user input;

displaying said portion of said image in said display area, said portion of said image being enlarged relative to said image to fill said display area of said certain size;

accepting user input to resize one of said first and second sliders, the user input being accepted responsive to a users manipulation of an input device;

displaying said one of said first and second sliders as resized, said resized one of said first and second sliders being displayed superimposed over said image to define a corresponding portion of said image within said boundary of said one of said first and second sliders; and

displaying said corresponding portion of said image in said display area, said corresponding portion of said image being enlarged relative to said image to fill said display area of said certain size.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said users manipulation of said input device comprises a click-and-drag technique.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first slider is translatable over said image.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a visual momentum technique is used to relate said corresponding portion of said image to said image.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said visual momentum technique comprises displaying a pair of lines extending from said corresponding portion of said image to said image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first slider comprises a scroll box of a scroll bar.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said first slider is translatable relative to said image along only one axis.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said first slider is resizable only along said axis.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said second slider is translatable relative to said image along only a second axis orthogonal to said axis.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said second slider is resizable along only said second axis.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said second slider is translatable relative to said image along only a second axis orthogonal to said axis, and wherein said second slider is resizable along only said second axis.

7. A method for displaying a user-selected portion of an image, Baid method comprising:

displaying said image via a graphical user interface;

displaying a first slider that is variable in size according to user input, at least a portion of said first slider being superimposed over said image;

displaying a second slider that is variable in size according to user input, both said first slider and said second slider being displayed in two-dimensional space, at least a portion of said second slider being superimposed over said image and intersecting said first slider within said two-dimensional space, said second slider cooperating with said first slider to define a first portion of said image at an intersection of said first slider and said second slider, said first slider being translatable and resizable along a first axis within said two-dimensional space that is orthogonal to a second axis within said two-dimensionar space along which said second slider is translatable and resizable;

accepting user input to resize said first slider or said second slider and thereby define a second portion of said image at their intersection; and

displaying in a display area of a certain size said second portion of said image. said second portion of said image filling said display area.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said user input is provided by a click-and-drag technique.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said first portion or said second portion of said image is displayed adjacent said image.

10. A system for displaying a user-selected portion of an image, said system comprising:

means for displaying a first slider, said first slider being variable in size according to user input;

means for providing a display area of a certain size;

means for resizing said first slider;

means for displaying any selected portion of said image in said display area to fill said display area of said certain size, a scope of said portion of said image corresponding to a size of said first slider as resized; and

means for displaying a second slider, said second slider cooperating with said first slider to define said portion of said image, said first slider being variable in size according to user input;

wherein said portion of said image is defined responsive to a user'"'"'s resizing of said first slider or said second slider.

11. A computer program product for displaying a user-selected portion of an image, said computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code for displaying a first slider, said first slider being variable in size according to user input;

computer readable program code for resizing said first slider;

computer readable program code for displaying any selected portion of said image in a display area of a certain size to fill said display area, a scope of said portion of said image corresponding to a size of said first slider as resized; and

computer readable program code for displaying a second slider, said second slider cooperating with said first slider to define said portion of said image, said second slider being variable in size according to user input;

wherein said portion of said image is defined responsive to a user'"'"'s resizing of said first slider or said second slider.