Spiral scrollbar

• US 7,398,477 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2003
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Accot, Johnny I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABDUL-ALI, OMAR R
• Application Number:
  US10/699,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: 715/834, 715/830, 715/764, 715/786, 715/856, 715/863, 395/159, 345/764
• US Class Current: 715/786
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars

Abstract

A method and structure for a graphic user interface comprising a non-linear path region that corresponds to a list of items in a computer application, wherein a length of the path region is directly proportional to an amount of items in the list, a rotatable handle region that corresponds to a subset of the items in the list, a display region that displays the subset, and a handle manipulator for maneuvering the handle region, wherein the non-linear path region comprises a spiral, square, or rectangular configuration, wherein each of the items in the list is represented by a fixed proportion of the path region, wherein the handle region is proportional to a fixed proportion of the path region, and wherein the fixed proportion is a fixed angle.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a spiral scrollbar, said method comprising:

corresponding an entire ordered list of items in a computer application to a spiral trough of said spiral scrollbar, wherein a central region of said spiral trough corresponds to one end of said entire ordered list and an outermost region of said spiral trough corresponds to another end of said entire ordered list; and

corresponding a thumb region located on a portion of said spiral trough to a subset of contiguous items of said entire ordered list, wherein rotating said thumb region inwardly on said spiral trough allows more rapid scrolling through said entire ordered list, when compared to rotating said thumb region outwardly.

2. The method of claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said spiral trough comprises a smooth spiral configuration.

3. The method of claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said spiral trough comprises a spiral configuration including right angles.

4. The method of claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein each item of said entire ordered list of items is represented by a fixed proportion of a length of said spiral trough.

5. The method of claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said thumb region is proportional to a fixed proportion of a length of said spiral trough.

6. The method of claim 4, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein the fixed proportion corresponds to a fixed angle.

7. The method of claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein a total length of said spiral trough is directly proportional to a number of items in the entire ordered list.

8. The method of claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprising displaying the subset of contiguous items of said entire ordered list around said spiral trough.

9. The method of claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprising rotating said thumb region along said spiral trough by a thumb manipulator.

29. The method of claim 5, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said thumb region comprises more than one turn of said spiral trough, corresponding to an angle greater than 360 degrees.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein said entire ordered list of items corresponds to lines of a document.

10. A method of displaying a spiral scrollbar, said method comprising:

corresponding an entire ordered list of items to a spiraling trough, progressively winding tighter from an outer periphery region towards a geometric center of said spiraling trough, wherein said spiraling trough comprises;

at least one of an outerside region, corresponding to one end of said entire ordered list, or an innerside region, corresponding to another end of said entire ordered list; and

a thumb region, corresponding to a subset of contiguous items of said entire ordered list, wherein said thumb region is located inwardly from said outerside region and outwardly from said innerside region;

corresponding a rotatable thumb to a portion of the entire ordered list of items, wherein said rotatable thumb is locatable anywhere between said geometric center and said outer periphery region;

manipulating a thumb manipulator to rotate the rotatable thumb, wherein rotating said thumb manipulator inwardly on said spiraling trough allows more rapid scrolling through said entire ordered list, when compared to rotating said rotatable thumb manipulator outwardly; and

displaying said spiraling trough, said thumb manipulator, and said rotatable thumb on said graphical user interface.

11. The method of claim 10, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein as the rotatable thumb rotates, a display of said subset of contiguous items of said entire ordered list of items changes correspondingly.

12. The method of claim 10, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein the spiraling trough comprises a smooth spiral configuration.

13. The method of claim 10, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein the spiraling trough comprises a spiral configuration including right angles.

14. The method of claim 10, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein each item of said entire ordered list of items is represented by a fixed proportion of a length of said spiraling trough.

15. The method of claim 10, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein the thumb region is proportional to a fixed proportion of a length of said spiraling trough.

16. The method of claim 14, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein the fixed proportion corresponds to a fixed angle.

17. The method of claim 10, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein a total length of the spiraling trough is directly proportional to a number of items in the entire ordered list.

18. The method of claim 10, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein the subset of contiguous items of said entire ordered list of items is displayed circumferentially around a perimeter of the spiral scrollbar.

30. The method of claim 15, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said thumb region comprises more than one turn of said spiral trough, corresponding to an angle greater than 360 degrees.

33. The method of claim 10, wherein said entire ordered list of items corresponds to lines of a document.

19. A method of using a spiral scrollbar displayed on a graphical user interface, said method comprising:

corresponding an entire ordered list of items in a computer application to a spiral trough of said spiral scrollbar, wherein a central region of said spiral trough corresponds to one end of said entire ordered list and an outermost region of said spiral trough corresponds to another end of said entire ordered list; and

corresponding a thumb region located on a portion of said spiral trough to a subset of contiguous items of said entire ordered list, wherein rotating said thumb region inwardly on said spiral trough allows more rapid scrolling through said entire ordered list, when compared to rotating said thumb region outwardly.

20. The method of claim 19, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein as the thumb region is rotated, a display of the subset of contiguous items of the entire ordered list of items changes correspondingly.

21. The method of claim 19, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein the spiral trough comprises a smooth spiral configuration.

22. The method of claim 19, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein the spiral trough comprises a spiral configuration including right angles.

23. The method of claim 19, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein each item of said entire ordered list of items is represented by a fixed proportion of a length of said spiral trough.

24. The method of claim 19, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein the thumb region is proportional to a fixed proportion of a length of said spiral trough.

25. The method of claim 23, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein the fixed proportion corresponds to a fixed angle.

26. The method of claim 19, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein a total length of the spiral trough is directly proportional to a number of items in the entire ordered list.

27. The method of claim 19, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein the subset of contiguous items of said entire ordered list of items is displayed circumferentially around a perimeter of the spiral scrollbar.

28. The method of claim 19, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprising rotating said thumb region along said spiral trough by a thumb manipulator of said graphical user interface.

31. The method of claim 24, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said thumb region comprises more than one turn of said spiral trough, corresponding to an angle greater than 360 degrees.

34. The method of claim 19, wherein said entire ordered list of items corresponds to lines of a document.