Enhanced scrolling

• US 7,408,538 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2005
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sinclair, Michael J., Bathiche, Steven N., Hinckley, Kenneth P., Cauthorn, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson; Mark A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CERULLO, LILIANA P
• Application Number:
  US11/205,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20060038796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 715/730, 715/784, 715/787, 715/793
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/973 Scroll tool, e.g. window scroll bar

Abstract

A scrolling device for a computer may include a touch-sensitive surface, which may be elongated and/or have one or more active regions. Scrolling may be performed in manual as well as automated ways that may result in more accurate and efficient scrolling. Scrolling, as displayed on the screen, may further be rounded to the nearest document text line and/or distance unit, even though a more precise scrolling location value may be stored and/or tracked.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

detecting a touch of a pointer on a portion of a touch-sensitive surface;

first determining whether the pointer is still touching the portion of the touch-sensitive surface at a first time, and if so, scrolling the document; and

second determining whether the pointer is still touching the portion of the touch-sensitive surface at a second time later than the first time, and if not, undoing at least a portion of an amount that the document has scrolled.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions are further for performing one of a page up operation, a page down operation, a page left operation, or a page right operation, in response to the step of second determining resulting in a determination that the pointer is not still touching the portion of the touch-sensitive surface at the second time.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions are further for delaying for a delay period beyond the first time, the step of scrolling the document occurring after the delay period.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the step of undoing includes undoing the entire amount that the document has scrolled in the step of scrolling.

5. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

detecting a touch of a pointer on a portion of a touch-sensitive surface;

first determining whether the pointer is still touching the portion of the touch-sensitive surface at first time, and if so, first scrolling the document by a first amount;

second determining whether the pointer is still touching the portion of the touch-sensitive surface at a second time later than the first time, and if not, second scrolling the document by a second amount that depends upon the first amount.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the computer-executable instructions are further for, responsive to the step of second determining resulting in a determination that the pointer is still touching the portion of the touch-sensitive surface at the second time, third scrolling the document by a third amount different from the second amount.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the step of second scrolling includes scrolling the document by the second amount in a direction opposite a direction that the document scrolled in the step of first scrolling.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the first amount and the second amount are a same amount but in opposite directions.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the computer-executable instructions are further for, responsive to the step of first determining resulting in a determination that the pointer is not still touching the portion of the touch-sensitive surface at the first time, moving the document to a first position,

wherein the step of second scrolling includes scrolling the document by the second amount such that the document is moved to the first position.

10. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

first determining whether a pointer touches a portion of a touch-sensitive surface for at least a first time period;

responsive to the step of first determining resulting in a determination that the pointer touches the portion of the touch-sensitive surface for at least the first time period, first scrolling the document by a first amount;

second determining whether the pointer continues to touch the portion of the touch-sensitive surface for at least a second time period after the first time period; and

responsive to the step of second determining resulting in a determination that the pointer continues to touch the portion of the touch-sensitive surface for at least the second time period, second scrolling the document by a second amount that depends upon the first amount.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the step of second scrolling includes scrolling the document in a direction opposite a direction that the document scrolls in the step of first scrolling.