Image-based document display

• US 7,667,719 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhao, David, Chan, Adrian Tsang Kwong, Wang, Chieh, Rykov, Michael V, Goodwin, Robert L
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Xiao M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sonners; Scott E
• Application Number:
  US11/540,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20080079972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 345/684, 345/687, 345/672
• US Class Current: 345/684
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/346 for systems having a bit-mapped display memory

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method and system for continuously displaying image pages of digital content which are available over a network. More specifically, the method and system enables a user to view image pages in a continuous manner while a limited number of image pages are being downloaded at a given time. Several image pages which are adjacent to the image page(s) the user is currently viewing may be stored in temporary memory. The image pages in the temporary memory are utilized so that, within the image pages, the user can move the displayed image pages up and down without experiencing any discontinuation. In order to ensure continuous display throughout the entire digital content, the next possible set of image pages is constantly determined and obtained to update the current set of image pages in the temporary memory.

Claims

1. A method for continuously displaying image pages of digital content which is available over a network, the method comprising:

obtaining over the network a current set of image pages from the digital content;

detecting a scroll movement;

in response to the detection of the scroll movement;

determining a direction of the scroll movement;

determining a speed of the scroll movement;

determining if the speed of the scroll movement exceeds a predetermined threshold;

if the speed of the scroll movement exceeds the predetermined threshold, determining a number of intervening additional image pages as a function of the direction and speed of the scroll movement;

determining at least one additional image page to add to the current set of image pages as a function of the direction and speed of the scroll movement,

wherein the at least one additional image page following the current image page in the direction of the scroll movement does not include the intervening additional image pages;

sending a request over the network to obtain the additional image page;

obtaining over the network the additional image page to include to the current set of image pages; and

displaying continuous portions of image pages of the current set of image pages in accordance with the scroll movement.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a size of the current set of image pages are determined by a size of temporary memory available to store the current set of image pages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more additional image pages are determined and obtained to be included to the current set of image pages.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the speed of the scroll movement, estimating a number of image pages to not display.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the number of image pages to not display is estimated based on a predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

displaying page numbers corresponding to the estimated image pages to not display until the scroll movement stops.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the estimated image pages to not display are not obtained over the network.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

identifying a plurality of image pages to be included in the current set of image pages based on a user-selected stopping point.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

obtaining over the network at least a portion of the plurality of the identified image pages; and

including the obtained image pages in the current set of image pages.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

displaying continuous portions of image pages form the current set of image pages in accordance with the scroll movement.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

removing image pages from the current set of image pages.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a predetermined number of image pages is defined for the current set of image pages and the image pages are included in and removed from the current set of image pages so as not to exceed the predetermined number of image pages.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one preceding image page to add to the current set of image pages, wherein the preceding image page precedes the current image page relative to the direction of the scroll movement; and

sending a request over the network to obtain the preceding image page.

14. A computer-implemented method for enabling a user to continuously navigate on-line image documents, the method comprising each of the following as executed on at least one computing device:

displaying continuous portions of image pages from a current set of image pages stored in memory of a first device, the current set of image pages including a first portion of an on-line image document;

detecting a scroll movement;

determining a direction and a speed of the scroll movement;

in response to the detection of the scroll movement;

determining if the speed of the scroll movement exceeds a predetermined threshold;

if the speed of the scroll movement exceeds the predetermined threshold, identifying a number of intervening additional image pages;

identifying one or more image pages to add to the current set of image pages not including the identified intervening additional image pages, such that the current set of image pages comprises a current image page and at least one image page following the current image page in the direction of the scroll movement;

requesting the additional image pages from a second device;

obtaining from the second device the additional image pages; and

updating the current set of image pages stored in memory of the first device by including the additional image pages obtained from the second device; and

displaying on the first device portions of image pages included in the current set of image pages, the portions corresponding to the scroll movement.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 further comprising:

identifying additional image pages as the speed of the scroll movement slows down; and

obtaining from the second device the additional image pages.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein if the scroll movement stops, the additional image pages are identified based on the location of the stop.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising:

if the speed of the scroll movement does not exceed a predetermined threshold, displaying on the first device portions of image pages included in the current set of image pages in accordance with the speed of the scroll movement.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising:

identifying at least one preceding image page to add to the current set of image pages, wherein the preceding image page precedes the current image page relative to the direction of the scroll movement; and

requesting the preceding image page from the second device.

19. A display system for providing a continuous user viewing experience, the display system comprising:

a user interface component configured to receive a user input with respect to a portion of content to view, wherein the user input indicates a speed and direction of the display control;

a content display control component configured to;

determine if the speed of the display control exceeds a predetermined threshold;

if the speed of the display control exceeds the predetermined threshold, identify a number of intervening additional image pages;

determine a current set of image pages based on the user input not including the identified intervening additional image pages, such that the current set of image pages comprises a current image page and at least one image page following the current image page in the direction of the display control;

request the current set of image pages over a network; and

obtain the determined current set of image pages over the network.

20. The display system of claim 19, wherein the content display control component displays portions of the current set of image pages in accordance with the user direction.

21. The display system of claim 19, wherein the user input indicates an automatic scrolling of the content.

22. The display system of claim 21, wherein the content display control component determines a speed of the automatic scrolling and applies the speed when displaying portions of the current set of image pages.

23. The display system of claim 22, wherein the content display control component obtains over the network additional image pages to include in the current set of image pages in response to the determined speed.

24. The display system of claim 21, wherein the user input is received via a displayed visual indicator.

25. The display system of claim 19, wherein the user input is received via a displayed scroll bar.

26. The display system of claim 19, wherein the content display control component is further configured to:

identify at least one preceding image page to add to the current set of image pages, wherein the preceding image page precedes the current image page relative to the direction of the display control; and

request the preceding image page over the network.

27. A computer-accessible medium having computer-executable components encoded thereon that are configured to provide continuous display of digital content obtained over a network, the component comprising:

a scroll movement component configured to receive a user indication with respect to movement of image pages displayed on a window, the user indication including a direction and speed of the movement of the image pages; and

a content display control component configured to;

determine if the speed of the movement exceeds a predetermined threshold;

if the speed of the movement exceeds the predetermined threshold, identify a number of intervening additional image pages;

determine a current set of image pages for enabling the user to view a continuous display of image pages, the current set of image pages based on the user indication, the current set of image pages not including the identified intervening additional image pages, such that the current set of image pages comprises a current image page and at least one image page following the current image page in the direction of the movement;

request the current set of image pages over a network; and

obtain the determined current set of image pages from digital content over the network.

28. The computer-accessible medium of claim 27, wherein the user indication is automatic scrolling.

29. The computer-accessible medium of claim 28, wherein the content display control component measures a speed for the automatic scrolling.

30. The computer-accessible medium of claim 29, wherein the content display control component displays a portion of the current set of image pages, the portion of the current set of image pages being determined based on the speed and direction of the automatic scrolling.

31. The computer-accessible medium of claim 28, wherein the speed for the automatic scrolling is user configurable.

32. The computer-accessible medium of claim 27, wherein the current set of image pages is updated when additional pages are necessary to support the automatic scrolling.

33. The computer-accessible medium of claim 27, wherein the content display control component is further configured to:

identify at least one preceding image page to add to the current set of image pages, wherein the preceding image page precedes the current image page relative to the direction of the movement of the image pages; and

request the preceding image page from digital content over the network.