System and method for scrolling through a list
First Claim
1. A method for scrolling through a list in an electronic device comprising the steps of:
- providing a display having a single line for displaying alphanumeric text for one entry of an alphabetized list and a terminating character string, said alphanumeric text including an alphanumeric text string having alphanumeric text characters and said terminating character string including one or more terminating characters, wherein said one or more terminating characters includes using a same terminating-type character;
replacing the display with a alphanumeric text phrase representing a cluster of items in said alphabetized list when a user requests a higher level of abstraction such that the alphanumeric text phase consists of at least one alphanumeric text character configured to form a common starting phrase of the group of alphabetized entries of which a currently displayed alphanumeric entry is a member; and
navigating though multiple levels of abstraction using a control algorithm such that attaining each higher level of abstraction displays a successively shorter alphanumeric text string in said currently displayed entry while further displaying a successively larger terminating character string containing the same terminating-type character in said currently displayed entry,wherein when at least an alphanumeric text character in the alphanumeric text string is removed from the display the same terminating-type character is added in said terminating character string to replace the removed alphanumeric text character.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for scrolling through a list uses control and display algorithms for scrolling through a long list of text strings. The control algorithm interfaces to the user via a rate-based scheme to switch the display through various levels of abstraction where higher levels of abstraction are displayed “in-situ” on the single-line display. These higher levels of abstraction display as starting characters or words that are common to a group of entries in the alphabetized list. Multiple levels of abstraction are supported, where lower levels of abstraction are displayed as longer strings of characters, representing smaller groups of entries in the given list of text strings. Higher levels of abstraction are displayed as shorter character strings. The rate of user movement is detected for the display to change to a previous or next item in the list if below a predetermined threshold while increasing the abstraction level if the user rapidly selects different options.
34 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for scrolling through a list in an electronic device comprising the steps of:
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providing a display having a single line for displaying alphanumeric text for one entry of an alphabetized list and a terminating character string, said alphanumeric text including an alphanumeric text string having alphanumeric text characters and said terminating character string including one or more terminating characters, wherein said one or more terminating characters includes using a same terminating-type character; replacing the display with a alphanumeric text phrase representing a cluster of items in said alphabetized list when a user requests a higher level of abstraction such that the alphanumeric text phase consists of at least one alphanumeric text character configured to form a common starting phrase of the group of alphabetized entries of which a currently displayed alphanumeric entry is a member; and navigating though multiple levels of abstraction using a control algorithm such that attaining each higher level of abstraction displays a successively shorter alphanumeric text string in said currently displayed entry while further displaying a successively larger terminating character string containing the same terminating-type character in said currently displayed entry, wherein when at least an alphanumeric text character in the alphanumeric text string is removed from the display the same terminating-type character is added in said terminating character string to replace the removed alphanumeric text character. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 9)
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4. A method for scrolling through a list in an electronic device including the steps of:
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providing a display having a single line for displaying alphanumeric text for one entry of an alphabetized list and a terminating character string, said alphanumeric text including an alphanumeric text string having alphanumeric text characters and said terminating character string including one or more terminating characters, wherein said one or more terminating characters includes using a same terminating-type character; replacing the display with an alphanumeric text phrase representing a cluster of items in said alphabetized list when a user requests a higher level of abstraction such that said alphanumeric text phase consists of at least one character that forms a common starting phrase of a group of alphabetized entries of which a currently displayed alphanumeric entry is a member; utilizing a rate-based control algorithm such that if the user advances through said the alphabetized list at a rate faster than a predetermined value the level of abstraction is increased by one from the currently displayed entry wherein the increased level of abstraction displays a successively shorter alphanumeric text string in said currently displayed entry while further displaying a successively larger terminating character string containing the same terminating-type character in said currently displayed entry, and if the user advances through said alphabetized list at a rate slower than the predetermined value the display is changed to one of a previous and next item from the currently displayed entry in the alphabetized list; and updating the display after the step of utilizing the rate-based control algorithm using a common starting phrase of a group of alphabetized entries of which a currently displayed entry is a member; wherein when at least an alphanumeric text character in the alphanumeric text string is removed from the display the same terminating-type character is added in said terminating character string to replace the removed alphanumeric text character. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification