Mode activated scrolling

• US 7,958,455 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2002
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Doar, Jeffrey Braun
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): BECKER, SHASHI KAMALA
• Application Number:
  US10/272,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20040021694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,156 Days
• Field of Search: 715/784, 715/785, 715/786, 715/787
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars

Abstract

A computer implemented method for changing between a cursor control mode and a scroll control mode. The cursor control mode allowing a user to move a cursor on a graphical user interface (GUI) and the scroll control mode allowing a user to scroll on the GUI. The cursor and scroll movements are based on positional data supplied by an input device such as a mouse.

Claims

1. A method for scrolling within a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that includes a window with a field having a plurality of predetermined areas surrounded by a window frame separate from the field, said separate window frame including a vertical scroll bar having a vertical scroll tab and a horizontal scroll bar having a horizontal scroll tab, the method comprising:

in a cursor control mode, moving a cursor within the GUI in response to positional data received from a cursor control device, wherein the movement of the cursor within the GUI is directly based on the positional data and the cursor does not move when the there is no change in the received positional data;

receiving a clicking action from a button of the cursor control device in response to a user of the GUI clicking the button, the clicking action comprising a button press event and a button release event;

entering a scroll control mode in response to the received clicking action, in response to determining that the clicking action was received when the cursor was positioned within one of the plurality of predetermined areas in the field, said plurality of predetermined areas including separate predetermined areas that are located proximate to the vertical scroll tab, proximate to the horizontal scroll tab, and elsewhere within the field, wherein a vertical scroll control mode is entered in response to determining that the clicking action was received when the cursor was positioned within a predetermined area proximate to the vertical scroll tab, a horizontal scroll control mode is entered in response to determining that the clicking action was received when the cursor was positioned within a predetermined area proximate to the horizontal scroll tab, and a panning scroll mode is entered in response to determining that the clicking action was received when the cursor was positioned within a predetermined area located elsewhere within the field;

wherein in the scroll control mode, scrolling of the contents of the window is directly based only on positional data received from the cursor control device in the direction of entered scroll control mode, and the contents of the window do not scroll when there is no change in the received positional data, whereby any time the positional data received from the cursor control device indicates no movement in the scroll control mode, the contents of the window do not scroll, and whereby if there is no horizontal change in the positional data received from the cursor control device when in horizontal scroll control mode, then the contents of the window do not scroll, and whereby if there is no vertical change in the positional data received from the cursor control device when in vertical scroll control mode, then the contents of the window do not scroll;

determining that a time period of inactivity has elapsed during which there was no activity by the cursor control device, such that no horizontal change and no vertical change in the received positional data and no clicking actions are received from the cursor control device during the inactive time period; and

returning to the cursor control mode from the scroll control mode in response to the determination that the time period of inactivity has elapsed, wherein in the cursor control mode the movement of the cursor within the GUI is directly based on the positional data and the cursor does not move when the there is no change in the received positional data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cursor control device comprises a mouse, and wherein the positional data received from the mouse corresponds with movements of the mouse in relation to a surface upon with the mouse is in contact, such that the mouse is not being moved when there is no change in the received positional data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the received clicking action is performed using a primary button of the mouse.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the primary button of the mouse is not dedicated to scrolling functionality.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cursor control device comprises a touch pad, and wherein the positional data received from the touch pad corresponds with movements of a user'"'"'s finger or stylus over the surface of the touch pad, such that the finger or stylus is not being moved when there is no change in the received positional data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the received clicking action is performed using a primary button associated with the touch pad.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the primary button associated with the touch pad is not dedicated to scrolling functionality.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the cursor control device comprises a trackball or a joystick.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing an appearance of the scroll tab to indicate being in the scroll control mode in response to entering the scroll control mode.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second clicking action; and

returning to the cursor control mode from the scroll control mode in response to the received second clicking action, wherein in the cursor control mode the movement of the cursor within the GUI is directly based on the positional data and the cursor does not move when the there is no change in the received positional data.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising changing the appearance of the scroll tab to indicate no longer being in the scroll control mode in response to returning to the cursor control mode.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising changing the appearance of the scroll tab to indicate no longer being in the scroll control mode in response to returning to the cursor control mode.

13. A system comprising:

a display;

a window to display window contents, the window having a field having a plurality of predetermined areas surrounded by a separate window frame, the separate window frame including a vertical scroll bar having a vertical scroll tab and a horizontal scroll bar having a horizontal scroll tab;

a cursor control mode, during which a user can move a cursor within a graphical user interface (GUI) in response to positional data received from a cursor control device controlled by the user, wherein the movement of the cursor within the GUI is directly based on the positional data and the cursor does not move when the there is no change in the received positional data;

a scroll control mode that is entered when the user performs a clicking action comprising a button press and a button release event with a button of the cursor control device when the cursor is positioned within one of the plurality of predetermined areas in the field, said plurality of predetermined areas including separate predetermined areas that are located proximate to the vertical scroll tab, proximate to the horizontal scroll tab, and elsewhere within the field, wherein a vertical scroll control mode is entered in response to determining that the clicking action was received when the cursor was positioned within a predetermined area proximate to the vertical scroll tab, a horizontal scroll control mode is entered in response to determining that the clicking action was received when the cursor was positioned within a predetermined area proximate to the horizontal scroll tab, and a panning scroll mode is entered in response to determining that the clicking action was received when the cursor was positioned within a predetermined area located elsewhere within the field, wherein in the scroll control mode, scrolling of the contents of the window is directly based only on positional data received from the cursor control device in the direction of entered scroll control mode, and the contents of the window do not scroll when there is no change in the received positional data, whereby any time the positional data received from the cursor control device indicates no movement in the scroll control mode, the contents of the window do not scroll, and whereby if there is no horizontal change in the positional data received from the cursor control device when in horizontal scroll control mode, then the contents of the window do not scroll, and whereby if there is no vertical change in the positional data received from the cursor control device when in vertical scroll control mode, then the contents of the window do not scroll; and

an inactivity timeout interval comprising a threshold time period, that if elapsed without any activity received from the cursor control device including horizontal change or vertical change in the received positional data and clicking actions, causes the GUI to return to the cursor control mode from the scroll control mode in response to the lapsing of the inactivity timeout interval.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the cursor control device comprises a mouse, and wherein the positional data received from the mouse corresponds with movements of the mouse, such that the mouse is not being moved when there is no change in the received positional data.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the clicking action is performed using a primary button of the mouse.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the primary button of the mouse is not dedicated to scrolling functionality.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the cursor control device comprises a touch pad, and wherein the positional data received from the touch pad corresponds with movements of the user'"'"'s finger or stylus over the surface of the touch pad, such that the finger or stylus is not being moved when there is no change in the received positional data.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the clicking action comprises a is performed using a primary button associated with the touch pad.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the primary button associated with the touch pad is not dedicated to scrolling functionality.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the cursor control device comprises a trackball or a joystick.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the appearance of the scroll tab changes to indicate being in the scroll control when in scroll control mode.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the user performing a second clicking action results in switching back to cursor control mode from scroll control mode.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the elapsing of a threshold period of time without a change in the positional data results in switching back to cursor control mode from scroll control mode.

24. A removable program medium having stored thereon data representing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

operating a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that includes a window with a field having a plurality of predetermined areas surrounded by a separate window frame including a vertical scroll bar having a vertical scroll tab and a horizontal scroll bar having a horizontal scroll tab, in a cursor control mode, moving a cursor within the GUI in response to positional data received from a cursor control device, wherein the movement of the cursor within the GUI is directly based on the positional data and the cursor does not move when the there is no change in the received positional data;

receiving a clicking action from a button of the cursor control device in response to a user of the GUI clicking the button, the clicking action comprising a button press even and a button release event;

entering a scroll control mode in response to the received clicking action, in response to determining that the clicking action was received when the cursor was positioned within one of the plurality of predetermined areas in the field, said plurality of predetermined areas including separate predetermined areas that are located proximate to the vertical scroll tab, proximate to the horizontal scroll tab, and elsewhere within the field, wherein a vertical scroll control mode is entered in response to determining that the clicking action was received when the cursor was positioned within a predetermined area proximate to the vertical scroll tab, a horizontal scroll control mode is entered in response to determining that the clicking action was received when the cursor was positioned within a predetermined area proximate to the horizontal scroll tab, and a panning scroll mode is entered in response to determining that the clicking action was received when the cursor was positioned within a predetermined area located elsewhere within the field;

wherein in the scroll control mode, scrolling of the contents of the window is directly based only on positional data received from the cursor control device in the direction of entered scroll control mode, and the contents of the window do not scroll when there is no change in the received positional data, whereby any time the positional data received from the cursor control device indicates no movement in the scroll control mode, the contents of the window do not scroll, and whereby if there is no horizontal change in the positional data received from the cursor control device when in horizontal scroll control mode, then the contents of the window do not scroll, and whereby if there is no vertical change in the positional data received from the cursor control device when in vertical scroll control mode, then the contents of the window do not scroll;

determining that a time period of inactivity has elapsed during which there was no activity by the cursor control device, such that no horizontal change and no vertical change in the received positional data and no clicking actions are received from the cursor control device during the inactive time period; and

returning to the cursor control mode from the scroll control mode in response to the determination that the time period of inactivity has elapsed, wherein in the cursor control mode the movement of the cursor within the GUI is directly based on the positional data and the cursor does not move when the there is no change in the received positional data.

25. A removable program medium of claim 24, wherein the cursor control device comprises a mouse, and wherein the positional data received from the mouse corresponds with movements of the mouse, such that the mouse is not being moved when there is no change in the received positional data.

26. A removable program medium of claim 25, wherein the received clicking action is performed using a primary button of the mouse.

27. A removable program medium of claim 26, wherein the primary button of the mouse is not dedicated to scrolling functionality.

28. A removable program medium of claim 24, wherein the cursor control device comprises a touch pad, and wherein the positional data received from the touch pad corresponds with movements of a user'"'"'s finger or stylus over the surface of the touch pad, such that the finger or stylus is not being moved when there is no change in the received positional data.

29. A removable program medium of claim 28, wherein the received clicking action is performed using a primary button associated with the touch pad.

30. A removable program medium of claim 29, wherein the primary button associated with the touch pad is not dedicated to scrolling functionality.

31. A removable program medium of claim 24, wherein the cursor control device comprises a trackball or a joystick.

32. A removable program medium of claim 24, further comprising changing an appearance of the scroll tab to indicate being in the scroll control mode in response to entering the scroll control mode.

33. A removable program medium of claim 32, further comprising changing the appearance of the scroll tab to indicate no longer being in the scroll control mode in response to returning to the cursor control mode.