Internal scroll activation and cursor adornment

• US 8,566,741 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Danton, Stephen M., Voss, Florian, Pond, Arwen E., Flynn, James R., Mollicone, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, RUAY L
• Application Number:
  US12/202,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20100058227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,880 Days
• Field of Search: 715200-277, 715700-867, 700701-866, 709201-229, 705 50- 79, 345 30-111
• US Class Current: 715/786
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars

Abstract

Mechanisms for allowing a user to scroll through a displayed viewer. Upon detected using input while the viewer is being displayed, the user input is identified is being a scrolling gesture. In response, a scrolling control is activated at an interior portion of the displayed viewer. In addition, when the user navigates the cursor to within a scrollable display, the cursor is adorned with a scrolling context emblem that represents scrolling options available for that viewer.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon one or more computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method for allowing a user to scroll a displayed scrollable viewer, the method comprising:

an act of displaying the scrollable viewer; and

in response to a triggering event, an act of activating a scrolling control, the scrolling control overlapping with the displayed scrollable viewer and being overlaid over at least a portion of scrollable content displayed within the displayed scrollable viewer, the scrolling control comprising a three dimensional extent representing three scrollable ranges of the scrollable content, the scrolling control also including a displayed three dimensional scrolling indicator that is configured to be dragged in three dimensions within the three dimensional extent using a user input indicator, the scrolling control allowing the user to scroll the viewer in at least three scrollable directions of the scrollable viewer using the user input indicator.

2. The computer program product in accordance with claim 1, wherein the one or more computer-readable media is or are physical memory.

3. The computer program product in accordance with claim 1, wherein overlapping of the scrolling control with the displayed scrollable viewer enables both of the scrolling control and the displayed scrollable viewer to be visible where the overlapping occurs.

4. The computer program product in accordance with claim 1, wherein the scrolling control is visually presented within the interior portion of the displayed scrollable viewer, at least partially separated from a boundary edge of the displayed scrollable viewer, and so as to be completely surrounded by the displayed scrollable viewer.

5. A computer program product comprising one or more physical computer-readable storage media having thereon one or more computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method for notifying the user of scrolling options and context within a displayed scrollable viewer, the method comprising:

in response to a triggering event, an act of displaying a scroll context emblem representing a position of a currently viewed portion of a scrollable viewer within the entire scrollable context of the scrollable viewer, the scroll context emblem overlapping with the scrollable viewer and being overlaid over at least a portion of scrollable content displayed within the scrollable viewer corresponding to a location of a user input indicator, the scroll context emblem representing both at least three scrollable directions, wherein the scroll context emblem comprises a three-dimensional extent representing the entire three-dimensional range of the scrollable viewer, and wherein the scroll context emblem includes a scrolling indicator positioned therein that represents an appropriate position of a currently displayed portion of the scrollable content displayed in the scrollable viewer within an entire range of the scrollable viewer and that is configured to be dragged in three dimensions within the three-dimensional extent using the user input indicator to scroll the scrollable content.

6. A computer program product in accordance with claim 5, the method further comprising:

an act of detecting that a size of the scrollable viewer has changed;

subsequent to the act of detecting that the size of the scrollable viewer has changed, an act of detecting that the user input indicator has been navigated into the scrollable viewer having the changed size;

in response to the act of detecting that the user input indicator has been navigated into the scrollable viewer having the changed size, an act of identifying one or more scrollable directions possible for the scrollable viewer that the user input indicator is within based on the changed size; and

an act of selecting one of a plurality of possible scroll context emblem types to adorn the user input indicator with depending on the identified one or more scrollable directions.

7. A computer program product in accordance with claim 6, wherein the act of identifying identifies only a horizontal scrollable direction, wherein the selected emblem comprises an extent oriented horizontally, and having a scrolling indicator positioned therein that represents a position of a currently displayed portion of the scrollable viewer within an entire range of the scrollable viewer.

8. A computer program product in accordance with claim 6, wherein the act of identifying identifies only a vertical scrollable direction, wherein the selected emblem comprises an extent oriented vertically, and having a scrolling indicator positioned therein that represents an appropriate position of a currently displayed portion of the scrollable viewer within an entire range of the scrollable viewer.

9. A computer program product in accordance with claim 6, wherein the act of identifying identifies both a vertical and a horizontal scrollable direction, wherein the selected emblem comprises a two-dimensional extent representing the entire two-dimensional range of the scrollable viewer, and includes a scrolling indicator positioned therein that represents a position of a currently displayed portion of the scrollable viewer within an entire range of the scrollable viewer.

10. A computer program product in accordance with claim 5, wherein the scroll context emblem moves with the user input indicator at least temporarily.

11. A method, implemented at a computer system that includes one or more processors, at least one user input device, and a least one display device, for allowing a user to scroll a displayed scrollable viewer, the method comprising:

an act of displaying the scrollable viewer; and

in response to a triggering event, an act of activating a scrolling control, the scrolling control overlapping with the displayed scrollable viewer and being overlaid over at least a portion of scrollable content displayed within the displayed scrollable viewer, the scrolling control comprising a three dimensional extent representing three scrollable ranges of the scrollable content, the scrolling control also including a displayed three dimensional scrolling indicator that is configured to be dragged in three dimensions within the three dimensional extent using a user input indicator, the scrolling control allowing the user to scroll the viewer in at least three scrollable directions of the scrollable viewer using the user input indicator.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the triggering event comprises an act of detecting user input during the act of displaying the scrollable viewer, the user input corresponding to a user input indicator position at an interior portion within the displayed scrollable viewer.

13. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein overlapping of the scrolling control with the displayed scrollable viewer enables both of the scrolling control and the displayed scrollable viewer to be visible where the overlapping occurs.

14. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the scrolling control is visually presented within the interior portion of the displayed scrollable viewer, at least partially separated from a boundary edge of the displayed scrollable viewer, and so as to be completely surrounded by the displayed scrollable viewer.

15. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the user input indicator comprises a cursor.