System and method for controlling a display of data

• US 8,621,385 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2004
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Sauermann, Volker
• Primary Examiner(s): Nunez, Jordany
• Application Number:
  US10/850,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20050262450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,511 Days
• Field of Search: 715/509, 715/503, 715/784, 715/786, 715/212, 345/684
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A system and method for displaying a scroll-bar or toggle-button-set to control a display of data of an individual column and/or row. A table of intersecting columns and rows is displayed, each intersection forming a cell, and a scroll-bar or toggle-button-set is displayed for an individual column and/or row if a cell of the column and/or row contains data, the display settings of the data requiring for a display of the data an area that is larger than an area allotted to the cell.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a memory and processor configured to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays data in a tabular format including a plurality of rows and a plurality of displayed columns, the GUI further providing at least one horizontal scroll control;

wherein;

for each of the at least one horizontal scroll control;

the respective horizontal scroll control is selectively associated with only a single respective one of the plurality of columns;

the display of the horizontal scroll control is performed conditional upon that display settings of data associated with the respective column requires for a display of the data associated with the respective column an area that is wider than the single respective column;

the data associated with the respective column includes a text string;

the respective horizontal scroll control is manipulable for controlling navigation of the data associated with the respective column directly responsive to the manipulation of the respective horizontal scroll control;

the navigation control includes shifting a display position of at least a portion of the text string from a first displayed position of the respective column to a second displayed position of the respective column;

the respective horizontal scroll control includes a scroll bar; and

responsive to a vertical scrolling of the tabular formatted data, the processor is configured to;

remove the respective horizontal scroll control and re-display the respective horizontal scroll control; and

repeatedly modify a length of the scroll bar.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor shifts data in each of a plurality of cells of the respective column at a same pace in response to the manipulation of the respective horizontal scroll control, data of different ones of the plurality of cells being of different lengths.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

the respective horizontal scroll control is displayed at an outer edge of the respective column; and

data of only a subset of displayed ones of the cells of the respective column is shifted in response to the manipulation of the respective horizontal scroll control based on a user-selection of the subset, data of different subsets of the displayed cells of the same respective column being controlled by the respective horizontal scroll control for different subset selections.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the subset includes only one cell and the selection of the subset is performed by placement of a mouse pointer within a vicinity of the one cell, without a mouse click.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

the respective column includes a plurality of cells formed by an intersection of the respective column with the plurality of rows;

the respective row of each of the plurality of cells includes a respective plurality of cells formed by an intersection of the respective row with the plurality of displayed columns, such that all cells of the respective row share a same top and bottom position due to their belonging to the same respective row; and

the respective horizontal scroll control is displayed entirely within the respective column.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

the horizontal scroll control is changed between inclusion of the scroll bar and a horizontal toggle-button-set in response to the vertical scrolling;

the horizontal toggle-button-set includes a left toggle button and a right toggle button that are alternatively selectable, a left end of the data associated with the respective column displayed whenever the left toggle button is selected and a right end of the data associated with the respective column displayed whenever the right toggle button is selected; and

the horizontal toggle-button-set is displayed only upon satisfaction of a first condition that the width of the area, with respect to rows of the respective column being displayed, is not more than double the respective column'"'"'s width, and the scroll bar is displayed only upon satisfaction of a second condition, in which, with respect to a relationship to the width of the area, the respective column is smaller than where the first condition is satisfied, such that the width of the area, with respect to the rows of the respective column being displayed, is more than double the respective column'"'"'s width.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

the horizontal scroll control includes both the scroll bar and a horizontal toggle-button-set;

the horizontal toggle-button-set includes a right toggle button and a left toggle button;

the data within the respective column is gradually shifted by the processor in response to direct user-manipulation of the scroll bar;

in response to user-selection of the right toggle button, the data within the respective column is sharply shifted to a right end of the data and the scroll bar is automatically shifted to a right-most scroll bar position; and

in response to user-selection of the left toggle button, the data within the respective column is sharply shifted to a left end of the data and the scroll bar is automatically shifted to a left-most scroll bar position.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying, by a computer processor, a graphical user interface (GUI) in which data is displayed in a tabular format including a plurality of rows and a plurality of displayed columns, the GUI further providing at least one horizontal scroll control;

wherein;

for each of the at least one horizontal scroll control;

the respective horizontal scroll control is selectively associated with only a single respective one of the plurality of columns;

the display of the horizontal scroll control is performed conditional upon that display settings of data associated with the respective column requires for a display of the data associated with the respective column an area that is wider than the single respective column;

the data associated with the respective column includes a text string;

the respective horizontal scroll control is manipulable for controlling navigation of the data associated with the respective column directly responsive to the manipulation of the respective horizontal scroll control;

the navigation control includes shifting a display position of at least a portion of the text string from a first displayed position of the respective column to a second displayed position of the respective column;

the respective horizontal scroll control includes a scroll bar; and

the method further comprises, responsive to a vertical scrolling of the tabular formatted data;

removing, by the processor, the respective horizontal scroll control and re-displaying the respective horizontal scroll control; and

repeatedly modifying, by the processor, a length of the scroll bar.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which there are stored instructions executable by a computer processor, the instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) in which data is displayed in a tabular format including a plurality of rows and a plurality of displayed columns, the GUI further providing at least one horizontal scroll control;

wherein;

for each of the at least one horizontal scroll control;

the respective horizontal scroll control is selectively associated with only a single respective one of the plurality of columns;

the display of the horizontal scroll control is performed conditional upon that display settings of data associated with the respective column requires for a display of the data associated with the respective column an area that is wider than the single respective column;

the data associated with the respective column includes a text string;

the respective horizontal scroll control is manipulable for controlling navigation of the data associated with the respective column directly responsive to the manipulation of the respective horizontal scroll control;

the navigation control includes shifting a display position of at least a portion of the text string from a first displayed position of the respective column to a second displayed position of the respective column;

the respective horizontal scroll control includes a scroll bar; and

the method further comprises, responsive to a vertical scrolling of the tabular formatted data;

removing the respective horizontal scroll control and re-displaying the respective horizontal scroll control; and

repeatedly modifying a length of the scroll bar.