Patent Application
20120272183
1. Technical Field
The field relates to operating systems and applications that allow scrolling, and more particularly to contextual widgets for jumping to the top or bottom of a screen.
2. Background
In computing, scrolling is the act of moving content up or down in a display screen. Scrolling may be performed by using a pointing device such as a mouse or a touch pad. Scrolling may also be performed directly on the screen of a touch screen device by “dragging” the content in the desired direction. This feature is common to devices such as smart phones. However, to reach the bottom of the content a user must either continuously press and hold a scroll down arrow key, or continuously drag the content until the bottom is reached. Likewise, to return to the top of the content a user must either continuously press and hold a scroll up arrow key, or continuously drag the content until the top is reached.
Similarly, in computing, zooming is the act of increasing or decreasing the magnification level of the content. Zooming in (increasing the magnification level) and zooming out (decreasing the magnification level) are performed in levels of magnification that requires tedious work on the part of the user. There is no was to instantly go to full magnification, or return the magnification level to zero.
In an embodiment, a method includes receiving an indication of a scroll action, which indicates a direction to scroll and a user's intent to scroll a significant distance. The direction and length of the scroll is evaluated. A scroll widget is then provided to be presented relative to a location of where the indication was received, thus allowing a user to jump to a top or an end of a content displayed at the location.
In another embodiment, a method includes receiving an indication of a scroll action, which indicates a direction to scroll and a user's intent to scroll a significant distance. The direction and length of the scroll are evaluated. A scroll widget is then displayed to be presented relative to a location of where the indication was received, thus allowing a user to jump to a top or an end of a content displayed at the location.
In yet another embodiment, a method includes receiving an indication of a zoom action, which indicates a magnification level and a user's intent to continuously adjust the magnification level. The direction and length of the zoom action are evaluated. Then a zoom widget is provided that are to be presented relative to a location of where the indication was received, wherein the zoom widget allows a user to completely zoom in or completely zoom out a content displayed at the location.
In yet another embodiment, a system includes an on-screen input receiver that receives an indication of a scroll action. A scroll/zoom accelerator, implemented with a computing device, evaluates the direction and length of the scroll action. The system then provides a scroll widget to be presented relative to a location of where the indication was received. The scroll widget allows a user to jump to a top or an end of a content displayed at the location.
Further embodiments, features, and advantages of the invention, as well as the structure and operation of the various embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to accompanying drawings.
Embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers may indicate identical or functionally similar elements. The drawing in which an element first appears is generally indicated by the left-most digit in the corresponding reference number.
Embodiments refer to illustrations described herein with reference to particular applications. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments. Those skilled in the art with access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the embodiments would be of significant utility.
In the detailed description of embodiments that follows, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “an example embodiment”, etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.
Many operations on touch devices are tedious, particularly those involving zooming in and out or scrolling long lists of items. These embodiments relate to accelerator widgets which are added contextually, revealing a jump to top button when users are scrolling quickly. A similar widget may be visible for zooming in and out, allowing easy jumping to full or zero magnification, or sized to fit.
Zoom indication 160 indicates a user's intent to zoom into or out of content 120. Zoom indication 160 may be made by a pointing device or through direct contact with a device screen.
Input system 212, according to one embodiment, receives an indication of a scroll action that indicates the user intends to scroll a significant distance, or an indication that the user is zooming continuously, according to another embodiment. Scroll/zoom accelerator 214 may evaluate the direction and length of the scroll or zoom action, and provide or display the corresponding widget relative to where the indication was received on the screen. Widget system 210 may be implemented in an operating system or an application. When widget system 210 is implemented in the operating system, the widgets are provided to the application by widget system 210 for display on display device 220. When widget system 210 is implemented in the application, widget system 210 directly displays the widgets on display device 220. When widget system 210 detects that scrolling or zooming has stopped, widget system provides an indication to remove the widgets from the display, or in the case where widget system 210 is implemented in an application, the widget is removed from the display upon indication the scrolling or zooming has ceased.
Aspects of the embodiments for exemplary system 200, such as widget system 210, input receiver 212, scroll/zoom accelerator 214 and display device 220, and/or methods 300-500 or any parts) or function(s) thereof may be implemented using hardware, software modules, firmware, tangible computer readable or computer usable storage media having instructions stored thereon, or a combination thereof and may be implemented in one or more computer systems or other processing systems.
Embodiments may be directed to computer products comprising software stored on any computer usable medium. Such software, when executed in one or more data processing device, causes a data processing device(s) to operate as described herein.
Embodiments may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. Embodiments may be implemented via a set of programs running in parallel on multiple machines.
The summary and abstract sections may set forth one or more but not all exemplary embodiments of the present invention as contemplated by the inventor(s), and thus, are not intended to limit the present invention and the appended claims in any way.
Embodiments of the present invention have been described above with the aid of functional building blocks illustrating the implementation of specified functions and relationships thereof. The boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternate boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed. The breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the present invention. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/090,034, filed Apr. 19, 2011, which is hereby in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13090034 | Apr 2011 | US |
| Child | 13245762 | US |
