US 6,025,833 AGranted

Method and apparatus for varying the incremental movement of a marker on an electronic display

AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company

InventorChristopher P Duff

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Abstract

The method and apparatus of the present invention vary the rate of movement of a marker along a waveform. The rate of movement is varied by changing the distance increment the marker moves in response to a movement command. In a first embodiment of the invention the marker movement increment is proportional to the reciprocal of the derivative of the waveform amplitude with respect to time. In a second embodiment the marker moves only to specified points of interest along the waveform which are calculated in real-time. In a third embodiment the increment depends on how long the input device has been activated. In a fourth embodiment the marker movement is interrupted when the marker steps onto or over a detent. Each embodiment of the present invention moves the marker along the waveform in a manner which improves the ability of the user to examine information of interest in detail while moving rapidly over information that is not of interest.

Claims60

Dependent claims

A computer-readable medium on which is stored a program for controlling movement of a marker on an electronic display, said computer program comprising instructions, which when executed by a computer, perform method steps comprising:

providing electronic information signals corresponding to information to be displayed on a said electronic display, said information including real-time variable base visual information and a marker;
responsive to said electronic information signals, generating visual information on said electronic display, said visual information including said real-time variable base visual information and said marker;
receiving from a manual input device a plurality of marker movement command signals;
moving said marker a marker movement increment in response to each of said plurality of marker movement command signals;
and
performing in real-time a function selected from the group consisting of:
a) changing said marker movement increment based on information from the information group consisting of:
i) said real-time variable base visual information and the position of said marker on said display in relation to said real-time variable base visual information;
and ii) said plurality of marker movement command signals;
and
b) interrupting said response to said marker movement command signals based on said real-time variable base visual information and the position of said marker on said display in relation to said real-time variable base visual information.

8 more elements

An electronic display system comprising:

a display for displaying information, said information including real-time variable base visual information and a marker movable across said display to indicate a particular part of said base visual information,
an input device for inputting marker movement commands;
a memory for storing instructions for moving said marker across said display;
an electronic processor communicating with said display and said memory for determining in real-time a marker movement increment dependent on information selected from the group consisting of:
i) said real-time variable base visual information and the position of said marker on said display in relation to said real-time variable base visual information;
and ii) a plurality of said marker movement commands;
and
an electronic display controller communicating with said processor for moving said marker said determined marker movement increment in response to one of said marker movement commands.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.