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US 6,686,927 B2Granted
Intelligent scrolling
AssigneeApple Computer, Inc.
InventorsJohn R. Meier, John Sullivan, Paul Mercer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for intelligent scrolling. In a computer system that has a user interface which allows for the movement of items from a first open window to a second open window or to a second region, such as a desktop, the present invention allows a user to select one or more items in the first window, move the selected item(s) to within a predetermined distance from an edge of the first window for a predetermined period of time and cause the viewable portion of the data and/or document within the first window to scroll in a corresponding direction.
Claims79
A computer system having a program which comprises:
- means for determining if a first item within a data display area of a first region of a display has been selected by a user by positioning a cursor over said first item so that said first item is associated with said cursor for further operation or manipulation;
- means for determining if said cursor has been moved with said first item and positioned over a predetermined scrolling area of a second region;
- and
- means for determining whether to scroll contents of said second region or to allow said first item to be moved from said second region to a third region;
- means for scrolling the contents of a data display area of said second region while said cursor is positioned over said predetermined scrolling area and while said first item is associated with said cursor, to display a second item and wherein said predetermined scrolling area scrolls the contents along only a first direction when in a first context.
2 more elements
A method of interacting with a display capable of displaying a plurality of regions comprising:
- determining if a first item within a data display area of a first region of a display has been selected by a user so that the first item may be further manipulated or operated on;
- determining if the first item has been moved and thereby positioned over a predetermined scrolling area of the first region;
- determining whether to scroll the contents of the first region or to allow the first item to be moved from the first region to a second region;
- determining if the first item has been moved and thereby positioned over a predetermined scrolling area of the second region;
- and
- scrolling the contents of a data display area of the second region while the first item is positioned over the predetermined scrolling area of the second region and the first item is selected, and wherein the predetermined scrolling area of the second region scrolls the contents along only a first direction when in a first context.
3 more elements
A computer readable medium storing executable computer program instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
- determining if a first item within a first data display area of the display has been selected by a user by positioning a cursor over the first item so that the first item is associated with the cursor for further operation or manipulation;
- determining if the cursor has been moved with the first item and positioned over a predetermined scrolling area of a second data display area;
- and
- scrolling the contents of the second data display area while the cursor is positioned over the predetermined scrolling area and while the first item is associated with the cursor, and wherein the predetermined scrolling area scrolls the contents along only a first direction when in a first context.
1 more element
A computer readable medium storing executable computer program instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
- determining if a first item within a first data display area of a first region has been selected by a user by positioning a cursor over the first item so that the first item is associated with the cursor for further operation or manipulation;
- determining if the cursor has been moved with the first item and positioned over a predetermined scrolling area of the first region;
- determining whether to scroll the contents of the first region or to allow the first item to be moved from the first region to a second region;
- determining if the cursor has been moved with the first item and positioned over a predetermined scrolling area of the second region;
- and
- scrolling the contents of the second region while the cursor is positioned over the predetermined scrolling area and while the first item is associated with the cursor, and wherein the predetermined scrolling area scrolls the contents along only a first direction when in a first context.
3 more elements
A computer system having a program which comprises:
- means for determining if a first item within a data display area of a first region of a display has been selected by a user so that the first item may be further manipulated or operated on;
- means for determining if the first item has been moved and thereby positioned over a predetermined scrolling area of the first region;
- means for determining whether to scroll the contents of the first region or to allow the first item to be moved from the first region to a second region;
- means for determining if the first item has been moved and thereby positioned over a predetermined scrolling area of the second region;
- means for determining whether to scroll the contents of the second region or to allow the first item to be moved from the second region;
- and
- means for scrolling the contents of the data display area of the second region while the first item is positioned over the predetermined scrolling area of the second region and the first item is selected, and wherein the predetermined scrolling area of the second region scrolls the contents along only a first direction when in a first context.
4 more elements
The computer system of claim wherein:
- the rate of scrolling of the contents of the data display area is determined based on the location of the first item within the predetermined scrolling area of the second region.
A computer readable medium storing executable computer program instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
- determining if a first item within a first region has been selected by a user by positioning a cursor over the first item so that the first item is associated with the cursor for further operation or manipulation;
- determining if the cursor has been moved with the first item and positioned over a predetermined scrolling area of the first region;
- determining whether to scroll the contents of the first region or to allow the first item to be moved from the first region to a second region;
- determining if the cursor has been moved with the first item and positioned over a predetermined scrolling area of the second region;
- determining whether to scroll the contents of the second region or to allow the first item to be moved from the second region;
- and
- scrolling the contents of the second region while the cursor is positioned over the predetermined scrolling area of the second region and while the first item is associated with the cursor, and wherein the predetermined scrolling area of the second region scrolls the contents along only a first direction when in a first context.
4 more elements
A computer readable medium storing executable computer program instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of interacting with a display capable of displaying a plurality of regions, the method comprising
- determining if a first item within a data display area of a first region of the display has been selected by a user so that the first item may be further manipulated or operated on;
- determining if the first item has been moved and thereby positioned over a predetermined scrolling area of the first region;
- determining whether to scroll the contents of the first region or to allow the first item to be moved from the first region to a second region;
- determining if the first item has been moved and thereby positioned over a predetermined scrolling area of the second region;
- determining whether to scroll the contents of the second region or to allow the first item to be moved from the second region;
- and
- scrolling the contents of the data display area of the second region while the first item is positioned over the predetermined scrolling area and the first item is selected, and wherein the predetermined scrolling area of the second region scrolls the contents along only a first direction when in a first context.
4 more elements
In a computer controlled display system having a display wherein a plurality of regions may be displayed including at least a first region, the first region having at least a first item within a visible display area of the first region, a method for moving the first item, the method comprising:
- determining if the first item within the first region has been selected by a user by positioning a cursor over the first item so that the first item is associated the cursor for further operation or manipulation;
- determining if the cursor has been moved with the first item and positioned over a predetermined scrolling area of the first region;
- determining whether to scroll the contents of the first region or to allow the first item to be moved from the first region to a second region;
- determining if the cursor has been moved with the first item and positioned over a predetermined scrolling area of the second region;
- determining whether to scroll the contents of the second region or to allow the first item to be moved from the second region;
- and
- scrolling the contents of the second region while the cursor is positioned over the predetermined scrolling area of the second region and while the first item is associated with the cursor, and wherein the predetermined scrolling area of the second region scrolls the contents along only a first direction when in a first context.
4 more elements
A computer system having a program which comprises:
- means for determining if a first item within a first data display area of the display has been selected by a user by positioning a cursor over the first item so that the first item is associated with the cursor for further operation or manipulation;
- means for determining if the cursor has been moved with the first item and positioned over a predetermined scrolling area of a second data display area;
- and
- means for scrolling the contents of the second data display area while the cursor is positioned over the predetermined scrolling area and while the first item is associated with the cursor, and wherein the predetermined scrolling area scrolls the contents along only a first direction when in a first context.
1 more element
The computer system having a program as described in claims wherein:
- scrolling the contents of the second data display area serves to display a second item, the second item in a portion of the second data display area made visible after scrolling the second data display area.
The computer system having a program as described in claim wherein:
- the second data display area having four predetermined scrolling areas, each predetermined scrolling area scrolling the contents along only a first direction when in a first context, the intersection of two predetermined scrolling areas scrolling the contents along a diagonal direction when in a first context.
A method for interacting with a display capable of displaying a plurality of regions comprising:
- determining if a first item within a first data display area of the display has been selected by a user by positioning a cursor over the first item so that the first item is associated with the cursor for further operation or manipulation;
- determining if the cursor has been moved with the first item and positioned over a predetermined scrolling area of a second data display area;
- and
- scrolling the contents of the second data display area while the cursor is positioned over the predetermined scrolling area and while the first item is associated with the cursor, and wherein the predetermined scrolling area scrolls the contents along only a first direction when in a first context.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.