# US 7,412,660 B2 · Automatically centered scrolling in a tab-based user interface > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,412,660 B2 - Document ID: US7412660B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/781,963 - Filed: 2007-07-24 - Published: 2007-11-15 - Granted: 2008-08-12 - Earliest claimed: 2000-05-11 - Assignees: PalmSource, Inc. - Inventors: Jesse Donalson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7412660B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/04886: by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus - G06F 3/03547: {Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface} - G06F 3/0483: Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor - G06F 2203/04802: 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A method and apparatus for presenting a tab-based graphic user interface (GUI) having more tabs than can be fitted across a screen side for a computer system. The computer system can be handheld devices such as personal digital assistants (PDA's) and cell phones. The tab-based GUI displays as many tabs as possible on the screen side. The on-screen tabs are arranged in a sequence on a side of the display screen wherein each of these displayed tabs is adapted to be selected by a user for entering into a file category. The off-screen and on-screen tabs form a circular array conceptually such that a portion of the circular array being displayed on the screen side is the sequence of the on-screen tabs. In response to the selection of a on-screen tab, the selected on-screen tab is automatically scrolled to the center position of the screen side. In response to the selection of another on-screen tab, the newly selected on-screen tab is automatically scrolled to the center position of the screen side. Any tab, whether on-screen or off-screen, can eventually be selected by repeatedly selecting a tab on-screen on the left-most position of the screen side until the desired tab is on-screen for selection. ## Claims ### Claim 1 For a computer system, a method for presenting a tab-based graphic user interface having more tabs than can fit across a screen side, said method comprising the steps of: a) displaying as many on-screen tabs as fit across a length of said screen side, said on-screen tabs arranged in a sequence wherein said on-screen tabs are adapted to be selected by a user for displaying information related to a selected tab; and b) in response to the selection of a first on-screen tab, automatically scrolling said sequence of tabs such that said first on-screen tab is positioned in a designated position of said screen side; and c) displaying information related to said first on-screen tab. ### Claim 2 A method for presenting a tab-based graphic user interface displayed on an electronic device having more tabs than can fit across a length of a screen, the method comprising the steps of: a) displaying as many user-selectable on-screen tabs as fit across the length of the screen in a sequence from a first end to a second end; b) in response to the selection of a first on-screen tab, automatically scrolling said sequence of tabs such that said first on-screen tab moves to one of the first end, the second end, or a center midway between the first and second ends of the displayed sequence on the screen side; and c) displaying information related to said first on-screen tab. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the on-screen tabs are displayed in a vertical orientation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the on-screen tabs are displayed in a horizontal orientation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the on-screen tabs form a circular array together with off-screen tables such that the portion of the circular array being displayed on the length of the screen contains at its center the last-selected tab. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the on-screen tabs form a linear array together with off-screen tables such that the portion of the linear array being displayed on the length of the screen contains at its center the last-selected tab. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic device is a handheld device. ### Claim 8 A computing device having a display screen and memory storing therein computer code executed by the computing device to perform the steps comprising: a) providing a tab-based user interface; b) displaying as many user-selectable on-screen tabs as fit across the length of the display screen in a sequence from a first end to a second end; c) in response to the selection of a first on-screen tab, automatically scrolling said sequence of tabs such that said first on-screen tab moves to one of the first end, the second end or a center midway between the first and second ends of the displayed sequence on the screen side; and d) displaying information related to said first on-screen tab. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The computing device of claim 8, wherein the on-screen tabs are displayed in a vertical orientation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The computing device of claim 8, wherein the on-screen tabs are displayed in a horizontal orientation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The computing device of claim 8, wherein the on-screen tabs form an away together with off-screen tables such that the portion of the array being displayed on the length of the screen contains at its center the last-selected tab. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The computing device of claim 8, wherein the computing device comprises a handheld device.