United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 5,854,629 Redpath (45) Date of Patent: Dec
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
USOO5854629A United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 5,854,629 Redpath (45) Date of Patent: Dec. 29, 1998 54) ENHANCED SCROLLING TECHNIQUE FOR OTHER PUBLICATIONS CONTEXT MENUS IN GRAPHICAL USER The ABCs of Microsoft Office for Window 95 by Guy INTERFACES Hart-Davis, Copy right 1996, ISBN: 0-7821-1866–6. Primary Examiner Raymond J. Bayerl 75 Inventor: Richard J. Redpath, Cary, N.C. Assistant Examiner-Cuong T. Thai Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Gregory M. Doudnikoff 73 Assignee: International Business Machine 57 ABSTRACT Corporation, Armonk, N.Y. A technique is provided for permitting only a predetermined number of panes of a context menu to be displayed and the 21 Appl. No.: 774,560 Scrolling of the context menu for undisplayed panes. Before 22 Filed: Dec. 31, 1996 a context menu is displayed in a graphical user interface, it is determined whether the total number of panes or options (51) Int. Cl. .................................................. G06F 3/00 in the context menu exceeds the number of panes or options 52 U.S. Cl. .......................... 345/341; 345/123: 345/343; to be displayed at One time. If so, upon displaying the 345/973 context menu, a Selectable mechanism is displayed along the bottom edge of the context menu. User Selection of the 58 Field of Search ..................................... 345/123, 341, Selectable mechanism causes the context menu to Scroll up 345/343,973 to display previously undisplayed panes or options. When it is determined that panes logically exist above the top most displayed pane, a Selectable mechanism is displayed along 56) References Cited the top edge of the context menu, Such that user Selection of the top mechanism causes the Scrolling of the panes down. U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS Alternatively, top and bottom Scrolling mechanisms may permanently be displayed along the top and bottom edges of 5,485,174 1/1996 Henshaw et al. ....................... 345/123 the context menu, with the mechanisms being non-Selectable 5,553,225 9/1996 Perry ................ ... 345/341 when no panes logically exist above or below the respective 5,644,334 7/1997 Jones et al. ............................. 345/419 mechanisms. 5,704,050 12/1997 Redpath .................................. 345/339 5,721,852 2/1998 Porter ...................................... 345/349 13 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets - yellow 86 Orange Silver Copper gold tin iron titanium 84 bronze U.S. Patent Dec. 29, 1998 Sheet 1 of 7 5,854,629 48 DOCument List IBM stock quotation RTP/Raleigh Area Weather Conditions and SWS RTP NeWS and Forums 52 42 Welcome to NandO.net Yahoo! Dilbert Sunday Comics 44 Alta Vista: Advanced Query The Baseball Server: Baltimore Orioles American League/Live/Standings Top Baseball news Trademarks of Internations Business Machinest 54 ) List O List as URLs 58 46 56 50 F.G. 1 U.S. Patent 5,854,629 IAEOEOLAECIEO FIG. 2 U.S. Patent Dec. 29, 1998 Sheet 3 of 7 5,854,629 FIG. 3 red green blue yellow Orange silver Copper gold tin 84 yellow green 86 Orange blue brown yellow Silver Orange Copper gold silver tin Copper iron gold titanium tin 84 bronze iron FIG. 6 FG. 7 U.S. Patent Dec. 29, 1998 Sheet 4 of 7 5,854,629 Develop Menu Create Menu 1 OO Number Each Pane Sequentially 1 O2 104 Change input New Pane Display Pane Display O6 Default Number Number 108 Number Of Panes in Menu > Pane Display Number Add Scroll O Object to Menu END FIG. 4 U.S. Patent Dec. 29, 1998 Sheet 5 of 7 5,854,629 Display Menu User Action Causes Menu 2OO to Be Opened Set "Start Offset Paneil" to Zero 202 Set "Start Pane Drawing#" to Zero 204 Set "End Pane Drawing#" to "Pane 2O6 Displayi" Minus One Display Menu with Panes Sequentially Displayed through 208 Pane Having "End Pane Drawing#" Display Down Scroll Mechanism Along 21 O Bottom Edge of Menu 212 User Selects DOWn Scrol Mechanism FIG. 5A U.S. Patent Dec. 29, 1998 Sheet 6 of 7 5,854,629 (c) Increment "Start Pane Offsetti" and "End Pane Drawing#" Refresh Displayed Menu with Panes Corresponding to "Start Pane Drawing#" Pius Start Pane Offseth" through "End Pane Drawing#" User Have Holding 0.5 Down Scrol Seconds Mechanism Elapsed 2 226 Does ls Display Down "End Pane "End Pane Scroll Drawing#"Equal Drawing#" < Total Mechanism The Last Panei Number of Options Along Bottom 2 Less One Edge of Menu Display Up Scroll Mechanism. Along 228 Top Edge of Menu FIG. 5B U.S. Patent Dec. 29, 1998 Sheet 7 of 7 5,854,629 User Selects Up Scroll Mechanism (if Displayed) 2 DeCrement "Start Pane Offseti." 234 and "End Pane Drawing#" Refresh Displayed Menu with Panes 236 Corresponding to "Start Pane Drawing#" Plus "Start Pane Offseth" through "End Pane Drawing#" User Have Holding "Up" 0.5 Seconds Scroll Mechanism Elapsed Display Up Scroll Mechanism N "Start Off "Start Off Along Top Edge Set Paneit"- Set Panei"= of Menu Zero 2 Zero 2 Display Down Scroll Mechanism Along Bottom Edge of Menu 248 (D) FIG. 5C 5,854,629 1 2 ENHANCED SCROLLING TECHNIQUE FOR menu may contain may choices, Such as when a context CONTEXT MENUS IN GRAPHICAL USER menu lists each method in a large class. The context menu INTERFACES may then be larger than desired by a developer, or even taller than the display Space available. In Such cases, Some means BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION for displaying only Some of the choices at a time while permitting access to all choices is required. 1. Field of the Invention A number of alternative or Supplemental techniques have The present invention relates to a technique for providing been provided for permitting access to data which is not an enhanced Scrolling mechanism for elements in a graphi displayed or enhancing the data provided to a user via a cal user interface (GUI). More particularly, the present Scroll bar. For example, co-pending U.S. patent application invention provides a Scrolling mechanism for context menus which Saves real estate Space within a graphical user inter Ser. No. 08/298,704, entitled “Method and System for face which is a leSS Visually intrusive indicator for indicating Indicating Boundaries of Connected Data Subsets”, which that undisplayed material exists and can be used in Software was filed on Aug. 31, 1994 and is assigned to the common applications for which pointer grab is not available. assignee as this invention, provides a new type of indicator 15 for indicating to users the relative position of displayed data 2. Description of the Related Art within a list, as well as the amount of undisplayed data. Graphical user interfaces were created in order to Simplify However, this technique also uses significant amounts of interaction with computer programs for end users of com Screen real estate. puter programs. Graphical user interfaces are designed Such Additionally, scroll bars are less than ideal tools for that end users do not need to know specific commands, applications written in languages or being operated accord combinations of keystrokes, etc., in order to efficiently and ing to Standards or on platforms that do not Support what is effectively use the computer program. By Selecting or click known as pointer grab. In Systems that Support pointer grab, ing with a mouse a particular Selection available in a when a user depresses a mouse button when the mouse graphical user interface, a function is carried out by the cursor is over a first window, the mouse cursor or pointer computer application which owns the graphical user inter 25 remains active relative to the first window even if it is moved face. over the boundaries of that window to a different graphical Graphical user interfaces often attempt to project as much user interface element. With the standard Scroll bar, one information as possible to a user. However, Space is quite technique for Scrolling involves grabbing the vertical or limited because of the size of a display device which an end horizontal bar and pulling it one way or another to affect user utilizes, Such as a monitor, and/or by the size of an Scrolling in the desired direction. However, as Scroll bars are element within the graphical user interface in which infor typically on the edge of a graphical element, if a user moves mation is displayed to the end user. Accordingly, techniques the mouse cursor Slightly off the element which employs the have been developed in order to convey to the end user that Scroll bar, the desired Scrolling does not occur and, the user additional information logically exists beyond the edges of may effectively Select the other element for processing, a window or other elements of the graphical user interface 35 which would then require deselecting of the newly Select being displayed at any given time. One Such technique element and reselecting of the initial element. The Java provides a visual device known as a scroll bar. The scroll bar programming language is one example of a programming permits the user to navigate beyond the edges of an element. language that does not Support pointer grab. FIG. 1 illustrates a graphical user interface 40 including a Accordingly, a need exists for a visual tool and indicator window 42 which utilizes a vertical Scroll bar 44 and a 40 for providing end users with information regarding undis horizontal Scroll bar 46. The vertical Scroll bar 44 includes played information with which users may Scroll through the an up arrow 48, a down arrow 50 and a vertical bar 52. These undisplayed information and which consume a minimum of indicate to the user not only that additional information Screen real estate.