Patent Publication Number: US-2004041847-A1

Title: On-screen scrolling position method

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1) Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The invention herein relates to user interface navigation, specifically an on-screen scrolling position method.  
       [0003] 2) Description of the Prior Art  
       [0004] Mobile telephone design and development in recent years has not only reflected lightweight and compact market trends, but featured significantly advanced built-in capabilities and applications to satisfy consumer demand, with conventional consumer electronic products becoming integrated into multi-function electronic communications products.  
       [0005] Most currently available mobile telephones have networking capabilities that enable users to utilize the said mobile telephones over a network connection for downloading various information. However, the screen surface areas of the said mobile telephones are quite small and have limited data display capability such that when a large website page is browsed, its scrolled position must be continuously shifted upward and downward in order to gradually display the entire contents of the said website page and, as such, users feel that scrolling and reading are rather inconvenient.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] The primary objective of the invention herein is to provide an on-screen scrolling position method, wherein when the user executes the upward or downward scrolling of a data document displayed on the screen of an electronic device, the central processing unit of the said electronic device reads a previously installed hand-shaped cursor from its memory based on the signal of a touch-tip stylus continuously contacting the said screen for a certain period and displays the said cursor on the said screen, with the data document displayed on the screen scrolled to the corresponding position according to the distance and direction the said cursor was dragged.  
       [0007] Another objective of the invention herein is to provide an on-screen scrolling position method, wherein when the user executes the upward or downward scrolling of a data document displayed on the screen of an electronic device, the central processing unit of the said electronic device is prompted by signals triggered by a specific keys of an inputting device to read a previously installed dialog box from its memory and display the said dialog box on the said screen; commands are then entered into the said dialog box and the data document displayed on the screen is gradually scrolled upward or downward in accordance thereof until the end of the said data document is reached. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0008]FIG. 1 is a drawing of a browsed website page displayed on a conventional handheld electronic device.  
     [0009]FIG. 2 is a drawing of the hand-shaped cursor of the invention herein.  
     [0010]FIG. 3 is a drawing of the dialog box of the invention herein.  
     [0011]FIG. 4 is drawing that illustrates the scrolling execution of the invention herein.  
     [0012]FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the operation of the invention herein.  
     [0013]FIG. 6 is a flowchart of another most preferred embodiment of the operation of the invention herein. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0014] The invention herein is an on-screen scrolling position method, wherein when the user executes the upward or downward scrolling of a data document displayed on the screen of an electronic device (such as a mobile telephone or PDA, etc.), the central processing unit of the said electronic device reads a previously installed hand-shaped cursor from its memory based on the signal of a touch-tip stylus continuously contacting the said screen for a certain period and displays the said cursor on the said screen, with the data document displayed on the screen scrolled to the corresponding position according to the distance and direction the said cursor was dragged.  
     [0015] In the embodiment herein, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, when the user utilizes the said electronic device for connection to a network and the browsing of a website page  11 , the continuous contact of the said touch-tip stylus at the same location on the screen of the said electronic device causes the central processing unit of the said electronic device to read a previously installed hand-shaped cursor  21  from its memory based on the signal of the said touch-tip stylus in continuous contact with the screen for a certain period, following which the said screen displays the said hand-shaped cursor  21  at the contacted location and the website page  11  displayed on the screen is scrolled downward to a position corresponding to the distance the said hand-shaped cursor  21  was dragged upward.  
     [0016] In the embodiment herein, referring to FIG. 5, when the user executes the upward or downward scrolling of a data document displayed on the screen of the said electronic device, the central processing unit of the said electronic device executes the processing of the following procedures:  
     [0017] ( 501 ) First, it is determined whether a touch-tip stylus is on the screen and contacting a same location for a certain period. If so, the routine continues on to the execution of the next procedure; otherwise, the routine is ended.  
     [0018] ( 502 ) The contacted location (X, Y coordinate values) is read.  
     [0019] ( 503 ) Based on the signal of the said touch-tip stylus continuously contacting the screen for a certain period, the previously installed hand-shaped cursor  21  (as indicated in FIG. 2) is read.  
     [0020] ( 504 ) The said hand-shaped cursor  21  is displayed on the screen at the contacted location (as indicated in FIG. 2), enabling the user to utilize the touch-tip stylus on the said hand-shaped cursor  21  to execute dragging.  
     [0021] ( 505 ) The distance and direction the said hand-shaped cursor  21  was dragged are read.  
     [0022] ( 506 ) Based on the distance and direction the said hand-shaped cursor  21  has been dragged, the data document displayed on the screen is scrolled to the corresponding position.  
     [0023] ( 507 ) Based on the value of the X and Y coordinates after the said hand-shaped cursor  21  has been dragged, the location of the said hand-shaped cursor  21  is updated to the most recent said X and Y coordinate values.  
     [0024] ( 508 ) It is determined whether the touch-tip stylus is no longer contacting the said hand-shaped cursor  21 . If so, the routine is ended; otherwise, continue on to step ( 505 ).  
     [0025] In another most preferred embodiment of the invention herein, referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, when the user executes the upward or downward scrolling of a data document  41  (such as a website page) displayed on the screen of the said electronic device, the central processing unit of the electronic device is prompted by signals triggered by a specific key (such as the up arrow and the down arrow keys) of an inputting device (such as the keyboard of the said electronic device) to read a previously installed dialog box  31  from its memory and display the said dialog box  31  (as indicated in FIG. 3) on the said screen; commands are then entered into the dialog box  31  and the data document  41  displayed on the screen is gradually scrolled upward or downward in accordance thereof until the end of the data document  41  is reached.  
     [0026] In the said embodiment, again referring to FIG. 3, the said dialog box  31  provides a start automatic scrolling option  33 , a scrolling duration interval option  35 , a per unit scrolling interval option  36 , an okay option  37 , and a cancel option  38 , wherein the units of the said scrolling duration interval option  35  are milliseconds and the units of the said per unit scrolling interval option  36  are pixels, enabling the user to tap select the said start automatic scrolling option  33 , fill in the desired scrolling duration and interval of the said scrolling duration interval option  35  and the per unit scrolling interval option  36  via a keyboard input method, and then tap select the okay option  37  such that commands entered in the said dialog box  31  prompt the said central processing unit of the said electronic device to display the data document  41  on the screen and gradually scroll it upward or downward accordingly until the end of the said data document  41  is reached; if automatic scrolling is not desired, then the cancel option  38  is tap selected.  
     [0027] In the said embodiment, referring to FIG. 6, when the user executes the upward or downward scrolling of a data document  41  displayed on the screen of the said electronic device, the central processing unit of the said electronic device executes the processing of the following procedures:  
     [0028] ( 601 ) First, it is determined whether an up arrow key or down arrow key on the keyboard has been pressed. If an up arrow key is pressed, then step ( 602 ) is executed; if a down arrow key is pressed, then step ( 606 ) is executed.  
     [0029] ( 602 ) Based on the signal of the said up arrow key that was pressed, the previously set dialog box  31  (as indicated in FIG. 3) is read from the memory of the said electronic device.  
     [0030] ( 603 ) The said dialog box  31  is displayed on the screen to provide for user tap selection.  
     [0031] ( 604 ) Based on the commands entered in the said dialog box  31 , the scrolled position of the said data document  41  is gradually shifted upward until the end of the said data document  41  is reached.  
     [0032] ( 605 ) A determination is made as to whether the scrolled position of the said data document  41  has been shifted to the end of the said data document  41 . If so, the routine is ended; if not, the routine continues on to step ( 604 ).  
     [0033] ( 606 ) Based on the signal of the said down arrow key that was pressed, the previously set dialog box  31  (as indicated in FIG. 3) is read from the memory of the said electronic device.  
     [0034] ( 607 ) The said dialog box  31  is displayed on the screen to provide for user tap selection.  
     [0035] ( 608 ) Based on the commands entered in the said dialog box  31 , the scrolled position of the said data document  41  is gradually shifted upward until the end of the said data document  41  is reached.  
     [0036] ( 609 ) A determination is made as to whether the scrolled position of the said data document  41  has been shifted to the end of the said data document  41 . If so, the routine is ended; if not, the routine continues on to step ( 608 ).  
     [0037] Since the screen surface area of a conventional hand set is quite small and the screen of the said hand set is incapable of displaying an entire website page in a single instance when the said hand set is utilized to browse a website page over a network connection, the user can only repeatedly press the up arrow and down arrow keys on its keyboard to shift the scrolled position and thereby gradually display the said website page for reading. However, the method of the invention herein, enables the scrolled position of said website page to be efficiently shifted by dragging the hand-shaped cursor  21  or through automatic scrolling. As such, this eliminates the need to repeatedly press the up arrow and down arrow keys on the keyboard to read data documents displayed on the screen of a conventional hand set.