The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 09, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 30, 1998
Annette Wagner, Los Altos, CA (US);
Osana Tishkova, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Michael Arent, Albany, CA (US);
Richard Berlin, Fremont, CA (US);
Fazeel Mufti, San Francisco, CA (US);
Sun Microsystems, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention comprises a method for providing feedback to the user of a graphical user interface using visual and operational clues. In an embodiment of the invention, the user is provided visual clues that inform the user in what direction the display area can be scrolled. The display area may contain a list, a text box, a pop-up menu or any kind of data. Operational clues help the user determine what actions move the list and what actions do not move the list. The invention can be implemented in the form of a list. A list is comprised of one or more fields. At the top of the list and at the bottom of the list is a blank space that functions as one of the visual clues. The purpose of the blank space is to inform the user they are at the top of the list and cannot scroll any further up or that they are at the bottom of the list and cannot scroll any further down. Another form of visual clue is provided through the use of partially visible fields. Partially visible fields help the user know in which direction the list can be scrolled by indicating to the user that additional fields are present beyond the partially visible one.