Dynamic Scroll Icon and Marker for Document Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems, such as email and instant messaging, lack efficient methods for navigating and understanding the logical context of conversations, especially when multiple messages and responses are involved, and users often struggle to access and scroll through documents to find specific portions.
Innovation Solution
A computer system that displays a view window with a scroll icon and a marker icon, allowing for intuitive scrolling through documents by moving the icons to target locations, with the scrolling speed determined by the distance between them, enabling fine control and quick navigation within the document.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If users scroll through documents to find specific portions, then they can access any part of the document, but it takes too much time and effort especially in long documents with multiple conversations
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically generating and displaying a table of contents that previews the document structure and allows users to jump directly to specific sections. This preliminary organization of information enables users to navigate to desired portions without manually scrolling through the entire document, significantly reducing the time and effort required to find specific content.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary element - a table of contents - that mediates between the user and the full document. This intermediary provides a structured overview and direct access points to different sections, allowing users to navigate efficiently without directly interacting with the complete document content. The table of contents acts as a bridge that simplifies the navigation process.
2Speed
If users need to navigate through large portions of a document quickly, then they can cover more ground, but they lose fine control for moving short distances
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic scrolling behavior where the scrolling speed is not fixed but adapts based on user interactions and context. When users interact with the table of contents to jump to specific sections, the system provides fast scrolling to cover large distances. When users are already near their target or make small adjustments, the scrolling slows down to provide fine control. This dynamic adjustment of scrolling speed resolves the contradiction between fast navigation and precise positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs skipping behavior where the system allows users to rapidly skip through large portions of the document by interacting with the table of contents. Users can jump between sections quickly without manually scrolling through every line. This skipping mechanism enables fast coverage of large document portions while maintaining the ability to stop at any desired location for fine control when needed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conversations have multiple levels with messages and responses on different topics, then they can cover more ground, but it becomes difficult to discern the logical context
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by organizing the conversation into a hierarchical table of contents that divides the multi-level conversation into distinct sections and subsections. Each message or topic becomes a separable unit in the table of contents, allowing users to see the overall structure and logical flow. This segmentation maintains the conversational hierarchy while making the logical context visible and accessible, preventing loss of information despite the complexity of multiple conversation levels.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system displays: a view window including an initial portion of a document, a scroll icon at an initial scroll icon location on the display, and a marker icon that is distinct from the scroll icon. The computer system detects a scrolling input and in response moves the scroll icon to a target scroll icon location on the display wherein the target scroll icon location corresponds to a target portion of the document. In some embodiments, the computer system scrolls the document towards the target portion of the document and concurrently moves the marker icon towards a target marker icon location on the display that is proximate to the target scroll icon location, where the scrolling speed of the document is determined based on the distance between the marker icon and the scroll icon.