Graphical Scrollbar Grip Scaling for Large Dataset Paging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Graphical scrollbars fail to update proportionally when the number of addressable rows in a dataset exceeds the available positions, making it difficult for users to navigate large datasets effectively.
Innovation Solution
Divide the dataset into overlapping logical pages, associating each page with a unique index, and map the current page offset to a subset of data within a logical page, scaling the scrollbar grip's position by the number of rows divided by the number of logical pages, to maintain proportional updates and minimize page swapping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the number of addressable rows in a dataset is increased, then the dataset can represent more data, but the scrollbar grip will reach its lowest position in advance and fail to update proportionally
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the dataset into multiple logical pages, each containing a subset of rows. This segmentation allows the scrollbar grip to update proportionally within each page while the system manages the entire large dataset. The logical pages are associated with different page indices, enabling the grip to reflect accurate position information even when the total number of rows exceeds the available grip positions.
2Productivity
If the scrollbar grip uses a 32-bit position value, then it can identify positions efficiently, but it cannot accurately represent positions in datasets with more than 2^32 rows
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an additional dimension by using page indices to represent the high-order portion of the position and page offsets to represent the low-order portion. This dimensional separation allows the system to accommodate datasets with more than 2^32 rows while maintaining efficient 32-bit position values within each page. The combination of page index and offset provides sufficient precision for large datasets.
3Measurement precision
If the scrollbar grip updates proportionally, then it provides accurate position indication, but it requires the number of available positions to be at least equal to the number of addressable rows
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces logical pages as an intermediary between the dataset and the scrollbar grip. Each logical page contains a manageable subset of rows and is associated with a page index. The scrollbar grip updates proportionally within the context of logical pages rather than directly within the entire dataset. This intermediary structure allows accurate position indication without requiring the number of grip positions to match the total number of dataset rows.
Data Source
AI summary
A dataset is divided into overlapping logical pages, each associated with a different page index. A graphical display window is then filled with data corresponding to a current page offset which is mapped into a subset of data in a logical page corresponding to a current page index. Events associated with user operation of navigation controls are intercepted, and upon determining that an event causes updating of the current page offset to a defined position within the currently indexed page, the current page index and offset are transparently mapped to a new page index and offset. The window may be associated with a scrollbar grip, and upon intercepting an event associated with operation of the grip, the position of the grip is scaled by multiplying it by a scaling factor. The current page index is then set to the index of a logical page that scales to the grip's position.