Method for scrolling automatically on a display device and device therefor

Claim 2

An automatic scrolling method for showing a document which is larger than a screen of an information device, the method comprising the steps of: (a) displaying a first portion of the document located at a beginning of the document; (b) automatically displaying second portions of the document shifted from respective previously displayed portions by a predetermined horizontal displacement at each of predetermined periods until a right end of the document is displayed in response to completing the displaying of the first portion, (c) automatically displaying a third portion of the document shifted by a predetermined vertical displacement and including a left end of the document in response to completing the displaying of the right end of the document; and (d) repeating said steps (b) and (c) until all contents of the document have been displayed.

Claim 3

The automatic scrolling method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the step of setting the predetermined horizontal and vertical displacements prior to said step (b).

Claim 4

The automatic scrolling method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the information device is a hand-held portable information terminal.

Claim 5

The automatic scrolling method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein: the predetermined horizontal displacement is between a horizontal inter-pixel distance and a width of the screen; and the predetermined vertical displacement is between a vertical inter-pixel distance and a length of the screen.

Claim 6

The automatic scrolling method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined horizontal and vertical displacements are default values.

Claim 7

The automatic scrolling method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in said step (b), if one of the second portions to be displayed includes the right end of the document, an actual horizontal displacement of the one second portion is less than the predetermined horizontal displacement.

Claim 8

An automatic scrolling method for displaying a document which is larger than a screen of an information device on the screen, the method comprising the steps of: (a) automatically shifting and displaying portions of the document by a predetermined horizontal displacement starting from a first side of the document until a second side of the document is displayed; (b) automatically displaying another portion of the document including the first side and shifted by a predetermined vertical displacement from the portions displayed in said step (a) in response to completing said step (a); and (c) repeating said steps (a) and (b).

Claim 9

An automatic scrolling method for displaying a document which is larger than a screen of an information device on the screen, the method comprising the steps of: (a) automatically shifting and displaying portions of the document by a predetermined horizontal displacement starting from a first side of the document until a second side of the document is displayed; (b) automatically displaying another portion of the document including the first side and shifted by a predetermined vertical displacement from the portions displayed in said step (a) in response to completing said step (a); and (c) repeating said steps (a) and (b).

Claim 10

The automatic scrolling method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising the step of: displaying a beginning portion including the first side of the document prior to said step (a); wherein said step (c) comprises the step of repeating said steps (a) and (b) until all contents of the document have been displayed.

Claim 11

The automatic scrolling method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said step (c) comprises the step of repeating said steps (a) and (b) until a bottom portion of the document is being displayed.

Claim 12

The automatic scrolling method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein: the predetermined horizontal displacement is between a horizontal inter-pixel distance and a width of the screen; and the predetermined vertical displacement is between a vertical inter-pixel distance and a length of the screen.

Claim 13

The automatic scrolling method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising the step of setting the horizontal and vertical displacements by a user prior to said step (a).

Claim 14

The automatic scrolling method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the predetermined horizontal and vertical displacements are default values.

Claim 15

The automatic scrolling method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein in said step (a), if one of the portions to be displayed includes the second end of the document, an actual horizontal displacement of the one portion is less than the predetermined horizontal displacement.

Claim 16

The automatic scrolling method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said step (a) comprises the step of shifting the portions of the document by the predetermined horizontal displacement at each of a plurality of predetermined scroll periods.

Claim 17

The automatic scrolling method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising the step of setting a value for the plurality of predetermined scroll periods by a user prior to said step (a).

Claim 18

The automatic scrolling method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said step (a) comprises the step of shifting the portions of the document by the predetermined horizontal displacement at each of a plurality of predetermined scroll periods, the method further comprising the step of setting a value for the plurality of predetermined scroll periods by a user prior to said step (a).

Claim 19

An information display device having a screen to display a document larger than the screen, comprising: a memory to store the document; and a processing unit to read the document from said memory, wherein said processing unit: automatically shifts and displays portions of the document by a predetermined horizontal displacement starting from a first side of the document until a second side of the document is displayed, automatically displays another portion of the document including the first side and shifted by a predetermined vertical displacement from the portions displayed by the predetermined horizontal displacement in response to completing the display of said second side, and repeatedly shifts and displays subsequent portions of the document by the predetermined horizontal displacement until the second side of the document is displayed and a subsequent portion of the document including the first side and shifted by the predetermined vertical displacement from the subsequent portions displayed by the predetermined horizontal displacement.

Claim 20

An information display device having a screen to display a document larger than the screen, comprising: a memory to store the document; and a processing unit to read the document from said memory, wherein said processing unit: automatically shifts and displays portions of the document by a predetermined horizontal displacement starting from a first side of the document until a second side of the document is displayed, automatically displays another portion of the document including the first side and shifted by a predetermined vertical displacement from the portions displayed by the predetermined horizontal displacement in response to completing the display of said second side, and repeatedly shifts and displays subsequent portions of the document by the predetermined horizontal displacement until the second side of the document is displayed and a subsequent portion of the document including the first side and shifted by the predetermined vertical displacement from the subsequent portions displayed by the predetermined horizontal displacement.

Claim 21

The information display device as claimed in claim 17 , further comprising an input unit to enable inputs by a user of the horizontal and vertical displacements.

Claim 22

The information display device as claimed in claim 17 , wherein said processing unit comprises: a microprocessor to receive the document from an external source, store the document in said memory and read various portions of the document from the memory to perform the horizontal and vertical displacements; and a video random access memory (RAM) to store the various portions of the document received from said microprocessor and output the various portions to the screen.

Claim 23

The information display device as claimed in claim 17 , wherein said processing unit initially displays a beginning portion including the first side of the document, and performs the horizontal and vertical displacements until all contents of the document have been displayed.

Claim 24

The information display device as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the information display device is a hand-held portable information terminal.

Claim 25

A scrolling method for showing a document which is larger than a screen of an information device, said document having a pair of edges and a pair of ends, comprising: displaying a first portion of the document which includes one of said pair of edges and one of said pair of ends; initiating an automatic scrolling sequence, said scrolling sequence defining a predetermined horizontal displacement, a predetermined vertical displacement and a predetermined viewing period, the automatic scrolling sequence comprising: repeatedly horizontally shifting respective next portions of the document by the predetermined horizontal displacement and displaying each of said next portions for a duration of the predetermined viewing period until the other of said pair of edges is displayed; vertically shifting and displaying a second portion of the document by the predetermined vertical displacement after the other of said pair of edges is displayed; and sequentially repeating the horizontal and vertical shifting and displaying until the other of said pair of ends is displayed.

Claim 26

A scrolling method for showing a document which is larger than a screen of an information device, said document having a pair of edges and a pair of ends, comprising: displaying a first portion of the document which includes one of said pair of edges and one of said pair of ends; initiating an automatic scrolling sequence, said scrolling sequence defining a predetermined horizontal displacement, a predetermined vertical displacement and a predetermined viewing period, the automatic scrolling sequence comprising: repeatedly horizontally shifting respective next portions of the document by the predetermined horizontal displacement and displaying each of said next portions for a duration of the predetermined viewing period until the other of said pair of edges is displayed; vertically shifting and displaying a second portion of the document by the predetermined vertical displacement after the other of said pair of edges is displayed; and sequentially repeating the horizontal and vertical shifting and displaying until the other of said pair of ends is displayed.