Executive Scrolling Device

Executive Scrolling Device

       The universal scrollbar used in today's computer interfaces
is an uncomfortable, inaccessible interface for touch screens.  In
addition, it requires the consumption of screen real estate for the
existence of the control.  A scrolling mechanism has not yet been
designed which is acceptable to an Executive Officer with touch
screen requirements and limited screen real estate usage.  This
article presents an alternate solution.

      Scrollbar controls commonly appear with a window and control
the contents thereof.  The Executive Scroll Device does not appear at
all until requested.  To request the control, the user simply presses
the second mouse button in the window with which a scrolling
mechanism is required.  In Figs. 1-3, a drawing of the control is
presented.  Fig. 1 shows the control.  The control operates like a
joy stick.  The user can operate the control by holding down mouse
button one and dragging on the joy stick.  In addition, the control
can be moved by simply using mouse button one and grabbing the side
(no joy stick) and dragging.  While the control is visual, it is
bound to the window for which it was requested.  This permits a user
to have multiple Executive Scrolling devices with multiple windows.
This scrolling mechanism does not require constant usage of real
estate and allows more freedom of movement in a document.  By
allowing the control to be on a request basis, the user has an option
to use th...