User Intent During Object Scrolling

Abstract

Particular embodiments arrange a plurality of objects in a hierarchy, the hierarchy having one or more layers and each layer having at least one of the objects; display a portion of a sequence of first objects on a screen of a user device, the sequence of first objects all belong to a first layer in the hierarchy, each first object having as its children one or more second objects belonging to a second layer immediately below the first layer in the hierarchy; in response to a user scrolling through the sequence of first objects, estimate which specific first object in the sequence the user is likely to be viewing at a predetermined time in the future based on an acceleration of the user scrolling through the sequence of first objects; and preload the second objects that are children of the specific first object.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 arranging a plurality of objects in a hierarchy, the hierarchy having one or more layers and each layer having at least one of the objects;   displaying a portion of a sequence of first objects on a screen of a user device, the sequence of first objects all belong to a first layer in the hierarchy, each first object having as its children one or more second objects belonging to a second layer immediately below the first layer in the hierarchy;   in response to a user scrolling through the sequence of first objects, estimating which specific first object in the sequence the user is likely to be viewing at a predetermined time in the future based on an acceleration of the user scrolling through the sequence of first objects; and   preloading the second objects that are children of the specific first object.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the user scrolls through the sequence of first objects by swiping across the screen of the user device; and   the acceleration of the user scrolling is determined based on a speed the user swipes across the screen of the user device.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein when the user scrolls through the sequence of first objects at a higher acceleration, the specific first object in the sequence the user is likely to be viewing at the predetermined time in the future is further, in position, from the portion of the sequence of first objects currently displayed on the screen of the user device. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein when the user scrolls through the sequence of first objects at a lower acceleration, the specific first object in the sequence the user is likely to be viewing at the predetermined time in the future is closer, in position, to the portion of the sequence of first objects currently displayed on the screen of the user device. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein preloading the second objects that are children of the specific first object comprises downloading the second objects from a remote device to the user device. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein preloading the second objects that are children of the specific first object comprises rendering the second objects for display. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein each first object is a photo album and each second object is a photo belonging to a specific photo album. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein each first object is a section of a digital book and each second object is a page belonging to a specific section. 
     
     
         9 . One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:
 arrange a plurality of objects in a hierarchy, the hierarchy having one or more layers and each layer having at least one of the objects;   display a portion of a sequence of first objects on a screen of a user device, the sequence of first objects all belong to a first layer in the hierarchy, each first object having as its children one or more second objects belonging to a second layer immediately below the first layer in the hierarchy;   in response to a user scrolling through the sequence of first objects, estimate which specific first object in the sequence the user is likely to be viewing at a predetermined time in the future based on an acceleration of the user scrolling through the sequence of first objects; and   preload the second objects that are children of the specific first object.   
     
     
         10 . The media of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the user scrolls through the sequence of first objects by swiping across the screen of the user device; and   the acceleration of the user scrolling is determined based on a speed the user swipes across the screen of the user device.   
     
     
         11 . The media of  claim 9 , wherein when the user scrolls through the sequence of first objects at a higher acceleration, the specific first object in the sequence the user is likely to be viewing at the predetermined time in the future is further, in position, from the portion of the sequence of first objects currently displayed on the screen of the user device. 
     
     
         12 . The media of  claim 9 , wherein when the user scrolls through the sequence of first objects at a lower acceleration, the specific first object in the sequence the user is likely to be viewing at the predetermined time in the future is closer, in position, to the portion of the sequence of first objects currently displayed on the screen of the user device. 
     
     
         13 . The media of  claim 9 , wherein preload the second objects that are children of the specific first object comprises download the second objects from a remote device to the user device. 
     
     
         14 . The media of  claim 9 , wherein preload the second objects that are children of the specific first object comprises render the second objects for display. 
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to:
 arrange a plurality of objects in a hierarchy, the hierarchy having one or more layers and each layer having at least one of the objects; 
 display a portion of a sequence of first objects on a screen of a user device, the sequence of first objects all belong to a first layer in the hierarchy, each first object having as its children one or more second objects belonging to a second layer immediately below the first layer in the hierarchy; 
 in response to a user scrolling through the sequence of first objects, estimate which specific first object in the sequence the user is likely to be viewing at a predetermined time in the future based on an acceleration of the user scrolling through the sequence of first objects; and 
 preload the second objects that are children of the specific first object. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the user scrolls through the sequence of first objects by swiping across the screen of the user device; and   the acceleration of the user scrolling is determined based on a speed the user swipes across the screen of the user device.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein when the user scrolls through the sequence of first objects at a higher acceleration, the specific first object in the sequence the user is likely to be viewing at the predetermined time in the future is further, in position, from the portion of the sequence of first objects currently displayed on the screen of the user device. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein when the user scrolls through the sequence of first objects at a lower acceleration, the specific first object in the sequence the user is likely to be viewing at the predetermined time in the future is closer, in position, to the portion of the sequence of first objects currently displayed on the screen of the user device. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein preload the second objects that are children of the specific first object comprises download the second objects from a remote device to the user device. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein preload the second objects that are children of the specific first object comprises render the second objects for display.