diff --git a/README.markdown b/README.markdown
index f238166..f25dfbe 100644
--- a/README.markdown
+++ b/README.markdown
@@ -14,25 +14,37 @@ This basic check will return `true` if the entire element is visible to the user
 
 	$('#element').visible();
 
-If you'd like to check for ANY PART of the element, you can use the following:
+To check to see if ANY PART of the element is visible, you can specify a paremeter ('partial').
 
-	$('#element').visible( true );
+	$('#element').visible({ partial: true });
 
 The plugin ignores the elements visibility by default. E.g., `display:none`, `visibility: hidden`, `offsetWidth` or `offsetHeight` is 0). 
 To filter on css visibility, you can use the jQuery `:visible` selector:
 
 	$('#element:visible').visible();
 
-Optionally, you can specify a second parameter to the `.visible` plugin, which will check whether the element is visible, as well as
-whether it's within the viewport too.
+Optionally, you can specify a parameter ('hidden') to the `.visible` plugin, which will check whether the element is visible, as well as whether it's within the viewport too.
 
-	$('#element:visible').visible( false, true );
+	$('#element:visible').visible({ hidden: true });
 
-Optionally, you can add a third parameter to specify the direction to check for visibility. This can either be 'horizontal', 'vertical' or 'both'.
+Optionally, you can add a parameter ('direction') to specify the direction to check for visibility. This can either be 'horizontal', 'vertical' or 'both'.
 Default is to 'both'.
 
-    $('#element').visible( false, false, 'horizontal' );
+	$('#element').visible({ direction: 'horizontal' });
 
+You can also check to see if the object is visible within a specific container by providing a parameter ('container'). The default container is the window.
+
+	$('#element').visible({ container: $('#parent') });
+	
+You can specify any combination of the parameters available when checking visibility. 
+
+To see if the item is partially visible within a parent:    
+
+	$('#element').visible({ partial: true, container: $('#parent') });
+
+To see if the item is completely horizontally visible within a parent:
+
+	$('#element').visible({ container: $('#parent'), direction: 'horizontal' });
 
 Demos
 -----
@@ -46,7 +58,3 @@ See the blog article:
 - [Checking if an element is visible on-screen using jQuery](https://www.customd.com/articles/13/checking-if-an-element-is-visible-on-screen-using-jquery)
 
 
-Limitations
------------
-
-Currently, this plugin will not check for visibility in nested scrollable areas, only on the main viewport (window object).
diff --git a/jquery.visible.js b/jquery.visible.js
index 1d449c3..fc2dfed 100644
--- a/jquery.visible.js
+++ b/jquery.visible.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-(function($){
+(function ($) {
 
     /**
      * Copyright 2012, Digital Fusion
@@ -10,72 +10,78 @@
      *       the user visible viewport of a web browser.
      *       can accounts for vertical position, horizontal, or both
      */
-    var $w=$(window);
-    $.fn.visible = function(partial,hidden,direction,container){
+    var $w = $(window);
+    $.fn.visible = function (options) {
 
         if (this.length < 1)
             return;
-	
-	// Set direction default to 'both'.
-	direction = direction || 'both';
-	    
-        var $t          = this.length > 1 ? this.eq(0) : this,
-						isContained = typeof container !== 'undefined' && container !== null,
-						$c				  = isContained ? $(container) : $w,
-						wPosition        = isContained ? $c.position() : 0,
-            t           = $t.get(0),
-            vpWidth     = $c.outerWidth(),
-            vpHeight    = $c.outerHeight(),
-            clientSize  = hidden === true ? t.offsetWidth * t.offsetHeight : true;
+	// set defaults into options object
+        var defaults = {
+            partial: false,
+            hidden: false,
+            direction: 'both',  // Set direction default to 'both'.
+            container: null
+        };
+	// merge defaults and provided arguments
+        var opts = $.extend({}, defaults, options);
 
-        if (typeof t.getBoundingClientRect === 'function'){
+        var $t = this.length > 1 ? this.eq(0) : this,
+            isContained = typeof opts.container !== 'undefined' && opts.container !== null,
+            $c = isContained ? $(opts.container) : $w,
+            wPosition = isContained ? $c.position() : 0,
+            t = $t.get(0),
+            vpWidth = $c.outerWidth(),
+            vpHeight = $c.outerHeight(),
+            clientSize = opts.hidden === true ? t.offsetWidth * t.offsetHeight : true;
+
+        if (typeof t.getBoundingClientRect === 'function') {
 
             // Use this native browser method, if available.
             var rec = t.getBoundingClientRect(),
                 tViz = isContained ?
-												rec.top - wPosition.top >= 0 && rec.top < vpHeight + wPosition.top :
-												rec.top >= 0 && rec.top < vpHeight,
+                    rec.top - wPosition.top >= 0 && rec.top < vpHeight + wPosition.top :
+                    rec.top >= 0 && rec.top < vpHeight,
                 bViz = isContained ?
-												rec.bottom - wPosition.top > 0 && rec.bottom <= vpHeight + wPosition.top :
-												rec.bottom > 0 && rec.bottom <= vpHeight,
+                    rec.bottom - wPosition.top > 0 && rec.bottom <= vpHeight + wPosition.top :
+                    rec.bottom > 0 && rec.bottom <= vpHeight,
                 lViz = isContained ?
-												rec.left - wPosition.left >= 0 && rec.left < vpWidth + wPosition.left :
-												rec.left >= 0 && rec.left <  vpWidth,
+                    rec.left - wPosition.left >= 0 && rec.left < vpWidth + wPosition.left :
+                    rec.left >= 0 && rec.left < vpWidth,
                 rViz = isContained ?
-												rec.right - wPosition.left > 0  && rec.right < vpWidth + wPosition.left  :
-												rec.right > 0 && rec.right <= vpWidth,
-                vVisible   = partial ? tViz || bViz : tViz && bViz,
-                hVisible   = partial ? lViz || rViz : lViz && rViz,
-		vVisible = (rec.top < 0 && rec.bottom > vpHeight) ? true : vVisible,
+                    rec.right - wPosition.left > 0 && rec.right < vpWidth + wPosition.left :
+                    rec.right > 0 && rec.right <= vpWidth,
+                vVisible = opts.partial ? tViz || bViz : tViz && bViz,
+                hVisible = opts.partial ? lViz || rViz : lViz && rViz,
+                vVisible = (rec.top < 0 && rec.bottom > vpHeight) ? true : vVisible,
                 hVisible = (rec.left < 0 && rec.right > vpWidth) ? true : hVisible;
 
-            if(direction === 'both')
+            if (opts.direction === 'both')
                 return clientSize && vVisible && hVisible;
-            else if(direction === 'vertical')
+            else if (opts.direction === 'vertical')
                 return clientSize && vVisible;
-            else if(direction === 'horizontal')
+            else if (opts.direction === 'horizontal')
                 return clientSize && hVisible;
         } else {
 
-            var viewTop 				= isContained ? 0 : wPosition,
-                viewBottom      = viewTop + vpHeight,
-                viewLeft        = $c.scrollLeft(),
-                viewRight       = viewLeft + vpWidth,
-                position          = $t.position(),
-                _top            = position.top,
-                _bottom         = _top + $t.height(),
-                _left           = position.left,
-                _right          = _left + $t.width(),
-                compareTop      = partial === true ? _bottom : _top,
-                compareBottom   = partial === true ? _top : _bottom,
-                compareLeft     = partial === true ? _right : _left,
-                compareRight    = partial === true ? _left : _right;
+            var viewTop = isContained ? 0 : wPosition,
+                viewBottom = viewTop + vpHeight,
+                viewLeft = $c.scrollLeft(),
+                viewRight = viewLeft + vpWidth,
+                position = $t.position(),
+                _top = position.top,
+                _bottom = _top + $t.height(),
+                _left = position.left,
+                _right = _left + $t.width(),
+                compareTop = opts.partial === true ? _bottom : _top,
+                compareBottom = opts.partial === true ? _top : _bottom,
+                compareLeft = opts.partial === true ? _right : _left,
+                compareRight = opts.partial === true ? _left : _right;
 
-            if(direction === 'both')
+            if (opts.direction === 'both')
                 return !!clientSize && ((compareBottom <= viewBottom) && (compareTop >= viewTop)) && ((compareRight <= viewRight) && (compareLeft >= viewLeft));
-            else if(direction === 'vertical')
+            else if (opts.direction === 'vertical')
                 return !!clientSize && ((compareBottom <= viewBottom) && (compareTop >= viewTop));
-            else if(direction === 'horizontal')
+            else if (opts.direction === 'horizontal')
                 return !!clientSize && ((compareRight <= viewRight) && (compareLeft >= viewLeft));
         }
     };