Graphic user interface for data processing device

• US 20050140661A1
• Filed: 01/17/2003
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trigenix Ltd. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Collins, Philip David Abdy
• Granted Patent: US 7,385,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Graphic User Interface for Data Processing Device A handheld data processing device (82) has a touch-sensitive display screen (84) and interface means for generating a graphic user interface (GUI) on the screen, the GUI having one or more image elements (88, 92, 94, 96, 98, 100, 102), each representing an input. The screen (84) generates a control signal corresponding to an input in response to a portion of the screen on which an image element (88, 92, 94, 96, 98, 100, 102) representing said input is displayed being touched by a user of the device. The device has processing means for processing the control signal. The interface means is operable to locate the image elements (88, 92, 94, 96, 98, 100, 102) on an accessible portion of the screen (84) so that in use the image elements are within reach of a digit (90) of a hand in which the device is held. The image elements may, for example, be located in a fan in a corner of the screen, or in linear fashion along the edges of the screen.

Claims

1. A handheld data processing device having a touch-sensitive display screen to enable a user of the device to enter an input, the device comprising:

interface means for generating a graphic user interface (GUI) on the screen, the GUI having at least one image element representing an input, and the screen being operable to generate a control signal corresponding to the input in response to a portion of the screen on which the image element is displayed being touched by the user; and

processing means responsive to generation of the control signal to process the input;

characterised in that the interface means is operable to locate the image element on an accessible portion of the screen, so that in use the image element is within reach of a digit of a hand in which the device is held.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the accessible portion is so positioned that in use the at least one image element is within reach of the thumb of the hand in which the device is held.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the interface means is operable to generate a GUI having a single image element representing a “

menu”

input, the screen is operable to generate a control signal corresponding to the “

menu”

input in response to the portion of the screen on which the element representing the “

menu”

input is displayed being touched by the user, and the interface means is operable to display a plurality of image elements on the accessible portion of the screen in response to generation of the control signal corresponding to the “

menu”

input.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the display screen is generally rectangular and the single image element is located at a bottom corner of the display screen.

5. A device according to claim 3, wherein the interface means is operable to display the plurality of elements in the accessible portion of the screen adjacent to the single image element.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the interface means is operable to display the plurality of elements in a first curve adjacent to the single image element.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the interface means is operable to display a further plurality of elements in the accessible portion of the screen in a second curve adjacent to the first curve.

8. A device according to claim 3, wherein the first and/or second plurality of elements includes elements representing “

scroll clockwise” and

“

scroll anticlockwise”

inputs and a sector of elements arranged as a sector of a ring and representing a selection from a list of available inputs, and the display screen is operable to generate control signals to cause the sector of elements to be replaced by a sector of elements representing another selection from the list of available inputs, in response to the portion of the screen on which the element representing the “

scroll clockwise”

or “

scroll anticlockwise”

input is displayed being touched.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the display screen is operable to cause the sector of elements to be replaced by a sector of elements representing another selection from the list of available inputs, as if a virtual ring of inputs were present beneath the device and a sector of the virtual ring were visible through the sector of elements, and touching the portions of the screen on which the elements representing the “

scroll clockwise” and

“

scroll anticlockwise”

inputs are displayed caused the virtual ring to rotate anticlockwise and clockwise, respectively, relative to the device.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive display screen is generally rectangular and the interface means is operable to cause a first plurality of image elements to be displayed along a first edge of the screen such that they may be touched by the thumb of a first hand in which the device is held.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein the interface means is operable to cause a second plurality of image elements to be displayed along a second edge of the screen such that they may be touched by the thumb of a second hand in which the device is held.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein the first and/or second plurality of image elements includes elements representing “

scroll up” and

“

scroll down”

inputs and a vertical list of elements representing a selection from a list of available inputs, and the screen is operable to generate control signals to cause the vertical list of elements to be replaced by a vertical list of elements representing another selection from the list of available inputs, in response to the portion of the screen on which the image element representing the “

scroll up”

or “

scroll down”

input is displayed being touched by the user.

13. A device according to claim 12, wherein the display screen is operable to cause the vertical list of elements to be replaced by a vertical list of elements representing another selection from the list of available inputs as if the list of available inputs were present beneath the device and a portion of the vertical list were visible through the vertical list of elements, and touching the portions of the screen on which the image elements representing the “

scroll up” and

“

scroll down”

inputs are displayed caused the list to move down and up, respectively, relative to the device.

14. A device according to claim 1, wherein the interface means is operable to determine the accessible portion of the display screen and to set the size and location of the at least one image element accordingly.

15. A device according to claim 14, wherein the interface means is operable to determine whether for a particular user the accessible portion of the screen is larger than average, and accordingly to increase the area of the at least one image element, or where the GUI has a plurality of image elements, to introduce or increase gaps between the elements.

16. A device according to claim 1, wherein the interface means is operable to locate the at least one image element in a first location to suit a left-handed user, or in a second location to suit a right-handed user.

17. A device according to claim 1, wherein the interface means is operable to cause a label associated with the at least one image element to be displayed on a portion of the display screen outside the accessible portion.

18. A device according to claim 17, wherein the interface means is operable to associate the label with the at least one image element by means of a lead line.

19. A device according to claim 1, further comprising input means operable to generate a further control signal, wherein the interface means is operable in response to the further control signal to display on the portion of the screen on which the at least one image element representing a first input is displayed an image element representing a second input.

20. A device according to claim 1, wherein the display screen is operable to generate a first control signal in response to the user touching a portion of the screen in which an image element representing an input is displayed, and a second control signal in response to the user removing his digit from the display screen, and the processing means is operable to process the input only in response to generation of the first control signal followed by the second control signal.

21. A device according to claim 20, wherein the interface means is operable in response to the first control signal to display on a portion of the screen outside the accessible portion an image representing the input, and to remove the image in response to the processing means processing the input.

22. A computer program for execution by a handheld data processing device having a touch-sensitive display screen, interface means for generating a GUI and processing means, the program being executable by the processing means to cause the interface means to generate a GUI having at least one image element representing an input, and to process a control signal corresponding to the input generated by the screen in response to the portion of the screen on which the at least one image element is displayed being touched, characterised in that the program is executable by the processing means to cause the interface means to locate the at least one image element on an accessible portion of the screen such that the element may be touched by a digit of a hand in which the device is held.

23. A computer program according to claim 22, which is executable by the interface means to determine the accessible portion of the display screen, and to set the size and location of the at least one image element accordingly.

24-25. -25. (canceled)