Trackball system and method for a mobile data processing device

• US 20080007571A1
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Chunkwok, Gong, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,782,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/678
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

A graphical user interface which employs logical barriers for temporarily preventing cursor movement between graphical elements under certain circumstances. For example, one embodiment of the invention comprises a data processing device having a memory for storing program code and a processor for processing the program code to generate a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI comprising: a first predefined region including of a first plurality of selectable graphical elements; a second predefined region including a second plurality of selectable graphical elements; and a logical barrier between the first predefined region and the second predefined region, the logical barrier configured to temporarily prevent movement from a graphical element in the first predetermined region to a graphical element in the second predetermined region in response to a user input directed towards graphical element in the second predetermined region, the logical barrier temporarily preventing the movement for either a specified period of time and/or a specified amount of movement generated by a user input device.

Claims

1. A data processing device having a memory for storing program code and a processor for processing the program code to generate a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI comprising:

a first predefined region including of a first plurality of selectable graphical elements;

a second predefined region including a second plurality of selectable graphical elements; and

a logical barrier between the first predefined region and the second predefined region, the logical barrier configured to temporarily prevent movement from a graphical element in the first predetermined region to a graphical element in the second predetermined region in response to a user input directed towards graphical element in the second predetermined region, the logical barrier temporarily preventing the movement for either a specified period of time and/or a specified amount of movement generated by a user input device.

2. The data processing device as in claim 1 wherein the first predefined region comprises a first window and the second predefined region comprises a second window adjacent to the first window,

wherein when the first window is visible on a display of the data processing apparatus, the second display window is not visible, and wherein when the second display window is visible on the display, the second window is not visible.

3. The data processing device as in claim 2 wherein the first window and second window each individually occupy the entire data processing device display.

4. The data processing device as in claim 1 wherein the first logical region comprises a first month within a graphical calendar interface and the first plurality of selectable graphical elements comprise calendar entries within the first month and wherein the second logical region comprises a second month within the graphical calendar interface and the second plurality of selectable graphical elements comprise calendar entries within the second month.

5. The data processing device as in claim 1 wherein the first graphical region comprises a first menu and the first plurality of selectable graphical elements comprise selectable menu elements;

and wherein the first graphical region comprises a first menu and the first plurality of selectable graphical elements comprise selectable menu elements; and

wherein the second plurality of selectable graphical elements comprise selectable sub-elements associated with each of the selectable menu elements.

6. The data processing device as in claim 1 wherein the user input device comprises a trackball.

7. A method for navigating through a graphical user interface displayed on a data processing device display in response to input via a user interface device comprising:

providing a first predefined region including of a first plurality of selectable graphical elements;

providing a second predefined region including a second plurality of selectable graphical elements; and

temporarily preventing movement from a graphical element in the first predetermined region to a graphical element in the second predetermined region in response to a user input directed towards graphical element in the second predetermined region, the movement being prevented for either a specified period of time and/or a specified amount of movement generated by a user input device.

8. The method as in claim 7 wherein the first predefined region comprises a first window and the second predefined region comprises a second window adjacent to the first window,

wherein when the first window is visible on a display of the data processing apparatus, the second display window is not visible, and wherein when the second display window is visible on the display, the second window is not visible.

9. The method as in claim 8 wherein the first window and second window each individually occupy the entire data processing device display.

10. The method as in claim 7 wherein the first logical region comprises a first month within a graphical calendar interface and the first plurality of selectable graphical elements comprise calendar entries within the first month and wherein the second logical region comprises a second month within the graphical calendar interface and the second plurality of selectable graphical elements comprise calendar entries within the second month.

11. The method as in claim 7 wherein the first graphical region comprises a first menu and the first plurality of selectable graphical elements comprise selectable menu elements;

and wherein the first graphical region comprises a first menu and the first plurality of selectable graphical elements comprise selectable menu elements; and

wherein the second plurality of selectable graphical elements comprise selectable sub-elements associated with each of the selectable menu elements.

12. The method as in claim 7 wherein the user input device comprises a trackball.

13. A method for navigating through blocks of text or graphics (hereinafter “

text”

) displayed on a display of a data processing device comprising;

entering into a first selection mode in which only blocks of text having hyperlinks are selected in succession in the direction of movement of a user input device;

in response to a first user input, entering into a second selection mode in which blocks of hyperlinked text and non-hyperlinked text are selected in succession in response to the movement of the user input device.

14. The method as in claim 13 further comprising:

modifying a color associated with a selection highlighter when changing between the first selection mode and the second selection mode.

15. The method as in claim 13 further comprising:

in response to a second user input, entering into a third selection mode in which each additional block of text in succession is highlighted along with the currently blocks of text in response to the movement of the user interface device.

16. The method as in claim 13 wherein the blocks of text are within a Web page.

17. The method as in claim 13 wherein the user interface device comprises a trackball.

18. The method as in claim 13 wherein the first user input comprises user selection of a specified key on the data processing device.

19. The method as in claim 15 wherein the second user input comprises the user selecting and holding down a specified key on the data processing device while concurrently moving the user input device.