METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A DISPLAY IN AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20080057941A1
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Adamczyk, Patrick, Scott, Sherryl Lee Lorraine, Paas, Julian, Vanden Heuvel, David Noel, Steele, Joel
• Granted Patent: US 7,855,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/425
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• 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 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera

Abstract

A novel method and apparatus for controlling a display of an electronic device is provided. In an embodiment, the device is a portable electronic device with the combined features of wireless email and telephony. The portable electronic device also includes a camera. The device includes a trackball which can be used to control the image shown in the viewfinder when the device is being used as a camera.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the display of a portable electronic device having a camera function;

the portable electronic device including a light-sensitive transducer for receiving a first image and a trackball for use as a user-input device;

the method comprising;

setting a default zoom level;

activating a viewfinder by generating a second image on said display that corresponds to said first image;

said second image having a field of view that corresponds to said default zoom level;

receiving rolling input from said trackball;

said input representing an instruction either to zoom-in to or zoom-out from said field of view;

adjusting said zoom level based on whether said instruction indicated zoom-in or zoom-out; and

,

regenerating said second image, on said viewfinder, with an enlarged or reduced field of view according to said zoom level from said adjusting step.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said device includes at least one additional function in addition to said camera function;

said method further comprising the step of, prior to said setting step, receiving a request to activate said camera application.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said at least one additional function includes at least one of wireless telephony and wireless email.

4. The method of any of claim 1 wherein said rolling input in a first direction represents zoom-in and said rolling input in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, represents zoom-out.

5. The method of any of claim 1 further comprising the steps of receiving an input from said trackball corresponding to said trackball being depressed;

and capturing at least a portion of said first image, said portion corresponding to said second image within said viewfinder according to said zoom level.

6. The method of any of claims 1 further comprising the step of generating an icon image of said trackball on said display that corresponds to whether said trackball is in a rest position or is in a rolling position.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said rest position corresponds to said zoom being at a any one of a minimum zoom level, an intermediate zoom level and a maximum zoom level;

and said method further comprising the step of generating one of three icon images.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said icon corresponding to said minimum zoom level indicates that only zooming-in is available;

said icon corresponding to said intermediate level indicates that both zooming-in and zooming-out are available; and

said icon corresponding to said maximum zoom level indicates that only zooming-out is available.

9. The method of any one of claim 1 wherein said device includes a telephony or instant messaging application, said method further comprising the step of presenting a notification screen, overlaying said viewfinder, indicating that an incoming communication is being received via said application.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said notification screen includes an identifier of an originator of said incoming communication;

said identifier including a photograph of said originator.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said notification screen includes an ignore field and an accept field, and said ignore field is highlighted by default.

21. A computer readable medium for storing a set of programming instructions according to the method of claim 1.

12. A portable electronic device comprising:

a processor interconnecting a trackball, a light-sensitive transducer, a display, a persistent storage device and a volatile storage device;

said processor configured to generate a viewfinder on said display;

said viewfinder reproducing an image, received via said light-sensitive transducer, said image having a field of view;

said processor configured to receive rolling input from said trackball and to enlarge or reduce said field of view of said image on said viewfinder depending on a direction of said rolling input.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein said processor is further configured to receive a signal corresponding to said trackball being depressed, and, responsive to said signal, capture for saving on said persistent storage device a captured image;

said captured image corresponding to said image on said viewfinder according to said zoom level.

14. The device of any of claims 12 wherein said rolling input in a first direction represents zooming-in and rolling input in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, represents zooming-out.

15. The device of any of claims 12 wherein said processor is further configured to generate, in conjunction with said viewfinder, an icon image of said trackball on said display that corresponds to whether said trackball is in a rest position or is in a rolling position.

16. The device according to claim 15 wherein said rest position corresponds to said zoom being at any one of a minimum zoom level, an intermediate zoom level and a maximum zoom level.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein said processor is configured to generate three icons corresponding to said rest position;

a first one of said icons corresponding to said minimum zoom level indicates that only zooming-in is available;

a second one of said icons corresponding to said intermediate level indicates that both zooming-in and zooming-out are available; and

a third one of said icons corresponding to said maximum zoom level indicates that only zooming-out is available.

18. The device of any one of claims 12 wherein said device includes at least one of a telephony application or an instant messaging application;

said processor further configured to generate a notification screen, overlaying said viewfinder, indicating that an incoming communication is being received via said telephony or instant messaging application.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein said notification screen includes an identifier of an originator of said incoming communication;

said identifier including a photograph of said originator.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein said notification screen includes an ignore field and an accept field, and said ignore field is highlighted by default.