Method and Apparatus for Accelerated Scrolling

• US 20080098330A1
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey Robbin, Robert Tsuk
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey Robbin, Robert Tsuk
• Inventors: Tsuk, Robert, Robbin, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 9,009,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/830
• 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 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• 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 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/34 for rolling or scrolling
• 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

Improved approaches for users to with graphical user interfaces of computing devices are disclosed. A rotational user action supplied by a user via a user input device can provide accelerated scrolling. The accelerated nature of the scrolling enables users to scroll or traverse a lengthy data set (e.g., list of items) faster and with greater ease. The amount of acceleration provided can be performed in successive stages, and/or performed based on the speed of the rotational user action. In one embodiment, the rotational user action is transformed into linear action with respect to a graphical user interface. The resulting acceleration effect causes the linear action to be enhanced such that a lengthy data set is able to be rapidly traversed.

Claims

1. A consumer electronics product, comprising:

a storage device that stores a plurality of media items;

a display for displaying a first portion of a list of the plurality of media items;

a user input device that enables a user of said consumer electronics product to at least scroll through a list of the plurality of media items in accordance with a user-controlled scroll rate; and

a processor operatively connected to said storage device, said display, and said user input device, said processor determines an acceleration factor for use in scrolling the list of the plurality of media items and causes said consumer electronics product to display a second portion of the list of the plurality of media items, the second portion of the plurality of media items within the list of the plurality of media items being dependent on at least the user-controlled scroll rate and the acceleration factor.

2. A consumer electronics product as recited in claim 1, wherein said consumer electronics products is a portable, battery-operated media player.

3. A consumer electronics product as recited in claim 2, wherein the media player is an MP3 player, and wherein the media items are audio files for songs.

4. A consumer electronics product, comprising:

a storage device configured to store a plurality of media items;

a display device;

a rotational input device configured to receive a number of units associated with a rotational user input, the rotational user input being provided by a user through interaction with the rotational input device;

means for determining an acceleration factor associated with the rotational user input,

means for modifying the number of units by the acceleration factor,

means for determining a next portion of the data set based on the modified number of units,

means for presenting the next portion of the data set, and

means for providing visual feedback via the display as interaction with the rotational input occurs.

5. A consumer electronics product as recited in claim 4, wherein said consumer electronics product further comprises:

means for providing audio feedback as interaction with the rotational input occurs.

6. A consumer electronics product, comprising:

a storage device configured to store a plurality of media items;

a display device;

a rotational input device configured to receive a number of units associated with a rotational user input, the rotational user input being provided by a user through interaction with the rotational input device; and

circuitry, operatively connected to said rotation input device, configured to;

determine a speed of rotation for the rotational input, applying acceleration if the speed of rotation is greater than a speed threshold, remove applied acceleration if the speed of rotation is less then the speed threshold, modify the number of units in accordance with the applied acceleration, determine a next portion of the data set based on the modified number of units, present the next portion of the data set, and provide at least audio feedback or visual feedback via the display as interaction with the rotational input occurs.

7. A consumer electronics product as recited in claim 6, wherein the data set is associated with a list of items, and the portions of the data set comprise at least one of the items.

8. A consumer electronics product as recited in claim 6, wherein the data set is associated with a media file comprising a plurality of sections and the portions of the data set are associated with at least one section of the media file.

9. A consumer electronics product as recited in claim 8, wherein the media file comprises an audio file.

10. A consumer electronics product as recited in claim 6, wherein the rotational user input comprises a touch pad.

11. A consumer electronics product as recited in claim 10, wherein the touch pad comprises a circular touch pad.

12. A consumer electronics product as recited in claim 6, wherein the acceleration factor is dependent on a rate of speed of the rotational user input.

13. A consumer electronics product as recited in claim 6, wherein the acceleration factor provides a range of acceleration.

14. A consumer electronics product as recited in claim 6, wherein the acceleration factor can successively increase to provided successively greater levels of acceleration.

15. A consumer electronics product as recited in claim 6, wherein in determining the next data portion said circuitry converts the modified number of units into the next portion based on a predetermined value.

16. A consumer electronics product as recited in claim 6, wherein in determining the next data portion said circuitry divides the modified number of units by a chunking value.

17. A consumer electronics product as recited in 6, wherein in determining the next data portion said circuitry adds a prior remainder value to the modified number of units and converts the modified number of units into the next portion.