USER INTERFACE NAVIGATION MECHANISM AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME

• US 20080204412A1
• Filed: 02/22/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Apodaca, Eduardo Ahumada, Salisbury, John David, ON, Peter
• Application Number:
  US11/677,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20080204412A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/160
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A user interface navigation mechanism for a non-touch screen display of a computing device includes a vertical tracking input disposed in a front of the computing device in a right margin between a right of the non-touch screen display and a right of the computing device, the vertical tracking input including an up input, a down input, and a vertical selection point; and a horizontal tracking input disposed in the front of the computing device in a bottom margin between a bottom of the non-touch screen display and a bottom of the computing device, the horizontal tracking input including a left input, a right input, and a horizontal selection point; and a main menu input disposed in the front of the computing device.

Claims

1. A user interface navigation mechanism for a non-touch screen display of a computing device, the computing device including a top, a bottom, a left side, a right side, a front, a rear, the non-touch screen display disposed in the front of the computing device and including a top, a bottom, a left side, a right side, and the front of the computing device including a top margin between the top of the non-touch screen display and the top of the computing device, a bottom margin between the bottom of the non-touch screen display and the bottom of the computing device, a left margin between the left of the non-touch screen display and the left of the computing device, and a right margin between the right of the non-touch screen display and the right of the computing device, the user interface navigation mechanism comprising:

a vertical tracking input disposed in the right margin, the vertical tracking input including an up input, a down input, and a vertical selection point;

a horizontal tracking input disposed in the bottom margin, the horizontal tracking input including a left input, a right input, and a horizontal selection point; and

a main menu input disposed in the front of the computing device.

2. The user interface navigation mechanism of claim 1, wherein vertical tracking input includes at least one of resistive touch sensors, capacitive touch sensors, and inductive touch sensors.

3. The user interface navigation mechanism of claim 1, wherein vertical tracking input includes at least one of mechanical buttons and keys.

4. The user interface navigation mechanism of claim 1, wherein horizontal tracking input includes at least one of resistive touch sensors, capacitive touch sensors, and inductive touch sensors.

5. The user interface navigation mechanism of claim 1, wherein horizontal tracking input includes at least one of mechanical buttons and keys.

6. The user interface navigation mechanism of claim 1, further including at least one illumination device and light pipe to illuminate the vertical tracking input and horizontal tracking input.

7. A method of processing user input on a user interface navigation mechanism for a non-touch screen display of a computing device, the computing device including a top, a bottom, a left side, a right side, a front, a rear, the non-touch screen display disposed in the front of the computing device and including a top, a bottom, a left side, a right side, and the front of the computing device including a top margin between the top of the non-touch screen display and the top of the computing device, a bottom margin between the bottom of the non-touch screen display and the bottom of the computing device, a left margin between the left of the non-touch screen display and the left of the computing device, and a right margin between the right of the non-touch screen display and the right of the computing device, a vertical tracking input disposed in the right margin, the vertical tracking input including an up input, a down input, and a vertical selection point, a horizontal tracking input disposed in the bottom margin, the horizontal tracking input including a left input, a right input, and a horizontal selection point, and a main menu input disposed in the front of the computing device, the method comprising:

presenting on the non-touch screen display a main menu based upon user contact with the main menu input;

navigating vertically through vertical menu items in response to user contact with the up input and down input of the vertical tracking input to highlight a vertical menu item;

selecting the highlighted vertical menu item based upon user contact with the vertical selection input;

navigating horizontally through horizontal menu items in response to user contact with the left input and right input of the horizontal tracking input to highlight a horizontal menu item;

selecting the highlighted horizontal menu item based upon user contact with the horizontal selection input.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving vertical tracking input from at least one of resistive touch sensors, capacitive touch sensors, and inductive touch sensors.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving vertical tracking input from at least one of mechanical buttons and keys.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving horizontal tracking input from least one of resistive touch sensors, capacitive touch sensors, and inductive touch sensors.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving horizontal tracking input from least one of mechanical buttons and keys.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising illuminating the vertical tracking input and horizontal tracking input with least one illumination device and light pipe.