APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LOCATING A TARGET ITEM IN A LIST

• US 20090012952A1
• Filed: 07/05/2007
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Fredriksson, Jenny
• Granted Patent: US 7,707,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display

Abstract

Process for locating target item in a list including a plurality of items in sequence from 1 to m, including: (a) defining a range within the list including the target item, including: i) identifying a first item at location “n”, where 1≦n≦m; ii) identifying a last item at location “p” where n≦p≦m; (b) identifying and displaying an item at location D=((p−n)/2+n); (c) determining location of target relative to “D”. If the target is at or adjacent “D”, terminate the process and display the target item; if the target is between “n” and “D”, resetting “p” to “D”, repeat steps (b) and (c); if the target item is between “D” and “p”, resetting “n” to “D”, repeat steps (b) and (c); until the target item is at or adjacent the location “D”.

Claims

1. A process for locating a target item within a list including a plurality of m items locatable in numerical sequence from 0 to m, comprising:

(a) defining a range within the list of items in which to locate the target item, comprising;

i) identifying a first item at a location “

n”

representing a first end of the range, where 0≦

n≦

m;

ii) identifying a last item at a location “

p”

representing a second end of the range, where n≦

p≦

m;

(b) identifying and displaying an item at a location “

D”

within the range, wherein D=((p−

n)/2+ n);

(c) determining a location of the target item relative to the location “

D”

, wherein if the target item is at or adjacent the location “

D”

, terminating the process and displaying the target item;

if the target item is between “

n” and

the location “

D”

, resetting “

p”

to the value of “

D” and

repeating steps (b) and (c);

if the target item is between the location “

D” and

“

p”

, resetting “

n”

to the value of “

D” and

repeating steps (b) and (c); and

repeating steps (b) and (c) until the target item is located.

2. A process as in claim 1 wherein the range comprises all items on the list.

3. A process as in claim 1 wherein the range comprises a subset of all items on the list.

4. A process as in claim 1 wherein at least one of the first item representing the first end of the range and the last item representing the second end of the range is identified by default values.

5. A process as in claim 1 wherein at least one of the first item representing the first end of the range and the last item representing second end of the range is identified by user input.

6. A process as in claim 1 wherein determining a location of the target item relative to the location “

D”

is based on user input.

20. A program stored on a machine readable medium which, when executed by an electronic processor, executes the process of claim 1.

7. A portable electronic device comprising a display, memory and processor programmed to carry out a process for locating a target item within a list including a plurality of m items locatable in numerical sequence from 0 to m, the process comprising:

(a) defining a range within the list of items in which to locate the target item, comprising;

i) identifying a first item at a location “

n”

representing a first end of the range, where 0≦

n≦

m;

ii) identifying a last item at a location “

p”

representing a second end of the range, where n≦

p≦

m;

(b) identifying and displaying an item at a location “

D”

within the range, wherein D=((p−

n)/2+n);

(c) determining a location of the target item relative to the location “

D”

, wherein

if the target item is at or adjacent the location “

D”

, terminating the process and displaying the target item;

if the target item is between “

n” and

the location “

D”

, resetting “

p”

to the value of “

D” and

repeating steps (b) and (c);

if the target item is between the location “

D” and

“

p”

, resetting “

n”

to the value of “

D” and

repeating steps (b) and (c); and

repeating steps (b) and (c) until the target item is located.

8. A portable electronic device as in claim 7 wherein the range comprises all items on the list.

9. A portable electronic device as in claim 7 wherein the range comprises a subset of all items on the list.

10. A portable electronic device as in claim 7 wherein at least one of the first item representing the first end of the range and the last item representing the second end of the range is identified by default values.

11. A portable electronic device as in claim 7 wherein at least one of the first item representing the first end of the range and the last item representing second end of the range is identified by user input.

12. A portable electronic device as in claim 7 wherein determining a location of the target item relative to the location “

D”

is based on user input.

13. A portable electronic device as in claim 11 wherein the device is programmed to employ standard keys for the user input.

14. A portable electronic device as in claim 12 wherein the device is programmed to employ standard keys for the user input.

15. A portable electronic device as in claim 7 wherein the list is stored in the memory.

16. A portable electronic device as in claim 7 wherein the program comprises logic obtained from logic circuitry, software, firmware or a combination of any two or more thereof.

17. A method of locating a target item in a list of items in a portable electronic device, comprising:

providing a portable electronic device comprising a display, memory and processor programmed to carry out the process for locating a target item within a list including a plurality of m items locatable in numerical sequence from 0 to m, the process comprising;

(a) defining a range within the list of items in which to locate the target item, comprising;

i) identifying a first item at a location “

n”

representing a first end of the range, where 0≦

n≦

m;

ii) identifying a last item at a location “

p”

representing a second end of the range, where n≦

p≦

m;

(b) identifying and displaying an item at a location “

D”

within the range, wherein D=((p−

n)/2+ n);

(c) determining a location of the target item relative to the location “

D”

, wherein

if the target item is at or adjacent the location “

D”

, terminating the process and displaying the target item;

if the target item is between “

n” and

the location “

D”

, resetting “

p”

to the value of “

D” and

repeating steps (b) and (c);

if the target item is between the location “

D” and

“

p”

, resetting “

n”

to the value of “

D” and

repeating steps (b) and (c); and

repeating steps (b) and (c) until the target item is at or adjacent the location “

D”

.

18. A process as in claim 17 wherein at least one of the first item representing the first end of the range and the last item representing second end of the range is identified by user input.

19. A program stored on a machine readable medium which, when executed by an electronic processor, executes the process of claim 17.