WHEELED USER INPUT DEVICE IN COOPERATION WITH A HANDHELD ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION DEVICE
First Claim
1. A handheld electronic communication device, comprising:
- a device body having a display screen located above a four-wheeled user input device located on a front face of the body, said four-wheeled user input device comprising a set of four rotatable wheels, each mounted on an axle having a longitudinal axis oriented substantially perpendicular relative the front face of the body and said axles being arranged in a substantially square pattern in a plan view toward the front face of the body;
at least one sensor operatively associated with the set of four wheels, said at least one sensor configured to sense motion induced in any of said four wheels and said at least one sensor further configured to output electronic data representative of sensed wheel motion; and
a microprocessor communicatively interposed between the at least one sensor and the display screen and programmed to receive the output electronic data from the at least one sensor as input data and to process said input data into cursor guidance instructions that are outputted to the display screen and which affect at least one of x-direction and y-direction cursor movement on the display screen in correspondence with the sensed wheel motion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A handheld wireless communication device includes a device body having a display screen. The display screen is located above a user input device located on a front face of the body. The user input device includes a set of four rotatable wheels, each mounted on an axle having a longitudinal axis oriented substantially perpendicular relative the front face of the body. At least one sensor is operatively associated with the set of four wheels and is configured to sense motion induced in any of the four wheels. Additionally the at least one sensor is further configured to output electronic data representative of sensed wheel motion. The device further includes a microprocessor that is programmed to process input data into cursor guidance instructions that are outputted to the display screen and which affect x-direction and y-direction cursor movement on the display screen in correspondence with the sensed wheel motion.
10 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A handheld electronic communication device, comprising:
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a device body having a display screen located above a four-wheeled user input device located on a front face of the body, said four-wheeled user input device comprising a set of four rotatable wheels, each mounted on an axle having a longitudinal axis oriented substantially perpendicular relative the front face of the body and said axles being arranged in a substantially square pattern in a plan view toward the front face of the body; at least one sensor operatively associated with the set of four wheels, said at least one sensor configured to sense motion induced in any of said four wheels and said at least one sensor further configured to output electronic data representative of sensed wheel motion; and a microprocessor communicatively interposed between the at least one sensor and the display screen and programmed to receive the output electronic data from the at least one sensor as input data and to process said input data into cursor guidance instructions that are outputted to the display screen and which affect at least one of x-direction and y-direction cursor movement on the display screen in correspondence with the sensed wheel motion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for executing cursor navigation on a display screen of a handheld electronic communication device, the method comprising:
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sensing, via at least one sensor, motion induced in any one of four rotatable wheels of a four-wheeled user input device located on a front face of the body, each of said four rotatable wheels mounted on a respective axle having a longitudinal axis oriented substantially perpendicular relative the front face of the body and said axles being arranged in a substantially square pattern in a plan view toward the front face of the body and wherein said body further comprises a display screen located above the four-wheeled user input device; inputting data indicative of the sensed motion to a microprocessor communicatively interposed between the at least one sensor and the display screen, said microprocessor being programmed to receive cursor guidance instructions via the sensor and to cause corresponding cursor movement on the display screen; and processing said input data into cursor guidance instructions that are outputted to the display screen and which affect at least one of x-direction and y-direction cursor movement on the display screen in correspondence with the sensed wheel motion.
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20. A computer program for executing cursor navigation on a handheld electronic communication device, said program configured to run on a microprocessor in the handheld electronic communication device and programmed to receive data from at least one sensor indicative of sensed motion induced in any one of four rotatable wheels of a four-wheeled user input device located on a front face of the body, each of said four rotatable wheels mounted on a respective axle having a longitudinal axis oriented substantially perpendicular relative the front face of the body and said axles being arranged in a substantially square pattern in a plan view toward the front face of the body and wherein said body further comprises a display screen located above the four-wheeled user input device and wherein the microprocessor is communicatively interposed between the at least one sensor and the display screen, and said program being further programmed to cause at least one of x-direction and y-direction cursor movement on the display screen in correspondence with the sensed wheel motion.
Specification