Apparatus and method for a user to select one or more pieces of information

• US 20100005389A1
• Filed: 08/15/2007
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bang & Olufsen a/s
• Original Assignee: Bang & Olufsen a/s
• Inventors: Jensen, Soren Borup, Nielsen, Henning
• Application Number:
  US12/311,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20100005389A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

An apparatus and method for a user to select pieces of information. The apparatus comprising a rotatable part or a touch pad for the user to operate to scroll between the pieces of information using a movement along a closed path. Touch or engagement at predetermined position(s) along the closed path will allow the user to select predetermined pieces of information independently of the position of the scrolling.

Claims

1. -23. (canceled)

24. An apparatus for having a user select one or more pieces of information of a plurality of pieces of information, the apparatus comprising:

means for providing, determining, receiving and/or storing the plurality of pieces of information as well as an ordering thereof,

a display for displaying or highlighting to the user one or more pieces of information,

means for detecting or determining a movement along a predetermined closed curve of a movement detecting means or at a movement detecting means and for correlating the detected/determined movement to a direction in the order,

means for controlling the display to display or highlight a first group of the plurality of pieces of information, and for, upon the detection/determination of a movement, controlling the display to display or highlight to the user a second group of the plurality of pieces of information, the pieces of information of the second group being positioned further in the direction of the order than the pieces of information of the first group, and

means for the user to select a displayed or highlighted piece of information,

first means for determining or detecting a touch or other engagement of the movement detecting means at one or more first predetermined positions along the closed curve and for then selecting, highlighting and/or displaying one or more predetermined pieces of information of the plurality of pieces of information and

second means for determining or detecting a touch or other engagement of the movement detecting means at one or more second predetermined positions, which second position(s) is/are different from the first position(s), along the closed curve, and for selecting and/or displaying one or more predetermined combinations of pieces of information of the plurality of pieces of information.

25. An apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising combining means for having the display display a combination of one or more selected pieces of information.

26. An apparatus according to claim 24, the apparatus further comprising means for the user to input information identifying the predetermined pieces of information of the plurality of pieces of information.

27. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the pieces of information are letters and/or symbols, and wherein the combining means are adapted to control the display to display a text generated from the selected letters/symbols.

28. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the pieces of information are numbers and/or symbols, and wherein the combining means are adapted to control the display to display a multi-digit number.

29. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the means for detecting or determining the movement comprises a rotatable part and means for detection/determination of a direction of rotation and/or an angle of rotation of the rotatable part.

30. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the means for detecting or determining the movement comprises a touch pad and means for detection/determination of a direction of movement of a touch around the axis/position and/or an angle of rotation around the axis/position.

31. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the pieces of information relate to events, the means for the user to select an event comprises means for providing the event to the user, and first means are adapted to select a predetermined event from the list of:

the most recently provided event,

the most often provided event,

the event provided the most often within a predetermined time period, and

the most often provided event with a given artist.

32. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the pieces of information are images, the means for the user to select an image are adapted to control the display to display the image to the user, and the first means are adapted to select a predetermined image from the list of:

the most recently displayed image,

the most often displayed image,

the image displayed the most often within a predetermined time period, and

the most often displayed image with a particular person.

33. A method of allowing a user to select one or more pieces of information from a plurality of pieces of information, the method comprising:

providing, determining, receiving and/or storing the plurality of pieces of information as well as an ordering thereof,

displaying or highlighting to the user a first group of the plurality of pieces of information, in the order,

detecting or determining a movement along a predetermined closed curve of a movement detecting means or at a predetermined closed curve of a movement detecting means,

correlating the detected/determined movement to a direction in the order and displaying or highlighting to the user a second group of the plurality of pieces of information, the pieces of information of the second group being positioned further in the direction of the order than the pieces of information of the first group,

the user selecting a displayed or highlighted piece of information,

determining or detecting a touch or other engagement of the movement detecting means at one or more first predetermined positions along/on the closed curve and selecting, highlighting and/or displaying one or more predetermined pieces of information of the plurality of pieces of information,

determining or detecting a touch or other engagement of the movement detecting means at one or more second predetermined positions, which second position(s) is/are different from the first position(s), along the closed curve and

selecting and/or displaying one or more predetermined combinations of pieces of information of the plurality of pieces of information.

34. A method according to claim 33, the method further comprising the step of combining one or more selected pieces of information.

35. A method according to claim 33, the method further comprising the step of a user inputting information as to which pieces of information of the plurality of pieces of information is/are the predetermined pieces of information.

36. A method according to claim 33, wherein the pieces of information are letters and/or symbols, and wherein the combination of the letters/symbols is a generation of a text from the selected letters/symbols.

37. A method according to claim 33, wherein the pieces of information are numbers and/or symbols, and wherein the combining of the numbers/symbols is a generation of a multi-digit number.

38. A method according to claim 33, wherein the step of detecting or determining the movement comprises:

the user rotating a rotatable part and

a detection/determination of a direction of rotation and/or an angle of rotation of the rotatable part.

39. A method according to claim 33, wherein the step of detecting or determining the movement comprises:

the user touching a touch pad along an at least substantially closed path and around a central axis or position and

a detection/determination of a direction of movement of the touch around the axis/position and/or an angle of rotation around the axis/position.

40. A method according to claim 33, wherein the pieces of information relate to events, the step of selecting an event comprises providing the event to the user, and the step of selecting a predetermined event comprises providing an event from the list of:

the most recently provided event,

the most often provided event,

the event provided the most often within a predetermined time period, and

the most often provided event with a given artist.

41. A method according to claim 33, wherein the pieces of information are images, the step of selecting an image comprises displaying the image to the user, and the step of selecting a predetermined image comprises displaying an image from the list of:

the most recently displayed image,

the most often displayed image,

the image displayed the most often within a predetermined time period, and

the most often displayed image with a particular person.