Navigation in a Display

• US 20120096411A1
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: NASH, Ian
• Granted Patent: US 8,495,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects

Abstract

An apparatus comprising: including a controller configured to switch a continuous navigation mode to a discontinuous navigation mode in response to a predefined discontinuous navigation input and configured to switch a discontinuous navigation mode to a continuous navigation mode in response to a predefined continuous navigation input.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to switch a continuous navigation mode to a discontinuous navigation mode in response to a predefined discontinuous navigation input and configured to switch a discontinuous navigation mode to a continuous navigation mode in response to a predefined continuous navigation input.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the continuous navigation mode received input signals that are interpretable as either continuous navigation inputs or discontinuous navigation inputs are interpreted as continuous navigation inputs.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the discontinuous navigation mode received input signals that interpretable as either continuous navigation inputs or discontinuous navigation inputs are interpreted as discontinuous navigation inputs.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a predefined continuous navigation input comprises one or more predefined actuations of a continuous navigation input device over a period of time.

5. An apparatus as claimed claim 1, wherein a predefined continuous navigation input comprises a gesture.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a predefined discontinuous navigation input comprises actuation of any one of a plurality of discrete discontinuous navigation input devices.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the discontinuous navigation mode and the continuous navigation mode share a common selection device.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the common selection device is located underneath a continuous navigation input device.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

a display; and

a continuous navigation input device configured to control a position of an indicator on the display when the apparatus is in a continuous navigation mode; and

a plurality of discrete discontinuous navigation input devices configured to control a position of an indicator on the display when the apparatus is in a discontinuous navigation mode

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the continuous navigation input device is ineffective at controlling a position of an indicator on the display when the apparatus is in a discontinuous navigation mode.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the discontinuous navigation input is ineffective at controlling a position of an indicator on the display when the apparatus is in a discontinuous navigation mode.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the continuous navigation input device comprises an optical sensor.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the continuous navigation input device is a gesture detector.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the continuous navigation input device comprises a touch sensitive area.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plurality of discrete discontinuous navigation input devices are configured for four-way directional control.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the continuous navigation input device is a central continuous navigation input device defining an input area having a periphery;

and the plurality of discrete discontinuous navigation input devices are arranged at the periphery of the input area of the central continuous navigation input device.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the continuous navigation input device comprises an input area and at least some of the plurality of discrete discontinuous navigation input devices are, at least partially, positioned under the input area of the continuous navigation input device.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein a discrete input device that is used for selection in the discontinuous navigation mode and the continuous navigation mode is positioned centrally under the input area of the continuous navigation input.

19. A method comprising:

detecting at an apparatus, when the apparatus is in a continuous navigation mode, a predefined discontinuous navigation input;

in response to detecting the predefined discontinuous navigation input, switching the apparatus from the continuous navigation mode to a discontinuous navigation mode detecting at the apparatus, when the apparatus is in a discontinuous navigation mode, a predefined continuous navigation input;

in response to detecting the predefined continuous navigation input, switching the apparatus from the discontinuous navigation mode to the continuous navigation mode.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein, receiving input signals from one or more input devices that are interpretable as either continuous navigation inputs or discontinuous navigation inputs when the apparatus is in the continuous navigation mode, interpreting the received input signals as continuous navigation inputs.

21. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein, receiving input signals from one or more input devices that are interpretable as either continuous navigation inputs or discontinuous navigation inputs when the apparatus is in the discontinuous navigation mode, interpreting the received input signals as discontinuous navigation inputs.

22. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to switch a continuous navigation mode to a discontinuous navigation mode in response to a predefined discontinuous navigation input and configured to switch a discontinuous navigation mode to a continuous navigation mode in response to a predefined continuous navigation input.

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)