METHOD OF INTERACTING WITH A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20120120000A1
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Lucic, Drazen, Keip, Paul Robin
• Application Number:
  US12/945,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20120120000A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method of interacting with a portable electronic device and a portable electronic device configured to perform the same. In accordance with one embodiment, the method comprises: detecting motion of the portable electronic device; determining whether detected motion matches a first motion gesture or a second motion gesture; when the first motion gesture is detected, showing a designated user interface element in a user interface screen displayed on a touch-sensitive display of the portable electronic device; and when the second motion gesture is detected, hiding the designated user interface element from the user interface screen displayed on the touch-sensitive display of the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of interacting with a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting motion of the portable electronic device;

determining whether detected motion matches a first motion gesture or second motion gesture;

when the first motion gesture is detected, showing a designated user interface element in a user interface screen displayed on a touch-sensitive display of the portable electronic device; and

when the second motion gesture is detected, hiding the designated user interface element from the user interface screen displayed on the touch-sensitive display of the portable electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first motion gesture and second motion gesture are directional motion gestures having a primary direction of motion, wherein the primary direction of motion of the first motion gesture and second motion are oriented in generally opposite directions to each other.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second motion gesture is a reversed motion sequence of the first motion gesture.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first motion gesture comprises an up-down motion and the second motion gesture comprises a down-up motion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first motion gesture comprises a down-up motion and the second motion gesture comprises an up-down motion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first motion comprises a left-right motion and the second motion gesture comprises a right-left motion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated user interface element is a virtual keyboard.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated user interface element is a context-sensitive menu.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first motion gesture is a left-right gesture and the second motion gesture is a right-left gesture, and the designated user interface element is a context-sensitive menu.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first motion gesture is an up-down flick gesture and the second motion gesture is a down-up flick gesture, and the designated user interface element is a virtual keyboard.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether detected motion matches a left-right gesture or right-left gesture;

when the left-right gesture is detected, showing a context-sensitive menu in a user interface screen displayed on a touch-sensitive display of the portable electronic device; and

when the right-left gesture is detected, hiding the context-sensitive menu in the user interface screen displayed on the touch-sensitive display of the portable electronic device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated user interface element is shown when not already displayed on the touch-sensitive display of the portable electronic device, and the designated user interface element is hidden when displayed on the touch-sensitive display of the portable electronic device.

13. A method of interacting with a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting motion of the portable electronic device;

determining whether detected motion matches known motion gestures;

when a toss gesture is detected, sending an electronic message under composition to at least one address specified by the electronic message under composition;

when a left-right gesture is detected, displaying a next electronic message in an inbox or message list of an electronic messaging application; and

when a right-left gesture is detected, displaying a previous electronic message in an inbox or message list of the electronic messaging application.

14. A method of interacting with a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting motion of the portable electronic device;

determining whether detected motion matches known motion gestures;

when a toss gesture is detected, sending a data object to a second electronic device using a short-range communication protocol;

when a left-right gesture is detected, reproducing content of a next data object in a datastore of a media player application; and

when a right-left gesture is detected, reproducing content of a previous next data object in a datastore of a media player application.

15. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a processor received within the housing;

a touch-sensitive display coupled to the processor and having a touch-sensitive overlay exposed by the housing; and

an accelerometer display coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured for;

detecting motion of the portable electronic device;

determining whether detected motion matches a first motion gesture or second motion gesture;

when the first motion gesture is detected, causing a designated user interface element to be shown in a user interface screen displayed on a touch-sensitive display of the portable electronic device; and

when the second motion gesture is detected, causing the designated user interface element to be hidden from the user interface screen displayed on the touch-sensitive display of the portable electronic device.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 15, wherein the first motion gesture and second motion gesture are directional motion gestures having a primary direction of motion, wherein the primary direction of motion of the first motion gesture and second motion are oriented in generally opposite directions to each other.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 15, wherein the second motion gesture is a reversed motion sequence of the first motion gesture.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 15, wherein the first motion gesture is a left-right gesture and the second motion gesture is a right-left gesture, and the designated user interface element is a context-sensitive menu.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 15, wherein the first motion gesture is an up-down flick gesture and the second motion gesture is a down-up flick gesture, and the designated user interface element is a virtual keyboard.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured for:

determining whether detected motion matches a left-right gesture or right-left gesture;

when the left-right gesture is detected, causing a context-sensitive menu to be shown in a user interface screen displayed on a touch-sensitive display of the portable electronic device; and

when the right-left gesture is detected, causing the context-sensitive menu to be hidden from the user interface screen displayed on the touch-sensitive display of the portable electronic device.