METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR SCROLLING AND POINTING IN USER INTERFACES

• US 20150100923A1
• Filed: 12/16/2014
• Published: 04/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IDHL Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hillcrest Laboratories Incorporated (CEVA Incorporated)
• Inventors: WROBLEWSKI, Frank J.
• Application Number:
  US14/571,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20150100923A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/830
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42214 using alphanumerical characters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/012 Conversion between an interlaced and a progressive signal for graphics images G09G2310/0229

Abstract

Systems and methods according to the present invention address these needs and others by providing a structure for navigating in a GUI with a handheld device, e.g., a 3D pointing device, which incorporates buttons and a scroll wheel.

Claims

1. A method for switching between a scrolling mode and a pointing mode in a user interface comprising the steps of:

rotating a scroll wheel to enter said scrolling mode and move a cursor;

moving at least one of a cursor and a highlighting of an object in response to said rotation of said scroll wheel; and

disabling said pointing mode for a first predetermined time period after said rotation of said scroll wheel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first predetermined time period is less than one second.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said first predetermined time period is 300 ms.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

after said first period of time has expired, entering a soft freeze state.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

during said soft freeze state, entering said pointing mode if a user supplies greater than a predetermined amount of torque to a handheld pointing device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of entering said pointing mode during soft freeze state if a user moves a remote control device a predetermined distance within a predetermined second time period.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said predetermined distance within a predetermined second time period is 25 degrees/second.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said predetermined amount of torque is user-settable.

9. A method for scrolling through objects comprising the steps of:

rotating a scroll wheel at a first rotation rate;

selecting sequential objects in response to said first rotating step;

rotating said scroll wheel at second rotation rate; and

selecting non-sequential objects in response to said second rotating step.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of selecting non-sequential objects in response to said second rotating step further comprises wherein each non-sequential object is the next non-visible object.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of rotating said scroll wheel at second rotation rate further comprises rotating said scroll wheel such that a time between each scroll-wheel index is no more than 20 milliseconds.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of selecting non-sequential objects in response to said second rotating step further comprises the step of:

skipping a number of objects between selections, wherein said number is selected based upon a number of objects on a GUI screen that is currently being displayed.

13. A computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed on a computer, perform the steps of:

detecting rotation of a scroll wheel;

entering a scrolling mode in response to said detecting step and moving at least one of a cursor and a highlighting of an object in response to said rotation of said scroll wheel; and

disabling a pointing mode for a first predetermined time period after said rotation of said scroll wheel.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein said first predetermined time period is less than one second.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein said first predetermined time period is 300 ms.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

after said first period of time has expired, entering a soft freeze state.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

during said soft freeze state, entering said pointing mode if a user supplies greater than a predetermined amount of torque to a handheld pointing device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising the step of entering said pointing mode during soft freeze state if a user moves a remote control device a predetermined distance within a predetermined second time period.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein said predetermined distance within a predetermined second time period is 25 degrees/second.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein said predetermined amount of torque is user-settable.

21. A computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed on a computer, perform the steps of:

detecting rotation of a scroll wheel at a first rotation rate;

selecting sequential objects displayed on a user interface in response to said first rotating step;

detecting rotation of said scroll wheel at second rotation rate; and

selecting non-sequential objects displayed on said user interface in response to said second rotating step.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein said step of selecting non-sequential objects in response to said second rotating step further comprises wherein each non-sequential object is the next non-visible object.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein said step of rotating said scroll wheel at second rotation rate further comprises rotating said scroll wheel such that a time between each scroll-wheel index is no more than 20 milliseconds.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein said step of selecting non-sequential objects in response to said second rotating step further comprises the step of:

skipping a number of objects between selections, wherein said number is selected based upon a number of objects on a GUI screen that is currently being displayed.