Control of digital watch using menu and thumbwheel

• US 5,477,508 A
• Filed: 05/31/1994
• Issued: 12/19/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Craig A. Will
• Inventors: Will, Craig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Roskoski, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US08/251,207
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 368/280-282, 368/69-70, 368/185-190
• US Class Current: 368/189
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces

Abstract

A method and apparatus for control of a digital watch and associated functions, based on a user interface with a menu and thumbwheel. The watch consists of an internal clock, microprocessor, display, rotating cylinder (thumbwheel) operated by the thumb or finger, and a button. The display consists of a matrix of pixels and can display menus or other information with small characters and time and date information in a larger size. Rotating the cylinder results in changing the designated item in a menu, which is typically indicated in reverse video, and pressing the button results in the designated item being selected. In cases where a parameter is modified and the values of the parameter are well known and have a natural order (such as minutes) only the present value of the parameter is displayed, and movement of the thumbwheel causes the displayed value to be incremented or decremented, as appropriate. Pressing the selector button causes the actual value of the parameter to be replaced by the displayed value. The use of a hierarchical set of menus and a thumbwheel allows control of a watch with only a single button and avoids excessive dependence on multiple buttons the function of which is context-dependent and difficult to learn and to remember.

Claims

1. A method for the control of a digital watch, comprising the steps of:

displaying an ordered sequence of items in a menu whereby said menu comprises a plurality of horizontal lines, in which each line comprises at least one menu item, and in which at least one line comprises a plurality of menu items arranged side by side, with one of the items from said ordered sequence designated at any given time as tentatively selected by displaying it in a manner distinct from that of other menu items;

rotating a cylinder which extends from the face of the watch wherein said cylinder is rotated around an axis that is perpendicular to the plane of the display, and determining the direction and amount of movement of the cylinder;

moving the designation of a menu item in a particular direction within the ordered sequence, depending upon the direction and distance said cylinder was rotated;

repeating the steps of rotating the cylinder, determining the amount of movement, and moving the designation of a menu item until the menu item desired by the user is designated;

actuating a switch, connected to said cylinder, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said cylinder to complete the section of said desired menu item.

2. The method of claim 1, calculating the distance that the designation of a menu item moves by multiplying the distance traveled by a point on the circumference of the cylinder by a factor that is an increasing function of the rate of movement of the cylinder.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the distance that the designation of a menu item moves is proportional to both the distance traveled by a point on the circumference of the cylinder and to a constant, with said constant having one value when the rate of movement of the cylinder is below a given threshold value, and a different value when said rate of movement is above said threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a set of horizontal lines, with more than one menu item presented in at least one horizontal line, and with the designation moving from left to right within a line and from the last item on one line to the first item on the line below as the cylinder moves in a clockwise direction.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the distance the designation of a menu item moves is proportional to the cumulative horizontal distance of the entire display occupied by the menu items, for a given amount of movement of the cylinder and correction for the rate of movement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein an attempt to move the designated menu item beyond either end of the sequence of menu items will result in the display of one or more additional menu items, the simultaneous removal of the display of that menu item at the opposite end of the sequence, and the shifting of all intervening horizontal lines up or down, as appropriate, should there be more items in the menu that can be displayed at a given time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated menu item has its lettering displayed at the intensity level used for display of the background in undesignated menu items and the background of said designated menu item is displayed at the intensity level used for display of the lettering in undesignated menu items.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu items comprise a set of numerical digits and mathematical operators that can be entered to control a calculator contained in the watch.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu items comprise a set of alphanumeric characters that can be entered into a memory contained in the watch.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the switch must first be actuated before movement of the designated item in the menu can occur.

11. An apparatus for control of a digital watch, comprising:

a microprocessor;

a memory for storage of a computer program for the control of said microprocessor and for other information;

a display for presenting information from the microprocessor to a user as an ordered sequence of items in a menu whereby said menu comprises a plurality of horizontal lines, in which each line comprises at least one menu item, and in which at least one line comprises a plurality of menu items ordered side by side with one of the items from said ordered sequence designated at any given time as tentatively selected by displaying it in a manner distinct from that of other menu items;

a cylinder capable or rotation in either direction, with a portion of cylinder extending from the case of said watch;

means for determining the direction and amount of movement of said cylinder and calculating the distance the designation of a menu item is to be moved; and

a switch connected to the cylinder that closes, given sufficient pressure in a direction toward the axis of rotation of the cylinder, with the closing of said switch causing selection of the desired menu item, and the state of the switch provided to the microprocessor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the rotating cylinder is mounted within the packaging of the watch such that the axis the cylinder rotates around is perpendicular to the plane of the watch display face.