Personal communication terminal with variable speed scroll display feature

• US 6,509,907 B1
• Filed: 12/15/1999
• Issued: 01/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kuwabara, Tatsuru
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US09/465,214
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 345/123, 345/124, 345/125, 345/341, 345/684, 345/685
• US Class Current: 345/684
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/34 for rolling or scrolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A communication terminal having a display capable of scrolling a text message at variable speeds to thereby enhance message readability. A display of 6 full-size characters×3 lines for displaying a character message is provided on the portable telephone. Tactile sensors for changing scroll display speed are provided on the sides of the portable telephone. The top of a long text message is paused for two seconds, and then vertically scrolled on the display. While the message is scrolled at a speed of 1 dot per 20 ms during normal operation, the display scrolling speed is changed to 1 dot per 60 ms when the tactile sensor is manipulated. The message is paused for 0.7 seconds every time one line of the message has completed scrolling. When the end of the message is reached, it is displayed for 1 second.

Claims

1. A communication terminal, comprising:

a transceiver;

a display having a horizontal and a vertical direction, the display provided in the transceiver and displaying multiple lines of a text message at one time, the multiple lines displayed in the horizontal direction and paused for a first predetermined time, the multiple lines stacked in the vertical direction with respect to the display;

a controller that scrolls the text message on the display in the vertical direction to eliminate lines of said text. message from one vertical side of said display and to add lines of said text message at an opposite vertical side of said display; and

an input device that generates a signal to the controller responsive to actuation by a user, said controller responsive to said signal to change scrolling of said text message between two automatic non-zero scrolling speeds.

2. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the input device is a tactile sensor responsive to gripping by the user.

3. A method for displaying lines of a text message on a display of a transceiver for a communication terminal, the display having a horizontal and a vertical direction, comprising:

displaying plural lines of the text message in the horizontal direction, said plural lines being paused for a first predetermined time and stacked in the vertical direction of the display;

automatically scrolling the text message on the display in the vertical direction at a first non-zero scrolling speed to eliminate lines of the text message at one vertical side of the display and add lines of the text message at an opposite vertical side of the display;

actuating a input device by a user to change from the first scrolling speed to a second non-zero scrolling speed; and

automatically scrolling the text message on the display in the vertical direction at the second non-zero scrolling speed to eliminate lines of the text message at one vertical side of the display and add lines of the text message at an opposite vertical side of the display.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the step of pausing the plural lines of text for a first predetermined time during the displaying step.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a step of pausing the plural lines of text either after scrolling the text message a predetermined distance on said display or for a second predetermined amount of time.

6. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said second predetermined amount of time is shorter than said first predetermined amount of time.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said predetermined distance is one line of text.