Handheld devices

• US 6,965,783 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 11/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pirkola, Jani, Kinnunen, Timo, Sippola, Leena, Salomaki, Lauri, Hynninen, Tiina, Liukkonen-Olmiala, Tea, Lustila, Risto, Kaartinen, Sanna
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/745,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20010041599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: 455 901- 903, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/566, 455/579.1, 455/550, 455/575, 455/90, 455/556, 379/428.03, 379/433.01, 379/433.04
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A hand held communication device having a display, the display having a plurality of different regions, at least one function being selectable via at least one region and a touch sensitive region, the touch sensitive area being arranged so that movement with respect to the touch sensitive area region causes an indicator to move across said display wherein the indicator is arranged to move only from one region to another.

Claims

1. A hand held communication device comprising:

a display, said display in use have a plurality of different active regions, at least one function being selectable via each active region; and

a touch sensitive region, said touch sensitive region being arranged so that movement with respect to the touch sensitive region causes an indicator to move across said display, wherein said touch sensitive region is arranged on a first side of said device and said display is arranged on a second side, and wherein said first and second sides are opposite one another; and

wherein said indicator is arranged to move only from one active region to another.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said touch sensitive region is arranged to detect movement of a users finger across the touch sensitive region.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said touch sensitive region is arranged to detect movement of a tool across the touch sensitive region.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said touch sensitive region comprises a surface.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said touch sensitive region is a touch pad.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said touch sensitive region comprises a rolling means.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said rolling means is arranged to move said indicator in two directions about a single axis.

8. A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said rolling means is arranged to move said indicator in a plane containing two perpendicular axis.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said touch sensitive region is provided in conjunction with said display to provide a touch sensitive display.

10. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said indicator is a cursor.

11. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device is a mobile telephone.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein a movement of the indicator in a direction of one of the active regions causes the indicator to automatically position itself within that active region.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the indicator can only be moved in the direction of one of the active regions.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein the indicator is initially displayed over one of the active regions of the display and can only be moved to another active region of the display.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein a movement of the indicator in a direction of one of the other active regions causes the indicator to automatically be positioned within that active region so that the at least one function is selectable.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein the display is adapted to only associate the indicator with one of the active regions on the display and not any position on the display therebetween.

17. A method of controlling a hand held communication device comprising a display in use having a plurality of different active regions, the method comprising the steps of:

operating a touch sensitive region on a first side of the device so as to cause an indicator to move across the display on a second side of the communication device that is opposite the first side;

controlling the indicator to move only from one active region to another across the display; and

selecting a function associated with the active region where the indicator is located when said selection step is performed.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of controlling further comprises moving the indicator in a direction of one active region on the display and wherein the indicator is automatically moved to the active region.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein operating the touch sensitive region of the display causes the indicator to move only to active regions of the display and not any positions between active regions of the display.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein operating the touch sensitive region of the display only allows the indicator to be moved in a direction of another active region of the display and not in any other direction.

21. A method of controlling and held communication device comprising display in use having a plurality of different active regions, the method comprising the steps of:

operating a touch sensitive region so as to cause an indicator to move across the display of the communication device;

controlling the indicator to move only from one active region to another across the display, wherein the indicator will not automatically reposition itself from one active region of the display if the indicator is moved in a direction not associated with one of the active regions of the display; and

selecting a function associated with the active region where the indicator is located when said selection is performed.