Method and apparatus for dynamically controlling scroller speed employed for a user interface of a wearable appliance

• US 7,081,905 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2000
• Issued: 07/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Raghunath, Mandayam T.
• Primary Examiner(s): YANG, RYAN R
• Application Number:
  US09/607,801
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 345/184, 345/684, 345/685, 345/686, 345/687, 345/784, 368/69, 368/185, 368/189, 368/184
• US Class Current: 345/684
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/08 Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 5/00 Setting, i.e. correcting or changing, the time-indication radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A wearable mobile computing device/appliance (e.g., a wrist watch) with a high resolution display that is capable of wirelessly accessing information from the network and a variety of other devices. The Wrist Watch device/appliance includes a user interface that is used to efficiently interact with alarms, time keeping functions and notifications on the watch via use of a scroll device implementing dynamic scroll speed controller capability which enables seamless fine-grain and coarse-grain scroll and/or cursor movement through displayed content without notice to the user of the scroll device.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically controlling speed of a scroll device providing scroll functions for setting time of a time keeping display having minute and hour indicators, said scroll device generating scroll signals representing scroll events and communicating said signals to a control device for advancing said minute and hour indicators in response thereto, said method comprising:

a) receiving first scroll signals from said scroll device and, in response to received first scroll signals, incrementally advancing a time keeping display minute indicator in a first direction according to fine-grain time increments, and simultaneously tracking the advancing direction;

b) counting said received first scroll signals; and

,

c) thereafter, in response to continued receipt of first scroll signals, seamlessly advancing said time keeping display minute indicator according to coarse-grain time increments in said first direction when a count of said received first scroll signals exceeds a predetermined number, said coarse-grain time increments greater than said fine-grain time increments, whereby fewer scroll device manipulations are required to achieve a desired time set without notice to the user; and

,

d) receiving second scroll signals in response to manipulating said scroll device to change direction of said time keeping display minute indicator;

e) determining said change in direction; and

,

f) incrementally advancing said time keeping display minute indicator in said changed direction according to fine-grain time increments,

wherein said time keeping display minute indicator movement is changed from coarse-grain time movement in said first direction to fine-grain time movement in said changed direction.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said scroll device generates scroll events in response to manipulation thereof, said generated scroll signals corresponding to said scroll events, wherein said fine-grain time increments of said display minute indicator corresponds to one (1) minute increment per scroll event.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said coarse-grain time increments of said display minute indicator corresponds to five (5) minutes increments per scroll event.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said step c) of providing coarse-grain time increments includes incrementally advancing said display minute indicator a pre-determined number of time increments per one or more scroll events and increasing said pre-determined number for each subsequent one or more scroll events.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said scroll device further generates click events in response to manipulation thereof, and generates third scroll signals corresponding to said click events for communication to said control device, said method further comprising the step of:

independently enabling scroll device control of either said time keeping display minute indicator or said time keeping display hour indicator upon receipt of a third scroll signal.

6. A system for dynamically controlling a display indicator navigating through a high-resolution display provided in a wearable appliance that displays textual or graphical content, said system comprising:

a scroll device for manipulation by a user to provide said scrolling functions for advancing said display indicator, said scroll device generating scroll events; and

,

a control device for receiving said scroll events, tracking an advancing direction of said indicator by counting received scroll events, and providing dynamic speed control of said indicator by advancing said display indicator according to fine-grain and coarse-grain increments in response to a count of said received scroll events and said tracked direction, said control device receiving first scroll signals from said scroll device and, in response to received first scroll signals, incrementally advancing said display indicator in a first direction according to fine-grain indicator movements, and simultaneously tracking the advancing direction and, counting said received first scroll signals; and

, said control device thereafter, in response to continued receipt of first scroll signals, seamlessly advancing said display indicator according to coarse-grain time increments in said first direction when a count of said received first scroll signals in said first direction exceeds a predetermined number, said coarse-grain display indicator movement greater than said fine-grain display indicator movement such that fewer scroll device manipulations are required to navigate to a desired text or graphical content in said display; and

,

said control device further receiving second scroll signals in response to manipulating said scroll device to change navigation direction of said display indicator, said control device determining said change in direction; and

, incrementally advancing said display indicator in said changed direction according to fine-grain display movement,

wherein said display indicator movement is changed from coarse-grain movement in said first direction to fine-grain movement in said changed direction.

7. A system for dynamically controlling a time keeping display indicator navigating through a time keeping display having minute and hour indicators for a time keeping function, said system comprising:

a scroll device for manipulation by a user to provide a scroll function for advancing said indicator, said scroll device generating scroll signals representing scroll events and communicating said signals to a control device for advancing said minute and hour indicators in response thereto;

said control device for receiving first scroll signals from said scroll device and, in response to received first scroll signals, incrementally advancing a time keeping display minute indicator in a first direction according to fine-grain time increments, and simultaneously tracking the advancing direction and, counting said received first scroll signals; and

, said control device thereafter, in response to continued receipt of first scroll signals, seamlessly advancing said time keeping display minute indicator according to coarse-grain time increments in said first direction when a count of said received first scroll signals in said first direction exceeds a predetermined number, said coarse-grain time increments greater than said fine-grain time increments, whereby fewer scroll device manipulations are required to achieve a desired time set without notice to the user; and

,

said control device further receiving second scroll signals in response to manipulating said scroll device to chance direction of said time keeping display minute indicator, said control device determining said change in direction; and

, incrementally advancing said time keeping display minute indicator in said changed direction according to fine-grain time increments,

wherein said time keeping display minute indicator movement is changed from coarse-grain time movement in said first direction to fine-grain time movement in said changed direction.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said scroll device is a roller wheel.

9. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said scroll device is a mouse wheel.

10. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for dynamically controlling a display indicator capable of navigating through a display provided in a wearable appliance that displays textual or graphical content, said appliance implementing a scroll device for generating scroll events in response to user manipulation thereof, said method steps including the steps of:

a) receiving scroll events for incrementally advancing said indicator per scroll event in a first direction to provide fine-grain scroll indicator movement, and simultaneously tracking the advancing direction;

b) counting said received scroll events; and

,

c) thereafter, in response to continued receipt of scroll events, providing in a manner that is seamless to a user, coarse-grain scroll indicator movement by advancing said indicator for a pre-determined number of increments per scroll event in said first direction when a count of said received scroll events exceeds a predetermined number, said coarse-grain scroll indicator movement greater than said fine-grain scroll indicator movement, whereby fewer scroll device manipulations are required to navigate to a desired text or graphical content in said display and,

d) receiving scroll events in response to manipulating said scroll device to change navigation direction of said display indicator;

e) determining said change in direction; and

,

f) incrementally advancing said display indicator per received scroll event in said changed direction to provide fine-grain display indicator movement, wherein said display indicator movement is changed from coarse-grain display movement in said first direction to fine-grain display movement in said changed direction.

11. A method for dynamically controlling a display indicator navigating through a display provided in a wearable appliance that displays textual or graphical content, said appliance implementing a scroll device for generating scroll events in response to user manipulation thereof, said method comprising the steps of:

a) incrementally advancing said display indicator in response to each received scroll event in a first direction to provide fine-grain indicator movement, and simultaneously tracking the advancing direction;

b) counting said received scroll events;

c) thereafter, in response to continued receipt of scroll events, seamlessly advancing said display indicator according to coarse-grain indicator movements in said first direction when a count of said received scroll events in said first direction exceeds a predetermined number, said coarse-grain indicator movements greater than said fine-grain indicator movements in said display, whereby fewer scroll device manipulations are required to navigate to a desired text or graphical content in said display; and

,

d) receiving scroll events in response to manipulating said scroll device to change navigation direction of said display indicator;

e) determining said change in direction; and

,

f) incrementally advancing said display indicator per received scroll event in said changed direction to provide fine-grain display indicator movement, wherein said display indicator movement is changed from coarse-grain display movement in said first direction to fine-grain display movement in said changed direction.