Method and device for scrolling speed control

• US 7,263,380 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2004
• Issued: 08/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Foxenland, Eral
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin; Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; David Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/553,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20060246940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/425, 345/684, 345/166, 345/687, 382/313
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards a method and a device for varying the scrolling speed provided for a set of items. The device comprises a first user input unit for allowing a scrolling action selection by the user, a second user input unit for allowing a scrolling speed variation selection, and a control unit, which provides a set of items of information that can be scrolled by a user (step 32), detects a scrolling action selection by a user via the first user input unit (step 34), detects a scrolling speed variation selection via the second user input unit (step 38), and changes the scrolling speed in dependence of the selections made by the user, (steps 42, 44). In this way varied scrolling speeds that can be fully controlled by a user in a simple manner are provided.

Claims

1. A method of varying a scrolling speed provided for a set of items, wherein a first user input unit is configured to be actuated in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction, and wherein a second user input unit is configured to be actuated in the first and the second directions, the method comprising:

providing a set of items of information that can be scrolled by a user;

detecting a scrolling action selection from the user by actuation of the first input unit;

detecting a scrolling speed variation selection from the user by actuation of the second user input unit; and

changing the scrolling speed based on the detected selections by the user,

wherein changing the scrolling speed comprises increasing the scrolling speed if the scrolling action selection and the scrolling speed variation selection correspond to a same direction, and decreasing the scrolling speed if the scrolling action selection and the scrolling speed variation selection correspond to opposite directions.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein changing the scrolling speed comprises changing the scrolling speed based on simultaneous detection of the scrolling action selection and the scrolling speed variation selection.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein changing the scrolling speed comprises varying the scrolling speed by a certain step size each time the scrolling speed variation selection is detected during detection of the scrolling action selection.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein changing the scrolling speed comprises linearly varying the scrolling speed when the scrolling speed variation selection is detected during detection of the scrolling action selection.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

saving a scrolling speed setting based on the changed scrolling speed.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein saving the scrolling speed comprises automatically saving the scrolling speed.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein saving the scrolling speed comprises saving the scrolling speed responsive to detecting a selection from the user.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein saving the scrolling speed comprises saving the scrolling speed for said set of items.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein saving the scrolling speed further comprises saving the scrolling speed for at least one other set of items.

10. A device for varying a scrolling speed provided for a set of items, comprising:

an information presentation unit configured to provide a set of items of information that can be scrolled by a user,

a first user input unit configured to receive a scrolling action selection by the user and configured to be actuated in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction,

a second user input unit configured to receive a scrolling speed variation selection by the user and for configured to be actuated in the first and the second directions, and

a control unit configured to;

provide said set of items of information to the information presentation unit,

detect the scrolling action selection by a user responsive to actuation of said first user input unit,

detect the scrolling speed variation selection responsive to actuation of said second user input unit, and

change the scrolling speed based on the detected selections by the user,

wherein the control unit is configured to provide a scrolling speed increase if the scrolling action selection and the scrolling speed variation selection correspond to a same direction, and is configured to provide a scrolling speed decrease if the scrolling action selection and the scrolling speed variation selection correspond to opposite directions.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to change the scrolling speed based on simultaneous detection of the scrolling action selection and the scrolling speed variation selection.

12. A device according to claim 10, wherein the control unit is further configured to vary the scrolling speed by a certain step size each time the scrolling speed variation selection is detected during detection of the scrolling action selection.

13. A device according to claim 10, wherein the control unit is further configured to vary the scrolling speed linearly when the scrolling speed variation selection is detected during detection of the scrolling action selection.

14. A device according to claim 10, further comprising:

a scroll speed storage unit,

wherein the control unit is further configured to save a scrolling speed setting in the scroll speed storage unit based on the changed scrolling speed.

15. A device according to claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to automatically save the scrolling speed setting.

16. A device according to claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to save the scrolling speed setting responsive to detecting a selection from the user.

17. A device according to any of claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to save the scrolling speed setting for said set of items.

18. A device according to claim 17, wherein the control unit is configured to save the scrolling speed setting for at least one other set of items.

19. A device according to claim 10, wherein the first user input unit comprises at least one navigation key configured to be used for navigation of a menu system of the device, and wherein the second user input unit comprises at least one button on a side of the device configured to be used for volume settings.

20. A device according to claim 10, wherein the first user input unit comprises at least one button on a side of the device configured to be used for volume settings, and wherein the second user input unit comprises at least one navigation key configured to be used for navigation of a menu system of the device.

21. A device according to claim 10, wherein the device is a portable electronic device.

22. A device according to claim 21, wherein the device is a portable communication device.

23. A device according to claim 22, wherein the device is a cellular phone.