Portable information terminal, program, and recording medium having the program recorded therein

• US 7,405,728 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Irimajiri, Mayu, Yasui, Shigeya, Arakawa, Emi, Sasaki, Kayo
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala; Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holton; Steven E
• Application Number:
  US10/487,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20050122806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,859 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/159, 345/184, 345/169, 345/160, 200/4, 200/5.R, 200/6.A, 200/14, 200/17.R, 200/18
• US Class Current: 345/184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/041 having a generally flat operating member depressible at different locations to operate different controls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials

Abstract

High-speed scrolling is performed when an operating dial 35 is rotated taking a central button member 36 as an axis, and low-speed scrolling when pushing either an upper button 42A or a lower button 42C by pushing the operating dial 35 in the direction of an axis of rotation. It is therefore possible to include information it is wished to view, in an appropriate manner within a display range of a screen, with fewer operations by appropriately changing over the speed of scrolling. In addition, as it is possible to operate the operating dial 35 for both high-speed scrolling and low-speed scrolling, when changing over the speed of scrolling, it is possible to change over the speed of scrolling in a straightforward manner without operating members other than the member that has been operated so far.

Claims

1. A portable information terminal comprising:

a display for displaying information;

a scrolling device including a disc-shaped member capable of performing a rotating operation centered about an axis and capable of being pressed in the direction perpendicular to a planar surface of said disc-shaped member;

said scrolling device enabling an operator to carry out a first operation and a second operation differing from said first operation;

a first scrolling control device for performing said first operation and said second operation;

wherein said first operation causes said display to scroll through information displayed at a first speed and said second operation causes said display to scroll through information displayed at a second speed slower than said first speed; and

wherein the scrolling device comprises;

a base;

a holder mounted onto the base and including a dial support cylinder projecting perpendicularly from the center of the holder;

a circular scale, including a central hole and slits positioned radially around the central hole, mounted onto the holder and having the dial support cylinder passing through the central hole thereof;

a dial body, including a central hole, having a diameter greater that the circular scale, mounted onto the holder over the circular scale and having the dial support cylinder passing through the central hole thereof;

the disc-shaped member including a central hole, mounted onto the holder over the dial body and having the dial support cylinder passing through the central hole thereof; and

a cylindrical button having a diameter less than that of the dial support cylinder and positioned within the dial support cylinder.

2. The portable information terminal as described in claim 1, wherein said disc-shaped member of the scrolling device is mounted to the portable information terminal, such that the plane of said disc-shaped member is parallel to a surface of said scrolling portable information terminal to which said scrolling device is mounted.

3. The portable information terminal as described in claim 1, wherein said rotating operation is performed rotating said disc-shaped member of the scrolling device.

4. The portable information terminal as described in claim 3, wherein said second operation is performed by pressing at least one of a plurality of designated locations on a planar surface of said disc-shaped member.

5. The portable information terminal as described in claim 3, wherein information displayed by said display is compressed, the amount of information displayed by said display is increased, and information displayed by said display is scrolled, when said first operation is performed.

6. The portable information terminal as described in claim 5, wherein information displayed by said display is uncompressed, the amount of information displayed by said display is decreased, and information displayed on said display stops scrolling, when said first operation is no longer performed.

7. The portable information terminal as described in claim 1, wherein the base includes a central button surrounded by a plurality of buttons arranged in equal radial intervals about the central button.

8. The portable information terminal as described in claim 7, wherein the holder includes:

A plurality of press-down projections of the surface facing the base, corresponding to the plurality of buttons on the base arranged in equal redial intervals about the central button.

9. The portable information terminal as described in claim 7, wherein the first operation is performed by pressing on the disc-shaped member so as to depress one of the plurality of buttons arranged in equal radial intervals about the central button.

10. The portable information terminal as described in claim 1, wherein the base includes a plurality of restriction units for restricting the upward and rotational movement of the holder.

11. The portable information terminal as described in claim 10, wherein each restriction unit includes:

an upward movement restricting part, that keeps the holder mounted to the base;

a plurality of rotational restricting parts for preventing the holder from rotating.

12. The portable information terminal as described in claim 1, wherein the dial body is coupled to the disc-shaped member by a projection fitting protruding from the dialer member which is fit into a recess on the rear surface of the dial body facing the holder.

13. The portable information terminal as described in claim 1, wherein the circular scale is fit within a circular scale shaped cavity within the dial body.

14. The portable information terminal as described in claim 1, wherein the circular scale and the dial body are mounted to the holder by a plurality of support members protruding from the holder, which restrict detachment of the dial body.

15. The portable information terminal as described in claim 1, wherein the holder includes a plurality of brushes arranged on the surface of the holder, protruding in the direction of the circular scale, which are electrically conductive.

16. The portable information terminal as described in claim 15, wherein when the disc-shaped member is rotated, the dial body and circular scale rotate proportionally.

17. The portable information terminal as described in claim 16, wherein the direction of rotation is detected based on the state of the electrical contact of the brushes with the circular scale.

18. The portable information terminal as described in claim 16, wherein the direction of rotation is detected by the pattern of repeated contact between the slits and non-slit parts of the circular scale.

19. The portable information terminal as described in claim 16, wherein the rate of rotation is detected based on the rate of the electrical contact and non-contact between of the brushes with the circular scale.

20. The portable information terminal as described in claim 16, wherein dial body includes

an uneven pattern on the portion in contact with the holder;

and

the holder includes a projection in contact with the uneven wave-shaped pattern, such that when the dial body is rotated by a user via the disc-shaped member a click-sensation is produced.