Tactile scroll bar with illuminated document position indicator

• US 7,471,284 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bathiche, Steven N., Pangaro, Gian, Guimbretiere, Francois Victor Jacques Je
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leiby; Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US11/106,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20060236262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/168, 345/170, 345/184
• US Class Current: 345/184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A tactile touch-sensitive device for use as an electronic input device for indicating a position of an electronic document on a display device is described. The illuminable document position indicator aspect of the device provides a relative location of the electronic document on the display. The device may be included as part of a keyboard or an electronic book device. The illuminable document position indicator may be one or more static illuminable LEDs and/or a moveable light source and pivotable translucent elements which act as light wave guides. A controller may be used to control the illuminable document position indicator. The controller may change the color and/or intensity of LEDs based upon a displayed location of the electronic document relative to a beginning and an end of the electronic document.

Claims

1. A user engageable device for scrolling a document with respect to a display comprising:

a tactile elongated scrollbar and an illuminable document position indicator associated with the scrollbar,

wherein the elongated scrollbar includes pivotable translucent elements which act as light wave guides and a raising and lowering mechanism underlying a scrollbar interface layer for providing a mechanical feedback to a user regarding a current location in the document in form of at least one of the following;

a ridge and a concave element; and

wherein the elongated scrollbar further includes at least one isometric force sensor operative to provide mechanical feedback and to scroll the document according to a sensed position, speed, and pressure.

2. The user engageable device of claim 1, wherein the user engageable device is included as part of a keyboard with a housing having a top surface, the tactile elongated scrollbar is positioned on the top surface of the housing.

3. The user engageable device of claim 1, wherein the user engageable device is included as part of an electronic book device with a display and housing having a top surface, the tactile elongated scrollbar is positioned on the top surface of the housing.

4. The user engageable device of claim 1, wherein the illuminable document position indicator includes a plurality of static illuminable LEDs.

5. The user engageable device of claim 1, wherein the elongated scrollbar defines a longitudinal axis and the illuminable document position indicator includes a light source movable along an axis in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the tactile elongated scrollbar.

6. The user engageable device of claim 1, wherein the tactile elongated scrollbar is configured to scroll the document at a first predetermined rate upon application of a first force and to scroll the document at a second predetermined rate upon application of a second force, the first and second predetermined rates being different and the first and second forces being different.

7. The user engageable device of claim 1, wherein upon application of a force, the tactile elongated scrollbar is configured to scroll the document at a first predetermined rate and to scroll the document at a second predetermined rate after a predetermined period of time, the first and second predetermined rates being different.

8. A user engageable device for scrolling an electronic document with respect to a display comprising:

a tactile elongated scrollbar defining a longitudinal axis, and means for producing illumination positioned at least on one of the scrollbar or adjacent the scrollbar generally corresponding to a relative position of the electronic document on the display,

wherein the elongated scrollbar includes pivotable translucent elements which act as light wave guides and a lowering mechanism underlying a scrollbar interface layer for providing a mechanical feedback in form of a concave element to a user regarding a current location in the document; and

wherein the elongated scrollbar further includes at least one isometric force sensor operative to provide mechanical feedback and to scroll the document according to a sensed position, movement speed, and pressure.

9. The user engageable device of claim 8, wherein said means for producing illumination includes a series of illuminable lights oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis.

10. The user engageable device of claim 9, wherein the illuminable lights include multi-color LEDs.

11. The user engageable device of claim 8, wherein said means for producing illumination includes a light source movable in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis.

12. The user engageable device of claim 8, wherein said means for producing illumination includes both fixed and movable light sources.

13. A user engageable device for scrolling an electronic document with respect to a display comprising:

a housing, an elongated scrollbar positioned on the housing, an illuminable document position indicator, and a controller configured to control the illuminable document position indicator,

wherein the elongated scrollbar defines a longitudinal axis and the illuminable document position indicator includes a plurality of translucent elements positioned along the longitudinal axis, the translucent elements configured to act as light wave guides for light emanating from a movable light source,

wherein the plurality of translucent elements are pivotable to change an upper contour of the scrollbar;

wherein the elongated scrollbar includes a raising and lowering mechanism underlying a scrollbar interface layer for providing a mechanical feedback to a user regarding a current location in the document in form of at least one of the following;

a ridge and a concave element; and

wherein the elongated scrollbar further includes at least one isometric force sensor operative to move the electronic document with respect to the display and cause the raising and lowering mechanism to provide the mechanical feedback according to at least one of a calculated value for position, downward pressure and speed of movement received by the isometric force sensor.

14. The user engageable device of claim 13, wherein said illuminable document position indicator includes a series of illuminable lights oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis and defined by the elongated scrollbar.

15. The user engageable device of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to selectively illuminate and de-illuminate the illuminable lights based on a displayed location of the electronic document relative to a beginning and an end of the electronic document.

16. The user engageable device of claim 14, wherein the illuminable lights include multi-color LEDs, wherein the controller is configured to selectively change colors of the multi-color LEDs based on a displayed location of the electronic document relative to a beginning and an end of the electronic document.

17. The user engageable device of claim 13, wherein the illuminable document position indicator includes a plurality of static light sources.

18. The user engageable device of claim 13, wherein the illuminable document position indicator includes the movable light source.

19. The user engageable device of claim 13, further comprising a second illuminable document position indicator including a plurality of static light sources.