Method, device, and graphical user interface for dialing with a click wheel

• US 7,667,148 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Levy, Michael Robert, Mansfield, Philip Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Leon; Edwin A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAYES, SEAN PHILLIP
• Application Number:
  US11/549,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20080276168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 345/619, 345/636, 345/649, 345/650, 345/654, 345/473, 345/156, 345/184, 715/810, 715/864, 715830-833, 200/5.R
• US Class Current: 200/5.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033

Abstract

One aspect of the invention involves a computer-implemented method in which a portable communications device with a click wheel and a display detects a plurality of finger contacts with the click wheel. Each finger contact includes an angular displacement of the finger contact on the click wheel between an initial location and a final location of the finger contact. The device displays an image that includes digits arranged in a circle. The image rotates, in response to each finger contact, by an amount determined in accordance with the angular displacement of the finger contact. For each finger contact, the device determines a digit. The determined digit is independent of the initial location of the finger contact on the click wheel. The device performs a task using the determined digits. Exemplary tasks include dialing a telephone number and sending numeric input to a remote computer.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a portable communications device with a click wheel and a display,

detecting a plurality of sequential finger contacts with the click wheel, wherein each finger contact includes;

an initial location of the finger contact on the click wheel,

a final location of the finger contact on the click wheel, and

an angular displacement of the finger contact on the click wheel between the initial location and the final location of the finger contact on the click wheel;

displaying a image that includes digits arranged in a circle, wherein the image rotates by an amount determined in accordance with the angular displacement of the finger contact such that a digit of the image is highlighted in a fixed predetermined position of the circle;

for each finger contact, determining the highlighted digit, wherein the determined highlighted digit is independent of the initial location of the finger contact on the click wheel;

displaying the determined digits in a second predetermined area of the display;

detecting an input that corresponds to a request to perform an action with the determined digits; and

performing the requested action.

2. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a portable communications device with a click wheel and a display,

detecting a plurality of sequential finger contacts with the click wheel, wherein each finger contact includes an angular displacement of the finger contact on the click wheel between an initial location and a final location of the finger contact on the click wheel;

displaying an image that includes digits arranged in a circle, wherein the image rotates in response to each finger contact by an amount determined in accordance with the angular displacement of the finger contact such that a digit of the image is highlighted in a fixed predetermined position of the circle;

for each finger contact, determining the highlighted digit, wherein the determined highlighted digit is independent of the initial location of the finger contact on the click wheel; and

performing a task using the determined digits.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each digit in the image is circled.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing feedback when the highlighted digit in the predetermined area of the display is changed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the feedback is an audible signal and/or a haptic signal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the audible signal is a click sound.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein, for each contact, the determined highlighted digit is based on the angular displacement of the finger contact.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the angular displacement is clockwise or counterclockwise.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the determined digits is based on a counterclockwise angular displacement.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying the determined digits.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising detecting an input that corresponds to a request to delete a determined digit and deleting the determined digit in response thereto.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising detecting an input that corresponds to a request to transmit a signal corresponding to the determined digits.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising detecting an input that corresponds to a request to dial the determined digits and dialing the determined digits in response thereto.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the input that corresponds to the request to dial the determined digits is a click on a click wheel button.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein performing the task includes sending the determined digits.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein performing the task corresponds to dialing a telephone number.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein performing the task corresponds to sending numeric input to a remote computer.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of finger contacts with the click wheel excludes finger contacts, if any, for which the angular displacement is less than a minimum threshold.

19. The method of claim 2, wherein the click wheel is a physical click wheel.

20. The method of claim 2, wherein the click wheel is a virtual click wheel.

21. A graphical user interface on a portable communications device with a click wheel and a display, comprising:

an image that includes digits arranged in a circle

wherein;

the image rotates in response to each finger contact in a plurality of sequential finger contacts;

each finger contact includes an angular displacement of the finger contact on the click wheel between an initial location and a final location of the finger contact on the click wheel,

for each finger contact, the amount of rotation of the image is determined in accordance with the angular displacement of the finger contact such that a digit of the image is highlighted in a fixed predetermined position of the circle;

for each finger contact, the highlighted digit is determined, wherein the determined highlighted digit is independent of the initial location of the finger contact on the click wheel; and

a task is performed using the determined digits.

22. A portable communications device, comprising:

a click wheel;

a display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

a program, wherein the program is stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the program including;

instructions for detecting a plurality of sequential finger contacts with the click wheel, wherein each finger contact includes an angular displacement of the finger contact on the click wheel between an initial location and a final location of the finger contact on the click wheel;

instructions for displaying an image that includes digits arranged in a circle, wherein the image rotates in response to each finger contact by an amount determined in accordance with the angular displacement of the finger contact such that a digit of the image is highlighted in a fixed predetermined position of the circle;

instructions for determining the highlighted digit for each finger contact, wherein the determined highlighted digit is independent of the initial location of the finger contact on the click wheel; and

instructions for performing a task using the determined digits.

23. A computer-program product, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising instructions, which when executed by a portable communications device with a click wheel and a display, cause the device to;

detect a plurality of sequential finger contacts with the click wheel, wherein each finger contact includes an angular displacement of the finger contact on the click wheel between an initial location and a final location of the finger contact on the click wheel;

display an image that includes digits arranged in a circle, wherein the image rotates, in response to each finger contact, by an amount determined in accordance with the angular displacement of the finger contact such that a digit of the image is highlighted in a fixed predetermined position of the circle;

for each finger contact, determine the highlighted digit, wherein the determined highlighted digit is independent of the initial location of the finger contact on the click wheel; and

perform a task using the determined digits.

24. A portable communications device with a click wheel and a display, comprising:

means for detecting a plurality of sequential finger contacts with the click wheel, wherein each finger contact includes an angular displacement of the finger contact on the click wheel between an initial location and a final location of the finger contact on the click wheel;

means for displaying an image that includes digits arranged in a circle, wherein;

the image rotates in response to each finger contact by an amount determined in accordance with the angular displacement of the finger contact such that a digit of the image is highlighted in a fixed predetermined position of the circle;

means for determining the highlighted digit for each finger contact, wherein the determined highlighted digit is independent of the initial location of the finger contact on the click wheel; and

means for performing a task using the determined digits.