Touch-sensitive device for scrolling a document on a display
First Claim
1. A touch-sensitive device for scrolling a document on a display screen, said device comprising:
- a vertically elongated central scrolling area, wherein a longitudinal axis extends through the central scrolling area in the vertical direction, and a latitudinal axis extends through the central scrolling area in the horizontal direction; and
first and second end scrolling areas positioned on opposed sides of the central scrolling area, wherein either the longitudinal axis or the latitudinal axis of the central scrolling area intersects the first and second end scrolling areas,wherein the central scrolling region is an uninterrupted and continuous exposed surface configured to sense movement of the user'"'"'s finger along the vertical direction and generate signals causing a processor scroll the document in tandem with the sensed movement in either an up or down direction depending on whether the sensed movement on the exposed surface is in an upward or downward direction, respectively,wherein the first end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user'"'"'s finger, and generate a signal to scroll the document exclusively in a first direction while sensing the touch,wherein the second end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user'"'"'s finger, and generate a signal causing the processor to scroll the document exclusively in a second direction opposite to the first direction while sensing the touch,wherein the first and second end scrolling areas are coplanar with the central scrolling area,wherein the first and second end scrolling areas positioned immediately adjacent to the central scrolling area and spaced from the central scrolling areas such that the latitudinal axis intersects the first and second end scrolling areas, andthe first end scrolling area generates a signal causing the processor to scroll the document to the left while sensing the touch, and the second end scrolling area generates a signal causing the processor to scroll the document to the right while sensing the touch.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A touch-sensitive device for use as an electronic input device for controlling by scrolling the visible portion of a document or image relative to a display. The device can include various improved configurations such as physically separate opposed input surfaces at opposite longitudinal ends and/or lateral sides. The end regions of a touch sensitive surface may be rounded and/or tapered to provide relative positional feedback to the user. Tactile positional feedback can also include surface texture changes on the scrolling area and/or changes in the surface of the frame in the region immediately adjacent the scrolling area. The touch sensitive areas may be provided within a split alphanumeric section of an ergonomic keyboard to enable scrolling without the user having to remove his or her hands from the alphanumeric section.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A touch-sensitive device for scrolling a document on a display screen, said device comprising:
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a vertically elongated central scrolling area, wherein a longitudinal axis extends through the central scrolling area in the vertical direction, and a latitudinal axis extends through the central scrolling area in the horizontal direction; and first and second end scrolling areas positioned on opposed sides of the central scrolling area, wherein either the longitudinal axis or the latitudinal axis of the central scrolling area intersects the first and second end scrolling areas, wherein the central scrolling region is an uninterrupted and continuous exposed surface configured to sense movement of the user'"'"'s finger along the vertical direction and generate signals causing a processor scroll the document in tandem with the sensed movement in either an up or down direction depending on whether the sensed movement on the exposed surface is in an upward or downward direction, respectively, wherein the first end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user'"'"'s finger, and generate a signal to scroll the document exclusively in a first direction while sensing the touch, wherein the second end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user'"'"'s finger, and generate a signal causing the processor to scroll the document exclusively in a second direction opposite to the first direction while sensing the touch, wherein the first and second end scrolling areas are coplanar with the central scrolling area, wherein the first and second end scrolling areas positioned immediately adjacent to the central scrolling area and spaced from the central scrolling areas such that the latitudinal axis intersects the first and second end scrolling areas, and the first end scrolling area generates a signal causing the processor to scroll the document to the left while sensing the touch, and the second end scrolling area generates a signal causing the processor to scroll the document to the right while sensing the touch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A touch-sensitive device for scrolling a document on a display screen, the device comprising:
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a vertically elongated central scrolling area, wherein a longitudinal axis extends through the central scrolling area in the vertical direction; and opposed first and second end scrolling areas positioned on opposed sides of the central scrolling area, wherein the longitudinal axis of the central scrolling area intersects the first and second end scrolling areas, wherein the central scrolling region is an uninterrupted and continuous exposed surface configured to sense movement of the user'"'"'s finger along the vertical direction and generate signals causing a processor to scroll the document in tandem with the sensed movement in either an up or down direction depending on whether the sensed movement on the exposed surface is in an upward or downward direction, respectively, wherein the first end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user'"'"'s finger, and generate a signal to scroll the document exclusively up while sensing the touch, wherein the second end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user'"'"'s finger, and generate a signal causing the processor to scroll the document exclusively down while sensing the touch, and wherein the central scrolling area has a width in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and wherein each of the first and second end scrolling areas has a width that differs from the width of the central scrolling area, opposed third and fourth end scrolling areas positioned on opposed sides of the central scrolling area, wherein the latitudinal axis of the central scrolling area intersects the third and fourth end scrolling areas, wherein the third end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user'"'"'s finger, and generate a signal to scroll the document exclusively to the left while sensing the touch, and wherein the fourth end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user'"'"'s finger, and generate a signal causing the processor to scroll the document exclusively to the right while sensing the touch. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A touch-sensitive device for scrolling a document on a display screen, said device comprising:
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a vertically elongated central scrolling area, wherein a longitudinal axis extends through the central scrolling area in the vertical direction, and a latitudinal axis extends through the central scrolling area in the horizontal direction; first and second end scrolling areas positioned on opposed sides of the central scrolling area, wherein the first and second end scrolling areas positioned immediately adjacent to the central scrolling area and spaced from the central scrolling area such that the latitudinal axis of the central scrolling area intersects the first and second end scrolling areas; and third and fourth end scrolling areas positioned on opposed sides of the central scrolling area, wherein the longitudinal axis of the central scrolling area intersects the third and fourth end scrolling areas, wherein the central scrolling region is configured to sense movement of the user'"'"'s finger along the vertical direction and generate signals causing a processor to scroll the document up and down in tandem with the sensed movement, wherein the first end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user'"'"'s finger, and generate a signal to scroll the document exclusively to the left while sensing the touch, and wherein the second end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user'"'"'s finger, and generate a signal causing the processor to scroll the document exclusively to the right while sensing the touch, wherein the third end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user'"'"'s finger, and generate a signal to scroll the document exclusively up while sensing the touch, and wherein the fourth end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user'"'"'s finger, and generate a signal causing the processor to scroll the document exclusively down while sensing the touch.
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Specification