Scrolling device content

• US 7,934,167 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Happonen, Aki Petri
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu; Tadeese
• Application Number:
  US12/241,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764, 715783-788, 715/818, 715/830, 715/833, 715/845, 715/851, 715/855
• US Class Current: 715/786
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method including displaying content on a display of a device, dividing the display into two or more display sections with a first pointing device where each of the two or more display sections includes a respective portion of the content, and scrolling the respective portion of the content in at least one of the two or more display sections with a second pointing device such that non-contiguous content is displayed in the two or more display sections.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying content on a display of a device;

dividing the display into two or more display sections with a first pointing device where each of the two or more display sections includes a respective portion of the content; and

scrolling the respective portion of the content in at least one of the two or more display sections with a second pointing device such that non-contiguous content is displayed in the two or more display sections.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

indicating at least one display section divider with the first pointing device at a predetermined location on the display, wherein the at least one display section divider defines the two or more display sections; and

moving the second pointing device relative to the display within at least one of the two or more display sections for effecting the scrolling of the respective portion of the content.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising that indicating the at least one display section divider and moving the second pointing device occur substantially simultaneously.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising that dividing the display into two or more display sections comprises detecting an input from the first pointing device, where the display remains divided as long as the input is sustained.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising returning the display to an undivided display when the input is no longer detected.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a display; and

a processor connected to the display, the processor being configured to

cause a presentation of content on the display,

detect a first input from a first pointing device and cause the display to be divided into two or more display sections, each display section including a respective portion of the content, and

detect a second input from a second pointing device and cause a scrolling of the respective content in at least one of the two or more display sections.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to cause a presentation of a display section divider on the display, wherein the display section divider defines the two or more display sections.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the display to be divided into the two or more display sections as long as the first input is sustained and return the display to an undivided display when the first input is no longer detected.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to detect the first input and the second input substantially simultaneously.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first input comprises a detection of a substantially stationary touching of the display with the first pointing device at a predetermined location and the second input comprises a detection of movement of the second pointing device relative to one of the two or more display sections in which the scrolling of the respective content occurs.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the scrolling of the respective content in the at least one of the two or more display sections effects a display of non-contiguous content in the two or more display sections.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the scrolling of the respective content in at least one of the two or more display sections independent of the respective content in other different ones of the two or more display sections.

13. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile communication terminal.

14. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium stored in a memory having computer readable code means embodied therein for causing a computer to non-contiguously display a content on a display, the computer readable code means in the computer program product comprising;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to detect a first input from a first pointing device and cause the display to be divided into two or more display sections, each display section including a respective portion of the content; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to detect a second input from a second pointing device and cause a scrolling of the respective content in at least one of the two or more display sections.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to present a display section divider on the display, wherein the display section divider defines the two or more display sections.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the display is divided into the two or more display sections as long as the first input is sustained and the display is returned to an undivided display when the first input is no longer detected and wherein the first input and the second input are detected substantially simultaneously.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the first input comprises a detection of a substantially stationary touching of the display with the first pointing device at a predetermined location and the second input comprises a detection of movement of the second pointing device relative to one of the two or more display sections in which the scrolling of the respective content occurs.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the scrolling of the respective content in the at least one of the two or more display sections effects a display of non-contiguous content in the two or more display sections.

19. A user interface comprising:

a multi-touch display for displaying content; and

a processor connected to the display and configured to

detect at least a first and second input on the multi-touch display, wherein the first and second input are detected substantially simultaneously, cause a division of the display into two or more display sections in response to the first input, where each display section includes a respective portion of the display content, and

cause scrolling of the respective portion of the display content in response to the second input so that non-contiguous content is presented on the display.

20. The user interface of claim 19, where each of the respective portions of the display content of the two or more display sections is independently scrollable.