User interface, apparatus, method, and computer program for viewing of content on a screen

• US 8,217,906 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2007
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: SINCLAIR, John Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US11/941,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20090128500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345156-159, 715784-787, 178/18.01, 178/18.03
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A user interface is disclosed, comprising a screen arranged to view content, wherein the screen is arranged to display a part of the content if there is not space for the entire content on the screen, and wherein the content is scrollable to enable the desired part of the content to be displayed; and a touch sensitive input area arranged to enable input of touch actions, wherein a first touch action is adapted to control scrolling of said content, wherein a speed relation determines a relation between a speed of scrolling and a speed of the touch action in a first direction on said touch sensitive input, and wherein the speed relation is determined by the position of the touch action on said touch sensitive area along a second direction perpendicular to said first direction. Further, an apparatus, a method, and a computer program for viewing of content on a screen are disclosed.

Claims

1. A user interface comprising

a screen arranged to display content having a spatial extent greater than a spatial extent of the screen,

wherein the screen is arranged to display a part of the content on the screen that is less than the spatial extent of the content, and

wherein the content is spatially scrollable to enable the desired part of the content to be displayed;

and

a touch sensitive input area arranged to enable input of touch actions,

wherein a first touch action on said touch sensitive input area controls spatial scrolling of said content in a first direction,

wherein a speed relation value is determined by the position of the first touch action on said touch sensitive area along a second direction perpendicular to said first direction, and

wherein the speed relation value controls a speed of the spatial scrolling relative to a speed of the first touch action in the first direction on said touch sensitive input.

2. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein the determined speed relation value has a range of a minimal value at one end of the screen along the second direction, and a maximal value at the other end along the second direction.

3. The user interface according to claim 2, wherein the determined speed relation value range has the maximal value corresponding to the relation between the size of the entire content to the size of the part of the content fitting into the screen.

4. The user interface according to claim 2, wherein the determined speed relation value range has the minimum value of one to one.

5. The user interface according to claim 2, wherein the speed relation value is assigned a continuously increasing value from the minimum value to the maximum value along the second direction.

6. The user interface according to claim 2, wherein the speed relation value is assigned a plurality of discrete values increasing from the minimum value to the maximum value along the second direction.

7. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein a second touch action is adapted to control selection of one item of said content.

8. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein the determined speed relation value has a minimal value at one end of the screen along the second direction, and a maximal value at the other end along the second direction, wherein the determined speed relation value has the maximal value corresponding to the relation between the size of the entire content to the size of the part of the content fitting into the screen, the determined speed relation value has the minimum value of one to one, and the speed relation value is assigned a continuously increasing value from the minimum value to the maximum value along the second direction.

9. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein the determined speed relation value has a minimal value at one end of the screen along the second direction, and a maximal value at the other end along the second direction, wherein the determined speed relation value has the maximal value corresponding to the relation between the size of the entire content to the size of the part of the content fitting into the screen, the determined speed relation value has the minimum value of one to one, and the speed relation value is assigned a plurality of discrete values increasing from the minimum value to the maximum value along the second direction.

10. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein the touch sensitive area is arranged on the screen.

26. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein

the determined speed relation value has a range of a minimal value at one end of the screen along the second direction, and a maximal value at the other end along the second direction;

and

the speed relation value is dynamically adjusted during scrolling in said first direction in accordance with movement of the touch action in the second direction.

11. An electronic device comprising

a screen arranged to display content having a spatial extent greater than a spatial extent of the screen,

wherein the screen is arranged to display a part of the content on the screen that is less than the spatial extent of the content, and

wherein the content is spatially scrollable to enable the desired part of the content to be displayed;

and

a touch sensitive input area that outputs signals indicative of touch actions; and

a processor that receives and processes the signals from the touch sensitive input area so that a first touch action on said touch sensitive area controls spatial scrolling of said content in a first direction,

wherein the processor determines a speed relation value by the position of the first touch action on said touch sensitive area along a second direction perpendicular to said first direction, and

wherein the speed relation value controls a speed of the spatial scrolling relative to a speed of the first touch action in the first direction on said touch sensitive input.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the determined speed relation value has a range of a minimal value at one end of the screen along the second direction, and a maximal value at the other end along the second direction.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the determined speed relation value range has the maximal value corresponding to the relation between the size of the entire content to the size of the part of the content fitting into the screen.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the determined speed relation value range has the minimum value of one to one.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the speed relation value is assigned a continuously increasing value from the minimum value to the maximum value along the second direction.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the speed relation value is assigned a plurality of discrete values increasing from the minimum value to the maximum value along the second direction.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a second touch action is adapted to control selection of one item of said content.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the touch sensitive area is arranged on the screen.

27. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the determined speed relation value has a range of a minimal value at one end of the screen along the second direction, and a maximal value at the other end along the second direction;

and

the speed relation value is dynamically adjusted during scrolling in the first direction in accordance with movement of the touch action in the second direction.

19. A user interface method comprising

displaying a part of a content on a screen, the content having a spatial extent greater than a spatial extent of the screen, including

spatially scrolling the content where the screen is arranged to display a part of the content on the screen to enable the desired part of the content to be displayed;

and

receiving input of touch actions on a touch sensitive input area, wherein a first touch action controls spatial scrolling of said content in a first direction, including

determining a speed relation value by the position of the first touch action on said touch sensitive input area along a second direction perpendicular to said first direction, and controlling, in accordance with the speed relation value, a speed of the spatial scrolling relative to a speed of the first touch action in the first direction on said touch sensitive input.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the determined speed relation value has a range of a minimal value at one end of the screen along the second direction, and a maximal value at the other end along the second direction, wherein the determined speed relation value has the maximal value corresponding to the relation between the size of the entire content to the size of the part of the content fitting into the screen.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the determined speed relation value has a range of a minimal value at one end of the screen along the second direction, and a maximal value at the other end along the second direction, wherein the determined minimum speed has the minimum value of one to one.

22. The method according to claim 19, further comprising assigning a continuously increasing speed relation value from a minimum value to a maximum value along the second direction.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein assigning the speed relation value comprises assigning a plurality of discrete values increasing from a minimum value to a maximum value along the second direction.

24. The method according to claim 19, further comprising receiving a second touch action adapted to control selection of one item of said content.

28. The method according to claim 19, wherein the determined speed relation value has a range of a minimal value at one end of the screen along the second direction and a maximal value at the other end along the second direction, and the method further comprises dynamically adjusting the speed relation value during scrolling in the first direction in accordance with movement of the touch action in the second direction.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program code, which when executed by a processor is arranged to cause the processor to perform

displaying a part of a content on a screen, the content having a spatial extent greater than a spatial extent of the screen, including

spatially scrolling the content where the screen is arranged to display a part of the content on the screen to enable the desired part of the content to be displayed;

and

receiving input of touch actions on a touch sensitive input area, wherein a first touch action controls spatial scrolling of said content in a first direction, including

determining a speed relation value by the position of the first touch action on said touch sensitive input area along a second direction perpendicular to said first direction, and controlling, in accordance with the speed relation value, a speed of the spatial scrolling relative to a speed of the first touch action in the first direction on said touch sensitive input.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 25, wherein

the determined speed relation value has a range of a minimal value at one end of the screen along the second direction, and a maximal value at the other end along the second direction;

and

the speed relation value is dynamically adjusted during scrolling in the first direction in accordance with movement of the touch action in the second direction.