Portable electronic device and method of controlling same

• US 8,315,672 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2008
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason Tyler, Wood, Todd Andrew, Lazaridis, Mihal, Major, Harry Richmond, Yach, David Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Poos, John
• Application Number:
  US12/325,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20100137031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 345/173
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A method of controlling a portable electronic device that has a touch screen display includes providing a graphical user interface on a touch screen display, detecting a touch event at a first location on the touch screen display, providing a navigation indicator in the graphical user interface in response to detecting the touch event at the first location, and in response to detecting movement of the touch event from the first location to a second location while touch contact is maintained on the touch screen display, changing the position of the navigation indicator in the graphical user interface by a distance that is greater than a distance of movement of the touch event on the touch screen display, a direction of change of position of the navigation indicator is based on a direction of movement of the touch event on the touch screen display.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a portable electronic device having a touch screen display, the method comprising:

providing a graphical user interface on the touch screen display;

detecting a touch event at a first location on the touch screen display;

providing a navigation indicator in the graphical user interface in response to detecting the touch event at the first location; and

in response to detecting movement of the touch event from the first location to a second location while touch contact is maintained on the touch screen display, changing a position of the navigation indicator in the graphical user interface by moving the navigation indicator relative to at least a portion of the graphical user interface,

wherein the position of the navigation indicator is changed by a distance that is based on a ratio of distance of movement of the touch event on the touch screen display to distance of movement of the navigation indicator and is greater than the distance of movement of the touch event, and

wherein a direction of change of the position of the navigation indicator is based on a direction of movement of the touch event on the touch screen display.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein moving the navigation indicator relative to the portion of the graphical user interface comprises scrolling said portion of the graphical user interface when the navigation indicator reaches an edge of said portion.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein moving the navigation indicator relative to the portion of the graphical user interface comprises moving the navigation indicator relative to the touch screen display prior to the navigation indicator reaching the edge.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising selecting a feature at the navigation indicator in response to receipt of an input from a switch actuated as a result of movement of the touch screen display relative to a remainder of the portable electronic device.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising performing a function in response to receipt of said input.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ratio is fixed and the distance of change of the position of the navigation indicator in the graphical user interface is based on a fixed multiple of the distance of movement of the touch.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein ratio is a variable ratio of the distance of movement of the touch event to the distance of change of the position of the navigation indicator.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the variable ratio depends on a distance of the navigation indicator from the touch event.

9. The method according to claim 7, comprising determining a speed of movement of the touch event from the first location to a second location in response to detecting movement of the touch event from the first location to a second location while touch contact is maintained on the touch screen display.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the variable ratio depends on the speed of movement of the touch event.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said navigation indicator comprises a cursor or highlighting.

12. A portable electronic device comprising:

a touch screen display; and

a processor-coupled to the touch screen display, and

a memory device for storage of computer-readable program code executable by the processor for

providing a graphical user interface on the touch screen display, detecting a touch event at a first location on the touch screen display,

providing a navigation indicator in the graphical user interface in response to detecting the touch event at the first location, and

in response to detecting movement of the touch event from the first location to a second location while touch contact is maintained on the touch screen display, changing a position of the navigation indicator in the graphical user interface by moving the navigation indicator relative to at least a portion of the graphical user interface,

wherein the position of the navigation indicator is changed by a distance that is based on a ratio of the distance of movement of the touch event on the touch screen display to the distance of change of position of the navigation indicator and is greater than a distance of movement of the touch event,

wherein a direction of change of the position of the navigation indicator is based on a direction of movement of the touch event on the touch screen display.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein for execution by a processor of a portable electronic device for

providing a graphical user interface on a touch screen display,

detecting a touch event at a first location on the touch screen display,

providing a navigation indicator in the graphical user interface in response to detecting the touch event at the first location, and

in response to detecting movement of the touch event from the first location to a second location while touch contact is maintained on the touch screen display, changing a position of the navigation indicator in the graphical user interface by moving the navigation indicator relative to at least a portion of the graphical user interface,

wherein the position of the navigation indicator is changed by a distance that is based on a ratio of the distance of movement of the touch event on the touch screen display to the distance of change of position of the navigation indicator and greater than a distance of movement of the touch,

wherein a direction of change of position of the navigation indicator is based on a direction of movement of the touch event on the touch screen display.