Handheld electronic device, cursor positioning sub-system and method employing cursor scaling control

• US 8,411,035 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2010
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Fyke, Steven H., Moosavi, Vahid
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad, Amr
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIS, RANDAL L
• Application Number:
  US12/722,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20100164866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 345/159, 345/157
• US Class Current: 345/159
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/978 Audio interaction as part of an operator interface

Abstract

A track ball cursor positioning sub-system is employed by a handheld electronic device including an operating system and a plurality of applications having a plurality of predetermined scaling values. The cursor positioning sub-system includes a track ball cursor positioning device adapted to output a plurality of device pulses, and a track ball cursor resolution controller adapted to repetitively input the device pulses and to responsively output to the operating system a plurality of cursor movement events. The cursor resolution controller is further adapted to be controlled by the operating system or by the applications to learn which one of the applications is active and to automatically scale a number of the cursor movement events for a corresponding number of the device pulses based upon a corresponding one of the predetermined scaling values of the active one of the applications.

Claims

1. A cursor positioning sub-system for a communications device, the communications device including a memory that stores an operating system and a plurality of applications, the cursor positioning sub-system selecting a cursor navigation mode from a plurality of cursor navigation modes, the cursor positioning sub-system comprising:

a cursor positioning device that generates a device pulse when actuated, the device pulse corresponding to one of a plurality of directions for navigating a cursor on a display;

a movement detector that is communicatively coupled to the cursor positioning device and the operating system, the movement detector including a counter that counts the device pulse and increments a count value for the corresponding one of the plurality of directions, the movement detector being configured to;

receive the device pulse;

receive a signal from the operating system, the signal identifying an active application selected from the plurality of applications;

set a minimum count value threshold for the plurality of directions based on the identified active application;

generate a direction pulse when the count value threshold is reached for one of the plurality of directions, the direction pulse being associated with the corresponding direction;

reset the counter for the corresponding direction that reaches the count value threshold; and

reset the counter for the corresponding plurality of directions if the movement detector does not receive the device pulse associated with the plurality of directions within a predefined time period;

a velocity detector that is communicatively coupled to the movement detector, the velocity detector defining the plurality of cursor navigation modes based on at least one of the active application and a time period between corresponding direction pulses, the velocity detector configured to;

receive the direction pulse;

determine the direction associated with the direction pulse;

determine the time period between receiving the direction pulse and a previous direction pulse that corresponds to a same direction;

compare the determined time period with a plurality of predetermined time periods associated with the plurality of cursor navigation modes;

select one of the plurality of cursor navigation modes based on at least one of the determined time period and the active application; and

generate a cursor movement event that corresponds to the selected cursor navigation mode, the cursor movement event being a multiple of the determined time period between corresponding direction pulses.

2. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 1, wherein the velocity detector is further configured to receive a signal from the operating system to maintain the selected mode.

3. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 1, wherein the velocity detector selects one of the plurality of cursor navigation modes, including a slow mode, a special slow mode, a fast mode, a special fast mode and a normal mode.

4. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 3, wherein the normal mode is a default mode.

5. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 1, further comprising an audible device that is communicatively coupled to the velocity detector and the operating system, the audible device configured to:

receive the cursor movement event; and

receive an audible signal from the operating system, the audible signal indicating one of an end of field mode and a normal mode.

6. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 5, wherein the audible signal changes an audible alert during the end of field mode.

7. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 1, wherein the velocity detector selects one of the plurality of modes when the time period between receiving the direction pulse and the previous direction pulse that corresponds to the same direction is greater than a first predetermined time and is less than a second, larger predetermined time.

8. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 5, wherein the audible device limits the audible signal to a predetermined maximum rate or frequency.

9. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 1, further comprising an acceleration detector that is communicatively coupled to the movement detector and the velocity detector, the acceleration detector detecting acceleration information based on a changing time period between direction pulses, the acceleration information being provided to the velocity detector to modify generation of the cursor movement event.

10. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 1 wherein the cursor positioning device comprises a touch pad, a joystick , a mouse, a touchscreen, an input pad, a trackball, or a tablet.

11. A communications device that is programmed to select a cursor navigation mode from a plurality of cursor navigation modes, the communications device comprising:

a display;

a cursor positioning device that generates a device pulse when actuated, the device pulse corresponding to one of a plurality of directions for navigating a cursor on the display;

a storage device that stores an operating system and a plurality of applications;

a processor that is communicatively coupled to the display, the cursor positioning device, and the storage device, the processor being configured to execute instructions for;

receiving the device pulse;

receiving a signal from the operating system, the signal identifying an active application selected from the plurality of applications;

setting a minimum count value threshold for the plurality of directions based on the identified active application;

generating a direction pulse when the count value threshold is reached for one of the plurality of directions, the direction pulse being associated with the corresponding direction;

resetting the counter for the corresponding direction that reaches the count value threshold; and

resetting the counter for the corresponding plurality of directions if the processor does not receive the device pulse associated with the plurality of directions within a predefined time period;

determining the direction associated with the direction pulse;

determining the time period between receiving the direction pulse and a previous direction pulse that corresponds to a same direction;

comparing the determined time period with a plurality of predetermined time periods associated with the plurality of cursor navigation modes;

selecting one of the plurality of cursor navigation modes based on at least one of the determined time period and the active application; and

generating a cursor movement event that corresponds to the selected cursor navigation mode, the cursor movement event being a multiple of the determined time period between corresponding direction pulses.

12. The communications device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of cursor navigation modes includes a slow mode, a special slow mode, a fast mode, a special fast mode and a normal mode.

13. The communications device of claim 11, wherein the normal mode is a default mode.

14. The communications device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute instructions for:

receiving an audible signal from the operating system, the audible signal indicating one of an end of field mode and a normal mode.

15. The communications device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of applications stored in the storage device include a text editing or viewing application, an menu processing application, a list processing application, and a text field processing application.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer code that when loaded into a communications device adapts the communications device to select a cursor navigation mode from a plurality of cursor navigation modes, the communications device including a cursor positioning device that generates a device pulse when actuated, the device pulse corresponding to one of a plurality of directions for navigating a cursor on a display, the communications device further including a storage device that stores an operating system and a plurality of applications;

the computer readable medium having instructions that are executable to;

receive the device pulse;

receive a signal from the operating system, the signal identifying an active application selected from the plurality of applications;

set a minimum count value threshold for the plurality of directions based on the identified active application;

generate a direction pulse when the count value threshold is reached for one of the plurality of directions, the direction pulse being associated with the corresponding direction;

reset the counter for the corresponding direction that reaches the count value threshold; and

reset the counter for the corresponding plurality of directions if the processor does not receive the device pulse associated with the plurality of directions within a predefined time period;

determine the direction associated with the direction pulse;

determine the time period between receiving the direction pulse and a previous direction pulse that corresponds to a same direction;

compare the determined time period with a plurality of predetermined time periods associated with the plurality of cursor navigation modes;

select one of the plurality of cursor navigation modes based on at least one of the determined time period and the active application; and

generate a cursor movement event that corresponds to the selected cursor navigation mode, the cursor movement event being a multiple of the determined time period between corresponding direction pulses.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the computer readable medium further includes instruction that are executable to select among the plurality of cursor navigation modes that include a slow mode, a special slow mode, a fast mode, a special fast mode and a normal mode.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the computer readable medium further includes instruction that are executable to set the normal mode as a default mode.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the computer readable medium further includes instruction that are executable to receiving an audible signal from the operating system, the audible signal indicating one of an end of field mode and a normal mode.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the computer readable medium further includes instruction that are executable to limit the audible signal to a predetermined maximum rate or frequency.