Portable electronic device and method of controlling same

• US 8,463,329 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason Tyler, Wood, Todd Andrew, Lazaridis, Mihal, Major, Harry Richmond, Yach, David Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): POOS, JOHN W
• Application Number:
  US13/620,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20130009901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 270 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 comprising:

displaying information on a touch screen display;

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

displaying a navigation indicator 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 information by moving the navigation indicator by a distance that is based on distance of movement of the touch event on the touch screen display and that is greater than the distance of movement of the touch event,

wherein moving the navigation indicator comprises scrolling a portion of the information when the navigation indicator reaches an edge of the portion, 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 comprises moving the navigation indicator relative to the touch screen display prior to the navigation indicator reaching the edge.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising selecting a feature at the navigation indicator in response to receipt of a selection input.

4. The method according to claim 3, comprising performing a function in response to receipt of the selection input.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the distance of movement of the navigation indicator is based on a fixed multiple of the distance of movement of the touch.

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

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the distance of movement of the navigation indicator to the distance of movement of the touch event varies with distance of movement of the touch event.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining a speed of movement of the touch event from the first location to the second location in response to detecting movement of the touch event from the first location to the second location while touch contact is maintained on the touch screen display.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the speed of movement of the navigation indicator is dependent on the speed of movement of the touch event.

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

11. A portable electronic device comprising:

a touch screen display; and

a processor coupled to the touch screen display, and

non-transitory computer readable medium for storage of computer-readable program code executable by the processor to;

display information on the touch screen display;

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

display a navigation indicator 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, change a position of the navigation indicator in the information by moving the navigation indicator by a distance that is based on distance of movement of the touch event on the touch screen display and that is greater than the distance of movement of the touch event,

wherein moving the navigation indicator comprises scrolling a portion of the information when the navigation indicator reaches an edge of the portion, 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.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device having computer-readable code stored thereon for execution by a processor of a electronic device to:

display information on a touch screen display of the electronic device;

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

display a navigation indicator 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, change a position of the navigation indicator in the information by moving the navigation indicator by a distance that is based on distance of movement of the touch event on the touch screen display and that is greater than the distance of movement of the touch event,

wherein moving the navigation indicator comprises scrolling a portion of the information when the navigation indicator reaches an edge of the portion, 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.