Portable electronic device and method of controlling same

• US 9,310,990 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2011
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Kuo, Margaret Elizabeth, Stovicek, Thomas Jan, Hong, Yoojin, Langlois, Michael George, Chen, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang-Hurst, Kathy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shen, Peijie
• Application Number:
  US13/094,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20110260970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863, 345/161
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• 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: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/027 Arrangements and methods specific for the display of internet documents
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/38 with means for controlling the display position
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications

Abstract

A method includes displaying a shutter adjacent to a boundary of an information display region on a display of a portable electronic device, the information display region for displaying first information; receiving an input associated with the shutter; and displaying second information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a shutter adjacent to a boundary of an information display region on a display of a portable electronic device, the information display region configured to display a virtual keyboard on a portion of the information display region and the shutter configured to activate and deactivate the virtual keyboard;

the shutter including a shutter operator that indicates a direction of a scrolling input pointing away from the boundary of the information display region to display the virtual keyboard, the shutter operator changing to indicate a direction of a scrolling input pointing towards the boundary of the information display region to hide the virtual keyboard;

receiving the scrolling input associated with the shutter; and

responsive to receiving the scrolling input, displaying the virtual keyboard when the scrolling input is in the direction pointing away from the boundary of the information display region, and hiding the virtual keyboard when the scrolling input is in the direction pointing towards the boundary of the information display region.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shutter is continuously displayed.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the boundary is at one of:

a top, a side and a bottom of the information display region.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input is received from a navigation device, the navigation device being one of:

an optical trackpad, a touch-sensitive display, a trackball, a pointing stick, a joystick and a graphics tablet.

5. A portable electronic device comprising:

a display configured to display a shutter adjacent to a boundary of an information display region on the display, the information display region configured to display a virtual keyboard on a portion of the information display region and the shutter configured to activate and deactivate the virtual keyboard;

the shutter including a shutter operator that indicates a direction of a scrolling input pointing away from the boundary of the information display region to display the virtual keyboard, the shutter operator changing to indicate a direction of a scrolling input pointing towards the boundary of the information display region to hide the virtual keyboard

a navigation device for receiving the scrolling input associated with the shutter; and

a processor communicatively coupled with the display and the navigation device, the processor configured to cause the display to display the virtual keyboard when the scrolling input is in the direction pointing away from the boundary of the information display region, and hide the virtual keyboard when the scrolling input is in the direction pointing towards the boundary of the information display region.

6. A portable electronic device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the navigation device is one of:

an optical trackpad, a touch-sensitive display, a trackball, a pointing stick, a joystick and a graphics tablet.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer instructions which, when executed by a processor of a portable electronic device, cause the processor to:

display a shutter adjacent to a boundary of an information display region on a display of a portable electronic device, the information display region configured to display a virtual keyboard on a portion of the information display region and the shutter configured to activate and deactivate the virtual keyboard;

the shutter including a shutter operator that indicates a direction of a scrolling input pointing away from the boundary of the information display region to display the virtual keyboard, the shutter operator changing to indicate a direction of a scrolling input pointing towards the boundary of the information display region to hide the virtual keyboard;

receive a scrolling input associated with the shutter; and

responsive to receiving the scrolling input, display the virtual keyboard when the scrolling input is in the direction pointing away from the boundary of the information display region, and hide the virtual keyboard when the scrolling input is in the direction pointing towards the boundary of the information display region.