Scrolling based on rotational movement

• US 9,977,518 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2015
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Tsuk, Robert W., Robbin, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Titcomb, William
• Application Number:
  US14/685,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20150248175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 345184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/34 for rolling or scrolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

Improved approaches for users to interact with graphical user interfaces of computing devices are disclosed. A rotational user action supplied by a user via a user input device can provide accelerated scrolling. The accelerated nature of the scrolling enables users to scroll or traverse a lengthy data set (e.g., list of items) faster and with greater ease. The amount of acceleration provided can be performed in successive stages, and/or performed based on the speed of the rotational user action. In one embodiment, the rotational user action is transformed into linear action with respect to a graphical user interface. The resulting acceleration effect causes the linear action to be enhanced such that a lengthy data set is able to be rapidly traversed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a portable electronic device with a display, a rotational input device, and an audio feedback unit;

displaying a list of items with the display;

detecting rotational movement of the rotational input device itself in a first direction; and

,

in response to detecting rotational movement of the rotational input device itself in the first direction;

scrolling the list of items to an entry in the list, and

outputting, with the audio feedback unit, a plurality of audible sound effects that are output at different times at a particular rate, wherein the particular rate, which determines the times at which the audible sound effects are output, is based on a characteristic of the detected rotational-movement.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the entry in the list corresponds to a media item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the detected rotational movement is a speed of the detected rotational movement.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular rate increases as the detected rotational movement increases.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular rate is proportional to a rate of the detected rotational movement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular rate indicates a rate at which the items in the list are being scrolled.

7. The method of claim 1, including:

in response to detecting rotational movement of the rotational input device itself;

moving a visual indicator to the entry in the list.

8. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a rotational input device;

an audio feedback unit;

a processor; and

non-transitory computer readable storage media including instructions configured to be executed by the processor, including instructions for;

displaying a list of items with the display;

detecting rotational movement of the rotational input device itself in a first direction; and

,

in response to detecting rotational movement of the rotational input device itself in the first direction;

scrolling the list of items to an entry in the list, and

outputting, with the audio feedback unit, a plurality of audible sound effects that are output at different times at a particular rate, wherein the particular rate, which determines the times at which the audible sound effects are output, is based on a characteristic of the detected rotational movement.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the entry in the list corresponds to a media item.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the characteristic of the detected rotational movement is a speed of the detected rotational movement.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the particular rate increases as the detected rotational movement increases.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the particular rate is proportional to a rate of the detected rotational movement.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the particular rate indicates a rate at which the items in the list are being scrolled.

14. The device of claim 8, including instructions configured to cause the processor to perform operations including:

in response to detecting rotational movement of the rotational input device itself;

moving a visual indicator to the entry in the list.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage media including instructions that when executed by a portable electronic device with a display, a rotational input device, an audio feedback unit, and a processor, cause the portable electronic device to:

display a list of items with the display;

detect rotational movement of the rotational input device itself in a first direction; and

,

in response to detecting rotational movement of the rotational input device itself in the first direction;

scroll the list of items to an entry in the list, and

output, with the audio feedback unit, a plurality of audible sound effects that are output at different times at a particular rate, wherein the particular rate, which determines the times at which the audible sound effects are output, is based on a characteristic of the detected rotational movement.

16. The computer readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the entry in the list corresponds to a media item.

17. The computer readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the characteristic of the detected rotational movement is a speed of the detected rotational movement.

18. The computer readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the particular rate increases as the detected rotational movement increases.

19. The computer readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the particular rate is proportional to a rate of the detected rotational movement.

20. The computer readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the particular rate indicates a rate at which the items in the list are being scrolled.

21. The computer readable storage media of claim 15, including instructions that when executed cause the portable electronic device to:

in response to detecting rotational movement of the rotational input device itself;

move a visual indicator to the entry in the list.