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

• US 20060187202A1
• Filed: 02/22/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 7,724,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• 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 handheld electronic device including an operating system and a plurality of applications having a plurality of predetermined scaling values, said cursor positioning sub-system comprising:

a cursor positioning device adapted to output a plurality of device pulses; and

a cursor controller adapted to repetitively input said device pulses of said cursor positioning device and to responsively output to said operating system a plurality of cursor movement events, said cursor controller being adapted to be controlled by said operating system or by said applications to learn which one of said applications is active and to automatically scale a number of said cursor movement events for a corresponding number of said device pulses based upon a corresponding one of said predetermined scaling values of the active one of said applications.

2. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 1 wherein said cursor positioning device is a track ball including four outputs for said device pulses;

wherein said cursor controller is a track ball resolution controller adapted to periodically input said device pulses from the four outputs of said track ball, count said device pulses for each of four different directions, and determine whether a count for any of said different directions is equal to a predetermined count and, if so, responsively output a direction pulse for a corresponding one of said different directions.

3. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 2 wherein said track ball resolution controller is further adapted to reset said count for any of said different directions if none of said device pulses for said any of said different directions is input within a predetermined time, and to output said cursor movement events based upon said direction pulses.

4. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 1 wherein said cursor controller comprises:

a movement detection routine adapted to periodically input said device pulses from said cursor positioning device, count said device pulses for each of four different directions, and determine whether a count for any of said different directions is equal to a predetermined count and, if so, responsively output a direction pulse for a corresponding one of said different directions; and

a velocity detection routine adapted to input said direction pulse for each of said different directions, determine a time between successive ones of said direction pulses for each of said different directions, determine one of a plurality of modes based upon said time, and responsively increase or decrease a ratio of a number of said cursor movement events per a corresponding number of said direction pulses.

5. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 4 wherein said velocity detection routine is further adapted to accept input from said operating system or one of said applications to remain in one of said modes.

6. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 4 wherein one of said modes is determined when said time is greater than a predetermined time;

and wherein said velocity detection routine sends one of said cursor movement events to said operating system for a predetermined count of a plurality of said direction pulses.

7. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 4 wherein one of said modes is determined when said time is less than a predetermined time;

and wherein said velocity detection routine sends a predetermined count of a plurality of said cursor movement events to said operating system for each of said direction pulses.

8. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 7 wherein said predetermined time is a first predetermined time;

and wherein said determined one of said modes is maintained for at least up to a second predetermined time during which there is none of said direction pulses.

9. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 7 wherein said predetermined time is a first predetermined time;

wherein said velocity detection routine switches from said determined one of said modes to another one of said modes if a predetermined number of said direction pulses is received during a second predetermined time; and

wherein said another one of said modes outputs a relatively greater count of said cursor movement events than a number of said cursor movement events of said determined one of said modes.

10. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 4 wherein said velocity detection routine determines one of said modes when said time between successive ones of said direction pulses is greater than a first predetermined time and is less than a second, larger predetermined time.

11. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 4 wherein said cursor controller further comprises an audible output routine adapted to audibly enunciate said cursor movement events.

12. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 11 wherein said audible output routine is further adapted to output one audible event for each of said cursor movement events when a time between successive ones of said cursor movement events is greater than a predetermined time and, alternatively, to disable said audible event when said time between successive ones of said cursor movement events is less than said predetermined time.

13. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 111 wherein said operating system cooperates with said applications;

and wherein said audible output routine is further adapted to receive input from said operating system or from one of said applications to limit said audible events to a predetermined maximum rate of one of said audible events per a predetermined time.

14. The cursor positioning sub-system of claim 13 wherein said cursor controller further comprises an acceleration detection routine cooperating with said velocity detection routine.

15. A handheld electronic device comprising:

an input sub-system comprising a cursor positioning device adapted to output a plurality of device pulses;

an output sub-system comprising a display including a cursor;

an operating system adapted to receive cursor movement events;

a plurality of applications including a plurality of predetermined scaling values;

a processor cooperating with said input sub-system, said output sub-system and said operating system to move said cursor; and

a cursor controller routine adapted be controlled by said operating system or by said applications to learn which one of said applications is active and to automatically scale a number of said cursor movement events for a corresponding number of said device pulses based upon a corresponding one of said predetermined scaling values of the active one of said applications, said cursor controller routine comprising;

a movement detection routine adapted to repetitively input said device pulses of said cursor positioning device, count said device pulses for each of four different directions, and determine whether a count for any of said different directions is equal to a predetermined count and, if so, responsively output a direction pulse, and

a velocity detection routine adapted to input said direction pulse for each of said different directions, determine a time between successive ones of said direction pulses for each of said different directions, determine one of a plurality of modes based upon said time, and responsively adjust and output said number of said cursor movement events to said operating system.

16. The handheld electronic device of claim 15 wherein said operating system cooperates with said applications;

wherein one of said applications informs said operating system which one of said applications is currently active; and

wherein said operating system responsively sets said predetermined count.

17. The handheld electronic device of claim 15 wherein said output sub-system further comprises an audible output;

wherein said cursor controller routine further comprises an audible output routine adapted to audibly enunciate said cursor movement events, to output one audible event to said audible output for each of said cursor movement events when a time between successive ones of said cursor movement events is greater than a predetermined time and, alternatively, to disable said audible event when said time between successive ones of said cursor movement events is less than said predetermined time.

18. The handheld electronic device of claim 17 wherein said operating system cooperates with said applications;

wherein one of said applications informs said operating system which one of said applications is currently active and if further cursor movement is not possible; and

wherein said operating system responsively controls said audible output routine to disable said audible event.

19. The handheld electronic device of claim 15 wherein one of said applications is a main ribbon application;

and wherein said predetermined count is three for said main ribbon application and is two for the other ones of said applications.

20. The handheld electronic device of claim 15 wherein said applications are selected from the group consisting of a text editing or viewing application, an menu processing application, a list processing application, and a text field processing application.

21. A method of positioning a cursor for a handheld electronic device including an operating system and a plurality of applications having a plurality of predetermined scaling values, said method comprising:

employing a cursor positioning device to output a plurality of device pulses;

repetitively inputting said device pulses and responsively outputting to said operating system a plurality of cursor movement events; and

learning which one of said applications is active and automatically scaling a number of said cursor movement events for a corresponding number of said device pulses based upon a corresponding one of said predetermined scaling values of the active one of said applications.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising periodically inputting said device pulses;

counting said device pulses for each of four different directions;

determining whether a count for any of said different directions is equal to a predetermined count and, if so, responsively outputting a direction pulse;

inputting said direction pulse for each of said different directions;

determining a time between successive ones of said direction pulses for each of said different directions; and

determining one of a plurality of modes based upon said time, and responsively increasing or decreasing said number of said cursor movement events for a corresponding number of said device pulses.