Dual-positioning controller and method for controlling an indicium on a display of an electronic device

• US 20060267934A1
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies ECBU IP Singapore Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harley, Jonah A., Schroeder, Dale W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,576,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• 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

Abstract

A dual-positioning controller includes a two positioning controllers for controlling movement of an indicium, such as a cursor, on a display of an electronic device. A coarse controller controls coarse movement of the indicium relative to content displayed on the display. A fine controller controls fine movement of the indicium relative to the content on the display.

Claims

1. A dual-positioning controller for controlling movement of an indicium on a display of an electronic device, said dual-positioning controller comprising:

a coarse controller for controlling a first relative motion parameter producing coarse movement of said indicium relative to content displayed on said display; and

a fine controller for controlling a second relative motion parameter producing fine movement of said indicium relative to said content on said display.

2. The dual-positioning controller of claim 1, wherein said coarse controller includes a first puck-type pointing device including a first surface having a first puck field of motion defined thereon and a first moveable puck operable to move within said first puck field of motion, and wherein a displacement of said first moveable puck within said first puck field of motion produces said coarse movement.

3. The dual-positioning controller of claim 2, wherein said fine controller includes a second puck-type pointing device including a second surface having a second puck field of motion defined thereon and a second moveable puck operable to move within said second puck field of motion, and wherein a displacement of said second moveable puck within said second puck field of motion produces said fine movement.

4. The dual-positioning controller of claim 1, wherein said indicium comprises a cursor displayed on said display.

5. The dual-positioning controller of claim 4, wherein said first relative motion parameter is a velocity of said cursor on said display and said second relative motion parameter is an incremental change in position of said cursor on said display, and wherein a displacement of said coarse controller by a first displacement distance and in a first displacement direction produces movement of said cursor on said display at a velocity determined by said first displacement distance and said first displacement direction, and wherein a displacement of said fine controller by a second displacement distance and in a second displacement direction produces incremental movement of said cursor from an original position on said display to a new position on said display.

6. The dual-positioning controller of claim 4, wherein both said first relative motion parameter and said second relative motion parameter are incremental changes in position of said cursor, and wherein said first relative motion parameter has a first gain for producing a first incremental change in position of said cursor on said display and said second relative motion parameter has a second gain less than said first gain for producing a second incremental change in position of said cursor on said display.

7. The dual-positioning controller of claim 4, wherein both said first relative motion parameter and said second relative motion parameter are velocities of said cursor, and wherein said first relative motion parameter has a first gain for producing a first velocity of said cursor on the display and said second relative motion parameter has a second gain less than said first gain for producing a second velocity of said cursor on the display, said second velocity having a magnitude less than said first velocity.

8. The dual-positioning controller of claim 1, wherein said display displays content thereon and said indicium includes a first indicium element comprising a window displayed on said display and a second indicium element comprising a cursor displayed on said display, and wherein said first relative motion parameter is an incremental change in position of said window relative to said content and said second relative motion parameter is an incremental change in position of said cursor within said window.

9. The dual-positioning controller of claim 8, wherein the area of said window is less than a screen area of said display and said first relative motion parameter is an incremental change in position of said window on said display.

10. The dual-positioning controller of claim 8, wherein the area of said window is less than a virtual area of content and said first relative motion parameter is a change in position of said window relative to said content in said virtual area of content.

11. The dual-positioning controller of claim 8, wherein said window includes a magnified portion of said content magnified on said display relative to a remaining portion of said content displayed on the display.

12. The dual-positioning controller of claim 1, wherein said indicium includes a first cursor controlled by said coarse controller and a second cursor controlled by said fine controller.

13. An electronic device, comprising:

a display having an indicium and content displayed thereon;

a dual-positioning controller for controlling movement of said indicium on said display, said dual-positioning controller including;

a coarse controller for providing a coarse position control signal for controlling coarse movement of said indicium relative to said content displayed on said display, and

a fine controller for providing a fine position control signal for controlling fine movement of said indicium relative to said content on said display; and

a processor operable to receive said first position control signal and said second position control signal and move said indicium on said display relative to said content in response to said first position control signal and said second position control signal.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein said processor is further operable to use said coarse position control signal to move said indicium on said display by a velocity and to use said fine position control signal to move said indicium on said display by an incremental change in position.

15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein said processor is further operable to apply said coarse position control signal to a first gain to move said indicium on said display by a first incremental change in position;

and wherein said processor is further operable to apply said fine position control signal to a second gain less than said first gain to move said indicium on said display by a second incremental change in position having a magnitude less than said first incremental change in position.

16. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein said processor is further operable to apply said coarse position control signal to a first gain to move said indicium across said display with a first velocity;

and wherein said processor is further operable to apply said fine position control signal to a second gain less than said first gain to move said indicium across said display by a second velocity having a magnitude less than said first velocity.

17. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein:

said display displays content thereon and said indicium includes a first indicium element comprising a window displayed on said display and a second indicium element comprising a cursor displayed on said display;

said processor is operable in response to said coarse position control signal to move said window relative to said content on said display; and

said processor is further operable in response to said fine position control signal to move said cursor within said window on said display.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein said processor is further operable to process only one of said coarse position control signal and said fine position control signal at a time.

19. A method for controlling movement of an indicium on a display of an electronic device, said method comprising:

receiving at least one of a coarse position control signal for controlling coarse movement of said indicium on said display and a fine position control signal for controlling fine movement of said indicium on said display; and

moving said indicium on said display relative to content displayed on said display based on at least one of said coarse position control signal and said fine position control signal.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said moving said indicium further comprises:

in response to receipt of said coarse position control signal, moving said indicium across said display at a velocity determined from said coarse position control signal; and

in response to receipt of said fine position control signal, moving said indicium on said display by an incremental change in position determined from said fine position control signal.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said moving said indicium further comprises:

in response to receipt of said coarse position control signal, moving said indicium on said display by a first incremental change in position determined from said coarse position control signal; and

in response to receipt of said fine position control signal, moving said indicium on said display by a second incremental change in position determined from said fine position control signal, said second incremental change in position having a magnitude less than said first incremental change in position.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said moving said indicium further comprises:

in response to receipt of said coarse position control signal, moving said indicium on said display at a first velocity determined from said coarse position control signal; and

in response to receipt of said fine position control signal, moving said indicium on said display at a second velocity determined from said fine position control signal, said second velocity having a magnitude less than said first velocity.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said indicium includes a first indicium element comprising a window displayed on said display and a second indicium element comprising a cursor displayed on said display, and wherein said moving said indicium further comprises:

in response to receipt of said coarse position control signal, moving said window relative to said content on said display; and

in response to receipt of said fine position control signal, moving said cursor within said window on said display.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein said moving said indicium further comprises:

moving said indicium on said display relative to content displayed on said display based on only one of said coarse position control signal and said fine position control signal at a time.