Input method and arrangement for portable electronic device

• US 20070202852A1
• Filed: 09/14/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inventec Appliances Corporation (Inventec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Inventec Appliances Corporation (Inventec Corporation)
• Inventors: Li, Kai-Wu
• Application Number:
  US11/520,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20070202852A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• 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 3/0362 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

The present invention is to provide an input method and arrangement for a portable electronic device installed with a software for showing a virtual disk on a screen on a phone body of the portable electronic device, wherein the virtual disk includes a plurality of fixed marks along its periphery and each of the fixed marks represents a numeral, a character, or a letter. Thus, while inputting a movement signal by manipulating a control button on the phone body will move a moving mark on the periphery of the virtual disk from the fixed mark labeled as an origin to a location desired by a user along the fixed marks. Furthermore, a corresponding one of the fixed marks is activated to generate a corresponding numeral, character, or letter. Then the moving mark returns to the fixed mark labeled as an origin after traversing the periphery of the virtual disk.

Claims

1. An input method for a portable electronic device, which includes a control button and a screen, comprising the steps of:

showing a virtual disk on the screen, when the portable electronic device entering a disk dialing mode, wherein the virtual disk includes a plurality of fixed marks along its periphery, each of the fixed marks representing a numeral, a character, or a letter;

in response to receiving a movement signal inputted by the control button, moving a moving mark on the periphery of the virtual disk from the fixed mark labeled as an origin to a location desired by the user along the fixed marks; and

in response to receiving a confirmation signal inputted by the control button, activating a corresponding one of the fixed marks to generate a corresponding numeral, character or letter, and returning the moving mark to the fixed mark labeled as an origin after traversing the periphery of the virtual disk.

2. The input method of claim 1, in response to returning the moving mark to the fixed mark labeled as an origin after traversing the periphery of the virtual disk, further comprising the step of making a dialing sound by a speaker of the portable electronic device.

3. The input method of claim 1, when a hot key of the portable electronic device being pressed, further comprising the step of causing the portable electronic device to enter the disk dialing mode.

4. An input arrangement for a portable electronic device comprising:

a phone body having a software installed therein, the software adapted to perform a disk dialing mode;

a screen on the phone body adapted to show a virtual disk thereon in response to performing the disk dialing mode wherein the virtual disk includes a plurality of fixed marks along its periphery, each of the fixed marks representing a numeral, a character, or a letter; and

a control button on the phone body for inputting a movement signal to move a moving mark on the periphery of the virtual disk from the fixed mark labeled as an origin to a location desired by a user along the fixed marks, and for inputting a confirmation signal to activate a corresponding one of the fixed marks to generate a corresponding numeral, character, or letter, and return the moving mark to the fixed mark labeled as an origin after traversing the periphery of the virtual disk.

5. The input arrangement of claim 4, wherein the control button is a spherical member and comprises four direction keys for inputting the movement signal and a central confirmation key for inputting the confirmation signal.

6. The input arrangement of claim 5, wherein the control button is a touch sensitive rotary member.

7. The input arrangement of claim 4, wherein the portable electronic device is a pocket PC phone.

8. The input arrangement of claim 7, wherein the portable electronic device is a pocket PC phone connectable to a mobile phone.

9. The input arrangement of claim 4, wherein the portable electronic device further comprises a speaker which, in response to returning the moving mark to the fixed mark labeled as an origin after traversing the periphery of the virtual disk, is adapted to make a dialing sound.

10. The input arrangement of claim 4, wherein the portable electronic device further comprises a hot key adapted to run the software to enter the disk dialing mode when being pressed.