Method And Apparatus For Touch Scrolling

• US 20080084399A1
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd.
• Inventors: Chua, Johnson, Lee, Teck
• Application Number:
  US11/632,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20080084399A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• 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

Apparatus for touch scrolling, the apparatus comprising a scrolling activator for scrolling activation by a finger of a user, the scrolling activator comprising a first end zone adjacent a first end of the scrolling activator for fast scrolling in a first scrolling direction, a second end zone adjacent a second end of the scrolling activator for fast scrolling in a second scrolling direction, and a normal zone for normal scrolling.

Claims

1-44. -44. (canceled)

45. A portable device comprising:

(a) a casing having at least one wall;

(b) a display for displaying a plurality of items for selection; and

(c) a scrolling activator for scrolling the plurality of items and selection of at least one of the plurality of items, wherein the scrolling activator comprises a zone for scrolling and activation of scrolling in the zone for scrolling is by linear movement of a finger.

46. A portable device as claimed in claim 45, further comprising a perimeter side wall extending around a periphery of the scrolling activator for providing a defined boundary to the scrolling activator able to be felt by the finger.

47. A portable device as claimed in claim 45, wherein the scrolling activator comprises a portion of reduced thickness in a wall of the apparatus, sensors being mounted beneath the portion of reduced thickness.

48. A portable device as claimed in claim 45, wherein an enter button is mounted within the scrolling activator.

49. A portable device as claimed in claim 45, wherein the portable device is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

mobile telephone, cellular telephone, personal digital assistant, media player, multi-media player, audio player, MP3 player, video player, DVD player, CD player and VCD player.

50. A portable device as claimed in claim 45, wherein the portable device supports motion accelerated scrolling.

51. A portable device as claimed in claim 45, wherein the portable device supports both proportional scrolling and motion accelerated scrolling.

52. A portable device as claimed in claim 50, wherein the display and the scrolling activator are spatially separate from each other.

53. A portable device as claimed in claim 51, wherein the display and the scrolling activator are spatially separate from each other.

54. Apparatus for touch scrolling, the apparatus comprising a scrolling activator for scrolling activation by a finger of a user, the scrolling activator comprising:

a first end zone adjacent a first end of the scrolling activator for fast scrolling in a first scrolling direction,

a second end zone adjacent a second end of the scrolling activator for fast scrolling in a second scrolling direction,

and a normal zone for normal scrolling.

55. Apparatus as claimed in claim 54, wherein the scrolling activator is elongate, and in the normal zone, activation of scrolling is by linear movement of a finger.

56. Apparatus as claimed in claim 54, further comprising a perimeter side wall extending around a periphery of the scrolling activator for providing a defined boundary of the scrolling activator able to be felt by the finger.

57. Apparatus as claimed in claim 54, wherein the normal zone is between the first zone and the second zone.

58. Apparatus as claimed in claim 54, wherein fast scrolling in the first and second directions is activated by a finger after a predetermined time delay.

59. Apparatus as claimed in claim 58, wherein the predetermined time delay is in the range 0.1 to 1.5 seconds.

60. Apparatus as claimed in claim 58, wherein the predetermined time delay is in the range 0.3 to 0.8 seconds.

61. Apparatus as claimed in claim 54, wherein the scrolling activator comprises a portion of reduced thickness in a wall of the apparatus, sensors being mounted beneath the portion of reduced thickness.

62. Apparatus as claimed in claim 54, wherein the scrolling activator is part of a wall of the apparatus, the wall being of uniform thickness, and having re-enforcing except at the scrolling activator.

63. Apparatus as claimed in claim 54, wherein the apparatus is a portion of a portable device, the portable device being at least one selected from the group consisting of:

mobile telephone, cellular telephone, personal digital assistant, media player, multi-media player, audio player, MP3 player, video player, DVD player, CD player and VCD player.

64. Apparatus as claimed in claim 54, wherein the normal zone supports at least one of:

motion accelerated scrolling, a press and hold function, and a tap function.