CHANGING SELECTION FOCUS ON AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20100269068A1
• Filed: 04/17/2009
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: LABRADOR, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US12/425,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20100269068A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/823
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A method of allowing a user to discontinuously change selection focus on an electronic device is disclosed. A plurality of graphical items is presented on a display screen. Upon operation of a selection device in a predetermined manner, selection focus is immediately changed to a default lower priority graphical item without a need to scroll to the default item. Disclosed too is an electronic device having a graphical user interface containing one or more interactive lists, and each list containing one or more graphical items. An electronic device has a selection device and a computer program product for changing selection focus. The computer program product contains a readable medium and an action detection module operative to discontinuously change selection focus.

Claims

1. A method for changing selection focus discontinuously in an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a selection device for indicating selection focus, the method comprising:

displaying a first selection focus on a first predetermined graphical item from a group of graphical items;

determining if an action on the selection device exceeds a threshold amount; and

changing the selection focus to a second predetermined graphical item from the group of graphical items.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selection device is a trackball device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the threshold amount is a velocity sensed on the selection device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the threshold amount is an acceleration sensed on the selection device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first predetermined graphical item has been previously indicated as a highest priority graphical item.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first predetermined graphical item has been set as a default.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second predetermined graphical item has been previously indicated as a lower priority graphical item.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second predetermined graphical item has been set as a second default that is a default to be selected after a first default.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least some of the group of graphical items are not displayed.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the second predetermined graphical item is one of the group of graphical items not displayed when the first selection focus is displayed.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

determining if a subsequent action on the selection device exceeds the threshold;

changing the selection focus to a third predetermined graphical item from the group of graphical items.

12. In an electronic device having a graphical user interface including at least one interactive list, each list having a plurality of graphical items, the electronic device further including a selection device for changing a selection focus, a computer program product for changing selection focus, the computer program product comprising:

at least one tangible computer readable medium residing on the electronic device;

an action detection module;

stored on the medium, and

operative to discontinuously change the selection focus from a current predetermined graphical item to a second predetermined graphical item, upon detection of action on the selection device beyond an action threshold.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the selection device is a trackball device.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the action operative to discontinuously change the selection focus is acceleration.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein at least some of the graphical items in the at least one interactive list are not displayed at a given time.

16. An electronic device comprising:

a display screen;

a processor communicatively coupled to the display screen;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor;

a selection device communicatively coupled to the processor and storing an action threshold;

said processor operative to discontinuously change a selection focus displayed on the display screen from a first predetermined graphical item among a plurality of graphical items, at least some of said plurality of graphical items being shown on the display screen, to a second predetermined graphical item, upon detection of action on the selection device beyond the action threshold.

17. The electronic device as recited in claim 16, wherein said selection device is a trackball device.

18. The electronic device as recited in claim 16, wherein said detected action is acceleration.

19. The electronic device as recited in claim 16, wherein at least some of the plurality of graphical items are not displayed at a given time.

20. The electronic device as recited in claim 19, wherein the second predetermined graphical item is not displayed simultaneously with the first predetermined graphical item.