Portable radio information terminal, screen scroll method, recording medium and microcomputer

• US 6,163,312 A
• Filed: 12/21/1998
• Issued: 12/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Furuya, Mami
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAVAN, THU THAO
• Application Number:
  US09/216,962
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 345/123, 345/112, 345/163, 345/157, 345/115, 345/121, 455/38, 455/67, 455/226, 341/29, 341/34
• US Class Current: 345/684
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/343 for systems having a character code-mapped display memory

Abstract

A portable radio information terminal is provided with an unprocessed-signal detecting circuit for detecting unprocessed upward or downward scroll command signals generated by a rotary input device, a screen moving-down circuit for moving down a displayed screen by as many lines as unprocessed downward scroll command signals detected by the unprocessed-signal detecting circuit, a screen moving-up circuit for moving up a displayed screen by as many lines as unprocessed upward scroll command signals detected by the unprocessed-signal detecting circuit and a display control circuit for counting the number of unprocessed downward or upward scroll command signals detected by the unprocessed-signal detecting circuit and for driving the screen moving-down circuit in the case of unprocessed downward scroll command signals or the screen moving-up circuit in the case of unprocessed upward scroll command signals.

Claims

1. A screen scroll method of a portable radio information terminal, comprising the steps of:

scrolling up and down an image displayed on a screen of an image displaying unit employed in said portable radio information terminal by a number of lines equal to a number of scroll command signals requesting a scroll operation for scrolling up and down said image, wherein if at least an unprocessed scroll command signal exists, said image displayed on said screen is scrolled up and down said screen by a number of lines equal to a number of unprocessed scroll command signals.

2. A portable radio information terminal, comprising:

radio communication means;

control means for at least performing data processing;

image displaying means including a screen for scrolling up and down an image displayed on said screen by at least one line, wherein said control means at least displays information extracted from a radio electric wave received by said radio communication means from a transmitter on said image displaying means;

input means including a freely operatable operation unit for generating a plurality of upward scroll command signals and a plurality of downward scroll command signals resulting from an operation performed on said input means;

unprocessed-signal detecting means for detecting a plurality of unprocessed upward scroll command signals and a plurality of unprocessed downward scroll command signals among said plurality of upward scroll command signals and said plurality of downward scroll command signals generated by said freely operatable operation unit;

screen moving-up means for shifting up said image displayed on said screen by a number of lines equal to a number of said plurality of unprocessed upward scroll command signals;

screen moving-down means for shifting down said image displayed on said screen by a number of lines equal to a number of said plurality of unprocessed downward scroll command signals; and

display control means for at least counting said number of unprocessed upward scroll command signals and said number of unprocessed downward scroll command signals and driving said screen moving-up means for said plurality of upward scroll command signals and driving said screen moving-down means for said plurality of downward scroll command signals.

3. The portable radio information terminal as set forth in claim 2, wherein said input means is a rotary input device including said freely operatable operation unit for generating said plurality of upward scroll command signals and said plurality of downward scroll command signals resulting from a rotation of said rotary input device in a unit time.

4. A recording medium, comprising:

means for storing a plurality of programs fetched for execution by a computer, wherein said plurality of programs include at least

unprocessed-signal detecting means for detecting a plurality of unprocessed upward scroll command signals and a plurality of unprocessed downward scroll command signals among a plurality of upward scroll command signals and a plurality of downward scroll command signals requesting a scroll-down operation and a scroll-up operation, respectively, of an image displayed on a screen,

screen moving-up means for shifting up said image displayed on said screen by a number of lines equal to a number of said plurality of unprocessed upward scroll command signals

screen moving-down means for shifting down said image displayed on said screen by a number of lines equal to a number of said plurality of unprocessed downward scroll command signals and

display control means for at least counting said number of said plurality of unprocessed upward scroll command signals and said number of said plurality of unprocessed downward scroll command signals and driving said screen moving-up means for said plurality of upward scroll command signals and driving said screen moving-down means for said plurality of downward scroll command signals.

5. A microcomputers comprising:

an embedded central processing unit;

embedded storage means for storing a plurality of programs fetched and executed by said embedded central processing unit;

embedded data transfer means used for connecting at least said embedded central processing unit to said embedded storage means, wherein said embedded data transfer means can be connected to external equipment; and

means for providing a function for transmitting a signal based on a processing result output by said embedded central processing unit to said external equipment by one of radio communication and a wire connection,

wherein said plurality of programs stored in said embedded storage means at least include

unprocessed-signal detecting means for detecting a plurality of unprocessed upward scroll command signals and a plurality of unprocessed downward scroll command signals among a plurality of upward scroll command signals and a plurality of downward scroll command signals requesting a scroll-down operation and a scroll-up operation, respectively, of an image displayed on a screen

screen moving-up means for shifting up said image displayed on said screen by a number of times equal to a number of said plurality of unprocessed upward scroll command signals,

screen moving-down means for shifting down said image displayed on said screen by a number of times equal to a number of said plurality of unprocessed downward scroll command signals and

display control means for at least counting said number of said plurality of unprocessed upward scroll command signals and said number of said plurality of unprocessed downward scroll command signals and driving said screen moving-up means for said plurality of upward scroll command signals and driving said screen moving-down means for said plurality of downward scroll command signals.