Small information processing apparatus

• US 6,297,795 B1
• Filed: 01/30/1998
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Siio, Itiro, Murata, Hiroki, Aihara, Toru, Kato, Naotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sajous, Wesner
• Application Number:
  US09/016,713
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 345/123, 345/124, 345/125, 345/126, 345/169, 345/173, 345/184, 345/352, 345/161, 345/163, 345/167, 345/121
• US Class Current: 345/684
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored

Abstract

An information processing apparatus having a relatively small display screen, and in particular to a small information processing apparatus of a type adapted to be held in the hand of a user and that can switch the mode for displaying data on a display screen between a portrait mode and a landscape mode. More specifically, the present invention retains to a small information processing apparatus that provides appropriate scroll functions for both display modes, i.e., the portrait mode and the landscape mode, using a hand manipulable input device.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for providing appropriate scroll functionality for both portrait and landscape display modes, said information processor comprising:

a main body having a front surface, an upper side wall, and left and right side walls and sized to be held in and manipulated by the hand of a user, said left and right side walls intersecting to define a corner;

a display screen mounted in said main body and viewable on the front surface of said main body;

a rotary switch directing the scrolling of data on said display screen, said rotary switch being mounted adjacent the upper left corner of said main body between the left side wall and the upper side wall of said main body, so that a manipulation portion of said rotary switch is exposed relative to both said left side and said upper side;

a display mode switch for selecting a display mode for said display screen between a portrait mode and a landscape mode; and

a scrolling direction control operatively connected with said rotary switch and said display mode switch wherein said scrolling direction control changes the scrolling direction of data displayed on the display screen in accordance with the selected display mode so that data displayed in either of the portrait and landscape modes is scrolled vertically as the rotary switch is rotated;

wherein said rotary switch comprises a rotation sensor that effectuates scrolling responsive to rotation of said manipulation portion, and a pressure sensor that effectuates scrolling direction control responsive to pressure applied horizontally or vertically against said manipulation portion.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said scrolling direction control is selectively operable to change the scrolling direction of data displayed in either of the portrait and landscape modes to horizontal as the rotary switch is rotated.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said scrolling direction control controls the scrolling direction of data displayed on the display screen in accordance with the selected current display mode such that, when data on said display screen is displayed in portrait mode, clockwise rotation of said rotary switch effectuates scrolling up said display screen, and counterclockwise rotation of said rotary switch effectuates scrolling down said display screen, and such that, when data on said display screen is displayed in landscape mode, clockwise rotation of said rotary switch effectuates scrolling up said display screen, and counterclockwise rotation of said rotary switch effectuates scrolling down said display screen.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said scrolling direction control controls the scrolling direction of data displayed on the display screen in accordance with the selected current display mode such that, when data on said display screen is displayed in portrait mode, clockwise rotation of said rotary switch effectuates scrolling down said display screen and counterclockwise rotation of said rotary switch effectuates scrolling up said display screen, and such that, when data on said display screen is displayed in landscape mode, clockwise rotation of said rotary switch effectuates scrolling down said display screen and counterclockwise rotation of said rotary switch effectuates scrolling up said display screen.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

an infrared communication port for exchanging data with external device.

6. An information processing apparatus for providing appropriate scroll functionality for both portrait and landscape display modes, said information processor comprising:

a main body having a front surface, an upper side wall, and left and right side walls and sized to be held in and manipulated by the hand of a user, said left and right side walls intersecting to define a corner;

a display screen mounted in said main body and viewable on the front surface of said main body;

a rotary switch directing the scrolling of data on said display screen, said rotary switch being mounted adjacent the upper left corner of said main body between the left side wall and the upper side wall of said main body, so that a manipulation portion of said rotary switch is exposed relative to both said left side and said upper side;

a display mode switch for selecting a display mode for said display screen between a portrait mode and a landscape mode; and

a scrolling direction control operatively connected with said rotary switch and said display mode switch wherein said scrolling direction control changes the scrolling direction of data displayed on the display screen in accordance with the selected display mode so that data displayed in either of the portrait and landscape modes is scrolled vertically as the rotary switch is rotated,

a rotation sensor coupled to said rotatable member and responsive to rotation of said manipulation portion and detecting a rotation angle for said rotary switch when said rotary switch is being manipulated; and

a pressure sensor coupled to said rotary switch and responsive to pressure applied against said manipulation portion.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising an infrared communication port for exchanging data with an external device.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said display controller is operatively connected with said rotation sensor and said pressure sensor and generating a display of a cursor image, and wherein said rotation sensor and said display controller cooperate in interpreting a detected rotation angle as an instruction for displacement of said cursor image across the area of said display, and wherein said pressure sensor and said display controlling cooperate in interpreting application of pressure in the absence of detected rotation as an instruction to selects a vertical or horizontal scrolling control, and wherein said rotation sensor, together with said pressure sensor and said display controller, cooperate in interpreting application of pressure in the presence of detected rotation as a drag instruction to move a windowed portion of a display across the area of said display.