Method and apparatus for accelerated scrolling

• US 7,710,393 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2006
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Tsuk, Robert W., Robbin, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala; Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): SPAR, ILANA L
• Application Number:
  US11/610,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20070080936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 345/184, 715/829, 715/830, 715/864
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• 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 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/34 for rolling or scrolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

Improved approaches for users to with graphical user interfaces of computing devices are disclosed. A rotational user action supplied by a user via a user input device can provide accelerated scrolling. The accelerated nature of the scrolling enables users to scroll or traverse a lengthy data set (e.g., list of items) faster and with greater ease. The amount of acceleration provided can be performed in successive stages, and/or performed based on the speed of the rotational user action. In one embodiment, the rotational user action is transformed into linear action with respect to a graphical user interface. The resulting acceleration effect causes the linear action to be enhanced such that a lengthy data set is able to be rapidly traversed.

Claims

1. A method of scrolling through portions of a data set to be displayed on a pocket sized portable device having a display and a rotational input that can be continuously actuated by a circular motion of a finger through 360 degrees of rotation, the method comprising:

receiving a number of units associated with a rotational user input, the rotational user input being provided by a user through interaction with the rotational input,

determining an acceleration factor associated with the rotational user input, wherein the acceleration factor is dependent upon a rate of speed of the rotational user input, and the acceleration factor provides a range of acceleration,

modifying the number of units by the acceleration factor,

determining a next portion of the data set based on the modified number of units,

presenting the next portion of the data set, and

providing at least audio feedback or visual feedback via the display for the user of the portable device as interaction with the rotational input occurs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data set is associated with a list of items, and the portions of the data set comprise at least one of the items.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data set is associated with a media file comprising a plurality of sections and the portions of the data set are associated with at least one section of the media file.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the media file comprises an audio file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rotational user input comprises a touch pad.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the touch pad comprises a circular touch pad.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the acceleration factor can successively increase to provided successively greater levels of acceleration.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the next data portion comprises converting the modified number of units into the next portion based on a predetermined value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the next data portion comprises dividing the modified number of units by a chunking value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the next data portion comprises adding a prior remainder value to the modified number of units and converting the modified number of units into the next portion.

11. A method for scrolling through portions of a data set to be displayed on a pocket sized portable device having a display and a rotational input that can be continuously actuated by a circular motion of a finger through 360 degrees of rotation, the method comprising:

receiving a number of units from the rotational input, the number of units being associated with a rotational user input provided by a user through interaction with the rotational input,

determining a speed of rotation for the rotational input,

applying acceleration if the speed of rotation is greater than a speed threshold,

removing applied acceleration if the speed of rotation is less then the speed threshold,

modifying the number of units in accordance with the applied acceleration,

determining a next portion of the data set based on the modified number of units,

presenting the next portion of the data set, and

providing at least audio feedback or visual feedback via the display for the user of the portable device as interaction with the rotational input occurs.

12. A method for scrolling through portions of a data set to be displayed on a pocket sized portable device having a display and a rotational input that can be continuously actuated by a circular motion of a finger through 360 degrees of rotation, the method comprising:

receiving a number of units associated with a rotational user input, the rotational user input being provided by a user through interaction with the rotational input,

determining a multiplier associated with the rotational user input,

modifying the number of units by the multiplier,

determining a next portion of the data set based on the modified number of units,

presenting the next portion of the data set, and

providing at least audio feedback or visual feedback via the display for a user of the portable device as interaction with the rotational input occurs.

13. A method for scrolling through portions of a data set to be displayed on a pocket sized portable device having a display and a rotational input that can be continuously actuated by a circular motion of a finger through 360 degrees of rotation, the method comprising:

receiving a number of units associated with a rotational user input, the rotational user input being provided by a user through interaction with the rotational input,

determining a multiplier associated with the rotational user input,

modifying the number of units by the multiplier,

determining a next portion of the data set based on the modified number of units, and

presenting the next portion of the data set, wherein as the interaction with the rotational input occurs, visual feedback correlated to the rotational user input is provided on the display for the user of the portable device, and

wherein the multiplier can successively increase to provided successively greater levels of acceleration.

14. A pocket seized portable media control device comprising:

a rotational input configured to respond to a continuous rotational movement of a finger or stylus through 360 degrees of rotation,

a display configured to display media items and to enable scrolling through the displayed media items at a first rate in response to rotational movement of a finger or stylus relative to the rotational input, and

a processor configured to modify the first rate in response to a change in speed of the rotational movement, whereby rotational movement of the finger or stylus relative to the rotational input enables both scrolling through the displayed media items and modifying the rate of scrolling through the displayed media items.

15. A method of scrolling through portions of a data set to be displayed on a portable device having a display and a rotational input, the method comprising:

receiving a number of units associated with a rotational user input, the rotational user input being provided by a user through interaction with the rotational input,

determining an acceleration factor associated with the rotational user input comprising adding a prior remainder value to the modified number of units and converting the modified number of units into the next portion,

modifying the number of units by the acceleration factor,

determining a next portion of the data set based on the modified number of units,

presenting the next portion of the data set, and

providing at least audio feedback or visual feedback via the display for the user of the portable device as interaction with the rotational input occurs.