Screen object placement optimized for blind selection

• US 7,882,451 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2006
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Paas, Julian
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, MY CHAU T
• Application Number:
  US11/556,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20080106516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/163, 345/164, 345/167, 379/419, 379/428.01, 379/433.01, 379/433.06, 455/403, 455/418, 715/764, 715/810, 715/811, 715/812, 715/813, 715/814, 715/815, 715/856, 715/857
• US Class Current: 715/857
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

An improved handheld electronic device includes an input apparatus, an output apparatus, and a processor apparatus. The input apparatus includes a multi-axis input device such as a rollerball, trackball, joystick or touchpad, allowing the focus of a user interface program to be moved about a display from one screen object presented on that display to another. Up to four screen objects are presented on the display, each of those screen objects being positioned towards a corner of the display to enable a user to blindly operate the multi-axis input device, making use of a capture effect in which the focus of a user interface program is resisted from moving beyond an edge of the display, to guide movement of the focus to a given one of the up to four screen objects.

Claims

1. A handheld electronic device comprising:

a processor apparatus comprising a processor and a memory;

an input apparatus cooperable with the processor apparatus;

an output apparatus cooperable with the processor apparatus, the output apparatus including a display; and

a housing;

the processor apparatus being adapted to receive input from the input apparatus and to provide output to the display to present a plurality of screen objects, wherein a first screen object of the plurality of screen objects is positioned towards a corner of the display formed by two edges of the display;

the input apparatus including a multi-axis input device; and

the memory having stored therein a routine that is executable on the processor, wherein the routine is responsive to inputs from the multi-axis input device to move a focus of the routine toward the corner, and wherein the routine creates a capture effect for the corner of the display which, in response to an input from the multi-axis input device which moves the focus towards and potentially beyond a quadrant that includes the corner, resists movement of the focus by the user beyond either of the two edges defining the corner and moves the focus to the first screen object.

2. The handheld electronic device of claim 1 wherein the multi-axis input device is comprised of a movable portion that is translatable with respect to the housing to provide an input.

3. The handheld electronic device of claim 2 wherein the movable portion is substantially spherical.

4. The handheld electronic device of claim 2 wherein the input is a selection input to select an object to which the focus has been moved.

5. The handheld electronic device of claim 1 wherein the routine provides a visual indication of the focus having been moved to the first screen object.

6. The handheld electronic device of claim 5 wherein the visual indication is a highlight applied to the first screen object.

7. The handheld electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first screen object corresponds to an application, and wherein a movement of the focus to the first screen object and a selection input with respect to the first screen object causes the application to be executed by the processor.

8. The handheld electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first screen object corresponds to a piece of data, and wherein a movement of the focus to the first screen object and a selection input with respect to the first screen object causes the piece of data to be accessed with an application corresponding to the data type of the piece of data.

9. A method of enabling selection of a first screen object presented on a display of a handheld electronic device, the handheld electronic device including a housing, a processor apparatus, an input apparatus, and an output apparatus, the input apparatus including a multi-axis input device, the processor apparatus including a processor and a memory, the processor structured to execute a user interface program, said user interface program having a focus, the memory including a routine stored therein, the output apparatus including the display, the method comprising:

presenting a first screen object on the display at a position towards a corner formed by a first edge of the display and a second edge of the display;

detecting an input from the multi-axis input device;

responsive to said input to move said focus of the user interface program from a position on said display towards said corner, guiding movement of the focus to the first screen object by resisting movement of the focus beyond the first edge and the second edge; and

awaiting a selection input to select the first screen object.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising detecting a selection input from the multi-axis input device and selecting the first screen object in response to the selection input.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising associating the first screen object with an application to enable the application to be executed by the processor in response to the first screen object being selected.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising associating the first screen object with a piece of data to enable the piece of data to be accessed with an application associated with the data type of the piece of data in response to the first screen object being selected.