Systems and methods for providing a user interface

• US 8,471,823 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2007
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ade-Hall, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALMEIDA, CORY A
• Application Number:
  US11/839,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20090048000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,140 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

A device may include a touch sensitive display and logic configured to control the touch sensitive display to display information to a user, provide a window of enlarged information via the touch sensitive display based on a determined position of input on the touch sensitive display, and receive a selection from the enlarged information based on a determined position of input within the provided window.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a touch sensitive display; and

a processor to;

display, in a first window of the touch sensitive display, first information to a user,

display, in a second, different window of the touch sensitive display, enlarged information based on a determined first position of input on the touch sensitive display, the displayed enlarged information corresponding to a first portion of the displayed first information displayed in the first window, the second window being displayed simultaneously with the first window, and wherein the second window overlays or covers a portion of the first information, and

detect, via the second window, selection of second information, from the displayed enlarged information, based on a determined second position of input within the second window.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, where the displayed first information includes a plurality of selectable information.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 2, where the enlarged information includes at least a portion of the plurality of selectable information and at least one icon that causes second enlarged information, not displayed in the second window, to be displayed in the second window, the second enlarged information corresponding to a second, different portion of the first information, and

where the processor is further to:

detect selection of the at least one icon, and

cause, in response to the detected selection of the at least one icon, the second enlarged information to be displayed in the second window.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 1, where the determined position of input within the second window is determined based on a position of a finger of a user or a stylus on the touch sensitive display.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 4, where the determined second position of input within the second window is determined using a position where the user removes the finger or the stylus from the touch sensitive display.

6. A method comprising:

displaying a plurality of groups of characters via a first window of a touch sensitive display;

determining a position of input on the touch sensitive display;

detecting, based on the determined position of input, selection of a first group of the displayed plurality of groups of characters;

displaying, based on the detected selection of the first group, a second, different window that includes enlarged characters, the enlarged characters corresponding to characters included in the first group, the second window being displayed concurrently with the first window, and wherein the second window overlays or covers a portion of the plurality of the group of characters, and

detecting selection of a first enlarged character, of the enlarged characters, within the second window based on at least one of a determined position of input within the second window or a determined position of input outside the second window.

7. The method of claim 6, where each of the plurality of groups of characters include a plurality of letters,

where detecting selection of a first enlarged character of the enlarged characters includes:

detecting selection of a first letter, of the plurality of letters; and

displaying, in response to detecting selecting of the first letter, a third, different window that includes enlarged candidate words, the enlarged candidate words corresponding to words beginning with the selected first letter.

8. The method of claim 7, where the displaying a plurality of groups of characters comprises:

displaying a “

QWERTY”

type of keyboard by displaying the plurality of letters in the groups of characters.

9. The method of claim 6, where the displayed second window of the first group includes a central letter surrounded by a plurality of letters included in the selected first group of characters, where the central letter and the plurality of letters are enlarged.

10. The method of claim 6,

where detecting selection of the first enlarged character includes:

determining a position where a user removed a finger from the surface of the touch sensitive display; and

detecting selection of the first enlarged character based on the determined position where the user removed the finger from the surface of the touch sensitive display.

11. A method comprising:

displaying an interface screen via a touch sensitive display;

determining a position of input on the touch sensitive display;

displaying an enlarged interface screen corresponding to the determined position of input, wherein the enlarged interface screen overlays or covers a portion of the touch sensitive display;

displaying a cursor on the touch sensitive display based on the determined position of input, and wherein the cursor is displayed, on the touch sensitive display, at a position offset from the determined position of input; and

selecting a choice displayed on the interface screen based on a position of the cursor.

12. The method of claim 11, where the determined position of input is determined by sensing a position of a finger of a user or a stylus on the touch sensitive display,

the method further comprising:

detecting a second input at a second position on the touch sensitive display, the second input being detected based on sensing the finger or the stylus contacting the touch sensitive display;

selecting, based on the detected second input, a scroll bar displayed at the second position;

detecting a dragging of the second input from the second position to a third, different position on the touch sensitive display;

dragging the scroll bar to the third position in response to detecting the dragging of the second input; and

selecting information provided at the third position in response to detecting that the finger or the stylus is removed from the touch sensitive display at the third position.

13. The method of claim 12, where the selected choice displayed on the interface screen based on a position of the cursor is selected when a user removes a finger from the surface of the touch sensitive display.

14. The method of claim 11, where the offset position of the displayed cursor changes based on a user defined preference,

the method further comprising:

displaying the cursor in a first offset position based on a first preference defined by a user; and

displaying the cursor in a second, different offset position based on a second, different preference defined by the user.

15. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a plurality of physical keys;

a display; and

logic configured to;

control the display to display groups of characters, wherein a position of the displayed groups of characters correspond to physical locations of the plurality of physical keys;

select a first one of the displayed groups of characters based on a first physical key input;

provide, on the display, an enlarged window that includes the first displayed group of characters, and wherein the enlarged window overlays or covers a portion of the displayed group of characters; and

select one character from the first displayed group of characters based on a second physical key input,

the first displayed group of characters based on a second physical key input.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of physical keys are included in a keypad,

wherein a position of each of the displayed groups of characters, on the display, corresponds to a physical location, on the keypad, of a different one of the plurality of physical keys, each of the displayed groups of characters corresponding to a different one of the plurality of physical keys, and wherein the logic is further configured to:

display each of the first displayed groups of characters in an enlarged manner.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 16, wherein a position of each enlarged character, included in the first displayed groups of characters, corresponds to a physical location of each of the plurality of physical keys.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the displayed groups of characters form a “

QWERTY”

type of keyboard.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of physical keys are included on a keypad,

wherein at least some of the displayed group of characters include nine letters, and

wherein each of the nine letters corresponds to a different one of the plurality of physical keys, a position, on the display, of each of the nine letters corresponding to a location, on the keypad, of a different one of the plurality of physical keys.