Granted Patent B2

US 8,330,715 · App. 12/456,847 · Granted Dec 11, 2012

Abstract

Claims (44)

1. A method comprising:

(i) detecting one of a plurality of possible directional input commands for controlling the position of a cursor in a display;

(ii) determining, by a processor, a virtual jump in the position of the cursor from a current position to an end position;

wherein the end position is:

a) a first end position at a predetermined magnitude from the current position on a bearing determined by the detected directional input, wherein the end position is, by default, the first end position; or

b) a second end position coinciding with a selectable item;

(iii) moving the cursor from the current position to the end position in one or more steps; and

(iv) setting the end position as the current position.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising repeatedly performing operations (i), (ii)(a), (ii) and (iv) and then performing operations (i), (ii)(b) and (iii) to navigate the cursor to a selectable item.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when a selectable item lies within an area extending on either side of a trajectory passing through the current position and the first end position, the end position is the second end position.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the end position is the second end position when as a consequence of the detected input command it is determined that the selectable item is a candidate destination for the cursor.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second end position is an unpredetermined magnitude from the current position on a bearing influenced by the detected directional input command.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second end position is determined by searching a display area for one or more selectable items.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the search area comprises a plurality of sub-areas between the current position and the first end position.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the sub-areas are positioned randomly.

9. A method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the search area extends from the current position to beyond the first end position.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined magnitude is variable.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the predetermined magnitude is varied in response to detection of an oscillating movement of the cursor in response to consecutive user input commands.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, after movement of the cursor, the content of the display is scrolled automatically.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the end position in response to a directional input command that is repeated or continuous is a first end position at a predetermined magnitude from the current position.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the predetermined magnitude grows as the directional input command is repeated or continued.

15. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly embodying program instructions for causing a computer to perform the method of claim 1 .

16. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly embodying computer program instructions, which when loaded into a processor, are configured to cause an apparatus to at least perform:

determining whether a detected directional input should be interpreted as an input under a free-roaming mode or under an attraction mode;

if the detected directional input is interpreted as an input under the free-roaming mode then determining an end position at a predetermined magnitude from the current position on a bearing determined by the detected directional input;

if the detected directional input is interpreted as an input under the attraction mode then determining the end position as coincident with a selectable item; and

enabling movement of the cursor from the current position to the determined end position.

17. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing computer program code, wherein the memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the processor, to cause the apparatus to at least:

cause display of a cursor and one or more items that are selectable using the cursor on a display;

detect one of a plurality of possible directional input commands that control a position of the cursor in the display;

determine a virtual jump in the position of the cursor from a current position to an end position;

determine whether the end position is:

a) a first end position at a predetermined magnitude from the current position on a bearing determined by the selected one of the directional inputs, wherein the end position is, by default, the first end position; or

b) a second end position coinciding with a selectable item; and

control movement of the cursor from the current position to the end position.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17 , sized to be held in a human hand.

19. A method comprising:

(i) detecting one of a plurality of possible directional input commands for controlling the position of a cursor in a display;

(ii) determining, by a processor, whether the detected directional input should be interpreted as an input under a free-roaming mode or under an attraction mode;

(iii) if the detected directional input is interpreted as an input under the free-roaming mode then determining an end position at a predetermined magnitude from the current position on a bearing determined by the detected directional input;

(iv)if the detected directional input is interpreted as an input under the attraction mode then determining the end position as coincident with a selectable item;

(v) moving the cursor from the current position to the determined end position in a series of steps; and

(vi) setting the end position as the current position.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile computing device.

Assignments (12)