System and method for enhanced command input

1. A method for using a portable electronic device, having an input device for receiving a gesture based input from a user, to control a navigation operation of an appliance, comprising:

receiving via the input device of the portable electronic device the gesture based input; and

causing the portable electronic device to transmit as a function of a one or more characteristics associated with the gesture based input and parameters stored in a memory of the portable electronic device a navigation step command to thereby control the navigation operation of the appliance;

wherein the parameters stored in the memory of the portable electronic device comprise an acceleration enablement value, a deceleration enablement value, an acceleration scaling coefficient, and a deceleration scaling coefficient.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device adjusts one or more of the acceleration scaling coefficient and the deceleration scaling coefficient in response a communication received from the appliance.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the navigation step command comprises a sequence of direction commands transmitted from the portable electronic device a number of times that is determined as a function of the one or more characteristics associated with the gesture based input and the one or more parameters stored in the memory of the portable electronic device.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the sequence of direction commands transmitted from the portable electronic device has a timing that is determined as a function of the one or more characteristics associated with the gesture based input and the one or more parameters stored in the memory of the portable electronic device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the navigation step command comprises a sequence of direction delta values transmitted from the portable electronic device that is determined as a function of the one or more characteristics associated with the gesture based input and the one or more parameters stored in the memory of the portable electronic device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the input device comprises a touch sensitive surface.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the touch sensitive surface comprises a two-axis, capacitive touch sensor.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising causing the portable electronic device to transmit to the appliance a discrete command in response to the gesture based input including a sensed tapping gesture upon the input device.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein parameters stored in the memory of the portable electronic device further function to define one or more regions of the input device for receiving the tapping gesture.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising providing user feedback via the portable electronic device representative of the gesture based input.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the user feedback comprises a series of audible sounds representative of the gesture based input.

12. A method for using a portable electronic device, having an input device for receiving a gesture based input from a user, to control a navigation operation of an appliance, comprising:

receiving via the input device of the portable electronic device the gesture based input; and

causing the portable electronic device to transmit as a function of a one or more characteristics associated with the gesture based input and a parameter set selected from a library of parameter sets stored in a memory of the portable electronic device a navigation step command to thereby control the navigation operation of the appliance;

wherein each parameter set within the library of parameter sets stored in the memory of the portable electronic device comprises an acceleration enablement value, a deceleration enablement value, an acceleration scaling coefficient, and a deceleration scaling coefficient.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the portable electronic device selects the parameter set from the library of parameter sets stored in the memory of the portable electronic device in response to input received via a biometric input sensor of the portable electronic device.

14. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the portable electronic device selects the parameter set from the library of parameter sets stored in the memory of the portable electronic device in response a communication received from the appliance.

15. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the portable electronic device selects the parameter set from the library of parameter sets stored in the memory of the portable electronic device as a function of an appliance activity.

16. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the navigation step command comprises a sequence of direction commands transmitted from the portable electronic device a number of times that is determined as a function of the one or more characteristics associated with the gesture based input and values within the parameter set selected from the library of parameter sets stored in the memory of the portable electronic device.

17. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the navigation step command comprises a sequence of direction delta values transmitted from the portable electronic device that is determined as a function of the one or more characteristics associated with the gesture based input and values within the parameter set selected from the library of parameter sets stored in the memory of the portable electronic device.

18. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the input device comprises a touch sensitive surface.