Radiotelephones having contact-sensitive user interfaces and methods of operating same

Abstract

A device includes a housing having a front surface, a rear surface and first and second side surfaces; the rear surface configured engage a user's palm. The device includes a radiotelephone communications transceiver and a contact-sensitive display, supported by the housing. The contact sensitive display is configured to display an image at the front surface of the housing, and produce an output signal in response to moving contact of an object along a contact-sensitive surface of the contact-sensitive display. The device also includes a controller configured to control at least one of the display and the radiotelephone communications transceiver and to scroll displayed rows along an axis of the display based upon the output signal of the contact-sensitive transducer. The controller has a mode that is unresponsive to contact with the contact-sensitive transducer, the second mode being entered in response to an input from a user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A communication device, comprising:
 a housing comprising a front surface, a rear surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface, wherein the first side surface and the second side surface adjoin respective opposite edges of the front surface and extend from the respective opposite edges of the front surface to respective opposite edges of the rear surface, and wherein the housing is configured such that the rear surface confronts a user's palm when the device is held in the user's hand during use;   a display, supported by the housing, the display configured to display an image at the front surface of the housing;   a contact-sensitive transducer, supported by the housing, the contract-sensitive transducer is configured to produce an output signal that characterizes contact of an object along a contact-sensitive surface of the contact-sensitive transducer; and   a controller, operatively associated with the display and configured to respond to the output signal by scrolling displayed rows along an axis of the display based on the output signal of the contact-sensitive transducer, wherein the controller is configured to scroll the displayed rows based on the output signal by:
 detecting, based on the output signal of the contact-sensitive transducer, a swipe motion made by the user in a first direction along an axis of the contact-sensitive surface; and 
 scrolling the displayed rows in the first direction in response to detecting the swipe motion. 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to detect the swipe motion by:
 determining, based on the output signal produced by the contact-sensitive transducer at a first time, that the object is in contact with the contact-sensitive surface; and   determining based on the output signal produced by the contact-sensitive transducer at a second time, that the object is still in contact with the contact-sensitive surface and a position of contact has changed.   
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect the swipe motion, at least in part, by;
 at a first sampling time, detecting contact between the object and the contact-sensitive surface at a first position on the contact-sensitive surface; and   at a second sampling time, detecting contact between the object and the contact-sensitive surface at a second position on the contact-sensitive surface.   
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect the swipe motion, at least in part, by:
 calculating a distance (D) between the first position on the contact-sensitive surface and the second position on the contact-sensitive surface; and   determining the first direction for scrolling the displayed rows based on a sign of the distance (D).   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect the swipe motion, at least in part, by:
 calculating a distance (D) between the first position on the contact-sensitive surface and the second position on the contact-sensitive surface;   determining whether a magnitude of the distance (D) is greater than a minimum distance (D min ); and   determining whether the user has performed the swipe motion based on whether the magnitude is greater than the minimum distance (D min ).   
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect the swipe motion, at least in part, by:
 calculating a distance (D) between the first position on the contact-sensitive surface and the second position on the contact-sensitive surface;   determining whether a magnitude of the distance (D) is greater than a minimum distance (D min ); and   in response to determining that the magnitude is less than the minimum distance (D min ) disregarding a change in contact position indicated by the output signal.   
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 detect a momentary contact on the contact-sensitive surface; and   in response to detecting the momentary contact on the contact-sensitive surface, initiate a function associated with an item displayed in one of the displayed rows.   
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect the momentary contact, at least in part, by:
 detecting absence of contact between the object and the contact-sensitive surface at a first time;   detecting contact between the object and the contact-sensitive surface at a second time; and   detecting termination of the contact before a maximum amount of time is exceeded.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 detect that a predetermined number of momentary contacts with the contact-sensitive surface have occurred, wherein the predetermined number is greater than one; and   in response to detecting the predetermined number of momentary contacts have occurred, initiate a function associated with an item displayed in one of the displayed rows.   
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect that the predetermined number of momentary contacts have occurred, at least in part, by:
 detecting absence of contact between the object and the contact-sensitive surface;   after detecting absence of contact, detecting a first instance of contact between the object and the contact-sensitive surface;   detecting termination of the first instance of contact before an amount of time associated with the first instance of contact exceeds a first maximum amount of time; and   within a second maximum amount of time after detecting termination of the first instance of contact:
 detecting a second instance of contact between the object and the contact-sensitive surface; and 
 detecting termination of the second instance of contact before an amount of time associated with the second instance of contact exceeds the first maximum amount of time. 
   
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the contact-sensitive transducer comprises a capacitive touch strip that includes a capacitor, 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the contact-sensitive transducer is further configured to produce the output signal based on one or more charge times associated with the capacitor. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to be responsive to contact with the contact-sensitive surface when in a first mode and to be unresponsive to contact with the contact-sensitive surface when in a second mode, and wherein the controller is further configured to enter at least one of the first mode and the second mode in response to input from the user. 
     
     
         14 . A communication device, comprising:
 a housing comprising a front surface, a rear surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface, wherein the first side surface and the second side surface adjoin respective opposite edges of the front surface and extend from the respective opposite edges of the front surface to respective opposite edges of the rear surface, and wherein the housing is configured such that the rear surface confronts a user's palm when the device is held in the user's hand during use;   a display, supported by the housing, the display configured to display an image at the front surface of the housing;   a contact-sensitive transducer, supported by the housing, the contract-sensitive transducer is configured to produce an output signal that characterizes contact of an object along a contact-sensitive surface of the contact-sensitive transducer; and   a controller, operatively associated with the display and configured to respond to the output signal by scrolling displayed rows along an axis of the display based on the output signal of the contact-sensitive transducer, wherein the controller is configured to scroll the displayed rows based on the output signal by:
 determining, based on the output signal produced by the contact-sensitive transducer at a first time, that the object is in contact with the contact-sensitive surface; and 
 determining, based on the output signal produced by the contact-sensitive transducer at a second time, that the object is still in contact with the contact-sensitive surface and a position of contact has changed. 
   
     
     
         15 . The communication device of  claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to scroll the displayed rows only when the output signal indicates that a difference in the position of contact exceeds a minimum amount. 
     
     
         16 . The communication device of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to disregard the output signal for purposes of scrolling when the output signal indicates that the difference in the position of contact does not exceed the minimum amount. 
     
     
         17 . A communication device, comprising:
 a housing comprising a front surface, a rear surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface, wherein the first side surface and the second side surface adjoin respective opposite edges of the front surface and extend from the respective opposite edges of the front surface to respective opposite edges of the rear surface, and wherein the housing is configured such that the rear surface confronts a user's palm when the device is held in the user's hand during use;   a display, supported by the housing, the display configured to display an image at the front surface of the housing;   a contact-sensitive transducer, supported by the housing, the contract-sensitive transducer is configured to produce an output signal that characterizes contact of an object along a contact-sensitive surface of the contact-sensitive transducer; and   a controller, operatively associated with the display and configured to respond to the output signal by scrolling displayed rows along an axis of the display based on the output signal of the contact-sensitive transducer, wherein the controller is configured to scroll the displayed rows based on the output signal, at least in part, by:
 at a first sampling time, detecting contact by the object at a starting position on the contact-sensitive surface; 
 at a second sampling time, detecting contact by the object at an ending position on the contact-sensitive surface; 
 calculating a distance on the contact-sensitive surface between the starting position and the ending position; and 
 scrolling the displayed rows based on the distance. 
   
     
     
         18 . In an apparatus including a housing having a front surface, a rear surface and first and second side surfaces adjoining respective opposite edges of the front surface and extending from the respective opposite edges of the front surface to respective opposite edges of the rear surface, a display that displays an image at the front surface, and a controller that controls the display, a method of providing user input comprising:
 holding the housing in a user's hand such that the rear surface confronts the user's palm and the display projects away from the user's palm; and   providing the user input to the controller using a contact-sensitive transducer having a contact-sensitive surface disposed at at least one of the first and second side surfaces of the housing, the contact-sensitive transducer being operable to produce an output signal that characterizes contact with the contact-sensitive surface of the contact-sensitive transducer; and   causing the controller to scroll displayed rows of the display by performing a swipe motion on the contact-sensitive surface, wherein the controller scrolls the displayed rows by:
 detecting, based on the output signal of the contact-sensitive transducer, that the swipe motion has been performed in a first direction along an axis of the contact-sensitive surface; and 
 scrolling the displayed rows in the first direction in response to detecting the swipe motion. 
   
     
     
         19 . In an apparatus including a housing having a front surface, a rear surface and first and second side surfaces adjoining respective opposite edges of the front surface and extending from the respective opposite edges of the front surface to respective opposite edges of the rear surface, a display that displays an image at the front surface, and a controller that controls the display, a method of providing user input comprising:
 holding the housing in a user's hand such that the rear surface confronts the user's palm and the display projects away from the user's palm; and   providing the user input to the controller using a contact-sensitive transducer having a contact-sensitive surface disposed at at least one of the first and second side surfaces of the housing, the contact-sensitive transducer being operable to produce an output signal that characterizes contact with the contact-sensitive surface of the contact-sensitive transducer; and   causing contact with the contact-sensitive surface that instructs the controller to scroll displayed rows of the display, wherein the controller scrolls the displayed rows by:
 determining, based on the output signal produced by the contact-sensitive transducer at a first time, that an object is in contact with the contact-sensitive surface; and 
 determining, based on the output signal produced by the contact-sensitive transducer at a second time, that the object is still in contact with the contact-sensitive surface and a position of contact has changed. 
   
     
     
         20 . In an apparatus including a housing having a front surface, a rear surface and first and second side surfaces adjoining respective opposite edges of the front surface and extending from the respective opposite edges of the front surface to respective opposite edges of the rear surface, a display that displays an image at the front surface, and a controller that controls the display, a method of providing user input comprising:
 holding the housing in a user's hand such that the rear surface confronts the user's palm and the display projects away from the user's palm; and   providing the user input to the controller using a contact-sensitive transducer having a contact-sensitive surface disposed at at least one of the first and second side surfaces of the housing, the contact-sensitive transducer being operable to produce an output signal that characterizes contact with the contact-sensitive surface of the contact-sensitive transducer; and   causing contact with the contact-sensitive surface that instructs the controller to scroll displayed rows of the display, wherein the controller scrolls the displayed rows by:
 at a first sampling time, detecting contact by an object at a starting position on the contact-sensitive surface; 
 at a second sampling time, detecting contact by the object at an ending position on the contact-sensitive surface; 
 calculating a distance on the contact-sensitive surface between the starting position and the ending position; and 
 scrolling the displayed rows based on the distance.