Abstract:
A method, and apparatus is disclosed for input of information in an electronic device having a display, the apparatus comprising a graphic processor for displaying a plurality of objects on the display representative of the information to be input, each object of the plurality of objects arranged around the perimeter of a portion of the screen area of the display; a control interface for a user to control movement of a cursor generated in the display by the graphic processor and responsive to the control interface for scrolling through the plurality of objects and selection of an object for input of information.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for input of information in an electronic device having a display, and more particularly to an apparatus and method with a information input mechanism in a portable device having a display for graphically displaying objects representative of the information to be input and a control interface to scroll and select one of the displayed objects. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    In recent years consumer demand for affordable and user-friendly portable multimedia players and devices has increased. Consumers expect the device to be palm-sized and to have a large display relative to the size of the device with user-friendly information and data entry mechanisms. A problem faced in the industry is to meet the expectations of the consumers within the confines of the size of the device where space or the “real estate” of the device is a premium. The conflict is in space allocation to the display and the data entry mechanism on the device. 
         [0003]    In some instances, a need to incorporate a virtual keyboard into the display for the input of text has led to clustering of keys in the display. This clustering of keys typically adversely affects the precision of how a desired key is selected, and this lack of precision is a bane of many consumers of such portable multimedia players and devices. 
         [0004]    In this regard, there is a need for an apparatus and method for inputting information into an electronic device that addresses the aforementioned conflict and problem to meet consumer expectation and demand. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    An aspect of the invention provides an apparatus for input of information in an electronic device having a display, the apparatus comprising a graphic processor for displaying a plurality of objects on the display representative of the information to be input, each object of the plurality of objects arranged around the perimeter of a portion of the screen area of the display; a control interface for a user to control movement of a cursor generated in the display by the graphic processor and responsive to the control interface for scrolling through the plurality of objects and selection of an object for input of information. 
         [0006]    An aspect of the invention provides a method of input of information in an electronic device having a display, the method comprising displaying with a graphic processor a plurality of objects on the display representative of the information to be input, each object of the plurality of objects arranged around the perimeter of a portion of the screen area of the display; controlling movement with a controller interface of a cursor generated in the display by the graphic processor and responsive to the control interface for scrolling through the plurality of objects and selection of an object for input of information. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    In order that embodiments of the invention may be fully and more clearly understood by way of non-limitative examples, the following description is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate similar or corresponding elements, regions and portions, and in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates a block diagram of a device such as a media player in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a schematic plan view of a front face of a media player device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart of a method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  shows examples of a control interface and corresponding displays on a screen. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  shows examples of a control interface and corresponding similarly-shaped screens. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  shows how the control interface is used to input text into the media player. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]      FIG. 1  shows a block diagram of a device  10  such as a media player in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, and  FIG. 2  shows a front face of a device  10  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The device  10  comprises a housing  40  having a front face  42  with a display  12  and a control interface  14  which make up the external components on the device  10  for the data input mechanism of an embodiment. The control interface  14  is connected to a processor  16  and the processor  16  is connected to a memory  18 . The processor is connected to the display via control indexer  20 . Additional buttons may be arranged on the housing  40 , for example the front face  42 , such as “my shortcut”  32 , play/pause  34 , “previous screen” button  36 , option menu  38 , and the like. These additional buttons may be used for text input during a text input mode. In the text input mode, the additional buttons may have associated functions which are not denoted by symbols on the buttons. In a non-limiting example, the “my shortcut” button  32  may be a “backspace” button; the play/pause button  34  may be a “spacebar/next character” button; and the “previous screen” button  36  may be an “exit mode” button. 
         [0015]    Referring to the flow chart of  FIG. 3  of a method  100  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the processor  16  drives and graphically displays  102  a plurality of selectable characters or objects  22  stored in memory  18  on the display  12 . The processor  16  also graphically displays a cursor  28  or an identifying means that highlights one of the selectable objects  22 . The processor  16  via control indexer  20  moves the cursor  28  through the objects in response to manipulation of the control interface  14  by a user of the device  10 . A user manipulates  104  the control interface  14  to move the cursor from object to object around the perimeter of the display  12 . The user selects  106  the identified/desired object  22  with the control interface  14 , specifically using selection button  60 . The processor  16  associates  108  the selected object with information stored in memory  18 . The selected information that is associated with the selected object is stored  110  in memory  18  in either a transient or permanent form. The selected information is displayed  112  by processor  16  on the display  12  in another section  26  or portion of the screen of the display  12 . In this embodiment the other section  26  is located within the perimeter of the plurality of objects in a centralized portion of the screen of the display  12 , however, in other embodiments the selected information may be displayed outside of the perimeter in another area of the screen of the display  12  allocated to displaying the information input by the user. 
         [0016]    The control interface  14  is arranged to scroll or control the cursor in response to the manipulation of the control interface  14 . This movement may be relative to a midpoint or central point of the perimeter of the plurality of selectable objects  22 . For example when the cursor  28  is located in the portion of the screen of the display  12  where the selectable objects  22  are displayed, when the control interface  14  is hit on a left portion  52 , the cursor will move to the left side of the plurality of selectable objects  22 , and subsequently, when the control interface  14  is hit (and held) on an “up” portion  54  or “down” portion  56 , the cursor  28  will move upwards or downwards respectively within the left side of the plurality of objects  22 . Hitting the selection button  60  will select the identified/desired object on the left side of the plurality of objects  22 . After making the selection, the cursor  28  returns to the portion of the screen of the display  12 , adjacent to where the last selected object from the left side of the plurality of objects  22  is displayed. Similarly, when the control interface  14  is hit on a right portion  58 , the cursor will move to the right side of the plurality of objects  22 , and subsequently, when the control interface  14  is hit (and held) on the “up” portion  54  or “down” portion  56 , the cursor will move upwards or downwards respectively within the right side of the plurality of selectable objects  22 . Hitting the selection button  60  will select the identified/desired object. After making the selection, the cursor  28  returns to the portion of the screen of the display  12 , adjacent to where the last selected object from the right side of the plurality of objects  22  is displayed. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , there is shown an example of how text is entered into the device  10 . In  FIG. 6 , the plurality of selectable objects  22  is shown to each represent an alphabet of the English language. It can be seen that each of the plurality of selectable objects  22  abuts two other objects. The alphabet “O” is denoted in  FIG. 6(   a ) as a selected object in a lower portion  8  of the screen of the display  12  where selected objects are displayed. It can be seen that the object with alphabet “O” is found in a bottom row  27  of the plurality of objects  22 . The following steps detail how the alphabet “O” is selected: 
         [0000]    1. When the cursor  28  is at the lower portion  8  of the screen of the display  12  where selected objects are displayed, the user hits the down portion  56  of the control interface  14 .
 
2. When the cursor  28  is at a centre of the bottom row  27  of the plurality of objects  22  (i.e. at the selectable object with alphabet “S”), the user hits (and holds) the right portion  58  of the control interface  14 , wherein this action causes the cursor  28  to move rightwards from the object with alphabet “S” towards the object with alphabet “O”.
 
3. When the cursor  28  reaches alphabet “O”, the user hits the selector button  60  to select alphabet “O”, and alphabet “O” is correspondingly shown at the portion  8  of the screen of the display  12  where selected objects are displayed.
 
4. The cursor  28  then resides adjacent to the displayed alphabet “O” as per the state shown in  FIG. 6(   a ),
 
         [0018]    Subsequent to the selection of the alphabet “O” in  FIG. 6(   a ), the alphabet “K” is denoted in  FIG. 6(   b ) as a selected object in the lower portion  8  of the screen of the display  12  where selected objects are displayed. It can be seen that the object with alphabet “K” is found in a right column  29  of the plurality of objects  22 . The following steps detail how the alphabet “K” is selected: 
         [0000]    1. When the cursor  28  is at the lower portion  8  of the screen of the display  12  where selected objects are displayed, the user hits the right portion  58  of the control interface  14 .
 
2. When the cursor  28  is at a centre of the right column  29  of the plurality of objects  22  (i.e. at the object with alphabet “L”), the user hits (and holds) the up portion  54  of the control interface  14 , wherein this action causes the cursor  28  to move upwards from the object with alphabet “L” towards the object with alphabet “K”.
 
3. When the cursor  28  reaches alphabet “K”, the user hits the selector button  60  to select alphabet “K”, and alphabet “K” is correspondingly shown at the lower portion  8  of the screen of the display  12  where selected objects are displayed.
 
4. The cursor  28  then resides adjacent to the displayed alphabet “K” as per the state shown in  FIG. 6(   b ),
 
         [0019]    While the alphabet “K” is shown in a lower case form in  FIG. 6(   b ), this may be because the processor  16  recognizes that it is not a start of sentence, and this may be as per one of the methods employed in known texting environments. 
         [0020]    It will be appreciated that the plurality of selectable objects may be displayed in a single continuous row along the entire perimeter of the display as shown in  FIG. 2 . In this configuration each object abuts at least two other objects. In other embodiments the plurality of objects may be in different configurations such as double rows, or any number of rows and the like. However, a multi-row configuration typically adversely affects the precision of how a desired object is selected, and is not regarded as an optimal configuration for the present embodiment. In this regard, when the plurality of objects are displayed in a single continuous row prior to selection by the user, the user may only erroneously select the two abutting objects when attempting to select a desired object. It is evident that there are more adjacent objects when the plurality of objects is laid out in the multi-row configuration. As such, this increase in the number of adjacent objects typically leads to a higher incidence of errors when selecting the desired object. 
         [0021]    The components of the device  10  may be a number of configurations. For example memory may be read only memory (ROM), flash memory, hard disk, optical disk, and the like. Display may be a monitor, liquid crystal display, cathode ray tube, plasma display or the like. Information of the objects may be alphanumeric characters such as letters in any number of languages such as English, Chinese characters, punctuation, mathematical expressions, scientific symbols and the like. 
         [0022]    The control interface  14  may be in a number of shapes as shown in  FIG. 4 . The shapes depicted in  FIG. 4  are not limiting and are shown for illustrative purposes. 
         [0023]    In  FIG. 4(   a ), a diamond-shaped control interface  14  is shown, with the plurality of selectable objects  22  being arranged in a diamond-shaped arrangement on the screen of the display  12 . In  FIG. 4(   b ), a hexagonal control interface  14  is shown, with the plurality of selectable objects  22  being arranged in a hexagonal arrangement on the screen of the display  12 .  FIG. 4(   c ) shows an octagonal control interface  14 , with the plurality of objects  22  being arranged in an octagonal arrangement on the screen of the display  12 . It is evident from  FIG. 4  that the plurality of objects  22  need not be arranged around the perimeter of the display  12 . The method for selecting objects would be similar to when a rectangular control interface  14  is used as described in an earlier portion of this section. In the instances of the diamond-shaped and hexagonal control interfaces  14  as discussed earlier, apexes of the polygons may be used for up/down/left/right movement of the cursor  28  when selecting objects. In this regard, sides and apexes of the polygons may include tactile switches to accurately detect where the control interface  14  is hit by the user. It should be noted that regardless of shape of the control interface  14 , the control interface  14  should still be able to enable the user to move the cursor  28  on the screen of the display  12  in the directions of up, down, left and right. It may also be possible for audio feedback to be provided to affirm selection of an object. 
         [0024]      FIG. 5  shows examples where shapes of the display  12  correspond to shapes of the control interface  14 . The plurality of objects  22  are shown around the perimeter of the display  12 . The method for selecting objects would be similar to when a rectangular control interface  14  is used as described in an earlier portion of this section. In the instances of the diamond-shaped and hexagonal control interfaces  14  as discussed earlier, apexes of the polygons may be used for up/down/left/right movement of the cursor  28  when selecting objects. In this regard, sides and apexes of the polygons may include tactile switches to accurately detect where the control interface  14  is hit by the user. It should be noted that regardless of shape of the control interface  14 , the control interface  14  should still be able to enable the user to move the cursor  28  on the screen of the display  12  in the directions of up, down, left and right. It may also be possible for audio feedback to be provided to affirm selection of an object. 
         [0025]    While embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, it will be understood by those skilled in the technology concerned that many variations or modifications in details of design or construction may be made without departing from the present invention.