Abstract:
An apparatus includes a touchscreen and a controller operably connected to the touchscreen. The controller is configured to detect a gesture input using the touchscreen, identify a character associated with the gesture, include the character in a set of characters to be displayed in a search bar on the touchscreen, and organize a list of content based on the set of characters.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    The present application is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/510,575, filed Jul. 22, 2011, entitled “APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CHARACTER INPUT THROUGH A SCROLL BAR IN A MOBILE DEVICE”. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/510,575 is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is hereby incorporated by reference into the present application as if fully set forth herein. The present application hereby claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/510,575. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present application relates generally to mobile device inputs and, more specifically, to a character inputs using a scroll bar. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    In the current market, smart phone contacts applications do not provide a simple user interface where a user can search for a contact without inputting characters from a keyboard. Current contacts application scroll bars only allow the user to select a first character of a contacts first or last name. After the first character is selected, user has to scroll through contacts one by one to select a desired contact. This method requires the user to put more attention to interact with the user interface. 
         [0004]    Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved user interface. In particular, there is a need for a user interface that is capable of simplifying contact selection. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes a touchscreen and a controller operably connected to the touchscreen. The controller is configured to detect a gesture input using the touchscreen, identify a character associated with the gesture, include the character in a set of characters to be displayed in a search bar on the touchscreen, and organize a list of content based on the set of characters. 
         [0006]    In another exemplary embodiment, a method for character input using a scroll bar is provided. The method includes detecting a gesture input using a touchscreen, identifying a character associated with the gesture, including the character in a set of characters to be displayed in a search bar on the touchscreen, and organizing a list of content based on the set of characters. 
         [0007]    In yet another exemplary embodiment, a mobile device for use in a wireless communications network is provided. The mobile device includes a touchscreen, a storage device configured to store an application and a list of content associated with the application, and a controller operably connected to the touchscreen and the storage device. The controller is configured to receive the list of content in response to a request to access the application, detect a gesture input using the touchscreen, identify a character associated with the gesture, include the character in a set of characters to be displayed in a search bar on the touchscreen, and organize the list of content based on the set of characters. 
         [0008]    Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION below, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document: the terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term “or,” is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like; the term “set” with reference to a item, means one or more items; and the term “controller” means any device, system or part thereof that controls at least one operation, such a device may be implemented in hardware, firmware or software, or some combination of at least two of the same. It should be noted that the functionality associated with any particular controller may be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely. Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many, if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior, as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates an example of a mobile station according to the present disclosure; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates an example of a mobile device having a scroll bar according to the present disclosure; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates a process for character input using a scroll bar according to the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]      FIGS. 1 through 3 , discussed below, and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged computing device. 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  illustrates mobile station  100  according to an advantageous embodiment of the present disclosure. Mobile station  100  comprises antenna  105 , radio frequency (RF) transceiver  110 , transmit (TX) processing circuitry  115 , microphone  120 , and receive (RX) processing circuitry  125 . Mobile station  100  also comprises speaker  130 , processor  140 , input/output (I/O) interface (IF)  145 , keypad  150 , touchscreen  155 , and memory  160 . Memory  160  further comprises basic operating system (OS) program  165 . 
         [0015]    Radio frequency transceiver  110  receives from antenna  105  an incoming RF signal transmitted by a base station of a wireless network. Radio frequency transceiver  110  down-converts the incoming RF signal to produce an intermediate frequency (IF) or a baseband signal. The IF or baseband signal is sent to receiver (RX) processing circuitry  125 , which produces a processed baseband signal by filtering, digitizing the baseband or IF signal, additional filtering, if necessary, demodulation and/or decoding. Receiver (RX) processing circuitry  125  transmits the processed baseband signal to speaker  130  (i.e., voice data) or to processor  140  for further processing (e.g., web browsing). 
         [0016]    Transmitter (TX) processing circuitry  115  receives analog or digital voice data from microphone  120  or other outgoing baseband data (e.g., web data, e-mail, interactive video game data) from processor  140 . Transmitter processing circuitry  115  encodes, modulates, multiplexes, and/or digitizes the outgoing baseband data to produce a processed baseband or IF signal. Radio frequency transceiver  110  receives the outgoing processed baseband or IF signal from transmitter processing circuitry  115 . Radio frequency transceiver  110  up-converts the baseband or IF signal to a radio frequency signal that is transmitted via antenna  105 . 
         [0017]    In an advantageous embodiment of the present disclosure, processor  140  is a microprocessor or microcontroller. Memory  160  is coupled to processor  140 . According to an advantageous embodiment of the present disclosure, part of memory  160  comprises a random access memory (RAM) and another part of memory  160  comprises a non-volatile memory, such as Flash memory, which acts as a read-only memory (ROM). 
         [0018]    Processor  140  executes basic operating system (OS) program  165  stored in memory  160  in order to control the overall operation of mobile station  100 . In one such operation, processor  140  controls the reception of forward channel signals and the transmission of reverse channel signals by radio frequency transceiver  110 , receiver processing circuitry  125 , and transmitter processing circuitry  115 , in accordance with well-known principles. 
         [0019]    Processor  140  is capable of executing other processes and programs resident in memory  160 . Processor  140  can move data into or out of memory  160 , as required by an executing process. Processor  140  is also coupled to input/output (I/O) interface  145 . I/O interface  145  provides mobile station  100  with the ability to connect to other devices such as laptop computers and handheld computers. I/O interface  145  is the communication path between these accessories and processor  140 . 
         [0020]    Processor  140  is also coupled to keypad  150  and touchscreen  155 . The operator of mobile station  100  uses keypad  150  to enter data into mobile station  100 . Display  155  may be a liquid crystal display capable of rendering text and/or at least limited graphics from web sites. Alternate embodiments may use other types of displays. 
         [0021]    The advantageous embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved user interface for identifying character inputs using a scroll bar. Thus, in this illustrated example, memory  160  includes a number of different applications that may use a scroll bar to aid in searching for content. For example, memory  160  includes contacts application  170 , audio application  180 , video application  190 , and message application  196 . Memory  160  also includes data for the above listed application in the form of contacts list  175  audio files  185 , video files  195 , message files  197 . 
         [0022]    In these illustrative examples, contacts application  170  is software that retrieves and displays information about contacts in contacts list  175 . Contacts application  170  may also interface with other components in mobile station  100  allow a user to contact contacts in contacts list  175 . Contacts list  175  is a list of information about contacts of a user of mobile station  100 . For example, without limitation, contacts list  175  may include the name, phone number, e-mail address, fax number, physical address, picture, and or any other suitable information about an individual. 
         [0023]    Audio application  180  is software that retrieves, displays, and/or provides content from audio files  185 . Audio files  185  may be music, voice memos, messages, and/or any other type of audio that may be stored in mobile station  100 . Video application  190  is software that retrieves, displays, and/or provides content from video files  195 . Video files  195  may be pictures, videos, messages, and/or any other type of video or picture content that may be stored in mobile station  100 . 
         [0024]    Message application  196  is software that retrieves, displays, and/or provides content from message files  197 . For example, message application  196  may be a text message application, an e-mail message application and/or any other type of program for exchanging messages. Message files  197  may be e-mails, text messages, chat messages, voice messages and/or any other type of message that may be stored in mobile station  100 . 
         [0025]    The following discussion describes an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure implemented in contacts application  170 . The following discussion of this exemplary embodiment may implemented in any type of application in mobile station  100  including, for example, without limitation, be implemented in audio application  180 , video application  190 , message application  196 . 
         [0026]    In this exemplary embodiment, contacts application  170  includes a scroll bar to assist a user in selecting contacts from contacts  175 . For example, the scroll bar may have a plurality of characters associated with different contacts in contacts list  175 . The scroll bar is displayed on touchscreen  155 . Contacts application  170  detects an input in the form of a touch on touchscreen  155 . For example, contacts application  170  may detect a touch on a character in the scroll bar. Then, contacts application  170  will display contacts from contacts list  175 . For example, a user may select a letter on the scroll bar and contacts application displays contacts that have that letter as a first letter of a first name or last name. 
         [0027]    Advantageously, contacts application  170  also allows a user to search contacts list  175  through the use of a gesture. A gesture is an input into touchscreen  155  that is different than a mere touch. For example, without limitation, the gesture may be a tap, a double tap, a flick event, touching a single portion of a screen for a predetermined amount of time, a drag of a finger in a direction away from the scroll bar, a swipe, and or any other detectable type of touch input. 
         [0028]    In this advantageous embodiment, contacts application  170  detects a character associated with the gesture For example, the user may scroll through characters on the scroll bar prior to making the gesture. Contacts application  170  can detect a character on the scroll bar that was last touched by the user prior to the gesture. Contacts application  170  will place the character detected into a search bar. The search bar displays characters to be used in searching contacts list  175 . 
         [0029]    In these examples, contacts application  170  can detect any number of gestures made on touchscreen  155 . Contacts application  170  places characters associated with each gesture into the search bar. Contacts application  170  uses each character placed into the search bar to further limit the search for contacts in contacts list  175 . 
         [0030]    In different embodiments, different types of gestures can be established to modify characters placed into the search bar. For example, a first type of gesture places a character into the search bar; a second, type of gesture may remove the immediately placed character; and a third type of gesture may remove all characters present in the search bar. The different types of gestures may be flicks or swipes in different directions, different numbers of taps, different periods of times that a touch is held in place, and/or or any other different types of gestures. 
         [0031]    In these illustrative examples, a user can also modify characters in the search bar using keypad  150 . For example, if a character that is not desired is placed into the search bar as a result of a gesture detected by contacts application  170 , the user may remove the character from the search bar using keypad  150 . In another example, the user may add the character from the search bar using keypad  150 . 
         [0032]    In one illustrative example, if a user desires to contact a contact named “Bob” the user may request that contacts application  170  be loaded from memory  160 . Processor  140  loads contacts application  170  from memory  160 . Contacts application  170  displays a number of contacts from contacts list  175  and a scroll bar. Contacts application  170  detects a touch on a letter “B.” Contacts application displays contacts from contacts list  175  that begin with the letter “B” on touchscreen  155 . However, in this example, contacts list  175  contains more contacts that that begin with the letter “B” than may be simultaneously displayed on touchscreen  155 . As a result, the name “Bob” may not be initially displayed. 
         [0033]    However, if contacts application  170  detects gestures for the letters “B” and “O,” contacts application  170  will place the letters “B” and “O” into the search bar. Contacts application  170  uses the letters “B” and “O” to limit the contacts displayed on touchscreen  155  to contacts beginning with the letters “B” and “O.” As a result, the probability that contacts application  170  will display the name “Bob” on touchscreen  155  increases significantly. The incorporation of gesture detection into contacts application  170  allows users to search for and obtain desired contacts results in a timely fashion. 
         [0034]    In other embodiments, gestures made may be utilized for searching for results in any of audio application  180  (e.g., music player, voice recorder), video application  190  (e.g., image viewer, video player), message application  196  (e.g., email, text message, social media messaging). For example, without limitation, gestures made with regard the scroll bar may be made to search for music, voice memos, videos, pictures, subjects of messages, senders of messages, email messages, text messages, and/or any other searchable content contained in contacts list  175  audio files  185 , video files  195 , message files  197 . 
         [0035]    The illustration of mobile station  100  is not meant to imply physical or architectural limitations to the manner in which different illustrative embodiments may be implemented. Other components in addition to and/or in place of the ones illustrated may be used. Some components may be unnecessary in some illustrative embodiments. For example, illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in any type of mobile device. 
         [0036]    The list of applications presented in  FIG. 1  is for illustration and not intended to be a limitation on applications in which advantageous embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied. For example character entries through gestures made with a scroll bar may be used in any number of different applications. In one example, character entries made with a scroll bar may be used in social networking applications, browser applications, financial applications, television and media applications, and/or any other suitable application utilizing character entries with a scroll bar. 
         [0037]      FIG. 2  illustrates a mobile device having a scroll bar according to an advantageous embodiment of the disclosure. In this advantageous embodiment, mobile device  200  is an example of one implementation of mobile station  100  in  FIG. 1 . In this example, mobile device  200  is depicted as a mobile phone. However, advantageous embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in any number of devices. For example, without limitation, mobile device  200  may be a smart phone, a cell phone, a tablet computer, an electronic reader, a personal digital assistant, and/or any other suitable mobile electronic device. 
         [0038]    Mobile device  200  includes touchscreen  205 , scroll bar  210 , and search bar  215 . Touchscreen  205  is adapted to receive user inputs in the form of touches. Scroll bar  210  displays characters for a user to select in searching items displayed on touchscreen  205 . In this example, the characters are letters. However, for example, without limitation, the characters may be numbers, symbols, words, abbreviations, and/or any other list of characters that may be searched. 
         [0039]    Characters selected from scroll bar  210  are placed into search bar  215 . For example, a user may make a gesture, such as, for example, a flicking motion on touchscreen  205  or tap touchscreen  205 , over a character in scroll bar  210 . That character may then be placed in search bar  215 . An additional gesture allows a user to modify characters present in search bar  215 . For example, a different type of gesture, such as for example, a flicking motion in a different direction or a certain number of taps, deletes a previous character placed in search bar  215 . In another example, a third type of gesture may delete all characters present in search bar  215 . In some embodiments, any number of different gestures may be defined and established for any number of different types of character inputs and modification of characters present in search bar  215 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 3  illustrates a process for character input using a scroll bar according to an advantageous embodiment of the disclosure. In one illustrative example, the process illustrated in  FIG. 3  may be implemented in mobile station  100 . The process may also be implemented by contacts application  170 . 
         [0041]    The process begins by receiving a request to access an application (block  300 ). In block  300 , for example, the request may come from a user desiring to access a contacts list, an audio file, a video file, or a message. The process then displays a list of content and a scroll bar (block  305 ). In block  305 , the amount of content displayed may be limited by the size of the display screen. Thereafter the process determines whether a touch on the scroll bar has been detected (block  310 ). If the process determines that a touch on the scroll bar has not been detected, the returns to block  310  and continues to wait for a touch. 
         [0042]    If, however the process determines that a touch on the scroll bar has been detected, the process determines whether a gesture has been detected (block  315 ). In block  315 , the gesture may be performed while the user is touching or scrolling with the scroll bar. The gesture may also be performed by a flick event on a touchscreen. If the process determines that a gesture has been not been detected, the returns to block  315  and continues to wait for a gesture. 
         [0043]    If, however the process determines that a gesture has been detected, the process identifies a character associated with the gesture (block  320 ). In block  320 , the character associated with the gesture is a character that was touched during the gesture. For example, a user may double tap a character on the scroll bar. In another example, the user may flick over a character on the scroll bar. 
         [0044]    The process then places the character associated with the gesture in a search bar (block  325 ). Thereafter, the process displays a list of content associated with characters present in the search bar (block  330 ). In block  330 , the process may search the list of content to display only the set of content that include characters present in the search bar. Thereafter, the process returns to block  310  and repeats blocks thereafter. For example, the process may wait to detect additional gestures for characters to place in the search bar to further limit the search for content to be displayed. The process may end by a user closing the application. The process may also end by a selection of content by the user. 
         [0045]    As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable storage medium(s) having program code embodied thereon. A computer readable storage medium may be, for example, without limitation, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The program code may also be loaded for execution by a processor to provide processes for implementing the blocks, functions, and/or operations described in the present disclosure. 
         [0046]    Although the present disclosure has been described with an exemplary embodiment, various changes and modifications may be suggested to one skilled in the art. It is intended that the present disclosure encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.