Patent ID: 8635559

Claim:
A handheld communication device capable of affecting movement of a highlighting cursor amongst an array of icons arranged in rows and columns on a display of the handheld communication device, the rows being oriented along a first dimension and the columns being oriented along a second dimension, said handheld communication device comprising: the display; an input device configured to: generate first input signals upon being manipulated in a first direction that corresponds to the first dimension; and generate second input signals upon being manipulated in a second direction that corresponds to the second dimension; a sensor that measures a manipulation rate of the input device, the manipulation rate being associated with at least one of the corresponding first direction and second direction; and a microprocessor communicatively coupled to the input device, the sensor, and the display, the microprocessor programmed to: receive the first input signals and the second input signals; receive the manipulation rate associated with at least one of the corresponding first direction and second direction; determine whether the manipulation rate exceeds a preselected threshold; generate first navigation signals when the manipulation rate exceeds the preselected threshold, the first navigation signals being configured to navigate the highlighting cursor substantially directly to a terminal icon within the array of icons; generate second navigation signals when the manipulation rate does not exceed the preselected threshold, the second navigation signals being configured to navigate the highlighting cursor sequentially through icons in one of the corresponding rows or columns, the corresponding rows and columns including terminal icons; and pin the highlighting cursor at one of the terminal icons when the microprocessor continues to receive at least one of the first navigation signals and the second navigation signals.