Patent ID: 7688312

Claim:
A touch-sensitive device for scrolling a document on a display screen, said device comprising: a scrolling area extending along a longitudinal axis, the scrolling area having a width in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and opposed first and second ends each having a distal end wherein the width of the scrolling area substantially enlarges or tapers along the longitudinal axis toward the first or second end from a central portion of the scrolling area for providing tactile feedback to a user prior to the user's finger reaching either the first or second end of the scrolling area that the user's finger is approaching one of the first and second ends; tactile feedback means being located on or proximate to the scrolling area between the distal ends, wherein the tactile feedback provided to the user is indicative of how close the user's finger is to one of the first and second ends prior to the user's finger reaching the one of the first and second ends while inside the scrolling area, wherein the scrolling area is configured to sense movement of the user's finger on the scrolling area along the longitudinal axis and cause the document to be moved relative to the display screen in tandem with the movement of the user's finger, wherein the tactile feedback means is located on an outer surface on the scrolling area, wherein the tactile feedback means includes surface texture on the outer surface of the scrolling area, and wherein the tactile feedback means includes discrete surface texture changes on the outer surface of the scrolling area spaced apart along the longitudinal axis so that each discrete surface texture change is indicative of a relative position along the longitudinal axis between the first and second ends.