Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Patent
1997-01-09
1999-02-09
Ba, Huynh
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
345348, 345173, 345177, G06F 1500
Patent
active
058700927
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to devices for displaying pages of electronically stored information. The present invention relates particularly, but not exclusively, to handheld computer devices with a pen/stylus for user input and a relatively small display screen.
BACKGROUND ART
Known pen-based handheld devices for displaying pages of electronically stored information have used a variety of ways to facilitate page turning. One of these, the Amstrad `PenPad`, has a small screen with forward and backward facing arrows displayed next to the screen. The user can turn pages in the desired direction by touching the arrows. Holding the pen down achieves a constant predetermined page turning rate allowing the user to `riffle` rapidly through pages in succession, although without being able to control the page turning rate.
Another known device is the Sharp `Action Manager` which is another pen-based handheld device in which pages are displayed with turned up corners. On tapping such a corner with the pen, the page turns. There is no mechanism for riffling rapidly through pages.
Neither of these devices provides a naturalistic page turning facility.
Many word processing packages support a vertical scroll bar which scrolls through pages of electronically stored information as if they were attached top to bottom and this is also the approach used in the Tandy `Zoomer` which is another pen-based handheld device. The disadvantage of this approach is that the scroll bar takes up screen space, which is a particular disadvantage for small screen devices. If there is no scroll block, the scroll facility is tantamount to a pair of arrows similar to the arrangement in the Amstrad PenPad.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
According to the present invention we provide a device for displaying pages of electronically stored information comprising a pen/finger sensitive symbol enabling a user to browse the information by page turning wherein the symbol has page delimiters and the device is configured so that traversal of a page delimiter causes a predetermined number of pages to be turned.
The provision of page delimiters has the advantage of allowing the user greater control over page turning. The user can stroke the symbol repeatedly to riffle through pages and the rate of page turning is under direct user control. In order to make best use of limited screen size in a handheld device, the symbol is situated outside the active area of the display screen of the device.
Preferably, the predetermined number of pages is one so that a single page is turned on traversal of each page delimiter.
Preferably, traversal of a page delimiter causes tactile feedback to be provided to the user. For example, in a pen-based device the page delimiters may be ridges or indentations so that these can be felt by the user when traversed by the pen.
In the embodiment to be described, the symbol depicts an open book. Preferably, there is an arrow overlaying the book symbol. This arrow informs novice users of the function of the open book symbol.
In order to make best use of limited screen size in a handheld device, the symbol is situated beside, rather than on, a display screen of the device.
Alternatively, means are provided enabling a user to select a position relative to the symbol so as to cause a page at a corresponding position in the sequence of stored electronic information to be displayed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
A particular embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a device according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows a symbol depicting an open book.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION & INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
FIG. 1 depicts a pen-based handheld device 10 for storing and displaying pages of electronic information comprising a display screen 12 and a pen 14 for user input. The device 10 also comprises buttons 16 for various functions (not relevant to the present invention) and a book symbol 18 f
REFERENCES:
patent: 4855725 (1989-08-01), Fernandez
patent: 5199104 (1993-03-01), Hirayama
patent: 5237651 (1993-08-01), Randall
patent: 5367623 (1994-11-01), Iwai et al.
patent: 5463725 (1995-10-01), Henckel et al.
patent: 5632022 (1997-05-01), Warren et al.
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 36, No. 8, Aug. 1993, New York US pp. 237-239, XP390208.
`Page Flipping for User Interfaces` see the whole document.
Ba Huynh
Hewlett--Packard Company
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