With the advent of more robust wireless communications systems, compatible handheld communication devices are becoming more prevalent, as well as advanced. In a broader sense, these devices are referred to as handheld electronic devices, which include devices without communication functions. Where in the past such handheld communication devices typically accommodated either voice (cell phones) or text transmission (pagers and PDAs), today's consumer often demands a combination device capable of performing both types of transmissions, including sending and receiving e-mail. Furthermore, these devices are capable of sending and receiving other types of data including data to enable the listening of audio, and viewing of websites, and still and moving images. The suppliers of such mobile communication devices and underlying service providers are anxious to meet these demands, but the combination of voice and textual messaging, as well as other functionalities such as those found in PDAs, have caused designers to have to improve the functionality as related to viewing and editing of documents and other data on these electronic devices.
In recent years, the use of touch sensitive screens on electronic devices has become common. These touch sensitive screens generally respond to any touching including the use of a stylus and a human digit. Depending on the size of the device and screen, the need for accurate control can be appreciated. Some icons or selectable objects presented on the screen are large in order to enable the user to accurately select the individual icon or selectable object, while other views such as text displayed on the screen require greater accuracy in the selection of the items. As the size of the display screen decreases, the need for accurate placement of the cursor can be accentuated. This need for accuracy is amplified when both the screen of the device and the displayed text are small. The typical solution for accurate placement involves using a stylus to select a point on the screen. Since the tip of the stylus is typically of similar size to the text shown on the display screen, accurate selection of the appropriate point is possible.
However, there are instances where a stylus is not desirable or is unavailable. Typically, the electronic device is provided with a means for holding or storing the stylus when the stylus is not in use. Thus if accurate selection is required, the user must remove the stylus from storage before making a selection on the screen. Furthermore, the stylus can be lost by the user. A device with a stylus is larger due to the stylus and its storage requirements. The additional space required for storage of the stylus is often not desirable. Thus, another solution to accurately select a point is needed.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds