Portable electronic device and method of controlling same

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable code executable by at least one processor of a portable electronic device to:

• display a first portion of text in an area of a touch-sensitive display of the portable electronic device and provide a virtual keyboard disposed below the area relative to the orientation in which the first portion of text is displayed;
• receive a first gesture on the touch-sensitive display, the first gesture including a first origin and a first end point;
• determine the first origin of the first gesture on the touch-sensitive display;
• in response to determining that the first origin of the first gesture is on the area of the touch-sensitive display, scroll through the text to display a second portion of the text in the area, wherein the second portion of the text is different from the first portion of the text, and an amount of scrolling through the text in response to determining that the first origin of the first gesture is on the area of the touch-sensitive display, is dependent on a length of the first gesture;
• receive a second gesture on the virtual keyboard, the second gesture including a second origin and a second end point;
• determine the second origin of the second gesture on the virtual keyboard;
• in response to determining that the second origin of the second gesture is on the virtual keyboard and that the second gesture continues across keys of the virtual keyboard, scroll a cursor, indicating an editing position within the text, through the text, starting from the second portion of the text, in a direction dependent on a direction of the second gesture such that the cursor scrolls generally vertically through the text in response to detecting the second gesture is generally vertical relative to the text, the cursor scrolls generally horizontally through the text in response to detecting the second gesture is generally horizontal relative to the text, and when the cursor is located near an edge of the area, scroll the text to display further text and move the cursor through the further text, wherein an amount of scrolling the cursor through the further text is dependent on a length of the second gesture across the keys of the virtual keyboard.

A portable electronic device comprising:

• a touch-sensitive display;
• and
• a processor coupled to the touch-sensitive display and configured to:
• display a first portion of text in an area of the touch-sensitive display and provide a virtual keyboard disposed below the area relative to the orientation in which the first portion of text is displayed;
• receive a first gesture on the touch-sensitive display, the first gesture including a first origin and a first end point;
• determine the first origin of the first gesture on the touch-sensitive display;
• in response to determining that the first origin of the first gesture is on the area of the touch-sensitive display, scroll through the text to display a second portion of the text in the area, wherein the second portion of the text is different from the first portion of the text, and an amount of scrolling through the text in response to determining that the first origin of the first gesture is on the area of the touch-sensitive display, is dependent on a length of the first gesture;
• receive a second gesture on the virtual keyboard, the second gesture including a second origin and a second end point;
• determine, by the processor, the second origin of the second gesture on the virtual keyboard;
• in response to determining by the processor, that the second origin is on the virtual keyboard and that the second gesture continues across keys of the virtual keyboard, scroll a cursor, indicating an editing position within the text, through the text, starting from the second portion of the text, in a direction dependent on a direction of the second gesture such that the cursor scrolls generally vertically through the text in response to detecting the second gesture is generally vertical relative to the text, the cursor scrolls generally horizontally through the text in response to detecting the second gesture is generally horizontal relative to the text, and when the cursor is located near an edge of the area, scroll the text to display further text and move the cursor through the further text, wherein an amount of scrolling the cursor through the further text is dependent on a length of the second gesture across the keys of the virtual keyboard.