View navigation and magnification of a hand-held device with a display

A view navigation system for a hand-held device having processing means and a display, comprising:

• means for storing a virtual display, said virtual display is larger than said display so that only a portion of said virtual display can be viewed on said display,
• means for detecting the characteristic sound and vibration pattern of an operator's finger tap on the housing of said device to activate a view navigation mode of operation in response to a finger tap with sound intensity above a preset threshold limit,
• means for sensing changes in the orientation at which said device is held along two generally perpendicular axes,
• interface means for converting the output of said orientation sensing means to a digital signal connected to said processing means and responsive to said changes in the orientation along said perpendicular axes,
• means for storing and selecting a response curve that continuously correlate changes in orientation to required changes in the viewable portion of said virtual display,
• said processing means is further adapted to navigate the viewable portion of said virtual display in the direction and quantity responsive to said changes in orientation and in accordance with said response curve when said view navigation mode is engaged, and to fix said viewable portion when said view navigation mode is disengaged.

A method of navigating the view of the display of a hand-held device, comprising:

• creating a virtual display and marking the boundary of the initial portion of said virtual display to be viewed on said display,
• identifying an operator's command to enter a view navigation mode during which the displayed view is navigating said virtual display in any desired direction,
• acquiring the rotational orientation of said device during said view navigation mode, and identifying changes in said orientation along two generally perpendicular axes,
• computing changes in view boundary in response to changes in said rotational orientation of said device based on a stored response curve, said response curve changes dynamically based on the duration of said view navigation mode,
• outputting a new view to said display reflecting said computed view boundary, and
• returning the display to a fixed view at the termination of said view navigation mode.

A view navigation system for a hand-held device having processing means and a display, comprising:

• means for storing a virtual display, said virtual display is larger than said display so that only a portion of said virtual display can be viewed on said display,
• switching means for engaging and disengaging a view navigation mode of operation,
• means for sensing changes in the orientation at which said device is held along two generally perpendicular axes,
• interface means for converting the output of said orientation sensing means to a digital signal connected to said processing means and responsive to said changes in the orientation along said perpendicular axes,
• means for storing and selecting a response curve that continuously correlate changes in orientation to required changes in the viewable portion of said virtual display,
• said processing means is further adapted to navigate the viewable portion of said virtual display in the direction and quantity responsive to said changes in orientation and in accordance with said response curve when said view navigation mode is engaged, and to fix said viewable portion when said view navigation mode is disengaged
• wherein said processing means is further adapted to store a continuous trail of the view navigation path across said virtual display during said view navigation mode,
• wherein said processing means is further adapted to identify an operator's gesture to exit said view navigation mode, and
• wherein said processing means is further adapted upon identification of said exit gesture to access said continuous trail and to retrieve and to restore the state of the view just before the initiation of said exit gesture.