Touch-sensitive device for scrolling a document on a display

A touch-sensitive device for scrolling a document on a display screen, the device comprising:

• a vertically elongated central scrolling area, wherein a longitudinal axis extends through the central scrolling area in the vertical direction;
• and
• opposed first and second end scrolling areas positioned on opposed sides of the central scrolling area, wherein the longitudinal axis of the central scrolling area intersects the first and second end scrolling areas,
• wherein the central scrolling region is an uninterrupted and continuous exposed surface configured to sense movement of the user's finger along the vertical direction and generate signals causing a processor to scroll the document in tandem with the sensed movement in either an up or down direction depending on whether the sensed movement on the exposed surface is in an upward or downward direction, respectively,
• wherein the first end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user's finger, and generate a signal to scroll the document exclusively up while sensing the touch,
• wherein the second end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user's finger, and generate a signal causing the processor to scroll the document exclusively down while sensing the touch, and
• wherein the central scrolling area has a width in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and wherein each of the first and second end scrolling areas has a width that differs from the width of the central scrolling area,
• opposed third and fourth end scrolling areas positioned on opposed sides of the central scrolling area, wherein the latitudinal axis of the central scrolling area intersects the third and fourth end scrolling areas,
• wherein the third end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user's finger, and generate a signal to scroll the document exclusively to the left while sensing the touch, and
• wherein the fourth end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user's finger, and generate a signal causing the processor to scroll the document exclusively to the right while sensing the touch.

A touch-sensitive device for scrolling a document on a display screen, said device comprising:

• a vertically elongated central scrolling area, wherein a longitudinal axis extends through the central scrolling area in the vertical direction, and a latitudinal axis extends through the central scrolling area in the horizontal direction;
• first and second end scrolling areas positioned on opposed sides of the central scrolling area, wherein the first and second end scrolling areas positioned immediately adjacent to the central scrolling area and spaced from the central scrolling area such that the latitudinal axis of the central scrolling area intersects the first and second end scrolling areas;
• and
• third and fourth end scrolling areas positioned on opposed sides of the central scrolling area, wherein the longitudinal axis of the central scrolling area intersects the third and fourth end scrolling areas,
• wherein the central scrolling region is configured to sense movement of the user's finger along the vertical direction and generate signals causing a processor to scroll the document up and down in tandem with the sensed movement,
• wherein the first end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user's finger, and generate a signal to scroll the document exclusively to the left while sensing the touch, and
• wherein the second end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user's finger, and generate a signal causing the processor to scroll the document exclusively to the right while sensing the touch,
• wherein the third end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user's finger, and generate a signal to scroll the document exclusively up while sensing the touch, and
• wherein the fourth end scrolling area is configured to sense the touch of the user's finger, and generate a signal causing the processor to scroll the document exclusively down while sensing the touch.