Handheld electronic device, cursor positioning sub-system and method employing cursor scaling control

A communications device that is programmed to select a cursor navigation mode from a plurality of cursor navigation modes, the communications device comprising:

• a display;
• a cursor positioning device that generates a device pulse when actuated, the device pulse corresponding to one of a plurality of directions for navigating a cursor on the display;
• a storage device that stores an operating system and a plurality of applications;
• a processor that is communicatively coupled to the display, the cursor positioning device, and the storage device, the processor being configured to execute instructions for:
• receiving the device pulse;
• receiving a signal from the operating system, the signal identifying an active application selected from the plurality of applications;
• setting a minimum count value threshold for the plurality of directions based on the identified active application;
• generating a direction pulse when the count value threshold is reached for one of the plurality of directions, the direction pulse being associated with the corresponding direction;
• resetting the counter for the corresponding direction that reaches the count value threshold;
• and
• resetting the counter for the corresponding plurality of directions if the processor does not receive the device pulse associated with the plurality of directions within a predefined time period;
• determining the direction associated with the direction pulse;
• determining the time period between receiving the direction pulse and a previous direction pulse that corresponds to a same direction;
• comparing the determined time period with a plurality of predetermined time periods associated with the plurality of cursor navigation modes;
• selecting one of the plurality of cursor navigation modes based on at least one of the determined time period and the active application;
• and
• generating a cursor movement event that corresponds to the selected cursor navigation mode, the cursor movement event being a multiple of the determined time period between corresponding direction pulses.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer code that when loaded into a communications device adapts the communications device to select a cursor navigation mode from a plurality of cursor navigation modes, the communications device including a cursor positioning device that generates a device pulse when actuated, the device pulse corresponding to one of a plurality of directions for navigating a cursor on a display, the communications device further including a storage device that stores an operating system and a plurality of applications;

• the computer readable medium having instructions that are executable to:
• receive the device pulse;
• receive a signal from the operating system, the signal identifying an active application selected from the plurality of applications;
• set a minimum count value threshold for the plurality of directions based on the identified active application;
• generate a direction pulse when the count value threshold is reached for one of the plurality of directions, the direction pulse being associated with the corresponding direction;
• reset the counter for the corresponding direction that reaches the count value threshold;
• and
• reset the counter for the corresponding plurality of directions if the processor does not receive the device pulse associated with the plurality of directions within a predefined time period;
• determine the direction associated with the direction pulse;
• determine the time period between receiving the direction pulse and a previous direction pulse that corresponds to a same direction;
• compare the determined time period with a plurality of predetermined time periods associated with the plurality of cursor navigation modes;
• select one of the plurality of cursor navigation modes based on at least one of the determined time period and the active application;
• and
• generate a cursor movement event that corresponds to the selected cursor navigation mode, the cursor movement event being a multiple of the determined time period between corresponding direction pulses.