Virtual scroll wheel patent shows alternate iOS input method

A patent granted to Apple on Tuesday describes the implementation of a "virtual scroll wheel" on a touchscreen device, possibly lending credence to years-old rumors that the company was looking to replace the iPod's physical touch wheel with a virtual on-screen representation.

Filed in 2005, Apple's U.S. Patent No. 8,239,784 for "Mode-based graphical user interfaces for touch sensitive input devices" is a continuation-in-part to a separate graphical user interface patent applications for gesture support on touchscreen devices such as zooming and on-screen object manipulation.

In the '784 patent, a virtual scroll wheel appears on the screen of a device, such as an iPod touch, when a user first makes contact with the touch-sensitive display. The virtual scroll wheel can then be manipulated by converting "swirling motion touch events" which in turn cycles through GUI elements like an iPod's playlist in much the same way the legacy physical touch wheel operated.

The patent covers both a transparent scroll wheel, complete with virtual select button at its center, and a means to dynamically move content away from the area of operation for easier user viewing. For example, a user would touch a device's screen and the virtual wheel would appear under the user's finger, shifting any GUI elements away. The patent also allows for the wheel to be resized and manipulated with one or more fingers like a "knob."

Illustration showing swirling motion input. | Source: USPTO

From the '784 patent summary:

The invention pertains to gestures and methods of implementing gestures with touch sensitive devices. Examples of touch sensitive devices include touch screens and touch pads. The invention also pertains to user interfaces and methods of implementing user interfaces with displays.

The invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a method, graphical user interface, computing device, or a computer readable medium.

Previous Apple patent filings sparked speculation that a virtual scroll wheel would be implemented in the then-unreleased iPod touch, though when the device debuted in 2007 it featured a linear scrolling UI devoid of "swirling motion" input.

Illustration of "knob" type scroll wheel interaction. | Source: USPTO

While the original iPod touch's interface did away with the scroll wheel, it ushered in the multitouch iOS platform seen on all iDevices up to the iPhone 4S and third-generation iPad. Apple Senior Vice President of Industrial Design Jonathan Ive is credited as one of the patent's inventors.

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12 Comments

russellgreenwood 4 comments · 16 Years

About 12 years ago

Just looks like the iOS Accessibility interface.

See "the rotor" here: http://www.apple.com/accessibility/iphone/vision.html

l008com 158 comments · 22 Years

A virtual ipod scroll wheel would have been a real pain in the ass to use. Make nice circles with your finger, with zero tactile feedback. Apple definitely made the right decision here by not using this.

airmanchairman 358 comments · 15 Years

Quote:

Originally Posted by russellgreenwood

Standby in a few weeks for the Samsung "knock-off Nigel" version...

twopm 30 comments · 12 Years

Originally Posted by airmanchairman

The three phases of (Cr)Apple:

1. "cool" underdog

2. arrogance

3. downfall

Now we are at the end of phase 2, phase 3 starting soon.

South Korea 5ting!

antkm1 1441 comments · 16 Years

Now I'm assuming here the majority of people have the music app as one of the top 5 most used apps on their device. If not, disregard my rant...this might be minor trolling but i think it's relevant to the patent. I love apple products, same as the next person on this forum. However, I'm getting really pissed with the company trying to shove multitouch down our throats on every device. Most people who own an iDevice have probably experienced how gosh darn awful the experience is of operating the music app while walk to work, driving, working out or just about any time you can't physically look down at the device. On the touch/phone, for quick navigation, double-click and tap. Sounds easy enough unless it's in or pocket or you're driving and can't look down...because you're driving. Not to mention pray like heck the app doesn't momentarily lock up...since the music app is by far the most unresponsive app of the lot. Don't even get me started on more complex navigation. They have taken the simplicity and minimal usability of the iPod and turned it into a mess. Its almost deliberately inefficient. If I could tether the iPod shuffle as a dedicated navigation accessory for the music app I would.