WO2017109504A1

WO2017109504A1 - Scroll action

Info

Publication number: WO2017109504A1
Application number: PCT/GB2016/054056
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nick WILES
Original assignee: Atom Bank Plc
Priority date: 2015-12-24
Filing date: 2016-12-23
Publication date: 2017-06-29
Also published as: GB201522913D0

Abstract

A mobile device and a method of performing a scroll action on a mobile device are disclosed. The method comprises recognising a vertical scroll gesture input by a user to a touch screen display of the mobile device and, responsive to recognising the vertical scroll gesture, displaying a corresponding vertical scroll action of displayed items on the touch screen display. The vertical scroll action comprises transitioning the displayed items along a scrolling arc with a first end at a lower edge region of the touch screen display and a second end at an upper edge region of the touch screen display. The second end is horizontally offset from the first end.

Description

Scroll Action

Technical Field

The present invention relates to techniques for displaying scrolling actions of displayed items on a touch screen display of a mobile device such as, but not exclusively, smart phones.

Background

Modern mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, are typically provided with advanced hardware and software enabling them to undertake many tasks that may previously have been performed by larger computing devices such as a personal computers (PCs). Such mobile devices are designed to be easily portable, to readily fit in a pocket or handbag for example, and as a result their screens are typically smaller than those of larger computing devices like PCs. Moreover, a user typically controls a modern mobile device such as a smartphone using a touch screen interface, meaning that a user interacts directly with the display surface rather than using peripheral controls such as a keyboard and mouse. Given this control input method (i.e. use of a touchscreen), and the fact that a screen of a mobile device is necessarily of a small size to facilitate portability, the degree of precision with which a user can input common control actions such as selection actions, and in particular scroll actions, is reduced. This problem can be exacerbated by the fact that users may habitually only use a single hand when controlling a mobile device such as a smartphone reducing further the degree of control over control actions.

It is an aim of the present invention to at least partly mitigate the above-mentioned problems.

Summary of the Invention

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention there is provided a mobile device comprising a processor coupled to a touch screen display. The processor is arranged to recognise a vertical scroll gesture input by a user to the touch screen display and in response to display on the touch screen display a corresponding vertical scroll action of displayed items. The vertical scroll action comprises transitioning the displayed items along a scrolling arc with a first end at a lower edge region of the touch screen display and a second end at an upper edge region of the touch screen display, said second end being horizontally offset from the first end.

Optionally, the recognised vertical scroll gesture is in an upward direction, the vertical scroll action transitions the displayed items in an upward direction along the scrolling arc, and when the recognised vertical scroll gesture is in a downward direction, the vertical scroll action transitions the displayed items in a downward direction along the scrolling arc.

Optionally, the vertical scroll action is either a right-handed vertical scroll action in which the second end is horizontally offset to the right from the first end or a left-handed vertical scroll action in which the second end is horizontally offset to the left from the first end. Optionally, the mobile device is arranged to display the right-handed vertical scroll action or the left-handed scroll action in dependence on a user selection.

Optionally, the mobile device is arranged to display the right-handed vertical scroll action or the left-handed scroll action in dependence on a recognition of a right-handed vertical scroll gesture or left-handed vertical scroll gesture input by the user.

Optionally, the mobile device further comprises an inertial sensor, and the mobile device is arranged to determine a hand in which the user is holding the mobile device is holding the mobile device based on data from the inertial sensor and is arranged to display the right- handed vertical scroll action or the left-handed scroll action in dependence on the data from the inertial sensor.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of performing a scroll action on a mobile device. The method comprises recognising a vertical scroll gesture input by a user to a touch screen display of the mobile device; responsive to recognising the vertical scroll gesture, displaying a corresponding vertical scroll action of displayed items on the touch screen display. The vertical scroll action comprises transitioning the displayed items along a scrolling arc with a first end at a lower edge region of the touch screen display and a second end at an upper edge region of the touch screen display, said second end being horizontally offset from the first end.

Optionally, the recognised vertical scroll gesture is in an upward direction, the vertical scroll action comprises transitioning the displayed items in an upward direction along the scrolling arc, and when the recognised vertical scroll gesture is in a downward direction, the vertical scroll action comprises transitioning the displayed items in a downward direction along the scrolling arc.

Optionally, the vertical scroll action is either a right-handed vertical scroll action in which the second end is horizontally offset to the right from the first end or a left-handed vertical scroll action in which the second end is horizontally offset to the left from the first end.

Optionally, the method further comprises receiving a user selection, and displaying the right- handed vertical scroll action or the left-handed scroll action in dependence on the user selection. Optionally, the method further comprises recognising a right-handed vertical scroll gesture or left-handed vertical scroll gesture input by the user, and displaying the right-handed vertical scroll action or the left-handed scroll action in dependence on the recognised right-handed vertical scroll gesture or recognised left-handed vertical scroll gesture. Optionally, the method further comprises determining a hand in which the user is holding the mobile device is holding the mobile device based on data from an inertial sensor of the mobile device, and displaying the right-handed vertical scroll action or the left-handed scroll action in dependence on the data from the inertial sensor. In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer program comprising computer-readable instructions, which when executed on a suitably programmed computer, cause the computer to perform a method according to the second aspect of the invention. In accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a computer program product on which is stored a computer program according to the third aspect of the invention. In accordance with the first aspect of the invention, a technique is provided whereby a vertical scroll action of displayed items on the touch screen display of a mobile device comprises transitioning the displayed items along a scrolling arc that has a first end at a lower edge region of the touch screen display and a second end at an upper edge region of the touch screen display, the second end being horizontally offset from the first end. By transitioning the displayed items along such a scrolling arc, the movement of the displayed items corresponds more closely with the movement of a user's thumb when a user is inputting the vertical scroll action holding the mobile device in a single hand. As a result, when holding the mobile device in this configuration, a user can control the scrolling of displayed items with a greater degree of precision than would otherwise be the case if the displayed items transitioned in a straight vertical line from top to bottom (or vice versa) of the touch screen display as is the case for conventional scroll actions.

In certain embodiments, the vertical scroll action is either a right-handed vertical scroll action in which the second end of the scrolling arc is horizontally offset to the right from the first end of the scrolling arc or a left-handed vertical scroll action in which the second end of the scrolling arc is horizontally offset to the left from the first end of the scrolling arc. Accordingly, the vertical scroll action can be optimised for a user holding the mobile device in their right- hand (e.g. a right-handed person) or for a user holding the mobile device in their left-hand (e.g. a left-handed person).

In certain embodiments, the user can select whether they prefer the right-handed vertical scroll action to be used or the left-handed vertical scroll action. This allows a user to conveniently select which type of vertical scroll action best suits them. In certain embodiments, the mobile device is arranged to detect from an input vertical scroll gesture whether a user is left-handed or right-handed and then use the right-handed vertical scroll action or left-handed scroll action accordingly. In certain embodiments, an inertial sensor of the mobile device is used to determine if a user is holding the mobile device in their left-hand or right-hand. In such embodiments, a technique is provided that automatically detects whether to use the right-handed or left-handed scroll action. Various aspects and features of the invention are defined in the claims.

Brief Description of Figures

Certain embodiments of the present invention will now be described hereinafter, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 provides a schematic diagram of a mobile device, such as a smartphone, showing a user's thumb positions when performing a vertical scroll gesture;

Figure 2 provides a schematic diagram depicting a conventional vertical scroll action; Figure 3 provides a schematic diagram depicting a vertical scroll action in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention;

Figure 4 provides a schematic diagram depicting a vertical scroll action in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention;

Figure 5 provides a schematic diagram depicting a system in which certain embodiments of the invention can be used;

Figure 6 provides a schematic diagram depicting an arrangement of displayed items in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention;

Figures 7a and 7b provide schematic diagrams of different scrolling arcs in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention; Figures 8a, 8b and 8c provide schematic diagrams depicting the display of displayed items in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention, and

Figure 9 provides a flow diagram of a process in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings like reference numerals refer to like parts. Detailed Description

Figure 1 provides a schematic diagram of a mobile device 101 , such as a smartphone, equipped with a touch screen display 102.

As is known, the touchscreen display, in conjunction with software running on the mobile device, is arranged to recognise user touch input i.e. a user performing various "gestures" with a finger or thumb on the touch screen, and interpret this as user input to control software running on the mobile device.

For a typically sized mobile device, such as a conventional smartphone, in use, particularly single-handed use, a user will often rest/cradle the mobile device in the palm of their dominant hand (e.g. the right-hand of a user who is right-handed), supported by their fingers, and will perform certain gestures with their thumb. Such gestures recognised by the mobile device include single point selection gestures where a specific part of the touch screen is touched, for example to select a graphical element displayed in a corresponding position on the touch screen display, or a "scroll" gesture. A scroll gesture is typically a vertical scroll gesture or horizontal scroll gesture, which controls the display of "scrolling", either vertically or horizontally through some aspect of a displayed item, or series of displayed items. Examples include scrolling through a menu of various options, scrolling through a series of photo thumbnails, and up or down scrolling of a website which has a total display area that is larger than the touch screen display area. The scroll gesture typically starts with a user contacting the touch screen at a first point and, still contacting the touch screen, moving their point of contact (e.g. thumb) to a second point. Once recognised as a scroll gesture, the speed and distance of this movement is determined to control the speed and extent of the scroll action. This recognising and determining is usually done by a gesture recognition software module provided with the mobile device.

Figure 1 shows a number of positions A, B, C, D a user's thumb 103 might typically take when performing a complete upwards vertical scroll gesture. As can be seen from Figure 1 , the user's thumb 103 typically pivots around the point at which it meets the user's hand resulting in the upwards vertical gesture describing an arc 104 that, in the example shown in Figure 1 , starts at a first end at a central bottom edge region of the touch screen display 102 and finishes at a second end at the right-hand edge region of the touch screen display 102. A corresponding arc is described when a user performs a downward vertical gesture, with movement along this arc being in the opposite direction to movement for the upwards vertical gesture. As can be understood from Figure 1 , the arc described by a complete thumb input vertical scroll gesture generally has a first end at a lower edge region of the display and a second end at an upper edge region of the display that is horizontally offset from the first end.

Conventionally, vertical scrolling of a displayed item (e.g. a web page) or a series of displayed items (e.g. photo thumbnails, messages from a messaging "conversation" displayed in a messaging app, contacts in a list of contacts and so on) is displayed in a linear fashion, that is in a straight line from the top of the screen to the bottom of the screen or vice versa. In such cases, in the event of an upwards vertical scroll gesture, the arc 104 shown in Figure 1 is translated into control of the display of an upwards linear scroll action.

Figure 2 provides a schematic diagram of the display of a scroll action in accordance with conventional techniques. Figure 2 shows a mobile device 201 with a touch screen display 202 displaying a number of spaced displayed items 203. In response to an upwards vertical gesture input by a user, the displayed items 203 scroll upwards. In other words, the displayed items 203 transition up the touchscreen 202. As shown in Figure 2, where there are more displayed items to be displayed than can fit on the screen at one time, when a displayed item reaches the top of the screen it is partially shown until it transitions off the top of the display (as shown with the top displayed item 203a) and a previously undisplayed displayed item is partially then fully shown as it transitions on to the screen (as shown with the bottom displayed item 203b).

Figure 3 provides a schematic diagram of the display of a scroll action in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention. Figure 3 shows a mobile device 201 with a touch screen display 202 corresponding to that shown in Figure 2. If a user performs a vertical upwards scroll gesture (as explained with reference to Figure 1 ), in contrast to the scroll action depicted in Figure 2, displayed items 301 transition vertically upwards and horizontally rightwards in the direction of a scrolling arc 304 which corresponds to the arc described by the typical movement of a user's thumb when performing a vertical upward scroll gesture. Displayed items 301 thus move upward from a point of the touch screen which is at a bottom edge region 302 to a right-hand edge region 303 of the touch screen. Correspondingly, if a user performs a vertical downwards scroll gesture the displayed items transition vertically downwards and horizontally leftwards along the arc. Displayed items thus move downward from the right-hand edge region 303 of the touch screen to the bottom edge region 302 of the touch screen. Thus when scrolling upwards and downwards, the displayed items transition along an arc that has a first end at a lower edge region of the display and a second end at an upper edge region of the display that is horizontally offset from the first end.

In this way, the scroll action, and thus the movement (transition) of the displayed items 301 corresponds more closely with the movement of a user's thumb when performing an upwards vertical or downwards vertical scroll gesture. As a result, a user performing a conventional vertical scroll gesture can exact finer control over the scroll action as the movement of the displayed items corresponds more closely with the actual movement of the user's thumb. Further, as the transition of displayed items corresponds more closely with the position of the user's thumb on the touch screen, a user can more readily track the transition of a particular displayed item as it is scrolled. It will be understood that the distance the displayed items 301 transition along the scrolling arc 304 will correspond to the size of the user input vertical scroll gesture. In certain examples, the degree of movement of the displayed items will correspond directly with the degree of movement of the user's thumb. For example, if the user inputs a vertical scroll gesture the entire length of the scrolling arc 304, then the displayed items move a corresponding amount, e.g. a displayed item displayed at the bottom transitions from a position at the bottom 305 to a position at the top 306. Similarly, if the user inputs a scroll gesture half the length of the scrolling arc 304, then the displayed items move a

corresponding amount, e.g. a displayed item displayed at the bottom transitions from the position at the bottom 305 to a position 307 halfway up the scrolling arc 304.

Similarly, there is typically a correlation between the speed of the scroll action (i.e. the speed at which displayed items transition along the scrolling arc) and the speed of the scroll gesture. Typically, this is arranged so that a user perceives that the scroll action is performed at the same speed as the scroll gesture.

For the scroll action explained with reference to Figure 3, it will be understood that the scroll action is optimised for a user holding the mobile device 201 in their right-hand (e.g. a right- handed user), thus their thumb extends across the touchscreen 202 from the right-hand side of the mobile device 201 . However, in the event that a user is holding the mobile device in their left-hand 201 , the scroll action will be optimised if the scrolling arc along which the displayed items transition is a mirror image along a vertical axis of the arc 304 shown in Figure 3. This is shown in Figure 4. Figure 4, which corresponds to Figure 3, shows a scrolling arc 401 optimised for when a user is holding the mobile device in their left-hand. The scrolling arc 401 has a first end at a lower edge region 403 of the touch screen display 202 and a second end at an upper left edge region of the touch screen display 402.

In certain embodiments, software running on the mobile device 201 which controls the display of the displayed items shown in Figures 3 and 4 provides a user with an option to select a left-handed optimised scroll action or a right-handed optimised scroll action. This could be by virtue of a "slider" touch screen control displayed at the bottom of the touch screen display 202. Sliding the slider to the right selects the right-handed optimised scroll action and sliding the slider to the left selects the left-handed optimised scroll action.

In the event that a user selects a right-handed optimised scroll action, the scroll action described with reference to Figure 3 is then used. In the event that the user selects a left- handed optimised scroll action, the scroll action described with reference to Figure 4 is then used.

In certain embodiments, the software running on the mobile device 201 is arranged to default to the right-handed optimised scroll action described with reference to Figure 3, however, in the event that a left-handed vertical scroll gesture is detected, that is a vertical scroll gesture along an arc that has one end at a lower edge region of the display and a second end at an upper edge region of the display that is horizontally offset to the left from the first end, the software is arranged to switch to using the left-handed optimised scroll action described with reference to Figure 4. Subsequently, in the event that a right-handed vertical scroll gesture is detected, that is a vertical scroll gesture along an arc that has one end at a lower edge region of the display and a second end at an upper edge region of the display that is horizontally offset to the right from the first end, the software is arranged to switch to using the right-handed optimised scroll action described with reference to Figure 3.

In certain embodiments, the software is arranged to use the output from sensors of the mobile device to determine which hand a user is holding the mobile device in. For example an inertial sensor such as a MEMS (microelectromechanical system) provides data corresponding to the orientation of a mobile device. If data from a MEMS sensor indicates that a left-hand edge of the mobile device is moving in a vertical direction more than a right- hand edge of the mobile device, this can suggest that a user is holding the mobile device using their right-hand. If data from a MEMS sensor indicates that a right-hand edge of the mobile device is moving in a vertical direction more than a right-hand edge of the mobile device, this can suggest that a user is holding the mobile device using their left-hand. In the event that the software determines that the user is holding the mobile device in their right- hand, the right-handed optimised scroll action described with reference to Figure 3 is used. In the event that the software determines that the user is holding the mobile device in their left-hand, the left-handed optimised scroll action described with reference to Figure 4 is used.

In certain embodiments any combination of these techniques for determining whether to use the right-handed optimised scroll action or the left-handed scroll action can be used. In such examples, certain techniques take priority over others, for example, if a user selects to use the right-handed optimised technique, this overrides controlling the scroll action by recognising a right or left-handed scroll gesture or by using the output of an inertial sensor.

Figure 5 provides a simplified schematic diagram of a system in which certain embodiments on the invention can be used.

Figure 5 shows an application server 501 on which is running application software providing a banking service to various customers. The application software maintains data associated with users' bank accounts providing such services as allowing payments to be made to and from the accounts of third parties. The application server 501 is connected via an IP data network 504, such as the internet, and a PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network) 503, and a base station 505 of the PLMN 503, to a mobile device 506, such as a smartphone. Data can be communicated to and from the mobile device 506 and the application server 501 via the IP network 104 and the PLMN 503 using techniques known in the art. The mobile device 506 includes a transceiver 510 for communicating to and from the base station 505, a processor unit 507, a memory 508, a display 51 1 and a touch sensor 509 for detecting user touch input.

The memory 508 has stored thereon a banking computer program (a banking app) which when run on the processor unit 507 communicates data to and from the application software running on the application server 501 . The banking app, in conjunction with the application software enables data relating to a user's bank account, for example a bank statement (a chronological summary of payments from and to a user's account) to be downloaded to the mobile device 506 and displayed on the display 51 1 . This is shown in more detail in Figure 6.

Figure 6 shows a mobile device 601 with a touch screen display 602. The mobile device 601 has running thereon a banking app which receives statement data and controls the mobile device to display this on the touch screen display 602. The statement includes data relating to how much money in total was paid into a user's bank account and how much money was paid out of a user's bank account on successive days.

The banking app controls the mobile device 601 to display a number of displayed items 603. Each displayed item 603 relates to a particular day as indicated by a day label 604 and displays payment in data 605 and payment out data 606. The banking app is arranged to determine whether to use a right-handed optimised scroll action or a left-handed scroll action using any one or more of the techniques described above. In the example shown in Figure 6, the scroll action is optimised for a user holding the mobile device in their right-hand.

The mobile device includes gesture recognition software module (which may typically be provided as separate software to the banking app) which is arranged to detect and recognise user gestures input to the touch screen display 602. In the event that the gesture recognition software module recognises a vertical scroll gesture, the banking app controls the display of the displayed items so they are transitioned along a scrolling arc (as shown for example in Figure 3). In the event of an upwards vertical scroll gesture being recognised, the displayed items 603 will be scrolled upwards and in the event a downwards vertical scroll gesture being recognised, the displayed items 603 will be scrolled downwards.

As can be appreciated from Figure 6, the scrolling arc has a first end at a lower edge region of the touch screen display 602 and a second end at an upper edge region of the touch screen display 602 that is horizontally offset from the first end.

The arrangement shown in Figure 6 provides a convenient mechanism allowing a user to scroll chronologically though information relating to their bank accounts. As described above, by virtue of the scrolling arc along which the displayed items 603 are transitioned, a user will be able to control the display of the various displayed items with improved precision when holding the mobile device in one hand and using their thumb to input the vertical scroll gesture.

As described above, embodiments of the invention provide a mobile device which is arranged to display a vertical scroll action in which displayed items transition the displayed items along a scrolling arc with a first end at a lower edge region of the touch screen display and a second end at an upper (relative to the lower) edge region of the touch screen display, the second end being horizontally offset from the first end. In the examples shown in the Figures above the scrolling arc has the second end in the top half of the right or left vertical edge of the touch screen display. However it will be

understood that in certain embodiments the second end may take other positions, for example somewhere on the top vertical edge of the display screen. This is shown in Figure 7a in the first scrolling arc 701 with first end 701 a and second end 701 b. In other words, the upper edge region can be on the right of left vertical edge of the touch screen or on the upper horizontal edge of the touch screen.

It will be understood that the shape of the scrolling arc can take any appropriate shape providing it suitably corresponds with movement of a user's thumb when performing a vertical scroll gesture holding the mobile device in one hand. For example, in certain embodiments, the shape of the scrolling arc may be adapted to have a shallower gradient nearer the upper edge region of the touch screen display. This is shown in Figure 7a in the second scrolling arc 702 with first end 702a and second end 702b. In certain embodiments the scrolling may arc pass through parts of the touch screen display that are not between the first end and the second end. An example of this is shown in Figure 7b. Figure 7b shows a scrolling arc 703 with a portion 704 outside of the area of the touchscreen between the first end 705 and second end 706. For clarity, the area of the touchscreen between the first end 705 and the second end 706 is shown with hatched shading.

It can be seen from the first scrolling arc 701 and second scrolling arc 702 in Figure 7a and the scrolling arc 703 of Figure 7b that the first and second ends of each scrolling arc are horizontally offset from each other. In certain embodiments, the first end and or second end may not necessarily be directly at the edge of the touch screen display, but may be within the lower edge region/upper edge region but positioned away from the edge of the touch screen display. Examples of this are shown in Figure 8a, 8b and 8c.

Figure 9 provides a flow diagram of a scroll action process performed by an app running on a mobile device in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention.

At a first step 901 , the app controls the mobile device to recognise a vertical scroll gesture input by a user to a touch screen display of the mobile device. This recognition typically includes identifying a direction of the vertical scroll gesture (upwards or downwards), a speed of the vertical scroll gesture, and a distance of the vertical scroll gesture.

At a second step 902, the app controls the mobile device to display a vertical scroll action of displayed items on the touch screen display corresponding to the recognised scroll gesture (i.e. corresponding in speed, direction and distance). The vertical scroll action comprises transitioning the displayed items along a scrolling arc with a first end at a lower edge region of a touch screen display and a second end at an upper edge region of the touch screen display, said second end being horizontally offset from the first end.

As will be understood, the app running on the mobile device comprises computer-readable code which when run on the processor unit of the mobile device causes the processor to control the mobile device in accordance with the flow diagram of Figure 5. Such a computer program can be stored on a suitable computer program product such as a CD-ROM or solid state memory device.

The embodiments of the invention described above have been described mainly in terms of mobile devices, for example smartphones. It will be understood that the principles of the invention are not limited to smartphones but can be used with other suitable type of touch screen equipped mobile device including tablet computers, portable games consoles, media players and so on.

Features, integers, characteristics or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example of the invention are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described herein unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of the features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The invention is not restricted to any details of any foregoing embodiments. The invention extends to any novel one, or novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed. The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1 . A mobile device comprising a processor coupled to a touch screen display, said processor arranged to recognise a vertical scroll gesture input by a user to the touch screen display and in response to display on the touch screen display a corresponding vertical scroll action of displayed items, wherein

said vertical scroll action comprises transitioning the displayed items along a scrolling arc with a first end at a lower edge region of the touch screen display and a second end at an upper edge region of the touch screen display, said second end being horizontally offset from the first end.

2. A mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein when the recognised vertical scroll gesture is in an upward direction, the vertical scroll action transitions the displayed items in an upward direction along the scrolling arc, and when the recognised vertical scroll gesture is in a downward direction, the vertical scroll action transitions the displayed items in a downward direction along the scrolling arc.

3. A mobile device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the vertical scroll action is either a right-handed vertical scroll action in which the second end is horizontally offset to the right from the first end or a left-handed vertical scroll action in which the second end is horizontally offset to the left from the first end.

4. A mobile device according to claim 3, wherein the mobile device is arranged to display the right-handed vertical scroll action or the left-handed scroll action in dependence on a user selection.

5. A mobile device according to claim 3, wherein the mobile device is arranged to display the right-handed vertical scroll action or the left-handed scroll action in dependence on a recognition of a right-handed vertical scroll gesture or left-handed vertical scroll gesture input by the user.

6. A mobile device according to claim 3, 4, or 5 wherein the mobile device further comprises an inertial sensor, and the mobile device is arranged to determine a hand in which the user is holding the mobile device is holding the mobile device based on data from the inertial sensor and is arranged to display the right-handed vertical scroll action or the left- handed scroll action in dependence on the data from the inertial sensor.

7. A method of performing a scroll action on a mobile device, said method comprising recognising a vertical scroll gesture input by a user to a touch screen display of the mobile device;

responsive to recognising the vertical scroll gesture, displaying a corresponding vertical scroll action of displayed items on the touch screen display, wherein

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein when the recognised vertical scroll gesture is in an upward direction, the vertical scroll action comprises transitioning the displayed items in an upward direction along the scrolling arc, and when the recognised vertical scroll gesture is in a downward direction, the vertical scroll action comprises transitioning the displayed items in a downward direction along the scrolling arc.

9. A method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the vertical scroll action is either a right- handed vertical scroll action in which the second end is horizontally offset to the right from the first end or a left-handed vertical scroll action in which the second end is horizontally offset to the left from the first end.

10. A method according to claim 9, comprising

receiving a user selection, and

displaying the right-handed vertical scroll action or the left-handed scroll action in dependence on the user selection.

1 1 . A method according to claim 9, comprising

recognising a right-handed vertical scroll gesture or left-handed vertical scroll gesture input by the user, and

displaying the right-handed vertical scroll action or the left-handed scroll action in dependence on the recognised right-handed vertical scroll gesture or recognised left-handed vertical scroll gesture.

12. A method according to claim 9, comprising

determining a hand in which the user is holding the mobile device is holding the mobile device based on data from an inertial sensor of the mobile device, and

displaying the right-handed vertical scroll action or the left-handed scroll action in dependence on the data from the inertial sensor.

13. A computer program comprising computer-readable instructions, which when executed on a suitably programmed computer, cause the computer to perform a method as defined by any of the claims 7 to 12.

14. A computer program product on which is stored a computer program as defined in claim 13.

15. A mobile device or method as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.