Rapid retrieval user interface designed around small displays and few buttons for searching long lists

• US 20020109709A1
• Filed: 02/09/2001
• Published: 08/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Sagar, Richard Bryan
• Granted Patent: US 7,698,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

In a user-interface application, a computing apparatus has a user-interface to assist the user in searching for information from a data array. In an example embodiment according to the present invention, the data array is an ordered list of addresses. In a UI so equipped, the user experiences a particular sequence of events. The user begins at a point on a list of addresses. After the user presses the scroll key, the list rolls down a low rate. As the user continues to hold down the scroll button the scroll accelerates. After a predetermined time, a helper character is displayed. This character may represent a first letter of a name or a first digit of a telephone number. The UI displays the helper character to the user. The user continues to hold the scroll button until a help character, corresponding to his/her desired selection, appears. The user releases the scroll button and may slowly browse among a smaller group of data to locate the particular selection.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus having a user interface assisting in searching for information from an ordered list in a data array, the apparatus comprising:

an array scroller responsive to user actuation; and

a helper character-generator, actuated by continued user actuation of the array scroller, the helper character generator being operative to display a helper character representative of a portion in the list being scrolled.

2. The data processing apparatus of claim 1 wherein,

the helper character shows additional helper characters by unactuating the array scroller, then reactuating the array scroller.

3. The computing apparatus of claim 1 wherein,

the helper character display corresponds to a location on a GUI display.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising at least one of the following:

a handheld device, a mobile telephone, an Internet-enable device with a browser.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the item is selected from at least one of the following:

alpha-numerical characters, pictographs, letters in a name, prefixes in telephone numbers.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the list is multi-dimensional.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the helper character-generator renders a helper character comprising at least one of the following:

audio feedback, video feedback, tactile feedback.

8. In a data processing environment, a method for enabling a user to scroll through an ordered list in a data array accessible through a data processing device, the method comprising:

enabling the user to scroll through the list, in response to the user actuating the data processing device; and

generating a helper character representative of a portion of the list being scrolled;

.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the data processing environment comprises a distributed environment.

10. Software for being installed on an information processing apparatus, wherein the software renders the apparatus operative to display a helper character representative of a portion of an ordered list currently being scrolled in response to a user interacting with the apparatus.

11. A service supplied in a client-server configuration, wherein:

the server provides user-access to an ordered list of information items; and

the client is enabled to interact with the server, the server controlling the client to display a helper character representative of a portion of the list currently being scrolled at the client.

12. The network service of claim 11,

wherein, the client comprises at least one of the following:

a handheld device, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a wireless telephone handset, a portable mediaplaying device, cell phone.

14. The information storage medium of claim 14 wherein the ordered list comprises at least one of the following:

a sequence of alpha-numeric characters, a sequence of pictographs, a sequence of images, a sequence of sounds.

15. The information storage medium of claim 14 wherein the rendering of a specific one of the helper characters comprises at least one of the following:

audio feedback, video feedback, tactile feedback.

13. An information storage medium comprising:

an ordered list of content information items;

at least one respective helper character corresponding with a respective one of the items; and

control software for controlling a rendering of a specific one of the helper characters during the scrolling of the corresponding one of the items