Method of using ten-key keypad

• US 20030038787A1
• Filed: 08/07/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Nishiyama, Sumio
• Granted Patent: US 7,019,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations

Abstract

A ten-key keypad for inputting numerals mounted on a portable telephone T is adapted to a zoom function and a scroll function for operating an image displayed on a display. The user can use the keys of the ten-key keypad to select the mode in which case the keys also serve as image operation keys.

Claims

1. A method of using a ten-key keypad, comprising the step of adapting the ten-key keypad, mounted on an electronic apparatus for inputting numerals, to an image-operation function for operating an image displayed on a display of the electronic apparatus, to allow the keys of the ten-key keypad to serve as image-operation keys by means of mode selection.

2. A method of using a ten-key keypad according to claim 1, wherein said image-operation function is a zoom function for zooming out and zooming in the image displayed on the display.

3. A method of using a ten-key keypad according to claim 1, wherein said image-operation function is a scroll function for moving the image displayed on the display.

4. A method of using a ten-key keypad according to claim 1, wherein said electronic apparatus is a portable telephone including a display.

5. A method of using a ten-key keypad according to claim 1, wherein said electronic apparatus is a remote controller of a navigation system including the ten-key keypad.

6. A method of using a ten-key keypad according to claim 1, further comprising the step of adapting any one of the keys of said ten-key keypad to a switching function for selecting image-operation mode for said image-operation function.

7. A method of using a ten-key keypad according to claim 6, wherein said key adapted to said switching function for selecting the image-operation mode, is a numeral input key situated in the center of an arrangement of the numeral input keys “

1”

to “

9”

in three columns and three rows.

8. A method of using a ten-key keypad according to claim 6, wherein said image-operation mode selected by the switching function assigned to the any one of the keys of the ten-key keypad is zoom mode for zooming out and zooming in the image displayed on the display, and scroll mode for moving the image displayed on the display.

9. A method of using a ten-key keypad according to claim 8, further comprising the step of assigning the individual keys of said ten-key keypad when in the zoom mode of the image-operation modes, except for said key adapted to the switching function, to degrees of reduction and enlargement scales with respect to the displayed image.

10. A method of using a ten-key keypad according to claim 8, further comprising the step of assigning the individual keys of said ten-key keypad when in the zoom mode of the image-operation modes, except for said key adapted to the switching function, to reduction and enlargement scales for an image to be displayed.

11. A method of using a ten-key keypad according to claim 7, wherein said image-operation mode selected by said switching function assigned to said numeral input key positioned in the center includes scroll mode for moving the image displayed on the display, and that the method further comprises the step of adapting the individual numeral input keys, when in the above scroll mode, arranged around said center-positioned numeral input key adapted to the switching function, to a scrolling-direction setting function for moving the image in a direction of scrolling a part of the image, situated in a position corresponding to a numeral input key on the opposite side of the centrally-positioned numeral input key from the numeral key actuated, into view on the display.

12. A method of using a ten-key keypad according to claim 7, wherein said image-operation mode selected by said switching function assigned to said numeral input key positioned at the center is scroll mode for moving the image displayed on the display, and that the method further comprises the step of adapting each of the numeral input keys arranged around said center numeral input key adapted to the switching function, to a scrolling-direction setting function for moving the image in a direction of scrolling a part of the image, situated in a position corresponding to the numeral input key actuated with respect to the center numeral input key, into view on the display.

13. A method of using a ten-key keypad according to claim 1, further comprising the step of adapting any one of the keys of said ten-key keypad to a cancel function of canceling the image operation last performed by the ten-key keypad.

14. A method of using a ten-key keypad according to claim 13, wherein said key adapted to the cancel function is a numeral input key “

0”

.