Multilevel sorting and displaying of contextual objects

• US 20030063128A1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Korhonen, Hannu, Salmimaa, Marja, Rasanen, Eero, Lehikoinen, Juha
• Granted Patent: US 7,032,188 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72472 wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use

Abstract

An apparatus and method for displaying a plurality of icons on the display of a mobile terminal are provided. Icons are displayed in at least two different sections. The first section includes icons having sizes determined by comparing characteristics of associated messages to one or more context values, such as time of day, geographic area, or user profile characteristics. The second section includes icons having sizes determined by the proximities of the message sources to the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a plurality of icons that can be selected by a user from a display on a mobile terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a plurality of messages from message sources;

(b) comparing one or more characteristics associated with each of the plurality of messages to one or more context values that are specific to the user of the mobile terminal;

(c) determining a proximity associated with each message source in relation to the mobile terminal;

(d) associating an icon with each of the plurality of messages;

(e) representing, in a priority section of the display, a first icon corresponding to a message having one or more characteristics that best match the one or more context values using a display format that is enlarged in relation to other icons in the priority section; and

(f) representing, in a proximity section of the display, a second icon corresponding to a message source having the closest proximity using a display format that is enlarged in relation to other icons in the proximity section.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises calculating a physical proximity to the mobile terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises calculating a temporal proximity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises the step of comparing characteristics and context values that relate to a time of day.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein step (b) comprises the step of comparing a service associated with one or more of the messages during the time of day, such that certain services will be preferred over other services during the particular time of day.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises the step of comparing a price associated with a service corresponding to one or more of the plurality of messages.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein step (b) comprises the step of comparing services of a user-specified type, and

wherein step (e) comprises the step of displaying icons corresponding to the user-specified type of services in the enlarged format.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein step (b) comprises the step of comparing a user-specified grade of services, and

wherein step (e) comprises the step of displaying icons corresponding to the user-specified grade of services in the enlarged format.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises extracting an icon from one of the plurality of messages.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (b) at least some of the characteristics are extracted from the message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (b) at least one of the one or more context values are set by the user of the mobile terminal.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of, in response to the user selecting one of the icons, launching an application program associated with the selected icon.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the application program comprises a program that displays text included in the message corresponding to the icon.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority section comprises a navigation bar formed along a portion of a bottom of the display.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the proximity section comprises a navigation bar formed along a portion of the bottom of the display.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the priority section and the proximity section comprises a navigation bar formed along at least a portion of a bottom of the display.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the other one of the priority section and the proximity section comprises a navigation bar formed along at least a portion of a side of the display.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority section and proximity section comprise separate rows formed along a portion of a bottom of the display.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority section and proximity section comprise separate columns formed along a portion of a side of the display.

20. A method of displaying a plurality of icons that can be selected by a user from a display on a mobile terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a plurality of messages from message sources;

(b) receiving a first profile containing context values that are specific to the user of the mobile terminal;

(c) comparing one or more characteristics associated with each of the plurality of messages to one or more of the first profile context values;

(d) determining a proximity associated with each message source in relation to the mobile terminal;

(e) associating an icon with each of the plurality of messages;

(f) representing, in a priority section of the display, a first icon corresponding to a message having one or more characteristics that best match the one or more context values of the first profile using a display format that is enlarged in relation to other icons in the priority section; and

(g) representing, in a proximity section of the display, a second icon corresponding to a message source having the closest proximity using a display format that is enlarged in relation to other icons in the proximity section.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of receiving a second profile containing context values that are specific to the user of the mobile terminal, and wherein step (c) comprises comparing one or more characteristics associated with each of the plurality of messages to one or more of the first profile context values and to one or more of the second profile context values to determine classifications for each of the messages.

22. The method of claim 20, further including the step of:

deleting a received message when one or more characteristics of the message do not match the context values.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

(h) receiving a second profile containing context values that are specific to the user of the mobile terminal; and

(i) receiving a selection of the first or second profiles from the user of the mobile terminal.

24. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display capable of displaying graphical icons;

a user input device that permits a user of the mobile terminal to select one or more of the graphical icons displayed on the display; and

a processor programmed with computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the steps comprising;

(a) comparing one or more characteristics associated with each of a plurality of messages received from message sources to one or more context values that are specific to the user of the mobile terminal;

(b) determining a proximity associated with each message source in relation to the mobile terminal;

(c) associating an icon with each of the plurality of messages;

(d) representing, in a priority section of the display, a first icon corresponding to a message having one or more characteristics that best match the one or more context values using a display format that is enlarged in relation to other icons in the priority section; and

(e) representing, in a proximity section of the display, a second icon corresponding to a message source having the closest proximity using a display format that is enlarged in relation to the other icons in the proximity section.

25. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display capable of displaying graphical icons;

a user input device that permits a user of the mobile terminal to select one or more of the graphical icons displayed on the display;

means for displaying on the display device at least a first icon in an enlarged display format in response to determining that information contained in a first received message matches a user-specified context value; and

means for displaying on the display device at least a second icon in an enlarged display format in response to determining that the proximity of a source associated with a second received message is in closer proximity than the sources associated with other received messages.

26. The mobile terminal of claim 25, further comprising means for extracting the first icon from the first message.

27. A mobile terminal comprising:

a receiving circuit that receives a plurality of messages containing information relating to a particular service that is potentially available to a user of the mobile terminal;

a message storage area that stores the plurality of messages;

a display unit capable of displaying graphical icons;

a context matching function that;

compares information extracted from each of the plurality of messages to one or more context values;

priority ranks the plurality of messages according to the degree to which the extracted information matches the one or more context values;

causes graphical icons corresponding to the messages to displayed on the display unit with at least one dimension that is determined by the priority ranking; and

a proximity ranker that;

proximity ranks the plurality of messages according to the respective proximities of the message sources; and

causes graphical icons corresponding to the messages to displayed on the display unit with at least one dimension that is determined by the proximity ranking.

28. The mobile terminal of claim 27, further comprising a user input device configured to permit the user to change the one or more context values.

29. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for causing a mobile terminal to performing the steps of:

(a) receiving a plurality of messages from message sources;

(b) comparing one or more characteristics associated with each of the plurality of messages to one or more context values that are specific to the user of the mobile terminal;

(c) determining a proximity associated with each message source in relation to the mobile terminal;

(d) associating an icon with each of the plurality of messages;

(e) representing, in a priority section of the display, a first icon corresponding to a message having one or more characteristics that best match the one or more context values using a display format that is enlarged in relation to other icons in the priority section; and

(f) representing, in a proximity section of the display, a second icon corresponding to a message source having the closest proximity using a display format that is enlarged in relation to other icons in the proximity section.

30. A mobile terminal comprising a display on which:

a first plurality of user-selectable icons are arranged in an order determined by a degree of matching between information corresponding to the respective ones of the first plurality of icons and one or more context values; and

a second plurality of user selectable icons arranged in an order determined by a degree of physical proximity to the mobile terminal.

31. The mobile terminal of claim 30, wherein one of the first plurality of icons is displayed in an enlarged format relative to others of the first plurality icons, and wherein one of the second plurality of icons is displayed in an enlarged format relative to others of the second plurality of icons.

32. A mobile terminal that receives a plurality of messages from messages sources, the mobile terminal comprising:

a display capable of displaying graphical icons;

a user input device that permits a user of the mobile terminal to select one or more of the graphical icons displayed on the display; and

a processor programmed with computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the steps comprising;

(a) determining a proximity associated with each message source in relation to the mobile terminal;

(b) associating an icon with each of the plurality of messages; and

(c) representing, in a proximity section of the display, icons in an order determined by distances between the mobile terminal and the respective message sources.