Menu item selecting device and method

• US 20040250217A1
• Filed: 07/14/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited, NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Sudo, Takuma, Tojo, Jun
• Granted Patent: US 7,503,014 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

In order to provide a configuration with which a desired function can be started rapidly from a function menu of an electronic device having a plurality of functions together, a circular menu is displayed on a main LCD 21, a function item activated is shifted item by item in response to left-and-right directional operation of a cross-shaped key in a main operation part 25, and a function item located at the opposite position in the circular menu is activated in response to up-and-down directional operation of the same.

Claims

1. A device for selecting a desired item from a menu comprising a predetermined plurality of items, comprising:

a means with which the plurality of items of said menu are arranged circularly, and a direction of rotation of the circular menu is designated; and

a means with which said circular menu is rotated for a plurality items when a direction different from said direction of rotation is designated.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said means with which said circular menu is rotated for a plurality of items is configured to perform rotation up to the item located at the opposite location in the circular menu.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a means with which said circular menu is displayed.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

said means with which said circular menu is displayed comprises a means with which a way of displaying each item of said circular menu is changed depending on the position thereof, and the display way of each item is changed sequentially in response to change in the position of each item according to the rotation of the circular menu.

5. The device as claimed in 4claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of items correspond to functions which are executed by a predetermined electronic device.

11. The device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a means with which said circular menu is displayed.

12. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said plurality of items correspond to functions which are executed by a predetermined electronic device.

13. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

said plurality of items correspond to functions which are executed by a predetermined electronic device.

14. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

said plurality of items correspond to functions which are executed by a predetermined electronic device.

6. A method for selecting a desired item from a menu comprising a predetermined plurality of items, comprising the steps of:

arranging the plurality of items of said menu circularly; and

rotating said circular menu for a plurality items when a direction different from the direction of the arrangement of said circular menu is designated.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

in said step of rotating said circular menu for a plurality of items, said circular menu is rotated up to the item located at the opposite location in the circular menu.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising the step of:

displaying said circular menu.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

said step of displaying said circular menu comprises the step of changing a way of displaying each item of said circular menu depending on the position thereof, and changing the display way of each item sequentially in response to change in the position of each item according to the rotation of the circular menu.

10. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

said plurality of items correspond to functions which are executed by a predetermined electronic device.

15. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising the step of:

displaying said circular menu.

16. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said plurality of items correspond to functions which are executed by a predetermined electronic device.

17. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

said plurality of items correspond to functions which are executed by a predetermined electronic device.

18. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

said plurality of items correspond to functions which are executed by a predetermined electronic device.