Context dependent auxiliary menu elements

• US 20040261031A1
• Filed: 06/23/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Tuomainen, Kimmo, Suomalainen, Sanna M., Konkka, Katja
• Application Number:
  US10/602,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20040261031A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/739
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• 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

The invention relates to a method of displaying a menu on a display of an electronic device. The method comprises the steps of displaying one or more selection elements, defining an auxiliary element for at least one selection element, activating one selection element and displaying an auxiliary element only in an active selection element.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a menu on a display of an electronic device, the method comprising the steps of

displaying one or more selection elements,

defining an auxiliary element for at least one selection element,

activating one selection element, and

displaying an auxiliary element only in an active selection element.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of,

selecting a selection element,

defining a submenu for the selection element,

magnifying said selection element,

displaying a submenu, and

displaying an auxiliary element.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein one selection element of a submenu is activated and an auxiliary element is displayed on the activated selection element of the submenu.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary element is not shown in the non-active selection element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary element displays at least one indicator indicating the possible navigating directions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the indicator is an arrow pointing to one possible navigating direction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary element displays at least one indicator indicating a selectable function.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the indicator is a shortcut menu.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said auxiliary element is located close to an identifier of the active selection element.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier of the selection element is at least one of the following:

an icon, an object, a figure, a text, or a cell of a menu.

11. A graphic user interface (GUI) of an electronic device, the function of the GUI being to present various menus, wherein

the display format comprises one or more selection elements,

at least one selection element comprises an auxiliary element, and

only an active selection element comprises a visible auxiliary element.

12. The graphic user interface of claim 11, further comprising at least one magnified selection element of the first selection element level.

13. The graphic user interface of claim 11, wherein the auxiliary element comprises at least one indicator indicating the possible navigating direction.

14. The graphic user interface of claim 13, wherein the indicator is an arrow pointing to one possible navigating direction.

15. The graphic user interface of claim 11, wherein the auxiliary element comprises at least one indicator indicating the selectable function.

16. The graphic user interface of claim 15, wherein the indicator is a shortcut menu.

17. The graphic user interface of claim 11, wherein the selection element comprises an identifier of the element and an auxiliary element which are located close to said identifier.

18. The graphic user interface of claim 11, wherein the identifier of the selection element is at least one of the following:

an icon, an object, a figure, a text, or a cell of a menu.

19. A mobile phone comprising a graphic user interface (GUI), the function of the GUI being to present various menus wherein

the display format comprises one or more selection elements,

at least one selection element comprises an auxiliary element, and

only an active selection element comprises a visible auxiliary element.

20. The mobile phone of claim 19, wherein the auxiliary element is arranged to indicate at least one of the following

the directions to which it is possible to navigate from an active selection element,

the possible selectable functions.

21. A personal digital assistant (PDA) comprising a graphic user interface (GUI), the function of the GUI being to present various menus wherein

the display format comprises one or more selection elements,

at least one selection element comprises an auxiliary element, and

only an active selection element comprises a visible auxiliary element.

22. A software program for displaying a menu on a display of an electronic device, the program comprising a number of instructions which, when executed by a processor, prompts the processor to perform the steps of

displaying one or more selection elements,

defining an auxiliary element for at least one selection element,

activating one selection element, and

displaying an auxiliary element only in an active selection element.

23. The software program of claim 22, that also performs at least one of the following steps of

indicating the possible navigating directions from the active selection element by the means of the auxiliary element,

indicating the possible selectable functions of the active selection element by the means of the auxiliary element.

24. A storage medium readable by a computer, said medium containing information stored therein, which information, when executed by a processor, prompts the processor to perform the steps of

displaying one or more selection elements,

defining an auxiliary element for at least one selection element,

activating one selection element, and

displaying an auxiliary element only in an active selection element.

25. The storage medium of claim 24, that also performs at least one of the following steps of

indicating the possible navigating directions from the active selection element by the means of the auxiliary element,

indicating the possible selectable functions of the active selection element by the means of the auxiliary element.