Main menu navigation principle for mobile phone user

• US 20050009571A1
• Filed: 02/04/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Original Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Inventors: Jabry, Bassam, Chiam, Thor Itt
• Granted Patent: US 8,019,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0225 Rotatable telephones, i.e. the body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0231 Including a rotatable keypad body part
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0243 using the relative angle between housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/18 including more than one keyboard unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals

Abstract

A menu-driven electronic device utilizes a display and a single two-dimensional navigation key. The display is configured to selectively display one of a plurality of menus, including a main menu and a sub-menu. The two-dimensional navigation key is configured to select one of a plurality of main menu items and to select a sub-menu item of the sub-menu associated with a selected main menu item. A portion of the plurality of menu main items is displayed. The main menu and the sub-menu can be accessed by maintaining contact with the two-dimensional navigation key. The device is configured to display a main menu item icon to provide a visual reference to the selected main menu item in a menu tree of the menu being displayed. The device is preferably a cellular phone.

Claims

1. A menu-driven electronic device comprising:

a. a display configured to selectively display one of a plurality of menus, including a main menu and a sub-menu, and

b. a two-dimensional navigation key configured to select one of a plurality of main menu items of the main menu and to select a sub-menu item of the sub-menu associated with a selected main menu item.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of main menu items is displayed, and further wherein both the main menu and the sub-menu can be accessed by maintaining contact with the two-dimensional key.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to allow navigation through the plurality of menus by using the two-dimensional navigation key.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to allow navigation through the plurality of menus while maintaining tactile contact with the two-dimensional navigation key.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to allow toggling among at least two control levels by a single access of the two-dimensional navigation key.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to allow toggling between the main menu and one of the plurality of main menu items by using a first direction of the two-dimensional navigation key and to allow toggling between the selected main menu item and the sub-menu associated with the selected main menu item by using a second direction of the two-dimensional navigation key.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to allow scrolling among at least two control levels by a single access of the two-dimensional navigation key.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to display the selected main menu item simultaneously with the sub-menu associated with the selected main menu item.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to display the selected main menu item simultaneously with a plurality of sub-menu items associated with the selected main menu item.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of menus are organized in a menu tree.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the main menu further comprises a main menu item icon representing a main menu item.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the device is configured to display the main menu item icon to provide a visual reference to an item in the menu tree of the menu being displayed.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein when the device displays at least a portion of the main menu, the main menu item icon is displayed in a first appearance, and when the device displays the sub-menu, the main menu item icon is displayed in a second appearance different from the first appearance.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the first appearance differs from the second appearance by at least one of size, shape, color, highlighting, and pattern.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein when the device displays the sub-menu, the main menu item icon is displayed in a third size different from the first size and the second size.

16. The device according to claim 9, wherein the main menu further comprises a non-graphical listing of the plurality of sub-menu items of the sub-menu associated with the selected main menu item.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is a phone.

18. A menu-driven wireless telecommunications device comprising:

a. a display configured to selectively display one of a plurality of menus, including a main menu and a sub-menu,

b. a two-dimensional navigation key configured to select one of a plurality of main menu items of the main menu and to select a sub-menu item item of the sub-menu associated with a selected main menu item,

wherein the device displays a plurality of sub-menu items.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein when the device displays on the display the sub-menu associated to the selected main menu item, a main menu icon is displayed in the sub-menu to provide a visual reference to the selected main menu item in the menu tree of the menu being displayed.

20. The device according to claim 18, wherein the plurality of menus includes a first sub-menu and a second sub-menu, wherein the first sub-menu further comprises a plurality of first sub-menu items and further wherein one of the plurality of first sub-menu items is associated to a second sub-menu.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the second sub-menu further comprises a plurality of second sub-menu items.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein a third orientation of the two-dimensional navigation key is configured to select one of the plurality of second sub-menu items.

23. A menu-driven wireless telecommunications device comprising:

a. a display configured to selectively display one of a plurality of menus, including a main menu, a first sub-menu, and a second sub-menu, and

b. a two-dimensional navigation key configured to select one of a plurality of main menu items of the main menu, to select a first sub-menu item of the first sub-menu associated with a selected main menu item, and further to select a second sub-menu item of the second sub-menu associated with the selected main menu item.

24. The device according to claim 23, wherein the device is configured to allow scrolling between the main menu and one of the plurality of main menu items by using a first direction of the two-dimensional navigation key, to allow scrolling between the selected main menu item and the first sub-menu associated with the selected main menu item by using a second direction of the two-dimensional navigation key, and further to allow scrolling between the second sub-menu associated with the selected main menu item and a second sub-menu item by using a third direction of the two-dimensional navigation key.

25. The device according to claim 24, wherein the third direction corresponds with the first direction of the two-dimensional navigation key.

26. The device according to claim 23, wherein the device is configured to display a main menu item icon to provide a visual reference to an item in a menu tree of the menu being displayed.