Electronic device having an imporoved user interface

• US 20060007178A1
• Filed: 07/07/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Davis, Scott
• Application Number:
  US10/886,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20060007178A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A portable, handheld, electronic device (301) has a touch-sensitive display (302), and a virtual keypad (304) that is displayed on the touch-sensitive display (302). The virtual keypad (304) has a position on the touch-sensitive display (302) and is extended in two mutually essentially orthogonal directions for a first and a second extension length. The device (301) also has control means (305) which are adapted to move the virtual keypad (304) on the display (302).

Claims

1. A portable, handheld, electronic device (301) comprising

a touch-sensitive display (302),

a virtual keypad (304) being displayable on said touch-sensitive display (302),

said virtual keypad (304) having a position on the touch-sensitive display (302) and

being extended in two mutually essentially orthogonal directions for a first and a second extension length,

and control means (305), wherein the control means (305) are adapted to move the virtual keypad'"'"'s (304) position on the touch-sensitive display (302).

2. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 1 wherein, the control means are also adapted to alter at least one of the extension lengths.

3. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 2 wherein, the control means are adapted to move the position of the virtual keypad and alter at least one of the extension lengths simultaneously.

4. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 1 wherein, the device is a mobile radio communications terminal.

5. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 1 wherein, the device is a personal digital assistant.

6. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 1 wherein, the control means have a user interface which includes at least one geometrical figure displayable on said touch-sensitive display.

7. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 1 wherein, the control means have a user interface which includes mechanical keys.

8. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 1 wherein, the control means have a user interface which includes a graphical representation of said virtual keypad on said touch-sensitive display.

9. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 8 wherein, the control means are adapted to move the position of the virtual keypad in whichever direction the virtual keypad is moved by a user pressing down on, dragging and subsequently releasing the virtual keypad.

10. A portable, handheld, electronic device (301) comprising

a touch-sensitive display (302) and

a virtual keypad (304) being displayed on said touch-sensitive display (302) wherein the virtual keypad (304) is movable.

11. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 10 wherein, the virtual keypad being extended in two mutually orthogonal directions for a first and a second extension length wherein, at least one of the extension lengths is changeable.

12. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 11 adapted for simultaneous moving of the position of the virtual keypad and changing of at least one of the extensions lengths.

13. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 10 wherein, the moving being controllable by a user using control means.

14. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 13 wherein, the control means have a user interface which includes at least one geometrical figure displayable on said touch-sensitive display.

15. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 13 wherein, the control means have a user interface which includes mechanical keys.

16. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 13 wherein, the control means have a user interface which includes a graphical representation of said virtual keypad on said touch-sensitive display.

17. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 16 wherein, the control means are adapted to move the position of the virtual keypad in whichever direction the virtual keypad is moved by the user pressing down on, dragging and subsequently releasing the virtual keypad.

18. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 10 wherein,said device is a mobile radio communications terminal.

19. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 10 wherein, said device is a personal digital assistant.

20. A portable, handheld, electronic device (301) comprising

control means (305),

a touch-sensitive display (302)

a virtual keypad (304), having

one or more virtual keys (304a-l) each having a size,

said virtual keypad (304) being displayable on said touch-sensitive display (302) said virtual keypad (304) having a position and being extended in two mutually orthogonal extension directions for a first and a second extension length, wherein said control means (305) is adapted to move said virtual keypad'"'"'s position on said touch-sensitive display (302) in at least one of said extension directions.

21. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 20 wherein, the control means being adapted to alter at least one of the extension lengths of said virtual keypad.

22. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 21 wherein said virtual keypad has one or more virtual keys each having a size that depends on at least one of the two extension lengths, and wherein said control means is adapted to change said size according to said alteration of said at least one of the extension lengths.

23. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 21, wherein said touch-sensitive display has a display area and wherein said control means is adapted to change at least one of said extension lengths so that the virtual keypad does not extend beyond said display area.

24. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 21, wherein said control means being adapted to simultaneously move the virtual keypad and alter at least one of the extension lengths.

25. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 20, wherein the control means have a user interface which includes at least one geometrical figure displayable on said touch-sensitive display.

26. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 20, wherein said control means being operable through at least one mechanical key on said device.

27. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 20, wherein the control means have a user interface which includes a graphical representation of said virtual keypad on said touch-sensitive display.

28. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 27, wherein the control means are adapted to move the position of the virtual keypad in whichever direction the virtual keypad is moved by a user pressing down on, dragging and subsequently releasing the virtual keypad.

29. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 20, wherein said device is a mobile radiofrequency communication terminal.

30. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 20, wherein said device is a personal digital assistant.

31. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 20, wherein said control means are adapted to reset the virtual keypad'"'"'s posistion.

32. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 21, wherein said control means are adapted to reset at least one of the virtual keypad'"'"'s extentions lengths.

33. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 21, wherein said control means are adapted to reset the virtual keypad'"'"'s posistion and at least one of the extension lengths simultaneously.

34. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 25, wherein said geometrical figure is one of:

two contra-directional arrows, a bi-directional arrow, two mutually orthogonal bi-directional arrows, pointing triangles, rombs or a special character.

35. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 20, wherein said control means have a user interface which includes a sliding bar being displayable on said touch-sensitive display.

36. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 20, wherein the control means have a user interface which includes a movement detection field.

37. A portable, handheld, electronic device according to claim 20, wherein said control means are adapted to also move an object being displayed when the virtual keypad is being moved on a position that lies in the direction the virtual keypad is being moved to another position on the display.