Handheld electronic device having facilitated telephone dialing with audible sound tags, and associated method

• US 20060019707A1
• Filed: 07/20/2004
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Steele, Jay D., Lazaridis, Mihal, Paas, Julian, Griffin, Jason T., Ranta, Craig E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,400,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2474 Telephone terminals specially adapted for disabled people user interfaces for cordless or mobile telephones specially adapted for disabled users H04M1/72475; network based special services or facilities for hearing-impaired persons H04M3/42391; devices for conversing with the deaf-blind G09B21/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72481 for visually impaired users

Abstract

An improved hand held electronic device and an associated method provide facilitated telephone dialing by providing audible sound tags in the form of spoken words representative of numbers that can be selected by a user for dialing. The handheld electronic device includes an input apparatus that can generate a plurality of navigational inputs and at least a first selecting input. The input apparatus may include a rotatable dial, the rotation of which provides navigational inputs, and the dial may be translatable, with the translation generating a selecting input. When a processor of the handheld electronic device detects one of the navigational inputs, the handheld electronic device outputs an audible sound in the form of a spoken word of the digit that corresponds with that navigational input.

Claims

1. A method of enabling input into a handheld electronic device, the handheld electronic device including an input apparatus having at least one input member that is movable in a first direction and in a second direction to generate a plurality of navigational inputs, the input apparatus being adapted to generate at least one selecting input to said handheld electronic device, said method comprising:

detecting a first of said navigational inputs from said at least one input member;

detecting which of movement of said at least one input member in said first direction and movement of said at least one input member in said second direction generated said first of said navigational inputs; and

outputting a first audible sound tag representing a first spoken word that corresponds with said first of said navigational inputs.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a second of said navigational inputs and outputting a second audible sound tag representing a second spoken word that corresponds with said second of said navigational inputs.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a second of said navigational inputs, detecting a third of said navigational inputs within a predetermined period of time after detection of the second of said navigational inputs, and outputting another audible sound tag representing another spoken word that corresponds with said third of said navigational inputs.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a first of said at least one selecting input and processing a function that corresponds with said first of said navigational inputs.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising storing in said handheld electronic device a value that corresponds with said function that corresponds with said first of said navigational inputs.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising detecting a second of said at least one selecting input, said second of said at least one selecting input being an enter input, and processing a function that includes performing an enter operation.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising employing as said performing an enter operation dialing a telephone number that corresponds with said value.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising employing a dial with said input apparatus and detecting a rotation of said dial.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising again outputting the first audible sound tag after expiration of a predetermined period of time during which neither a second of said navigational inputs nor a selecting input is detected.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising setting as the first of said navigational inputs an initial position of the input apparatus.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising incrementing a counter when said first of said navigational inputs results from movement of said at least one input member in said first direction, and decrementing said counter when said first of said navigational inputs results from movement of said at least one input member in said second direction.

12. A handheld electronic device comprising:

a processor apparatus;

an input apparatus cooperating with said processor apparatus, said input apparatus including at least one input member that is movable in a first direction and in a second direction to generate a plurality of navigational inputs, the input apparatus being adapted to generate at least one selecting input to said processor apparatus;

a memory cooperating with said processor apparatus; and

an audible output transducer cooperating with said processor apparatus,

wherein said processor apparatus detects one of said navigational inputs from said at least one input member, detects which of movement of said at least one input member in said first direction and movement of said at least one input member in said second direction generated said one of said navigational inputs, and obtains from said memory a corresponding first signal, and

wherein said audible output transducer responsive to said first signal outputs a sound corresponding with a spoken word.

13. The handheld electronic device of claim 12 wherein said processor apparatus includes a processor and a digital-to-analog converter cooperating with said processor, said audible output transducer cooperating with said digital-to-analog converter, wherein said first signal is a first digital signal, and wherein said digital-to-analog converter responsive to said first digital signal outputs to said audible output transducer a first analog signal representing said spoken work.

14. The handheld electronic device of claim 12 wherein said processor apparatus includes a counter, wherein said processor apparatus increments said counter when said first of said navigational inputs results from movement of said at least one input member in said first direction, and wherein said processor apparatus decrements said counter when said first of said navigational inputs results from movement of said at least one input member in said second direction.

15. The handheld electronic device of claim 12 wherein said input apparatus includes a rotatable dial.

16. The handheld electronic device of claim 15 wherein rotation of said rotatable dial generates said navigational inputs to said processor apparatus.

17. The handheld electronic device of claim 16 wherein said rotatable dial is translatable, translation of said rotatable dial generating said at least one selecting input.

18. The handheld electronic device of claim 12 wherein, responsive to a first of said at least one selecting input, said processor apparatus is adapted to process a function that corresponds with said first of said navigational inputs and store in said memory a value that corresponds with said first of said navigational inputs.

19. The handheld electronic device of claim 18 wherein, responsive to a second of said at least one selecting input, said processor apparatus is adapted to perform an enter operation.

20. The handheld electronic device of claim 19 wherein said enter operation includes dialing a telephone number that corresponds with the value of said memory.