Application specific key buttons in a portable device

• US 20060149809A1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Naumi, Tero, Vermola, Larri, Salo, Juha H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,461,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

Aspects of the invention implement and execute commands of applications and/or services on portable devices with various key button configurations. Certain aspects of the invention create and display an intermediary user interface on a display of a portable device in order to match and utilize an application'"'"'s commands with the various capabilities of different portable devices.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of:

a) creating a command profile for an application, the application executed on a digital device;

b) retrieving a key button profile for the digital device;

c) comparing the command profile and the key button profile;

d) creating an intermediary user interface based upon the comparison of the command profile and key button profile;

e) displaying a user interface on a display of the digital device, the user interface divided into at least two display areas, the at least two display areas including a first display area and a second display area, the first display area including an application user interface, the second display area including the intermediary user interface; and

f) displaying intermediary buttons on the intermediary user interface, the intermediary buttons displayed corresponding to the created intermediary user interface.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the digital device is a portable device.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the command profile comprises a number of commands corresponding to the application.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the command profile comprises locations of commands corresponding to the application.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the location are defined by a coordinate system.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the key button profile comprises a listing of at least one key button for the portable device.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the key button profile comprises a content of key buttons for the portable device.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the key button profile comprises locations of key buttons

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the location are defined, by a coordinate system.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the creation of the intermediary user interface comprises a creation of a graphical intermediary user interface if a number of key buttons on a side of the display of the portable device is equal to or more than the number of commands corresponding to the application.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the intermediary buttons are next to the key buttons.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the intermediary buttons define a content of the commands corresponding to the application.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the creation of the intermediary user interface comprises a creation of a specific location graphical intermediary user interface if a number of key buttons is equal to or more than the number of commands and the location of the commands corresponding to the application are located adjacent to the key buttons.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the specific location graphical intermediary user interface is displayed on the second display area of the user interface.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the intermediary buttons are adjacent to the key buttons.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the intermediary buttons define a content of the commands corresponding to the application.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the creation of the intermediary user interface comprises a creation of a key button correlation intermediary user interface if a number of key buttons on the side of the display is less than the number of commands corresponding to the application.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the key button correlation intermediary user interface is displayed on the second display area of the user interface.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the intermediary buttons define correlations between the number of commands and the key buttons.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the correlations are displayed on the second display area of the user interface.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the creation of the intermediary user interface comprises a combination of a location graphical intermediary user interface with specific location and key button correlation intermediary if a number of key buttons on the side of the display is less than the number of commands corresponding to the application and if at least one of the key buttons are adjacent to locations of the commands corresponding to the application.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the combination of a location graphical intermediary user interface with specific location and key button correlation intermediary is displayed on the second display area of the user interface.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the intermediary buttons define correlations between the number of commands and the key buttons if the key buttons are non-adjacent to the commands corresponding to the application.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the correlations are displayed on the second display area of the user interface.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the digital device comprises a mobile communication device.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the mobile communication device comprises a cellular telephone.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the digital device comprises a game device.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the digital device comprises a television device.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the application is an electronic game.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the application is an electronic service guide.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the application user interface and the intermediary user interface are substantially simultaneously displayed on the display of the portable device.

32. In a digital device, a method of emulating an application in the digital device, the method comprising the steps of:

a) creating a command profile for the application;

b) retrieving a key button profile for the digital device;

c) comparing the command profile and the key button profile;

d) creating an intermediary user interface based upon the comparison of the command profile and key button profile;

e) displaying a user interface on the display of the digital device, the user interface divided into at least two display areas, the at least two display areas including a first display area and a second display area, the first display area including an application user interface, the second display area including the intermediary user interface; and

f) displaying intermediary buttons on the intermediary user interface, the intermediary buttons displayed corresponding to the created intermediary user interface.

33. In a digital device, a method of emulating an application in the digital device, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving content comprising the application to be emulated;

b) determining if the received application comprises callbacks to specific input functions;

i) if the received application does not comprise callbacks to specific input functions, displaying the received application without modification on the display;

ii) if the received application does comprise callbacks to specific input functions, determining if the digital device comprises corresponding key buttons;

1) if the digital device comprises corresponding key buttons, displaying the received application without modification on the display of the digital device; and

2) if the digital device does not comprise corresponding key buttons, determining the capabilities of the digital device in order to display a number of commands corresponding to the received application.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein determining the capabilities of the digital device comprises retrieving a key button profile for the digital device.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein a user interface is modified according to the key button profile, the modified user interface displayed on the display of the digital device.

36. The method of claim 34, further including the steps of:

3) creating a command profile for the received application, the command profile comprising a number of commands corresponding to the received application;

4) comparing the command profile and key button profile; and

5) creating an intermediary user interface based upon the comparison of the command profile and key button profile.

37. In a digital device having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method of providing and selecting commands of an emulated application, the method comprising the steps of:

a) creating a command profile for the emulated application;

b) retrieving a key button profile for the portable device;

c) comparing the command profile and the key button profile;

d) creating an intermediary user interface based upon the comparison of the command profile and key button profile;

e) displaying a user interface on a display of the portable device, the user interface divided into at least two display areas, the at least two display areas including a first display area and a second display area, the first display area including an application user interface, the second display area including the intermediary user interface; and

f) displaying intermediary buttons on the intermediary user interface, the intermediary buttons displayed corresponding to the created intermediary user interface.

38. A digital device terminal, comprising:

a) a display;

b) a memory, the memory storing computer executable instructions;

c) a communication interface; and

d) a processor for controlling operation of the digital terminal, the processor configured to perform the computer executable instructions stored in the memory, the computer executable instructions comprising;

1) receiving a digital broadcast transmission comprising an application to be emulated;

2) determining if the received application comprises callbacks to specific input functions;

i) if the received application does not comprise callbacks to specific input functions, displaying the received application without modification on the display;

ii) if the received application does comprise callbacks to specific input functions, determining if the portable device comprises corresponding key buttons;

A) if the portable device comprises corresponding key buttons, displaying the received application without modification on the display of the portable device; and

B) if the portable device does not comprise corresponding key buttons, determining the capabilities of the portable device in order to display a number of commands corresponding to the received application.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein determining the capabilities of the portable device comprises retrieving a key button profile for the portable device.

40. The method of claim 39, further including the steps of:

3) creating a command profile for the received application, the command profile comprising a number of commands corresponding to the received application;

4) comparing the command profile and key button profile; and

5) creating an intermediary user interface based upon the comparison of the command profile and key button profile.