Process for optimized navigation in display menus of a mobile terminal and associated mobile terminal

• US 20060184896A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe Francaise De Radiotelephone SA (Altice Europe NV)
• Original Assignee: Societe Francaise De Radiotelephone SA (Altice Europe NV)
• Inventors: Blanc, Michael, Pigeon, Benoit, Gambari, Olivier, Foucher, Albert, Boris, Jean Philippe, Prauda, Nanne
• Granted Patent: US 7,246,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• 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 process is implemented by a mobile wireless communication terminal endowed with a user interface comprising a display means and a navigational cross, said navigational cross notably having two functionalities (213, 214) complementary to the functionalities for up/down movement. The process comprises the following steps

displaying with said display means a selection menu (1) of items, manipulating said navigational cross to select an item, then the following alternative steps

displaying, in response to activation (11) of the first of said complementary functions (213, 214) of the navigational cross, a first batch of possible actions on the data associated with the selected item,

displaying, in response to activation (12) of the second of said complementary functionalities (213, 214) of the navigational cross, a second batch of possible actions on the data associated with the item selected.

Claims

1. A process for optimized navigation in display menus of a mobile wireless communication terminal, in which the mobile terminal is endowed with a user interface that comprises a display means and at least one integrated control means called navigational cross in order to move by physical actions on the cross a cursor or the like over display means, said navigational cross notably having two functionalities complementary to the functionalities of scrolling the cursor up and down, the process comprising the following steps

displaying with display means a selection menu identifying a plurality of different items,

manipulating the navigational cross to select, by at least one of the scrolling functionalities, one of the items displayed in the selection menu, then

displaying in response to activation of one of the complementary functionalities called the first functionality of navigational cross, a first batch of possible actions on the data in relation to the item selected in selection menu,

said process being characterized in that in that it also comprises the alternative step of displaying, in response to the activation of the other of said complementary functionalities called the second functionality of navigational cross, a second batch of possible actions on the data in relation to the selected item in said selection menu, said first and second functionalities each having a different specialization.

2. The process according to claim 1, in which the first batch of actions groups management functions, the first functionality being specialized for data management, while the second batch of actions groups command functions, the second functionality being specialized for possible commands on said data.

3. The process according to claim 1, in which said first and second functionalities of navigational cross are functionalities for movement to the left and respectively, to the right.

4. The process according to claim 1, in which at least one first pop-up window is opened on display means of the mobile terminal in response to activation of the first of complementary functionalities of navigational cross.

5. The process according to claim 4, in which at least one second pop-up window is opened on display means of the mobile terminal in response to activation of the second of complementary functionalities of navigational cross.

6. The process according to claim 1, in which an action selected by said control means in one of said first and second batches is validated by manipulation of said navigational cross by activating a validation functionality for the action selected on the display.

7. The process according to claim 1, in which the first batch of actions comprises the following functions

Consult,

Modify,

Delete,

Create contact,

Create directory,

Classify,

Voice recognition,

Back,

Exit.

8. The process according to claim 1, in which the second batch of actions comprises the following functions

Call up,

Send message,

Transfer vCard,

Locating,

Mail sending,

Back,

Exit.

9. The process according to claim 1, in which said selection menu and said batches of possible actions are displayed in the form of a list or a matrix, the selection in list,or the matrix being effected by means of a selection cursor or the like moved by upward, and respectively, downward movement functionalities, of said navigational cross.

10. The process according to claim 6, in which said possible actions are grouped by category in said batches, the name of the category being displayed on the pop-up window corresponding to one batch.

11. The process according to claim 1, in which said items of said selection menu correspond to applications.

12. The process according to claim 1, in which the items of said selection menu correspond to general options.

13. The process according to claim 1, in which the items of said selection menu correspond to states or contexts.

14. The process according to claim 1, in which, during navigation in said selection menu, said activation of said first functionality of navigational cross brings about the display of a pop-up menu on a first part at least partially covering said display means, said activation of said second functionality of navigational cross brings about the display of a pop-up menu on a second part at least partially covering said display means.

15. The process according to claim 1, in which at least one item of said selection menu is coupled to a branching of options and sub-options accessible by means of said navigational cross, each intermediate validation between options and sub-options leading to the display of a menu of sub-options in a pop-up window.

16. The process according to claim 4, in which pop-up window which has just appeared on the display means after the activation of one of said complementary functionalities disappears from display means in the case of the consecutive activation of the other of said complementary functionalities.

17. A mobile wireless communication terminal for implementation of the process according to claim 1, having a user interface, said interface comprising a display means, a management system and at least one integrated control means called navigational cross to move a cursor or the like over said display means by means of only one hand, said mobile terminal being characterized in that:

the management system comprises first control means for simultaneously displaying a plurality of selection items in the same menu called selection menu on said display means of the mobile terminal,

the navigational cross comprises functionalities permitting selecting the items of the same of selection menu as well as two complementary and specialized functionalities coupled to association means,

the management system comprises subdivision means for dividing the possible actions on the data into two different batches at least by the display in relation to the item selected in said selection menu, said subdivision means being coupled to the association means for associating each of said complementary and specialized functionalities of navigational cross, after activation by the user, to a corresponding batch among said batches of possible actions, the management system comprising second control means (210) activating the association means in order to display one of the batches in a pop-up menu on display means (20).