Portable information communication terminal

• US 20070097074A1
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Irimajiri, Mayu
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,032 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0208 characterized by the relative motions of the body parts
• 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 1/72472 wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use

Abstract

A portable information communication terminal includes an operation unit composed of an integrated combination of a first operation detection device for detecting an operation in a first direction substantially parallel to a predetermined axis direction of a terminal housing and a second operation detection device for detecting an operation in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction, a display unit provided with a screen disposed in a direction substantially parallel to the predetermined axis direction and capable of displaying a hierarchical menu structure, and a control unit for sequentially changing and displaying menu hierarchies in descending hierarchical order in the first direction on the screen of the display unit in accordance with an operation in the first direction and for sequentially changing and displaying menu hierarchies in ascending hierarchical order in the second direction on the screen in accordance with an operation in the second direction.

Claims

1. A portable information communication terminal comprising:

an operation unit composed of an integrated combination of a first operation detection device for detecting an operation in a first direction substantially parallel to a predetermined axis direction of a terminal housing and a second operation detection device for detecting an operation in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction;

a display unit provided with a screen disposed in a direction substantially parallel to the predetermined axis direction and capable of displaying a hierarchical menu structure; and

a control unit for sequentially changing and displaying menu hierarchies in descending hierarchical order in the first direction on the screen of the display unit in accordance with an operation in the first direction detected by the first operation detection device, and for sequentially changing and displaying menu hierarchies in ascending hierarchical order in the second direction on the screen of the display unit in accordance with an operation in the second direction detected by the second operation detection device.

2. The portable information communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein, each time a higher menu hierarchy is changed to a lower menu hierarchy after the first operation detection device has detected an operation in the first direction, the control unit displays on the screen of the display unit in the lower menu hierarchy a menu item that has been selected from among a plurality of menu items in the higher menu hierarchy as information representing the higher menu hierarchy, whereby menu items each of which represents a hierarchy are arranged and displayed in ascending hierarchical order in the second direction on the screen of the display unit.

3. The portable information communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein, each time a lower menu hierarchy is changed to a higher menu hierarchy after the second operation detection device has detected an operation in the second direction, the control unit deletes from the screen of the display unit in the higher menu hierarchy a menu item that has been displayed as information representing the lower menu hierarchy, whereby menu items each of which represents a hierarchy are sequentially deleted in hierarchical ascending order from the screen of the display unit.

4. The portable information communication terminal according to claim 1,

wherein the predetermined axis direction is a long axis direction of the terminal housing,

wherein the operation unit is disposed at one end in the long axis direction of the terminal housing,

wherein the first operation detection device detects an operation in a direction of pushing the operation unit into the one end of the terminal housing, and

wherein the second operation detection device detects an operation in a direction of pulling out the operation unit from the one end of the terminal housing.

5. The portable information communication terminal according to claim 1,

wherein the operation unit is composed of an integrated combination of the first and second operation detection devices and a third operation detection device for detecting an operation in a direction in which the operation unit is rotated about the predetermined axis of the terminal housing, and

wherein the control unit arranges and displays in a direction substantially perpendicular to the predetermined axis direction on the screen of the display unit a plurality of menu items included in a menu hierarchy that has been changed in accordance with an operation detected by the first or second operation detection device.

6. The portable information communication terminal according to claim 5, wherein the control unit performs in the direction substantially perpendicular to the predetermined axis direction on the screen of the display unit a scrolling display of the arranged and displayed menu items in accordance with a rotation operation detected by the third operation detection device.