METHOD AND ARRANGMENT FOR A PRIMARY ACTIONS MENU FOR A CONTACT DATA ENTRY RECORD OF AN ADDRESS BOOK APPLICATION ON A HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20070192705A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: LEE, Matthew Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,341,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/739
• 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 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• 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 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed that provides for displaying on the screen of a handheld electronic device, an extended menu or a short menu, which is a subset of the corresponding extended menu. The system and method include a contact data entry record of an address book application being displayed on a screen. If a contact data entry record is designated through use of the auxiliary user input device and no menu is displayed, the user may initiate an ambiguous request. Various short menus are provided with their respective menu items being dependent and adjustable based upon the position of a cursor on the display page, the currently opened application, and/or the previous selections. Further, a selection from the short menu is capable of displaying the extended menu corresponding thereto.

Claims

1. A method for causing, upon user request, the display of an abbreviated menu of user-selectable actions on a display screen of a handheld electronic device when a contact data entry record of an address book application is presented on the display screen of the device, said method comprising:

displaying a contact data entry record of an address book application of a handheld electronic device on a display screen of a handheld electronic device;

initiating an ambiguous request for display of menu options of user-selectable actions associated with the displayed contact data entry record on the display screen of the handheld electronic device; and

displaying an abbreviated menu having a short list of menu options which is a subset of a full menu of options of user-selectable actions available relative to the displayed contact data entry record and the user-selectable actions of said short list of menu options having been assessed a higher probability for being user-selected than at least some of the user-selectable actions of the full menu of options that are not included in said short list of menu options.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said short list of menu options comprises a full menu option that is pre-designated for user selection when no information in the contact data entry record has been changed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said short list of menu options comprises a save option that is pre-designated for user selection when information in the contact data entry record has been changed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said short list of menu options comprises an add photo option that is pre-designated for user selection when a photo-field in the contact data entry record is designated and no photograph has been added.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said short list of menu options comprises the following options when a photo-field in the contact data entry record is designated and a photograph has been added:

replace photo, save photo and delete photo.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said address book application further comprises a group data entry record and a short list of menu options comprises an add member option that is pre-designated for user selection when a member field in the group data entry record is designated and no members exist in the group.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said address book application further comprises a group data entry record and a short list of menu options comprises the following options when a member field in the group data entry record is designated and a member exists in the group:

view members, change members, delete members, add members, and save group.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said address book application further comprises a group data entry record and when a populated group member field in the group data entry record is designated, a short list of menu options comprises a show-member-details option that is pre-designated for user selection.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing said initiation of the ambiguous request for display of menu options of user-selectable actions by actuating an auxiliary user input device on the handheld electronic device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the auxiliary user input device is a trackball.

11. A handheld electronic device programmed to display, upon user request, an abbreviated menu of user-selectable actions on a display screen of the device when a contact data entry record of an address book application is presented on the display screen of the device, said handheld electronic device comprising:

a display screen on which a contact data entry record of an address book application of the device is displayed;

a keyboard located below said display screen and configured to accommodate textual input to the handheld electronic device; and

a microprocessor having a control program associated therewith for controlling operation of said handheld electronic device, said control program configured to process an ambiguous request for display of menu options of user-selectable actions associated with the displayed contact data entry record based upon detection of a user menu request, and, based on said detection of the user menu request, said microprocessor displays an abbreviated menu having a short list of menu options which is a subset of a full menu of options of user-selectable actions available relative to the displayed contact data entry record and the user-selectable actions of said short list of menu options having been assessed a higher probability for being user-selected than at least some of the user-selectable actions of the full menu of options that are not included in said short list of menu options.

12. The handheld electronic device of claim 11, wherein said short list of menu options comprises a full menu option that is pre-designated for user selection when no information in the contact data entry record has been changed.

13. The handheld electronic device of claim 11, wherein said short list of menu options comprises a save option that is pre-designated for user selection when information in the contact data entry record has been changed.

14. The handheld electronic device of claim 11, wherein said short list of menu options comprises an add photo option that is pre-designated for user selection when a photo-field in the contact data entry record is designated and no photograph has been added.

15. The handheld electronic device of claim 11, wherein said short list of menu options comprises the following options when a photo-field in the contact data entry record is designated and a photograph has been added:

replace photo, save photo and delete photo.

16. The handheld electronic device of claim 11, wherein said address book application further comprises a group data entry record and a short list of menu options comprises an add member option that is pre-designated for user selection when a member field in the group data entry record is designated and no members exist in the group.

17. The handheld electronic device of claim 11, wherein said address book application further comprises a group data entry record and a short list of menu options comprises the following options when a member field in the group data entry record is designated and a member exists in the group:

view members, change members, delete members, add members, and save group.

18. The handheld electronic device of claim 11, wherein said address book application further comprises a group data entry record and when a populated group member field in the group data entry record is designated, a short list of menu options comprises a show-member-details option that is pre-designated for user selection.

19. The handheld electronic device of claim 14, further comprising an auxiliary user input device.

20. The handheld electronic device of claim 16, wherein said auxiliary user input device is a trackball.

21. A processing subsystem configured to be installed in a handheld electronic device comprising a user interface including a display screen and a keyboard having a plurality of input keys with which letters are associated, said processing subsystem comprising:

operating system software that controls operation of an incorporating handheld electronic device and said operating system software is programmed to control operation of said handheld electronic device, said operating system software is configured to process an ambiguous request for display of menu options of user-selectable actions associated with display of a contact data entry record of the handheld electronic device based upon detection of a user menu request, and, based on said detection of the user menu request, said microprocessor displays an abbreviated menu having a short list of menu options which is a subset of a full menu of options of user-selectable actions available relative to the displayed contact data entry record and the user-selectable actions of said short list of menu options having been assessed a higher probability for being user-selected than at least some of the user-selectable actions of the full menu of options that are not included in said short list of menu options.