METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR PROVIDING A PRIMARY ACTIONS MENU ON A WIRELESS HANDHELD COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20070192712A1
• Filed: 06/13/2006
• 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: FYKE, Steven, GRIFFIN, Jason T., LEE, Matthew, BOCKING, Andrew, VUONG, Thanh, SCOTT, Sherryl Lee, MAJOR, Harry, HICKSON, Janna Corrine Louise, BELLS, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,904,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A method and hierarchical menu is provided for displaying on the screen of a wireless handheld electronic device an extended menu or a short menu, which is a subset of the corresponding extended menu. The method includes displaying a page on a screen and receiving an ambiguous request/selection when no menu is displayed. In response to the ambiguous selection, a short menu corresponding to the displayed page is displayed on the screen. Various short menus are provided with their respective menu items being dependent and adjustable based upon the position of a cursor on the displayed 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 displaying an abbreviated menu on the screen of a wireless handheld electronic device, said method comprising:

displaying a cursor-navigable page on a screen of a wireless handheld electronic device;

initiating an ambiguous request for display of menu options corresponding to the displayed page while a cursor is positioned at a location on the page that is not visually signified for menu display actuation; and

displaying a short menu having a first list of menu items which is a subset of a second list of menu items of an extended menu associated with the displayed page, said first list of menu items having been assessed a higher probability for being user-selected than at least some items of the second list of menu items not included in said first list of menu items, wherein said wireless handheld electronic device is a wireless handheld communication device that transmits data to, and receives data from a communication network utilizing radio frequency signals and the data transmitted between said wireless handheld electronic device and the communication network supports voice and textual messaging.

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

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said auxiliary user input device is a navigation tool that controls movement of the cursor on the screen of the wireless handheld electronic device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said navigation tool is a trackball.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating a non-ambiguous request to display the extended menu associated with the displayed page and responsively displaying the extended menu.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said initiation of a non-ambiguous request to display the extended menu associated with the displayed page is affected by depressing a dedicated input on the wireless handheld electronic device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said dedicated input is a push-button on the wireless handheld electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the short menu with a menu item that displays the extended menu associated with the displayed page when selected.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said wireless handheld electronic device comprises a dedicated input in the form of a push-button marked with an extended menu insignia which is the same as an extended menu insignia displayed on the menu item on the short menu that displays the extended menu when selected.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the short menu with a menu item that closes the short menu.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a menu key for a non-ambiguous request that displays the extended menu associated with the displayed page and displaying the extended menu by activating the menu key.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the short menu overlaps the displayed page on the screen.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the short menu is displayed on the screen in place of the displayed page.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the short menu fills a substantial entirety of the screen.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the short menu with a menu item for selecting a previous menu.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless handheld electronic device is sized to be cradled in the palm of a user'"'"'s hand.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising grasping said wireless handheld electronic device by a user and cradling the device in the palm of the user'"'"'s grasping hand.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising operating said wireless handheld electronic device using digits of the same hand within which the device is grasped.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising operating said wireless handheld electronic device using the thumb of the same hand within which the device is grasped.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said wireless handheld electronic device is longer than wide.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the width of said wireless handheld electronic device measures between approximately two and approximately three inches thereby facilitating the device being palm cradled.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless handheld electronic device further comprises a keyboard suitable for accommodating textual input to the wireless handheld electronic device and a navigation tool located essentially between the keyboard and the screen of the wireless handheld electronic device.

23. The method of claim 22, said keyboard comprising a plurality of keys with which alphabetic letters are associated, one letter per key.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said alphabetic letters are configured in one of a QWERTY, QWERTZ, and AZERTY layout.

25. The method of claim 22, said keyboard comprising a plurality of keys with which alphabetic letters are associated and wherein at least a portion of the individual keys have multiple letters associated therewith.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said alphabetic letters are configured in one of QWERTY, QWERTZ, and AZERTY layout.

27. A wireless handheld electronic device programmed to display an abbreviated menu of action options on the screen of the device based on a user request and the page that is displayed on the screen at the time of the user request, said wireless handheld electronic device comprising:

a screen on which cursor-navigable pages are displayed;

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

a microprocessor having a control program associated therewith for controlling operation of said wireless handheld electronic device, said control program configured to process an ambiguous request for display of menu options corresponding to the screen-displayed page when a user menu request is detected and a screen-navigating cursor is positioned at a location on the screen-displayed page that is not visually signified for menu display response, and, based on said detection of the user menu request, said microprocessor displays a short menu having a first list of menu items which is a subset of a second list of menu items of an extended menu associated with the displayed page, said first list of menu items having been assessed a higher probability for being user-selected than at least some items of the second list of menu items not included in said first list of menu items, wherein said wireless handheld electronic device is a wireless handheld communication device that transmits data to, and receives data from a communication network utilizing radio frequency signals and the data transmitted between said wireless handheld electronic device and the communication network supports voice and textual messaging.

28. The device of claim 27, further comprising an auxiliary user input device useable for initiating the ambiguous request for display of menu options.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein said auxiliary user input device is a navigation tool that controls movement of the cursor on the screen of the wireless handheld electronic device.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein said navigation tool is a trackball.

31. The device of claim 27, further comprising a dedicated input that when actuated initiates a non-ambiguous request to display the extended menu associated with the displayed page.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein said dedicated input is a push-button on the wireless handheld electronic device.

33. The device of claim 27, wherein the short menu comprises a menu item for displaying the extended menu associated with the displayed page when selected.

34. The device of claim 33, further comprising a dedicated input in the form of a push-button marked with an extended menu insignia which is the same as an extended menu insignia displayed on the menu item on the short menu that displays the extended menu when selected.

35. The device of claim 27, wherein the short menu comprises a menu item that closes the short menu.

36. The device of claim 27, wherein the short menu fills a substantial entirety of the screen.

37. The device of claim 27, wherein said wireless handheld electronic device is sized to be cradlable in the palm of a user'"'"'s hand.

38. The device of claim 37, wherein said wireless handheld electronic device is operable using digits of the same hand within which the device is cradled.

39. The device of claim 37, wherein said wireless handheld electronic device is operable using the thumb of the same hand within which the device is cradled.

40. The device of claim 37, wherein said wireless handheld electronic device is longer than wide.

41. The device of claim 40, wherein the width of said wireless handheld electronic device measures between approximately two and approximately three inches thereby facilitating the device being palm cradled.

42. The device of claim 29, wherein said navigation tool is located essentially between the display and the keyboard in the operable configuration.

43. The device of claim 42, said keyboard comprises a plurality of keys with which alphabetic letters are associated, one letter per key.

44. The device of claim 43, wherein said alphabetic letters are configured in one of a QWERTY, QWERTZ, and AZERTY layout.

45. The device of claim 42, said keyboard comprising a plurality of keys with which alphabetic letters are associated and wherein at least a portion of the individual keys have multiple letters associated therewith.

46. The device of claim 45, wherein said alphabetic letters are configured in one of QWERTY, QWERTZ, and AZERTY layout.