METHOD AND ARRANGMENT FOR A PRIMARY ACTIONS MENU FOR EDITING AND DELETING FUNCTIONS ON A HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20070192737A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: LEE, Matthew Richard
• Application Number:
  US11/618,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20070192737A1
• 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

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 text entry page of a note taking function displayed on a screen. If the application is currently running, and no menu is displayed, the user may initiate an ambiguous request. Various short menus, including those with editing and deleting functions, 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 text entry page of a note taking function of the device is presented on the display screen of the device, said method comprising:

displaying a text entry page of a note taking function of a handheld electronic device on a display screen of the handheld electronic device;

initiating an ambiguous request for display of menu options of user-selectable actions associated with the displayed text entry page 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 text entry page 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 the following user-selectable actions available relative to the displayed text entry page:

(i) edit and (ii) delete.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising said short list of menu options consisting of the following user-selectable actions available relative to the displayed text entry page:

(i) edit and (ii) delete.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising said short list of menu options consisting of the following user-selectable actions available relative to the displayed text entry page:

(i) edit;

(ii) delete and (iii) full menu.

5. The method of claim 4, 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.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the auxiliary user input device is a trackball.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said handheld electronic device is a wireless handheld communication device that transmits data to, and receives data from a communication network utilizing radio frequency signals.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein said handheld electronic device is sized to be cradled in the palm of a user'"'"'s hand.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein said handheld electronic device is longer than wide.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the width of said handheld electronic device measures between approximately two and approximately three inches thereby facilitating the device being palm cradled.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein said handheld electronic device further comprises a keyboard suitable for accommodating textual input to the handheld electronic device and a navigation tool located essentially between the keyboard and the display screen of the handheld electronic device.

12. 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 text entry page of a note taking function of the device is presented on the display screen of the device, said handheld electronic device comprising:

a display screen on which a text entry page of a note taking function 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 text entry page 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 text entry page 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.

13. The handheld electronic device of claim 12, wherein said short list of menu options comprises the following user-selectable actions available relative to the displayed text entry page:

(i) edit and (ii) delete.

14. The handheld electronic device of claim 12, further comprising said short list of menu options consisting of the following user-selectable actions available relative to the displayed text entry page:

(i) edit and (ii) delete.

15. The handheld electronic device of claim 12, further comprising said short list of menu options consisting of the following user-selectable actions available relative to the displayed text entry page:

(i) edit;

(ii) delete and (iii) full menu.

16. The handheld electronic device of claim 15, further comprising an auxiliary user input device.

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

18. The handheld electronic device of claim 15, wherein said handheld electronic device is a wireless handheld communication device that transmits data to, and receives data from a communication network utilizing radio frequency signals.

19. The handheld electronic device of claim 15, further comprising said handheld electronic device being sized to be cradled in the palm of a user'"'"'s hand and being longer than wide.

20. The handheld electronic device of claim 19, wherein the width of said handheld electronic device measures between approximately two and approximately three inches thereby facilitating the device being palm cradled.

21. The handheld electronic device of claim 15, further comprising a keyboard suitable for accommodating textual input to the handheld electronic device and an auxiliary user input device located essentially between the keyboard and the display screen of the handheld electronic device.

22. 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 a note taking function 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 note taking function 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.