Mobile communication terminal and method therefore

• US 20070216659A1
• Filed: 03/17/2006
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Amineh, Romel
• Granted Patent: US 10,521,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or 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 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

An input method for a mobile communication apparatus, and such a mobile communication apparatus, which comprises a processor and a touch sensitive display, is disclosed. The invention particularly comprises displaying a touch keypad comprising a set of keys, detecting an object over one key of said set of keys, and displaying, upon detection of said object, a first sub-set of keys adjacent to said one key, wherein said sub-set of keys is associated with a first set of sub-functions of said one key.

Claims

1. A mobile communication apparatus comprising a processor and a touch sensitive display, wherein said touch sensitive display is arranged under control of said processor to display a touch keypad, comprising a set of keys,

to detect an object over one key of said set of keys, and

to display, upon detection of said object over said one key, a first sub-set of keys associated with a first set of sub-functions of said one key, wherein said sub-set of keys is arranged adjacent to said one key.

2. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said touch sensitive display is further arranged under control of said processor

to detect an object over one key of said first sub-set of keys, and

to display, upon detection of said object over said one key of said first sub-set of keys, a second sub-set of keys associated with a second set of sub-functions of said one key of said first sub-set of keys, wherein said second sub-set of keys is arranged adjacent to said one key of said first sub-set of keys.

3. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said second set of sub-functions relates hierarchically to one sub-function of said first set of sub-functions.

4. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said first set of sub-functions relates to a first application of said mobile communication apparatus and said second set of sub-functions relates to a second application of said mobile communication apparatus.

5. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first set of sub-functions is application dependent.

6. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first sub-set of keys associated with a first set of sub-functions of said one key comprises a first group of keys associated with sub-functions related to a first application, and a second group of keys associated with sub-functions related to a second application.

7. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said second set of sub-functions is application dependent.

8. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said second sub-set of keys associated with a second set of sub-functions of said one key of said first sub-set of keys comprises a first group of keys associated with sub-functions related to a first application, and a second group of keys associated with sub-functions related to a second application.

9. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said touch sensitive display is further arranged under control of said processor to move at least one neighbouring key to said one key of said set of keys on said touch sensitive display to make room for said first sub-set of keys.

10. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said touch sensitive display is further arranged under control of said processor to move at least one neighbouring key to said one key of said first sub-set of keys on said touch sensitive display to make room for said second sub-set of keys.

11. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said touch sensitive display is further arranged under control of said processor to scale down at least one neighbouring key to said one key of said set of keys on said touch sensitive display to make room for said first sub-set of keys.

12. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said touch sensitive display is further arranged under control of said processor to scale down at least one neighbouring key to said one key of said first sub-set of keys on said touch sensitive display to make room for said second sub-set of keys.

13. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said touch sensitive display is arranged to delay display of said first sub-set of keys until after a predetermined time of said detection.

14. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said touch sensitive display is arranged to display said first sub-set of keys for a predetermined time after said detection ceases.

15. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sub-functions comprise alphanumeric input, mediaplayer input, short-cuts to applications, functions or contacts, or browser input, or any combination thereof.

16. An input method for a mobile communication apparatus comprising a processor and a touch sensitive display, comprising the steps of:

displaying a touch keypad comprising a set of keys,

detecting an object over one key of said set of keys, and

displaying, upon detection of said object, a first sub-set of keys adjacent to said one key, wherein said sub-set of keys is associated with a first set of sub-functions of said one key.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

detecting an object over one key of said first sub-set of keys, and

displaying, upon detection of said object, a second sub-set of keys adjacent to said one key of said first sub-set of keys, wherein said second sub-set of keys is associated with a second set of sub-functions of said one key of said first sub-set of keys.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of moving at least one neighbouring key to said one key of said set of keys on said touch sensitive display to make room for said first sub-set of keys.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of moving at least one neighbouring key to said one key of said first sub-set of keys on said touch sensitive display to make room for said second sub-set of keys.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of scaling down at least one neighbouring key to said one key of said set of keys on said touch sensitive display to make room for said first sub-set of keys.

21. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of scaling down at least one neighbouring key to said one key of said first sub-set of keys on said touch sensitive display to make room for said second sub-set of keys.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step of detecting said object comprises detecting said object for a predetermined time before displaying said first sub-set of keys.

23. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of continuing displaying said first sub-set of keys for a predetermined time after detection of said object ceases.

24. The method according to claim 17, wherein said second set of sub-functions relates hierarchically to one sub-function of said first set of sub-functions.

25. The method according to claim 17, wherein said first set of sub-functions relates to a first application of said mobile communication apparatus and said second set of sub-functions relates to a second application of said mobile communication apparatus.

26. The method according to claim 16, wherein said first set of sub-functions is application dependent.

27. The method according to claim 16, wherein said first sub-set of keys associated with a first set of sub-functions of said one key comprises a first group of keys associated with sub-functions related to a first application, and a second group of keys associated with sub-functions related to a second application.

28. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said second set of sub-functions is application dependent.

29. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said second sub-set of keys associated with a second set of sub-functions of said one key of said first sub-set of keys comprises a first group of keys associated with sub-functions related to a first application, and a second group of keys associated with sub-functions related to a second application.

30. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said sub-functions comprise alphanumeric input, mediaplayer input, short-cuts to applications, functions or contacts, or browser input, or any combination thereof.