User interface methods and apparatus for controlling the visual display of maps having selectable map elements in mobile communication devices

• US 20070256026A1
• Filed: 07/07/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Johnson, Eric, Boudreau, Jesse, Kalougina, Tatiana, Klassen, Gerhard, Wisebourt, Shaul, Devenyi, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,397,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/102 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

One illustrative method for use in controlling user interface operation of a communication device when visually displaying a map involves the steps of causing a viewable map region of the map to be visually displayed in a display, the viewable map region having a plurality of selectable map elements; maintaining a list of element identifiers which includes element identifiers corresponding to the selectable map elements in the viewable map region, each element identifier being associated with a pair of x, y coordinates for visual display; controlling end user selection of the selectable map elements via a positioning mechanism in left and right directions in accordance with a numeric order of the x-coordinates; controlling end user selection of the selectable map elements via the positioning mechanism in up and down directions in accordance with a numeric order of the y-coordinates; and repeating the acts of causing, maintaining, and controlling for a next viewable map region of the map having a next plurality of selectable map elements. The end user selection may be controlled specifically by monitoring to detect a forward (or reverse) direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism; in response to detecting the forward (or reverse) direction positioning signal: causing a cursor in the display to be moved in a forward (or reverse) direction so as to select a next (or previous) selectable map element in the viewable map region, but if a last (or first) selectable map element in the viewable map region is currently selected when the forward (or reverse) direction positioning signal is detected, causing the viewable map region of the map to be panned in the display in the forward (or reverse) direction.

Claims

1. A method for use in controlling user interface operation of a communication device when visually displaying a map, the method comprising the acts of:

causing a viewable map region of the map to be visually displayed in the display, the viewable map region having a plurality of selectable map elements;

maintaining a list of element identifiers which includes element identifiers associated with the selectable map elements;

controlling user interface operation for the viewable map region based on the list of element identifiers by;

monitoring to detect a forward direction positioning signal from a positioning mechanism of the user interface;

in response to detecting the forward direction positioning signal;

causing a cursor in the display to be moved in a forward direction so as to select a next selectable map element in the viewable map region, but if a last selectable map element in the viewable map region is currently selected when the forward direction positioning signal is detected, causing the viewable map region of the map to be panned in the display in the forward direction;

monitoring to detect a reverse direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism; and

in response to detecting the reverse direction positioning signal;

causing the cursor in the display to be moved in a reverse direction opposite the forward direction so as to select a previous map element in the viewable map region, but if a first selectable map element in the viewable map region is currently selected when the reverse direction positioning signal is detected, causing the map to be panned in the display in reverse direction; and

repeating the acts of causing, maintaining, and controlling the user interface operation for a next viewable map region of the map having a next plurality of selectable map elements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein an order of selection of the selectable map elements in the forward and reverse directions is determined based on a numeric order of coordinates associated with the selectable map elements in the viewable map region.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein an order of selection of the selectable map elements in the forward and the reverse directions corresponding to left and right directions, respectively, is determined based on a numeric order of x-axis coordinates of the selectable map elements.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein an order of selection of the selectable map elements in the forward and the reverse directions corresponding to up and down directions, respectively, is determined based on a numeric order of y-axis coordinates of the selectable map elements.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring to detect a selecti6n signal for a selectable map element which is currently selected with the cursor; and

causing point of interest information for the selectable map element to be visually displayed in response to detecting the selection signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning mechanism comprises a scrollwheel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning mechanism comprises one of:

up/down keys;

left/right keys; and

a trackball.

8. The method of claim 1, which is embodied as a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium and computer instructions stored in the computer readable medium which are executable to perform the method.

9. A mobile communication device comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

one or more processors coupled to the wireless transceiver;

a user interface coupled to the one or more processors and including;

a positioning mechanism;

a visual display;

the one or more processors being operative to;

cause a viewable map region of the map to be visually displayed in the display, the viewable map region having a plurality of selectable map elements;

maintain a list of element identifiers which includes element identifiers associated with the selectable map elements;

control user interface operation for the viewable map region based on the list of element identifiers by;

monitoring to detect a forward direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism;

in response to detecting the forward direction positioning signal;

causing a cursor in the display to be moved in a forward direction so as to select a next selectable map element in the viewable map region, but if a last selectable map element in the viewable map region is currently selected when the forward direction positioning signal is detected, causing the viewable map region of the map to be panned in the display in the forward direction;

monitoring to detect a reverse direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism; and

in response to detecting the reverse direction positioning signal;

causing the cursor in the display to be moved in a reverse direction opposite the forward direction so as to select a previous map element in the viewable map region, but if a first selectable map element in the viewable map region is currently selected when the reverse direction positioning signal is detected, causing the map to be panned in the display in reverse direction; and

repeat the controlling of the user interface operation for a next viewable map region of the map having a next plurality of selectable map elements.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein an order of selection of the selectable map elements in the forward and the reverse directions is determined by the one or more processors based on a numeric order of coordinates associated with the selectable map elements in the viewable map region.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein an order of selection of the selectable map elements in the forward and the reverse directions corresponding to left and right directions, respectively, is determined by the one or more processors based on a numeric order of x-axis coordinates of the selectable map elements.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein an order of selection of the selectable map elements in the forward and the reverse directions corresponding to up and down directions, respectively, is determined by the one or more processors based on a numeric order of y-axis coordinates of the selectable map elements.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to control user interface operation for the viewable map region based on the list of element identifiers further by:

monitoring to detect a selection signal for a selectable map element which is currently selected with the cursor; and

causing point of interest information for the selectable map element to be visually displayed in the display in response to detecting the selection signal.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the positioning mechanism comprises a scrollwheel.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the positioning mechanism comprises one of:

up/down keys;

left/right keys; and

a trackball.

16. A method for use in controlling user interface operation of a communication device when visually displaying a map, the method comprising the acts of:

causing a viewable map region of the map to be visually displayed in a display, the viewable map region having a plurality of selectable map elements;

maintaining a list of element identifiers which includes element identifiers corresponding to the selectable map elements in the viewable map region, each element identifier being associated with a pair of x, y coordinates for visual display;

controlling end user selection of the selectable map elements via a positioning mechanism in left and right directions in accordance with a numeric order of the x-coordinates;

controlling end user selection of the selectable map elements via the positioning mechanism in up and down directions in accordance with a numeric order of the y-coordinates; and

repeating the acts of causing, maintaining, and controlling for a next viewable map region of the map having a next plurality of selectable map elements.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the acts of controlling the end user selection further comprises:

monitoring to detect a forward direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism;

in response to detecting the forward direction positioning signal;

causing a cursor in the display to be moved in a forward direction so as to select a next selectable map element in the viewable map region, but if a last selectable map element in the viewable map region is currently selected when the forward direction positioning signal is detected, causing the viewable map region of the map to be panned in the display in the forward direction;

monitoring to detect a reverse direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism; and

in response to detecting the reverse direction positioning signal;

causing the cursor in the display to be moved in a reverse direction opposite the forward direction so as to select a previous map element in the viewable map region, but if a first selectable map element in the viewable map region is currently selected when the reverse direction positioning signal is detected, causing the map to be panned in the display in reverse direction.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the positioning mechanism comprises one of a positioning wheel, a trackball, or a plurality of directional keys of the communication device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the selectable map elements comprise points of interest indicators in the map.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the acts of controlling the end user selection further comprises:

monitoring to detect a selection signal from the positioning mechanism; and

causing information regarding a selected one of the selectable map elements to be displayed in the display in response to detecting the selection signal.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

causing an off map indicator to be visually displayed in the map corresponding to a map element that is not viewable in the viewable map region.

22. The method of claim 16, which is embodied in a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium and computer instructions stored in the computer readable medium which are executable to perform the method.

23. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

one or more processors;

memory;

a user interface including;

a visual display;

a positioning mechanism;

the one or more processors being operative to;

cause a viewable map region of the map to be visually displayed in the display, the viewable map region having a plurality of selectable map elements;

maintain, in the memory, a list of element identifiers which includes element identifiers corresponding to the selectable map elements in the viewable map region, each element identifier being associated with a pair of x, y coordinates for visual display;

control end user selection of the selectable map elements via the positioning mechanism in left and right directions in accordance with a numeric order of the x-coordinates;

control end user selection of the selectable map elements via the positioning mechanism in up and down directions in accordance with a numeric order of the y-coordinates; and

repeat the acts of causing, maintaining, and controlling for a next viewable map region of the map having a next plurality of selectable map elements.

24. The mobile communication device of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to control the end user selection by:

monitoring to detect a forward direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism;

in response to detecting the forward direction positioning signal;

causing a cursor in the display to be moved in a forward direction so as to select a next selectable map element in the viewable map region, but if a last selectable map element in the viewable map region is currently selected when the forward direction positioning signal is detected, causing the viewable map region of the map to be panned in the display in the forward direction;

monitoring to detect a reverse direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism; and

in response to detecting the reverse direction positioning signal;

causing the cursor in the display to be moved in a reverse direction opposite the forward direction so as to select a previous map element in the viewable map region, but if a first selectable map element in the viewable map region is currently selected when the reverse direction positioning signal is detected, causing the map to be panned in the display in reverse direction.

25. The mobile communication device of claim 23, wherein the positioning mechanism comprises one of a positioning wheel, a trackball, or a plurality of directional keys of the communication device.

26. The mobile communication device of claim 23, wherein the selectable map elements comprise points of interest indicators in the map.

27. The mobile communication device of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to control the end user selection by:

monitoring to detect a selection signal from the positioning mechanism; and

causing information regarding a selected one of the selectable map elements to be displayed in the display in response to detecting the selection signal.

28. The mobile communication device of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

cause an off map indicator to be visually displayed in the map corresponding to a map element that is not viewable in the viewable map region.