MENU INTERFACE FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE

• US 20080009325A1
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: ZINN, RONALD SCOTTE, SCOTT, SHERRYL LEE LORRAINE, BOCKING, ANDREW D.
• Application Number:
  US11/456,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20080009325A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

A hand-held electronic mobile device that includes a controller including at least one processor, for controlling operation of the mobile device, a display coupled to the controller, a user input device coupled to the controller for receiving user input selections, a storage coupled to the controller; and a rigid case dimensioned to be held in a hand of a user, the case housing the controller, the display, the user input device and the storage. The controller is operative to (i) generate on the display a user interface screen having a plurality of user selectable icons, one of the icons being an options icon; (ii) generate on the display, in response to user selection of the options icon, a main options menu listing a plurality of user selectable option items, at least one of the option items being an expandable menu item associated with a group of user selectable sub-menu option items; (iii) generate on the display, in response to user selection of the at least one expandable menu item, a sub-menu listing the sub-menu option items; (iv) generate on the display, in response to user selection of at least one of the sub-menu option items, a user interface screen for a user to change an operational setting of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A hand-held electronic mobile device comprising:

a controller including at least one processor, for controlling operation of the mobile device;

a display coupled to the controller;

a user input device coupled to the controller for receiving user input selections;

a storage coupled to the controller; and

a rigid case dimensioned to be held in a hand of a user, the case housing the controller, the display, the user input device and the storage;

the controller being operative to (i) generate on the display a user interface screen having a plurality of user selectable icons, one of the icons being an options icon;

(ii) generate on the display, in response to user selection of the options icon, a main options menu listing a plurality of user selectable option items, at least one of the option items being an expandable menu item associated with a group of user selectable sub-menu option items;

(iii) generate on the display, in response to user selection of the at least one expandable menu item, a sub-menu listing the sub-menu option items;

(iv) generate on the display, in response to user selection of at least one of the sub-menu option items, a user interface screen for a user to change an operational setting of the mobile device.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to provide a graphical indicia next to displayed expandable menu items to visually identify the expandable menu items.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein an expandable menu item for device security is included in the main options menu, the expandable device security menu item being associated with option items for setting security features of the mobile device.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the controller is operative to automatically change the option items included in the main options menu in dependence on user selection history of the option items.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the controller is operative to include in the main options menu a predetermined number of most recently selected option items.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the controller is operative to include in the sub-menu the option items that are not included in the most recently selected option items.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the controller is operative to track a selection history for the option items included in the menus and to automatically allocate items between the main options menu and the sub-menu based on relative selection frequencies of the option items.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the user input device includes a rotatable and depressible mechanism that can be rotated to highlight a displayed option item and depressed to select a highlighted option item.

9. A method of generating options menus on a hand-held electronic mobile device that includes a hand-held case with a display and a user input device, the method including:

generating on the display a user interface screen having a plurality of user selectable icons, one of the icons being an options icon associated with user configurable options for the mobile device;

generating on the display, in response to user selection of the options icon, a main options menu listing a plurality of user selectable option items, at least one of the option items being an expandable menu item associated with a group of sub-menu option items;

generating on the display, in response to user selection of the at least one expandable menu item, a sub-menu listing the sub-menu option items; and

generating on the display, in response to user selection of at least one of the sub-menu option items, a user interface screen for a user to change an operational setting of the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9 including providing a graphical indicia next to displayed expandable menu items to visually identify the expandable menu items.

11. The method of claim 9 including automatically changing the option items included in the main options menu in dependence on user selection history of the option items.

12. The method of claim 11 including tracking which of the option items have been most recently selected by a user of the device, and wherein the main options menu includes a predetermined number of the most recently selected option items.

13. The method of claim 11 including tracking which of the option items have been most frequently selected by a user of the device, and wherein the main options menu includes a predetermined number of the most frequently selected option items.

14. The method of claim 9 including, when generating the sub-menu on the display, overwriting the main options menu so that only the sub-menu is shown on the display.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium carrying instructions for enabling a processor to execute the method of claim 9.

16. A hand-held electronic mobile device comprising:

a controller including at least one processor, for controlling operation of the mobile device;

a display coupled to the controller;

a user input device coupled to the controller for receiving user input selections;

a storage coupled to the controller; and

a rigid case dimensioned to be held in a hand of a user, the case housing the controller, the display, the user input device and the storage;

the controller being operative to (i) generate on the display a user interface screen having a plurality of user selectable icons including at least one icon for linking to a list of menu items;

(ii) generate on the display, in response to user selection of the at least one icon, a main menu listing a plurality of user selectable menu option items, at least one of the menu option items being an expandable menu item associated with a group of user selectable sub-menu option items; and

(iii) generate on the display, in response to user selection of the at least one expandable menu item, a sub-menu listing the sub-menu option items;

the controller adaptively allocating the option items between the main menu and the sub-menu in dependence on a user selection history for the option items.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the controller is operative to track which of the option items have been most frequently selected by a user of the device, and include in the main menu a predetermined number of the most frequently selected option items.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein the controller is operative to track which of the option items have been most recently selected by a user of the device, and wherein the main options menu includes a predetermined number of the most recently selected option items.

19. A method of generating options menus on a hand-held electronic mobile device, comprising:

providing a hand-held case with a display and a user input device, the device being configured for generating on the display a main menu listing a plurality of user selectable menu items and an expandable menu item associated with a group of sub-menu items;

generating on the display, in response to user selection of the expandable menu item, a sub-menu listing a plurality of menu items; and

adaptively allocating the menu items between the main menu and the sub-menu in dependence on a user selection history for the menu items.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein adaptively allocating the option items includes tracking which of the menu items have been most frequently selected by a user of the device, and including in the main menu a predetermined number of the most frequently selected menu items.