SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SWITCHING BETWEEN RUNNING APPLICATION PROGRAMS ON HANDHELD DEVICES

• US 20080155477A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Bocking, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/615,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20080155477A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/840
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4812 by interrupt, e.g. masked

Abstract

A handheld device has a memory for storing a plurality of software applications and a processor for running concurrently at least two of the applications, a one of them defining an active application. First and second buttons on the device are adapted to advance a one of the running applications to the active application. According to a method, (which may be configured by code in each of at least some of the software applications), the processor is configured to display a first menu in response to an input from the first button where the first menu has at least one menu item for prompting a user to a second menu showing a list of running applications. The processor is further configured to navigate the menus in response to input from the second button and advance to the active application a one of the running applications selected from the second menu.

Claims

1. A method for advancing running application programs to an active status in a handheld device, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying a first menu in response to an input from a first button, the first menu comprising at least one menu item for prompting the user to a second menu, the second menu showing a list of running applications; and

advancing from said list of running applications to active status an application selected from the second menu.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 comprising displaying said second menu in response to the selecting of the at least one menu item for prompting the user.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 wherein said selecting of the at least one menu item is responsive to input from the first button.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 comprising navigating at least one of said first menu and said second menu in response to input from a second button.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 comprising selecting the application from the list of running applications in response to input from the first button.

6. The method as defined in claim 5 wherein said first and second buttons comprising a clickable thumbwheel control and wherein said method comprises operating said clickable thumbwheel control using a thumb to provide each of said inputs.

7. A computer program product comprising computer readable code embodied therein which when executed by a processor adapt a handheld device to advance a running application to active status, said code adapting the processor to:

display a first menu, in response to an input from a first button, the first menu comprising at least one menu item for prompting the user to a second menu, the second menu showing a list of running applications; and

advance from said list of running applications to active status an application selected from the second menu.

8. The computer program product as defined in claim 7 wherein said code adapts the processor to display said second menu in response to the selecting of the at least one menu item for prompting the user.

9. The computer program product as defined in claim 8 wherein said code adapts the processor to select the at least one menu item in responsive to input from the first button.

10. The computer program product as defined in claim 7 wherein said code adapts the processor to navigate at least one of said first menu and said second menu in response to input from a second button.

11. The computer program product as defined in claim 7 wherein said code adapts the processor to select the application from the list of running applications in response to input from the first button.

12. A handheld device for advancing running application programs to an active status, the device comprising:

a first button operable to cause the device to display a first menu, the first menu comprising at least one menu item for prompting the user to an advance application menu, the advance application menu showing a list of running applications; and

a second button operable to allow a user to navigate said menus; and

wherein said first button is further operable to select an application from said list of running applications to advance to active status.

13. A handheld device as defined in claim 12, said first and second buttons being operable by the user using one hand.

14. A handheld device as defined in claim 12, said first and second buttons being operable by the user'"'"'s thumb.

15. A handheld device as defined in claim 12, said first and second buttons being a clickable thumbwheel control.

16. A handheld device as defined in claim 12, wherein said first button is further operable to select the at least one menu item for prompting the user to cause the display of the advance application menu.

17. A handheld device comprising:

a memory for storing a plurality of software applications;

a processor for running concurrently at least two of said software applications, a one of said running applications defining an active application;

a first button and a second button; and

wherein at least some of the plurality of software applications comprising code to configure the processor to;

display a first menu in response to an input from the first button, the first menu comprising at least one menu item for prompting a user to a second menu, the second menu showing a list of said running applications;

navigate said first menu and second menu in response to input from said second button; and

advance to the active application a one of said running applications selected from the second menu.