MOBILE TELEPHONE WITH IMPROVED MAN MACHINE INTERFACE

• US 20080220751A1
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: DE BAST, CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US12/108,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20080220751A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• 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

The present invention envisages a GSM mobile telephone in which a line of icons is displayed on a display. As a user navigates through the displayed line of icons, the positions of the icons alter so that the selectable icon moves to the head of the line. This approach makes it very clear (i) which icon is selectable at any time and (ii) where that icon sits in relation to other icons at the same functional level (e.g. only first level icons will be present in one line). First level icons typically relate to the following functions: phonebook; messages; call register; counters; call diversion; telephone settings; network details; voice mail and IrDA activation.

Claims

1. A mobile telephone comprising:

a display;

a navigational tool; and

a graphical user interface controlling the display based upon signals received from the navigational tool,

wherein;

the display displays a first array of selectable icons associated with a first level of selectable functions,

the navigational tool allows a user to select one of the selectable functions by nudging the navigational tool in a first direction to select one icon from the first array of selectable icons,

the function of the selected icon is identified textually on the display and the functions of the remaining selectable icons are not displayed; and

a user can navigate from the display of the first array of selectable icons to a display of a second array of selectable icons associated with a second level of selectable functions by nudging the navigational tool in a second direction that is not collinear with or parallel to the first direction.

2. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the navigational tool is one of a joystick and a rocker switch.

3. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the second direction is approximately orthogonal to the first direction.

4. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the array of selectable icons at the first level of selectable icons is a linear array.

5. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the array of selectable icons at the first level of selectable icons is a two-dimensional array.

6. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the selected icon is animated upon being selected.

7. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the array of selectable icons includes icons for selecting a phone book function and a messaging function.

8. The mobile telephone of claim 7, wherein the array of selectable icons further includes icons for selecting at least one of a call register function, a counter function, a call diversion function, a tools function, and a telephone settings function.

9. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface further includes a magnification function that alters the size of the selected icon.

10. The mobile telephone of claim 9, further comprising an input device that controls both a volume of the mobile telephone and the magnification function.

11. A method for operating a mobile telephone having a display, a navigational tool, and a graphical user interface controlling the display based upon signals received from the navigational tool, the method comprising:

controlling the display using the navigational tool, the navigational tool being in communication with the graphical user interface;

displaying on the display a first array of selectable icons associated with a first level of selectable functions on the display;

receiving a selection of one of the selectable functions by a nudging of the navigational tool in a first direction selecting one of the first array of selectable icons;

identifying the function of the selected icon textually on the display and not identifying the functions of the remaining selectable icons on the display; and

navigating from the display of selectable icons to a display of a second array of selectable icons associated with a second level of selectable functions in response to receiving a nudging of the navigational tool in a second direction that is not collinear with or parallel to the first direction.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second direction is orthogonal to the first direction.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising animating the selected icon.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first level of selectable functions includes a phone book function and a messaging function.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first level of selectable functions further includes at least one of a call register function, a counter function, a call diversion function, a tools function and a telephone settings function.

16. A mobile telephone comprising:

a navigational tool and a graphical user interface for controlling a display; and

a top level screen on the display showing an array of selectable icons representing a top level of selectable functions, the top level screen showing that one of the selectable icons has been selected,

wherein the function of the selected icon is identified textually on the screen and the functions of the remaining selectable icons are not identified on the screen, and

wherein a user can navigate from the top level of selectable functions by nudging the navigational tool.

17. The mobile telephone of claim 16, wherein the array of selectable icons is a two-dimensional array, and wherein the selected icon can be selected by nudging the navigational tool.

18. The mobile telephone of claim 16, wherein the top level screen shows an icon representing a phone book and wherein the icon selecting the phone book is the default selected icon on the top level screen.

19. The mobile telephone of claim 18, wherein by nudging the navigational tool, the user can navigate from the top level of selectable functions to a second array of selectable icons representing a second level of selectable functions, and wherein the second level of selectable functions below the phone book function includes a consult feature allowing a display of the phone book entries and a draft feature allowing entry of new entries.

20. The mobile telephone of claim 16, comprising means for magnifying the selected icon.