Navigating Through Menus of a Handheld Computer

• US 20090280868A1
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hawkins, Jeffrey C., Kruglikov, Vitaly, Rees, William B., Haitani, Robert Y., Chyi, Debbie O.
• Granted Patent: US 8,261,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57

Abstract

A technique to navigate through one or more menus of a handheld computer is disclosed. In one embodiment, the technique uses a handheld device having a first button to cause a cursor to navigate through a plurality of menu items and to highlight a desired menu item. The device also has a second button to cause the cursor to navigate through a plurality of menus when the cursor is highlighting one of the menus or a first menu item, and to cause the cursor to highlight a previous menu item when the cursor is highlighting a menu item other than the first menu item.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device having telephone functionality comprising:

a first controller capable of receiving a first input operation, wherein;

responsive to the first input operation, the first input operation distinct from a menu selection command, the first controller visually distinguishes a desired menu item within a menu of a plurality of menus; and

a second controller for receiving at least a second input operation, wherein;

responsive to the second input operation when the menu selection command has not been received, the second input operation distinct from the menu selection command, the second controller;

visually distinguishes a different menu from the plurality of menus when the cursor is indicating a first menu or a first menu item in the menu of the plurality of menus and when the menu selection command has not been received; and

visually distinguishes a second menu item within the plurality of menus when the desired menu item is a menu item other than the desired menu item in the menu of the plurality of menus and when the menu selection command has not been received.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1 further comprising:

a display mechanism structured to cause the device to display the plurality of menus.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 1 further comprising:

an execute mechanism structured to cause the device to execute the visually distinguished item.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 1 wherein the visually distinguished menu item is a telephone number.

5. The mobile computing device of claim 4 further comprising:

a dialing mechanism structured to cause the device to dial the telephone number.

6. The mobile computing device of claim 1 wherein the first controller comprises a switch structured to move in at least two directions.

7. The mobile computing device of claim 6 wherein the switch comprises a roller switch movable in at least two directions, and wherein the first input operation comprises movement of the roller switch in a direction.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 6, wherein the switch comprises a rocker switch having at least two sides, and wherein the first input operation comprises activating a first side of the rocker switch.

8. A mobile computing device having telephone functionality comprising:

a first controller capable of receiving a first input operation, wherein;

responsive to the first input operation when a menu selection command has not been received, the input operation distinct from the menu selection command, the first controller;

visually distinguishes a desired menu item within a menu of a plurality of menus when the visually distinguished menu item is a first menu or a first menu item of the plurality of menus; and

a second controller capable of receiving a second input operation wherein;

responsive to the second input operation when the menu selection command has not been received, the second input operation distinct from the menu selection command, the second controller;

visually distinguishes a different menu item within the menu when the visually distinguished menu item is a menu item other than the first menu item in the menu of the plurality of menus and when the menu selection command has not been received; and

visually distinguishes a different menu when the visually distinguished menu item is the first menu item in the menu of the plurality of menus and when the menu selection command has not been received.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 8, wherein the first controller comprises a switch structured to move in at least two directions.

10. The mobile computing device of claim 9, wherein the switch comprises a roller switch movable in at least two directions, and wherein the first input operation comprises movement of the roller switch in a first direction.

21. The mobile computing device of claim 9, wherein the switch comprises a rocker switch having at least two sides, and wherein the first input operation comprises activating a first side of the rocker switch.

11. A mobile computing device having telephone functionality comprising:

a first means for receiving a first input operation, wherein;

responsive to the first input operation, the first input operation distinct from a menu selection command, the first means visually distinguishes a desired menu item within a menu of a plurality of menus when the visually distinguished menu item is a first menu or a first menu item to indicate a desired menu item within the menu; and

a second means for receiving a second input operation, wherein;

responsive to the second input operation when the menu selection command has not been received, the second input operation distinct from a menu selection command, the second means

visually distinguishes a different menu item within the menu when the visually distinguished menu item is a menu item other than the first menu item in the menu of the plurality of menus and when the menu selection command has not been received; and

visually distinguishes a different menu when the visually distinguished menu item is the first menu item in the menu of the plurality of menus and when the menu selection command has not been received.

12. A method performed by a mobile computing device having telephone functionality, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving a first input distinct from a menu selection command;

visually distinguishing a first menu from a second menu in a plurality of menus when a first menu item in the first menu or the first menu is accessed; and

responsive to receiving a second input when the menu selection command has not been received, the second input distinct from the menu selection command, visually distinguishing an item within the first menu from other items in the first menu when a menu item other than the first menu item in the first menu of the plurality of menus is accessed and when the menu selection command has not been received; and

visually distinguishing the second menu when the first menu item in the first menu of the plurality of menus is accessed and when the menu selection comand has not been received.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

receiving a request to display the plurality of menus.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving an execution command; and

executing the visually distinguished menu item.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the visually distinguished menu item comprises a telephone number.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving a dialing command; and

dialing the telephone number.

17. A mobile computing device having telephone functionality comprising:

a display device configured to display;

a menu bar including a plurality of menus;

a set of items associated with each menu of the plurality of menus;

a display button configured to cause the display device to display the menu bar including the plurality of menus;

a controller for receiving a first input operation and a second input operation, wherein;

responsive to receiving the first input operation, the first input operation distinct from a menu selection command, the controller navigates within a first menu within a plurality of menus by visually distinguishing a desired menu item within the first menu from menu items within the first menu;

responsive to receiving the second input operation when the menu selection command has not been received, the second input operation distinct from the menu selection command, the controller;

navigates from one menu to another when the desired menu item is a menu within the plurality of menus or a first menu item in the first menu and when the menu selection command has not been received; and

navigates within the first menu when desired menu item is a menu item in the first menu other than the first menu item in the first menu and when the menu selection command has not been received.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the controller comprises a switch capable of movement in at least two directions.

19. The mobile computing device of claim 18 wherein the switch comprises a roller switch movable in at least two directions, and wherein the first input operation comprises movement of the roller switch in a direction.

22. The mobile computing device of claim 18 wherein the switch comprises a rocker switch having at least two sides, and wherein the first input operation comprises activating a first side of the rocker switch.