Apparatus and method for enabling user input

• US 20090327956A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Porat, Ofri Olavi
• Application Number:
  US12/215,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20090327956A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor

Abstract

A method, apparatus, computer program and user interface wherein the method includes providing a plurality of selectable control elements where the plurality of selectable control elements are sorted into categories according to a first sorting criterion and sorted into positions within the categories according to a second sorting criterion; controlling a display to present a first one of the plurality of selectable control elements wherein the first one of the selectable control elements is positioned in a determined category at a determined position within the determined category; enabling a user to control the display to present a second one of the plurality of selectable control elements by enabling a first type of directional user input to select a different category and enabling a second type of directional user input to select a position within the selected category without changing the selected category.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of selectable control elements where the plurality of selectable control elements are sorted into categories according to a first sorting criterion and sorted into positions within the categories according to a second sorting criterion;

controlling a display to present a first one of the plurality of selectable control elements wherein the first one of the selectable control elements is positioned in a determined category at a determined position within the determined category;

enabling a user to control the display to present a second one of the plurality of selectable control elements by enabling a first type of directional user input to select a different category and enabling a second type of directional user input to select a position within the selected category without changing the selected category.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the selectable control element enables access to content.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the content comprises audio information.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the selectable control elements comprise an image corresponding to the content.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the selectable control elements comprise a label indicative of the content associated with selectable control element and the first sorting criterion is alphabetical order of the first character in the label.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the second sorting criterion is the alphabetical order of second and subsequent characters in the label.

7. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein in response to selection of a selectable control element information relating to the content associated with the selectable control element is presented.

8. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the directional inputs are trace inputs on a touch sensitive user input device.

20. A computer program comprising program instructions for causing a computer to perform the method of claim 1.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a display configured to present a first one of a plurality of selectable control elements where the plurality of selectable control elements are sorted into categories according to a first sorting criterion and sorted into positions within the categories according to a second sorting criterion and where the first one of the plurality of selectable control elements is positioned in a determined category at a determined position within the determined category;

a user input device configured to enable a user to make directional user inputs; and

a processor configured to control the display to present a second one of the plurality of selectable control elements by selecting, in response to a first type of directional user input, a different category and selecting, in response to a second type of directional user input, a position within the selected category without changing the selected category.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the selectable control elements enable access to content.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the content comprises audio information.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the selectable control elements comprise an image corresponding to the content.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the selectable control elements comprise a label indicative of the content associated with the selectable control element and the first sorting criterion is alphabetical order of the first character in the label.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the second sorting criterion is the alphabetical order of the second and subsequent characters in the label.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein in response to selection of a selectable control element information relating to the content associated with the selectable control element is presented.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the directional inputs are trace inputs on a touch sensitive user input device.

17. A computer program comprising program instructions for controlling an apparatus, the apparatus comprising a user input device configured to enable a user to make directional user inputs and a display, the program instructions providing, when loaded into a processor:

means for controlling the display to present a first one of a plurality of selectable control elements where the plurality of selectable control elements are sorted into categories according to a first sorting criterion and sorted into positions within the categories according to a second sorting criterion and where the first one of the plurality of selectable control elements is positioned in a determined category at a determined position within the determined category; and

means for controlling the display to present a second one of the plurality of selectable control elements by selecting, in response to a first type of directional user input, a different category and selecting, in response to a second type of directional user input, a position within the selected category without changing the selected category.

18. A physical entity embodying the computer program as claimed in claim 17.

19. An electromagnetic carrier signal carrying the computer program as claimed in claim 17.

21. A user interface comprising:

a display configured to present a first one of a plurality of selectable control elements where the plurality of selectable control elements are sorted into categories according to a first sorting criterion and sorted into positions within the categories according to a second sorting criterion and where the first one of the plurality of selectable control elements is positioned in a determined category at a determined position within the determined category;

a user input device configured to enable a user to make directional user inputs;

wherein the user interface is configured such that the display is controlled to present a second one of the plurality of selectable control elements by selecting, in response to a first type of directional user input, a different category and selecting, in response to a second type of directional user input, a position within the selected category without changing the selected category.

22. A user interface as claimed in claim 21 wherein the selectable control elements enable access to content.

23. A user interface as claimed in claim 22 wherein the content comprises audio information.