Mobile Communications Device User Interface

• US 20100180233A1
• Filed: 09/15/2009
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Smuga, Michael A., Wilson, Brian M., Henderlight, Michael K., Murphy, Ryan T., Corrigan, Patrick S., Williams, Dustin Owen, Voss, Chad Aron, Kruzeniski, Michael J., Guntaur, Paula, Friedman, Jonathan D., McLaughlin, Joseph P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,218,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/834
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• 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: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 : Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 : from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A mobile communications device user interface is described. In an implementation, a method is implemented by a computing device that includes displaying content in conjunction with a first level of a hierarchical menu in a user interface on a display device of the computing device. Responsive to receipt of an input to navigate to a second level of the hierarchical menu that is a sublevel of the first level, the second level in displayed conjunction with the content on the display device, the content having a reduced display richness when displayed in conjunction with the second level than when displayed in conjunction with the first level.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a computing device, the method comprising:

displaying content in conjunction with a first level of a hierarchical menu in a user interface on a display device of the computing device; and

responsive to receipt of an input to navigate to a second level of the hierarchical menu that is a sublevel of the first level, displaying the second level in conjunction with the content on the display device, the content having a reduced display richness when displayed in conjunction with the second level than when displayed in conjunction with the first level.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the reduced display richness involves desaturation of the content.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the reduced display richness involves darkening the content.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein one or more portions of the hierarchical menu of the user interface represent actions that involve the content.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the display of the second level of the user interface does not have the reduced display richness.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured as a mobile communications device having telephone functionality and one or more of the hierarchical levels include representations of contacts.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to include an image capture device and the content is an image that was captured using the image capture device.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the first level of the hierarchical menu and the second level of the hierarchical menu are displayed as an overlay over the content.

9. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the user interface does not include a toolbar.

10. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising responsive to receipt of an input to navigate to a third level of the hierarchical menu that is a sublevel of the second level, displaying the third level in the user interface on the display device to have a reduced display richness in comparison to the display of the second level.

11. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the first level of the hierarchical menu includes a first menu item to initiate a first action and a second menu item that is selectable to cause the input to navigate to the second level of the hierarchical menu; and

the second menu item is selectable when the second level of the hierarchical structure is displayed to navigate back to the first level of the hierarchical structure.

12. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising instructions that are executable by a mobile communications device to cause output of a user interface on a touchscreen of the mobile communications device, the user interface having a hierarchical structure in which a root level of the hierarchical structure includes a first menu item that is selectable via the touchscreen to initiate a primary action and a second menu item that is selectable to cause display of a sublevel of the hierarchical structure that includes a plurality of menu items, one or more of which are selectable to initiate a respective action and at least one of which is selectable to cause display of another sublevel of the hierarchical structure.

13. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 12, wherein the root level of the hierarchical structure only contains the first and second portions.

14. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 12, wherein:

the hierarchical structure is a menu that is displayed in conjunction with content; and

the content has a reduced display richness when displayed in conjunction with the sub level of the hierarchical structure than when displayed in conjunction with the root level.

15. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 12, wherein:

the user interface is scrollable via a gesture received via the touchscreen when displaying the root level of the hierarchical structure; and

the user interface is configured to not display at least a portion of the first and second menu items when the user interface is scrolling.

16. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 12, wherein the user interface is configured to display an animation when the second menu item is selected that gives an appearance that the plurality of menu items of the sublevel expand outwards radially from the display of the second menu item.

17. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 12, wherein the second menu item is selectable when the sublevel of the hierarchical structure is displayed to navigate back to the root level of the hierarchical structure.

18. A mobile communications device comprising:

a touchscreen;

a processor; and

memory configured to maintain an operating system that is executable on the processor to display a user interface on the touchscreen that is scrollable via a gesture received via the touchscreen, the user interface is configured for display on the touchscreen to include one or more menu items when the user interface is not scrolled and configured to not display at least a portion of the one or more menu items when the user interface is scrolled.

19. A mobile communications device as described in claim 18, wherein the user interface is configured to not display at least a portion of the one or more menu items when the user interface is scrolled through output of an animation in which the one or more menu items appear to follow inertia of the scrolling of content in the user interface that is displayed under the one or more menu items.

20. A mobile communications device as described in claim 18, wherein:

the at least a portion of the one or more menu items are also displayed in the user interface when the user interface is not scrolled; and

the user interface is configured to display a portion of the one or more menu items when the user interface is scrolled that is also displayed when the user interface is not scrolled;