Navigating Between A Map Dialog And Button Controls Displayed Outside The Map

• US 20120017148A1
• Filed: 01/21/2011
• Published: 01/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: CANTON, Raymond Lee, WATT, Robert Anthony, MAHAN, Laura
• Application Number:
  US13/011,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20120017148A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/708
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

A method of interacting with a map displayed on a mobile device entails displaying a map in a map dialog on a display of the mobile device, displaying control buttons on the display but outside the map dialog, and receiving user input to switch between a map manipulation mode, where user input manipulates the map, and a control button mode, where user input enables navigation between the control buttons. In one implementation, switching between the two modes permits the same user interface element to be used for navigation/manipulation of the map and of the control buttons, depending on which mode is activated. In one implementation, clicking the track pad toggles between the map manipulation mode and the control button mode.

Claims

1. A method of interacting with a map displayed on a mobile device, the method comprising:

displaying a map in a map dialog on a display of the mobile device;

displaying control buttons on the display but outside the map dialog; and

receiving selection input to switch between a map manipulation mode, where subsequent input manipulates the map, and a control button mode, where subsequent input enables navigation between the control buttons.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the receiving selection input to switch between the map manipulation mode and the control button mode is a click of a track pad where the track pad is also used for subsequent input for manipulating the map and for navigation between the control buttons.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the receiving of selection input to switch between the map manipulation mode and the control button mode comprises using the track pad to place a focus on the map dialog before clicking the track pad.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising displaying navigation hints onscreen to indicate how to interact with the map in the map dialog.

5. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions in code which when loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a mobile device is adapted to perform acts of:

displaying a map in a map dialog on a display of the mobile device;

displaying control buttons on the display but outside the map dialog; and

receiving input to switch between a map manipulation mode, where subsequent input manipulates the map, and a control button mode, where subsequent input enables navigation between the control buttons.

6. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 5 comprising code that causes a switch between the map manipulation mode and the control button mode on receipt of a click of a track pad where the track pad is also used for manipulating the map and for navigation between the control buttons.

7. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 5 wherein the receiving of input to switch between the map manipulation mode and the control button mode comprises using the track pad to place a focus on the map dialog before clicking the track pad.

8. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 5 further comprising code for displaying navigation hints onscreen to indicate how to interact with the map in the map dialog.

9. A mobile device comprising:

a memory coupled to a processor for executing a map application on the mobile device;

a display for displaying a map dialog containing a map and for displaying a plurality of control buttons outside the map dialog; and

a user interface for receiving input to switch between a map manipulation mode for manipulating the map in the map dialog and a control button mode for navigating between the control buttons.

10. The device as claimed in claim 9 wherein the user interface comprises a track pad for scrolling and panning the map and for navigating between the control buttons, wherein a click of the track pad triggers switching between the map manipulation mode and the control button mode.

11. The device as claimed in claim 9 further comprising displaying navigation hints onscreen to indicate how to interact with the map in the map dialog.

12. The device as claimed in claim 10 further comprising displaying a highlighted frame around the map dialog to signify that the track pad may be clicked to switch into map manipulation mode.