PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING DISPLAY OF SELECTABLE ELEMENTS

• US 20160147440A1
• Filed: 11/26/2014
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: LEYON, Christofer Bengt Thure
• Granted Patent: US 10,503,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 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: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• 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

Abstract

A method of controlling display of selectable elements on a portable electronic device includes displaying a navigation bar including a plurality of selectable elements along a side of the touch-sensitive display that is adjacent to the physical keyboard. In response to entering a keyboard input mode, a plurality of keyboard keys is displayed on the touch-sensitive display, along the side that is adjacent to the physical keyboard. The keyboard keys include keys for character entry in a character entry field on the touch-sensitive display and a key to discontinue displaying the plurality of keyboard keys on the touch-sensitive display. In response to receipt of selection of the key to discontinue displaying the plurality of keyboard keys on the touch-sensitive display, display of the plurality of keyboard keys is discontinued and the navigation bar is displayed along the side that is adjacent to the physical keyboard.

Claims

1. A method of controlling display of selectable elements on a portable electronic device including a physical keyboard and a touch-sensitive display, the method comprising:

displaying a navigation bar including a plurality of selectable elements on the touch-sensitive display, along a side of the touch-sensitive display that is adjacent to the physical keyboard;

in response to entering a keyboard input mode, displaying a plurality of keyboard keys on the touch-sensitive display, in a row along the side that is adjacent to the physical keyboard, the plurality of keyboard keys including keys for character entry in a character entry field on the touch-sensitive display and a key to discontinue displaying the plurality of keyboard keys on the touch-sensitive display;

in response to receipt of selection of the key to discontinue displaying the plurality of keyboard keys on the touch-sensitive display, discontinuing displaying the plurality of keyboard keys on the touch-sensitive display and displaying the navigation bar along the side that is adjacent to the physical keyboard.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising, in response to receipt of an input to exit the keyboard input mode when the plurality of keyboard keys is displayed, discontinuing displaying the plurality of keyboard keys on the touch-sensitive display and displaying the navigation bar along the side that is adjacent to the physical keyboard.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying the plurality of keyboard keys comprises replacing the navigation bar such that display of the navigation bar is discontinued when the plurality of keyboard keys is displayed.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying the plurality of keyboard keys comprises displacing the navigation bar such that display of the navigation bar continues and the plurality of keyboard keys are displayed between the navigation bar and the physical keyboard.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising displaying selectable suggested character strings adjacent to the plurality of keyboard keys such that the selectable suggested character strings are disposed between the navigation bar and the physical keyboard.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising displaying selectable suggested character strings adjacent to the plurality of keyboard keys such that the plurality of keyboard keys are disposed between the selectable suggested character strings and the physical keyboard.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying the plurality of keyboard keys comprises displaying a shift key to perform a shift function which shift function is not selectable utilizing the physical keyboard.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein displaying the plurality of keyboard keys comprises displaying punctuation marks for selection, which punctuation marks are not selectable utilizing the physical keyboard.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein displaying the plurality of keyboard keys comprises displaying a selectable key to display numerical characters that are not selectable utilizing the physical keyboard.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable code executable by at least one processor of the portable electronic device to perform the method according to claim 1.

11. A portable electronic device comprising:

a physical keyboard for selection of characters when in a keyboard input mode;

a touch-sensitive display for displaying information thereon, including the characters selected when in the keyboard input mode;

a processor coupled to the physical keyboard and to the touch-sensitive display and programmed to;

display a navigation bar including a plurality of selectable elements on the touch-sensitive display, along a side of the touch-sensitive display that is adjacent to the physical keyboard;

in response to entering the keyboard input mode, display a plurality of keyboard keys on the touch-sensitive display, in a row along the side that is adjacent to the physical keyboard, the plurality of keyboard keys including keys for character entry in a character entry field on the touch-sensitive display and a key to discontinue displaying the plurality of keyboard keys on the touch-sensitive display;

in response to receipt of selection of the key to discontinue displaying the plurality of keyboard keys on the touch-sensitive display, discontinue displaying the plurality of keyboard keys on the touch-sensitive display and displaying the navigation bar along the side that is adjacent to the physical keyboard.

12. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the processor is programmed to, in response to receipt of an input to exit the keyboard input mode when the plurality of keyboard keys is displayed, discontinue displaying the plurality of keyboard keys on the touch-sensitive display and displaying the navigation bar along the side that is adjacent to the physical keyboard.

13. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of keyboard keys replace the navigation bar such that display of the navigation bar is discontinued when the plurality of keyboard keys is displayed.

14. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of keyboard keys displace the navigation bar such that display of the navigation bar continues and the plurality of keyboard keys are displayed between the navigation bar and the physical keyboard.

15. The portable electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the processor is programmed to, display selectable suggested character strings adjacent to the plurality of keyboard keys such that the selectable suggested character strings are disposed between the navigation bar and the physical keyboard.

16. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the processor is programmed to display selectable suggested character strings adjacent to the plurality of keyboard keys such that the plurality of keyboard keys are disposed between the selectable suggested character strings and the physical keyboard.

17. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of keyboard keys displayed on the touch-sensitive display include a shift key to perform a shift function, and wherein the shift function is not selectable utilizing the physical keyboard.

18. The portable electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of keyboard keys displayed on the touch-sensitive display include punctuation marks for selection, which punctuation marks are not selectable utilizing the physical keyboard.

19. The portable electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of keyboard keys displayed on the touch-sensitive display include a selectable key to display numerical characters that are not selectable utilizing the physical keyboard.

20. The portable electronic device according to claim 17, wherein each key of the physical keyboard is associated with a respective single character such that only the respective single character is entered utilizing any key.