Mobile telephone user interface including fixed and dynamic function keys and method of using same

• US 5,425,077 A
• Filed: 07/08/1993
• Issued: 06/13/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: US West Advanced Technologies, Inc. (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tsoi, Kam-Cheong A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chernoff, Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US08/089,146
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/61, 379/59, 379/368, 379/21, 379/96, 379/433, 379/355, 379/388, 379/201, 379/354
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device

Abstract

A user interface for use in a mobile telephone handset which includes static visual display means for presenting the status of the mobile telephone and other services accessible by the user. The interface further includes dynamic visual display means for presenting a plurality of context sensitive function labels. A plurality of fixed-labels signaling keys and soft-label signaling keys are also provided in electrical communication with the static and dynamic visual display means. The soft-label signaling keys are operative to access the displayed function labels relevant to the current context of the user interface. A method is further disclosed which includes the provision of a mobile telephone handset as described above, as well as the steps of viewing the static and visual displays to obtain instructions as to the status of the mobile telephone, the availability of telephone functions and whether fixed or soft-label signaling keys should be utilized. As a further step, selected telephone function labels are presented on the static and dynamic visual displays and selected functions are accessed.

Claims

1. For use in a mobile telephone having a primary visual display and a plurality of fixed label DTMF signaling keys each fixed label DTMF key having a numeric designation and a corresponding group of alphabetic designations, a method of entering selected alphabetic designations in said primary visual display, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one dynamic visual display means for presenting a plurality of context sensitive function labels;

providing a plurality of soft-label signaling keys in electrical communication with said primary visual display and said dynamic visual display means, said soft-label signaling keys operative to individually access the corresponding designations of said alphabetic groups, said designations represented as soft labels on said dynamic visual display means adjacent to a corresponding soft label signaling key;

depressing a selected fixed-label signaling key corresponding to said group of said selected alphabetic designation so as to enter a predetermined alphabetic designation in said primary visual display and each of the remainder of said alphabetic designation groups displayed on said dynamic visual display adjacent a corresponding soft label key; and

depressing said corresponding soft-label signaling key adjacent to said desired alphabetic designation so as to replace said predetermined designation on said primary visual display with said selected designation from said dynamic visual display.