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

• US 5,633,912 A
• Filed: 06/17/1996
• Issued: 05/27/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: U.S. West Advanced Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Tsoi, Kam-Cheong A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chernoff, Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US08/664,876
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/61, 379/368, 379/21, 379/96, 379/433, 379/355, 379/388, 379/201, 379/354, 455/89, 455/90, 345/173, D14/137, D14/138, D14/140, D14/142, D14/147, D14/247
• 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. A user interface for use in a mobile telephone handset, comprising:

static visual display means for presenting the status of said mobile telephone and services accessible by said user;

dynamic visual display means for presenting a plurality of context sensitive function labels;

a first and a second class Of keys on one face of said handset;

said first class of keys including a plurality of fixed-label DTMF signaling keys in electrical communication with said static and dynamic visual display means; and

said second class of keys including a plurality of soft-label signaling keys in electrical communication with said static and dynamic visual display means such that a corresponding context sensitive function label is displayed adjacent to a corresponding soft label key, said soft-label keys operative to access a function indicated by said corresponding context sensitive function label.

2. A user interface as in claim 1, further comprising prompting means in electrical communication with said dynamic visual display means for indicating to said user whether said fixed-label or said soft-label signaling keys should be used.

3. A user interface as in claim 2, wherein said prompting means comprises a selectively displayed blinking cursor.

4. A user interface as in claim 1, wherein said fixed-label signaling keys comprise Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signaling keys.

5. A user interface for use in a mobile telephone handset, comprising:

static visual display means for presenting the status of said mobile phone and other services accessible by said user;

dynamic visual display means for presenting a plurality of context sensitive function labels;

a plurality of Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signaling keys in electrical communication with said static and dynamic visual display means;

a plurality of soft-label signaling keys in electrical communication with said static and visual display means such that a corresponding context sensitive function label is displayed adjacent to a corresponding soft label key; and

prompting means in electrical communication with said dynamic visual display means for indicating to said user whether said DTMF or said soft-label signaling keys should be used, such that said user may access the functions by pressing the indicated key.

6. A user interface as in claim 5, wherein said prompting means comprises a selectively displayed blinking cursor.

7. A mobile telephone handset, comprising:

an earpiece;

a mouthpiece;

static visual display means for presenting the status of said mobile phone and other services accessible by said user;

dynamic visual display means for presenting a plurality of context sensitive function labels;

a plurality of fixed-label DTMF signaling keys in electrical communication with said static and visual display means; and

a plurality of soft-label signaling keys in electrical communication with said static and visual display means such that a corresponding function label is displayed adjacent to a corresponding soft label key, said soft-label keys operative to perform the function indicated by said corresponding function label.

8. A mobile telephone handset as in claim 7, further comprising prompting means in electrical communication with said dynamic visual display means for indicating to said user whether said fixed-label or said soft-label signaling keys should be used.

9. A mobile telephone handset as in claim 8, wherein said prompting means comprises a selectively displayed blinking cursor.

10. A mobile telephone handset as in claim 7, wherein said handset has an elongated body portion having a display portion which includes said static and dynamic visual display means and said pluralities of fixed and soft-label signaling keys and a communication portion which includes said earpiece and mouthpiece.

11. A mobile telephone handset as in claim 7, wherein said fixed-label signaling keys comprise Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signaling keys.

12. For use in mobile telephone communications, a method of interfacing a mobile telephone party to a secondary party, comprising the steps of:

providing a mobile telephone handset having an earpiece, a mouthpiece and a user interface which includes a static visual display, a dynamic visual display, a plurality of fixed-label DTMF signaling keys, a plurality of soft-label signaling keys and indicator means, said dynamic visual display means including function labels, each function label displayed adjacent to a corresponding soft label key;

viewing said visual display to obtain instructions as to the status of said mobile telephone, the availability of telephone functions and whether fixed or soft-label signaling keys should be utilized; and

accessing selected telephone functions whose labels are presented either on said static display or on said dynamic visual display adjacent to said soft-label signaling keys.

13. For use in a telephone having a primary visual display and a plurality of fixed label DTMF signaling keys each having a corresponding group of designations, a method of entering selected 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 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 DTMF signaling key corresponding to said group of said selected designation so as to enter a predetermined designation in said primary visual display with the remainder of said group or designations each displayed adjacent to a corresponding soft label key; and

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

14. For use in a mobile telephone having a primary visual display and a plurality of fixed label signaling keys each 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;

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

depressing said soft-label signaling key corresponding to said selected designation so as to replace said entered designation with said selected designation where necessary.