Portable terminal

• US 6,332,024 B1
• Filed: 10/19/1999
• Issued: 12/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Katsuo, Tsukada, Tomoaki, Ito, Kensei, Okamoto, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiang, Jack
• Application Number:
  US09/403,189
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 379/433, 379/368, 379/369, 379/370, 379/355, 455/575, 455/90
• US Class Current: 379/433.06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• 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: H04M 1/72472 wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use

Abstract

A portable terminal comprises a LCD display screen (2) located on a control surface of a case for displaying thereon information according to the communication mode; a main soft key (3) located below the LCD display screen (2) with which can be rotated in a direction towards or away from the display screen as well as can be pressed; and first auxiliary soft key (4A) and second auxiliary soft key (4B) located on the two sides of the main soft key (3) which can be pressed. In this portable terminal, for each communication mode, function having the highest frequency of use is allocated to the main soft key (3) mode and functions having the next highest frequency of use are allocated to the first auxiliary soft key (4A) and second auxiliary soft key (4B). Further, marks representing the allocated functions are displayed on the LCD display screen (2) near the positions of the main soft key and the first auxiliary soft key (4A) and a second auxiliary soft key (4B) as main-function icon and auxiliary-function icon respectively.

Claims

1. A portable terminal, comprising:

a case;

a display screen located on a first surface of said case, said display screen displaying thereon various information according to an operation mode of said terminal;

a main soft key located on said first surface below said display screen, and a first auxiliary soft key located on said first surface adjacent to said main soft key, wherein said main soft key performs a scrolling operation by being actuated in either of a first and second direction and performs a selection operation by being pressed toward said first surface, and said auxiliary soft key performs at least a selection operation by being pressed toward said first surface;

wherein

various different functions may be allocated to said main soft key and to said auxiliary soft key through scrolling and selection operations performed on said main soft key and at least selection operations on said auxiliary soft key; and

the identity of functions currently allocated to said main soft key and to said auxiliary soft key are displayed in a function display area of said display screen adjacent to said soft keys.

2. A portable terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein a plurality of functions is allocated to said main soft key and displayed adjacent to said main soft key in said function display area, and a particular one of said plurality of functions is executed by actuation and pressing of said main soft key.

3. A portable terminal as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a second auxiliary soft key located on said first surface adjacent to said main soft key and said first auxiliary soft key, wherein the identity of a function currently allocated to said second auxiliary soft key is displayed in said function display area of said display screen, and functions allocated to said main soft key and to said first auxiliary soft key may be changed by executing a selection operation on said second auxiliary soft key.

4. A portable terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein said identity of allocated functions are displayed in the form of text.

5. A portable terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein said identity of allocated functions are displayed in the form of graphical icons.

6. A portable terminal as set forth in claim 5, wherein said graphical icons are Internet browser icons.

7. A portable terminal as set forth in claim 6, further comprising a dedicated one-touch key that when pressed causes information for connecting said portable terminal to the Internet to be displayed on said display screen.

8. A portable terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein said main soft key is rotatable and performs said scrolling operation by being rotated in either of said first and second directions.

9. A portable terminal, comprising:

a case;

a display screen located on a first surface of said case, said display screen displaying thereon various information according to an operation mode of said terminal;

an elongated soft key located on said first surface below said display screen, wherein said elongated soft key performs a scrolling operation by being actuated in either of first and second directions, performs a main function selection operation by being pressed toward said first surface at a central section thereof, and performs first and second auxiliary function selection operations by being pressed toward said first surface at respective end sections thereof;

wherein

various different functions may be allocated to said central section and to said end sections of said elongated soft key through scrolling and central and end section selection operations performed thereon; and

the identity of functions currently allocated to said central section and to said respective end sections of said elongated soft key are displayed in a function display area of said display screen adjacent to said sections.

10. A portable terminal as set forth in claim 9, wherein a plurality of functions is allocated to said central section of said elongated soft key and displayed adjacent to said central section in said function display area, and a particular one of said plurality of functions is executed by actuattion of said elongated soft key and pressing of said central section.

11. A portable terminal as set forth in claim 9, wherein said identity of allocated functions are displayed in the form of text.

12. A portable terminal as set forth in claim 9, wherein said identity of allocated functions are displayed in the form of graphical icons.

13. A portable terminal as set forth in claim 12, wherein said graphical icons are Internet browser icons.

14. A portable terminal as set forth in claim 9, wherein said elongated soft key is rotatable and performs said scrolling operation by being rotated in either of said first and second directions.