Radio communication device having underlining scroll display function

• US 6,519,481 B1
• Filed: 08/04/1999
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gesesse, Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US09/366,540
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/575, 455/550, 455/90, 455/564, 455/567, 379/93.17, 379/93.18, 345/829, 345/828, 345/830, 345/835
• US Class Current: 455/566
• 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 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

Upon receipt of a message in a state of waiting to receive the message, the received message is stored in a RAM, and a message receipt information is performed. When a user presses down a push switch for the message receipt information, the received message is displayed on a LCD. At this time, when it is impossible to display the received message on the LCD at a time because of the long received message, a jog switch is manipulated by a user. When the user manipulates the jog switch 12, the message displayed on the LCD is scrolled depending on the direction of rotation of the jog switch and the quantity of rotation thereof. Of the scrolled message, the portion of the message before scrolling is underlined and displayed on the LCD.

Claims

1. A radio communication apparatus, comprising:

a message receiver;

storage for storing a received message;

a display for displaying text of the received message read from said storage;

a rotating switch that scrolls the text of the read message on said display an amount corresponding to an angular displacement of said rotating switch;

a comparator that compares (a) a first displayed portion of the text of the read message before scrolling by said rotating switch to (b) a second displayed portion of the text of the read message after scrolling by said rotating switch; and

a processor that is responsive to said comparator and underlines the text of the read message that is contained in both said first and second displayed portions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said display displays m lines of text of the read message, wherein each x degrees of angular displacement of said rotating switch scrolls the text of the read message by one of said m lines, and wherein a number of said m lines that are underlined corresponds to m minus an integer that is a number of degrees that said rotating switch is rotated divided by x.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein x is 24.

4. A radio communication apparatus, comprising:

a message receiver;

storage for storing a received message;

a display for displaying a text of the received message read from said storage;

a rotating switch that scrolls the text of the read message on said display an amount corresponding to an angular displacement of said rotating switch;

a comparator that compares (a) a first displayed portion of the text of the read message before scrolling by said rotating switch to (b) a second displayed portion of the text of the read message after scrolling by said rotating switch; and

a processor that is responsive to said comparator and that underlines the text of the read message that is displayed in said second displayed portion and not in said first displayed portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said display displays m lines of text of the read message, wherein each x degrees of angular displacement of said rotating switch scrolls the text of the read message by one of said m lines, and wherein a number of said m lines that are underlined corresponds to an integer that is a number of degrees that said rotating switch is rotated divided by x.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein x is 24.

7. A method of operating a radio communication apparatus, comprising the steps of:

receiving a message;

storing the received message;

reading the stored message;

displaying text of the read message on a display;

scrolling the text of the read message on the display by rotating a rotating switch where an amount of the scrolled text corresponding to an angular displacement of the rotating switch;

comparing (a) a first displayed portion of the text of the read message before scrolling by the rotating switch to (b) a second displayed portion of the text of the read message after scrolling by said rotating switch; and

underlining the text of the read message that is contained in both the first and second displayed portions.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the display displays m lines of text of the read message, wherein each x degrees of angular displacement of the rotating switch scrolls the text of the read message by one of the m lines, and wherein a number of the m lines that are underlined corresponds to m minus an integer that is a number of degrees that the rotating switch is rotated divided by x.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein x is 24.

10. A method of operating a radio communication apparatus, comprising the steps of:

receiving a message;

storing the received message;

reading the stored message;

displaying text of the read message on a display;

scrolling the text of the read message on the display by rotating a rotating switch where an amount of the scrolled text corresponding to an angular displacement of the rotating switch;

comparing (a) a first displayed portion of the text of the read message before scrolling by the rotating switch to (b) a second displayed portion of the text of the read message after scrolling by said rotating switch; and

underlining the text of the read message that is contained in the second displayed portion and not in the first displayed portion.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the display displays m lines of text of the read message, wherein each x degrees of angular displacement of the rotating switch scrolls the text of the read message by one of the m lines, and wherein a number of the m lines that are underlined corresponds to an integer that is a number of degrees that the rotating switch is rotated divided by x.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein x is 24.