Electronic appliance and operation control method thereof

• US 6,654,002 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2000
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Optis Wireless Technology, LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamaki, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HAU H
• Application Number:
  US09/535,301
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/856, 345/160, 345/169, 345/158, 345/857-862
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings

Abstract

A plurality of items and a cursor capable of clearly pointing out an item selected from these items are displayed on a display screen. These plural items are employed so as to select a function and to input a character. On a telephone directory registering screen used to enter a character, when a user depresses a determination switch under such a condition that a cursor 25 is located at a position of a direction indication 26 indicative of a switching position of a cursor mode, the cursor mode is switched. Thus, in response to an operation input of a cursor switch, such a condition that the cursor can be moved along the right/left direction is changed into another condition that the display item can be scrolled along the upper/lower direction. At this time, the direction indication 26 is switched in correspondence with the change in the cursor modes.

Claims

1. An electronic appliance comprising:

a display unit for displaying a cursor used to clearly point out a plurality of items and also an item selected from the plural items;

a cursor switch used to move/instruct the cursor;

a determination switch used to determine a selection/instruction of a display item corresponding to a position of the cursor; and

control means connected to said display unit, said cursor switch, and said determination switch, for alternately switching between two move modes of the cursor on said display unit in response to the operation input of said determination switch when the cursor is located at a specific switching position on said display unit,

wherein said display unit further displays a direction indication for indicating the move mode of the cursor, the direction indication being arranged as an item at the specific switching position.

2. The electronic appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said control means switches, as the move mode of the cursor, a move direction of the cursor with respect to the display item.

3. The electronic appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said control means switches, as the move mode of the cursor, a move direction of the cursor with respect to the display item to a right/left direction and an upper/lower direction.

4. The electronic appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said control means switches, as the move mode of the cursor, a move of the cursor to either a right/left direction or an upper/lower direction, and also a scroll operation of the display item along a direction perpendicular to the cursor move direction.

5. The electronic appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said cursor switch includes a rotary switch, said rotary switch issuing a move instruction of the cursor corresponding to the move mode of the cursor, or another move instruction used to scroll the display item in accordance with a rotating operation of said rotary switch.

6. A selective calling reception apparatus comprising:

a display unit for displaying a cursor used to clearly point out a plurality of characters or numerals, and a selected character or a selected numeral;

a cursor switch used to move/instruct the cursor;

a determination switch used to determine a selection/instruction of a display item corresponding to a position of the cursor; and

control means connected to said display unit, said cursor switch, and said determination switch, for alternately switching between two move modes of the cursor on said display unit in response to the operation input of said determination switch, when the cursor is located at a specific switching position on the display unit,

wherein said display unit further displays a direction indication for indicating the move mode of the cursor, the direction indication being arranged as an item at the specific switching position,

such that a character is entered by the designation of the cursor.

7. A method for controlling operation of an electronic appliance comprising:

a displaying step for displaying on a display unit, a plurality of items and a cursor used to clearly point out an item selected from the plural items;

a cursor moving step for moving the cursor to a display item in response to a move instruction issued by a cursor switch;

a selecting/determining step for selecting/determining a display item corresponding to a position of the cursor in response to a selecting/determining instruction of a determination switch;

a move mode switching step for alternately switching between two move modes of the cursor on said display unit in response to an operation input of the determining step, when the cursor is located at a specific switching position on said display unit; and

a direction displaying step for displaying on said display unit, a direction indication for indicating the move mode of the cursor, wherein the direction indication is arranged as an item at the specific switching position.

8. The method for controlling operation of an electronic appliance as claimed in claim 7, wherein

in the move mode switching step, as the move mode of the cursor, a move direction of the cursor with respect to the display item is switched.

9. The method for controlling operation of an electronic appliance as claimed in claim 7, wherein

in the move switching step, as the move mode of the cursor, a move direction of the cursor with respect to the display item is switched to a right/left direction and an upper/lower direction.

10. The method for controlling operation of an electronic appliance as claimed in claim 7, wherein

in the move mode switching step, as the move mode of the cursor, a move of the cursor is switched to either a right/left direction or an upper/lower direction, and also a scroll operation of the display item along a direction perpendicular to the cursor move direction.