User interface for palm-sized computing devices and method and apparatus for displaying the same

• US 6,727,917 B1
• Filed: 05/04/2000
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Vong, William H., Parker, Kathryn L., Zuberec, Sarah E., Coomer, Christen E., Keyser, Greg A., Bastiaanse, Elizabeth A., Enomoto, Mark H., Chew, Chee H., Blum, Jeffrey R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US09/564,928
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: 345/701, 345/776, 345/808, 345/157, 345/158, 345/169, 345/173, 345/764, 345/765, 345/835, 345/179
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

The hand-held computing device user interface (UI) of the present invention displays information for an active application program in a middle portion of the screen, and displays a shell program controlled navigation bar at a top portion of the screen. The navigation bar includes a navigation icon which when tapped by the stylus aids the user in navigating to other application programs. The navigation bar also includes a title for the active application program, thus saving vertical real estate on the screen. The UI of the present invention also displays an application menu bar at a bottom portion of the screen so that the user of the hand-held device can manipulate data from the active application by tapping menu items with a stylus without blocking view of the middle portion of the display.

Claims

1. A method of generating a user interface for a stylus-based hand-held computing device having a display screen and a stylus for providing user input through the screen, the hand-held device running a shell program and at least one application program, the method comprising:

displaying information for an active application program in a middle portion of the screen; and

displaying a shell program controlled navigation bar at a top portion of the screen, wherein displaying the shell program controlled navigation bar includes displaying a navigation icon which when tapped by the stylus aids the user in navigating to other application programs, and wherein displaying the shell program controlled navigation bar further includes displaying on the navigation bar a title for the active program.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

receiving a first input from the user in the form of a tap on the navigation icon;

displaying a navigation menu in response to the first input; and

displaying on the shell program controlled navigation bar a shell program indicative title in place of the title for the active application program while the navigation menu is displayed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the shell program indicative title further includes displaying Start on the shell program controlled navigation bar in place of the title for the active application program while the navigation menu is displayed.

4. The method of claim 2, and further comprising:

receiving a second input from the user selecting an alternate application program as the active program; and

displaying on the shell program controlled navigation bar a title for the alternate application program selected as the active program.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein displaying the title for the alternate application program selected as the active program further includes displaying the title for the alternate program on the navigation bar when the navigation menu is no longer displayed.

6. The method of claim 1, and further comprising displaying a confirmation icon in a corner of the navigation bar, wherein the user provides a response to a query from the active application program by tapping the confirmation icon.

7. The method of claim 1, and further comprising displaying an application menu bar for the active application program at a bottom portion of the screen.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein displaying the application menu bar for the active application program at the bottom portion of the screen further comprises:

displaying menu deploying buttons on the application menu bar, wherein a tap on the menu deploying buttons with the stylus results in an application program menu being displayed; and

displaying a soft input panel icon on the application menu bar, wherein a tap on the soft input panel icon with the stylus controls display of a shell program soft input panel.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein displaying the application menu bar for the active application program further includes displaying tool icons on the application menu bar with the menu deploying buttons and the soft input panel icon.

10. A computer readable medium for a stylus-based hand-held computing device having a display screen and a stylus for providing user input through the screen, the hand-held computing device adapted to run a shell program and at least one application program, the computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

displaying information for an active application program in a middle portion of the screen; and

displaying a shell program controlled navigation bar at a top portion of the screen, wherein displaying the shell program controlled navigation bar includes displaying a navigation icon which when tapped by the stylus aids the user in navigating to other application programs, and wherein displaying the shell program controlled navigation bar further includes displaying on the navigation bar a title for the active program.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, and further including computer executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

receiving a first input from the user in the form of a tap on the navigation icon;

displaying a navigation menu in response to the first input; and

displaying on the shell program controlled navigation bar a shell program indicative title in place of the title for the active application program while the navigation menu is displayed.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, and further including computer executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

receiving a second input from the user selecting an alternate application program as the active program; and

displaying on the shell program controlled navigation bar a title for the alternate application program selected as the active program.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer executable instructions for displaying the title for the alternate application program selected as the active program further includes computer executable instructions for displaying the title for the alternate program on the navigation bar when the navigation menu is no longer displayed.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 10, and further including computer executable instructions for displaying a confirmation icon in a corner of the navigation bar, wherein the user provides a response to a query from the active application program by tapping with the stylus on the confirmation icon.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 10, and further including computer executable instructions for displaying an application menu bar for the active application program at a bottom portion of the screen.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer executable instructions for displaying the application menu bar for the active application program at the bottom portion of the screen further includes computer executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

displaying menu deploying buttons on the application menu bar, wherein a tap on the menu deploying buttons with the stylus results in an application program menu being displayed; and

displaying a soft input panel icon on the application menu bar, wherein a tap on the soft input panel icon with the stylus controls display of a shell program soft input panel.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the computer executable instructions for displaying the application menu bar for the active application program further includes computer executable instructions for displaying tool icons on the application menu bar with the menu deploying buttons and the soft input panel icon.

18. A method of generating a user interface for a stylus-based hand-held computing device having a display screen and a stylus for providing user input through the screen, the hand-held device running a shell program and at least one application program, the method comprising:

displaying information for an active application program in a middle portion of the screen; and

displaying an application menu bar for the active application program at a bottom portion of the screen such that the user can manipulate information for the active application program displayed in the middle portion of the screen by tapping with the stylus on the application menu bar without blocking the user'"'"'s view of the middle portion of the screen, wherein displaying the application menu bar for the active application program further comprises displaying a soft input panel icon on the application menu bar, wherein a tap on the soft input panel icon with the stylus controls display of a shell program soft input panel.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein displaying the application menu bar further comprises:

displaying menu deploying buttons on the application menu bar, wherein a tap on the menu deploying buttons with the stylus results in an application program menu being displayed.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein displaying the application menu bar for the active application program further includes displaying tool icons on the application menu bar with the menu deploying buttons and the soft input panel icon.