Displaying a table

• US 6,839,575 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2001
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ostergaard, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc M.
• Application Number:
  US09/864,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20020013165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/575.1, 455/90.3, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/90.2, 455/550.1, 345/684, 345/665, 345/711, 345/784, 345/786, 345/810, 345/841, 345/864, 345/845, 345/798, 345/865, 345/856
• US Class Current: 455/566
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• 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

A WAP telephone handset has a display (5) which displays a WML card that includes a table consisting of data cells (C) arrayed in rows and columns. A focus (22) can be scrolled through the rows of the display and a row selected. Not all the columns need be displayed. The selected row is then displayed as a column so that the focus can be scrolled through data items in the column. The column widths may be scaled downwardly to increase the number displayed when the table includes a larger number of columns. Navigation indicators may be provided to indicate the size of the array and the position of the focus within the array.

Claims

1. Apparatus for displaying data in a table that comprises a configuration of cells for containing the data, comprising:

a display device operable to display at least some of the table data, and a scrolling device to scroll through the displayed table data, the arrangement being such that in use, the cells are displayed in a first arrayed configuration, the scrolling device permits a selection of the cells to be made, the selected cells are displayed in a second arrayed configuration, and the scrolling device permits scrolling through the cells in the second arrayed configuration to be carried out so as to select one of them.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the table comprises rows and columns of the cells and the display device is operable to display at least some of the cells of table data in rows and columns, such that the scrolling device permits a row selection to be made, and the selected row is displayed configured as a column whereby scrolling device permits scrolling through the cells of the configured column.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 including a processor operable to scale the displayed width of an individual column suitable for displaying all of its contained data in the cells thereof, as an inverse function of an aggregate column width suitable for displaying all of the data of the cells of the columns of the table.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the processor is operable to scale the column width so as to be less than a predetermined minimum width for displaying a predetermined minimum amount of data from each cell.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein at least one of the cells includes more than one item of data and the display device is operable to display only a predetermined number of said items per cell when said rows and columns of cells are displayed.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the predetermined number of items comprises a single item of data per cell.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the display device is operable to display all of said items of data in said configured column when it is displayed.

8. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the items of data when displayed in said configured column are each displayed with a respective predetermined alignment.

9. Apparatus according to any preceding claim and comprising a mobile device.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 and comprising a mobile telephone handset.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 and comprising a PDA.

12. Apparatus according to claim 1 including a store to receive the table data.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1 configured to receive the table data in a mark-up language.

14. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the scrolling device comprises a three way roller.

15. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the scrolling device comprises a five way roller.

16. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the display device is operable to display a focus region which is scrollable through the cells of the array and to indicate the position of the focus within the array.

17. A computer program to be run on data processing apparatus to perform a method as claimed in claim 16.

18. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the display is operable to display not all the cells of the table in said first configuration and to indicate that not all of the cells are displayed.

19. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the display is operable to display the size of the array of cells that make up the table.

20. A method of displaying a table that comprises cells for containing data, comprising:

displaying at least some of the cells of the table in a first arrayed configuration, scrolling through the cells to select some of them, and displaying selected cells in a second different arrayed configuration and scrolling through the cells in the second arrayed configuration to select one of them.

21. A method according to claim 20 including displaying the cells in rows and columns for the first arrayed configuration, selecting a row of the cells in the first configuration, and displaying the cells of the selected row in a column to provide said second configuration.

22. A method according to claim 21 including scaling the width of an individual column suitable for displaying all of its contained data in the cells thereof, as an inverse function of an aggregate column width suitable for displaying all of the data of the cells of the columns of the table.

23. A method according to claim 22 but so as not to be less than a predetermined minimum width for displaying a predetermined minimum amount of data from each cell.

24. A method according to claim 22 wherein at least one of the cells includes more than one item of data and including displaying only a predetermined number thereof when said rows and columns of cells are displayed.

25. A method according to claim 24 wherein a single item of data is displayed in each said cell.

26. A method according to claim 24 including providing all of said items of data for display when said configured column is displayed.

27. A method according to claim 24 wherein the items of data in said configured column are each displayed with a respective predetermined alignment.

28. A computer program to be run on data processing apparatus to perform a method as claimed in claim 27.