Method and system for processing overloaded keys of a mobile device
First Claim
1. A method for processing an overloaded key on a mobile device, said method comprising:
- receiving a key press of the overloaded key to be processed from a buffer;
determining whether the function of the overloaded key has switched; and
clearing any subsequent overloaded key presses of the overloaded key from the buffer when said determining determines that the function of the overloaded key has switched, wherein the overloaded key is a Clear/Back key that supports a clear function and a back function.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Improved approaches are disclosed for processing overloaded keys substantially more in accordance with user'"'"'s expected behavior. With the improved approaches, users are less likely to undergo unexpected processing in response to overloaded key presses. In one embodiment, the processing ignores certain overloaded key presses and/or imposes delays to ensure that users have an opportunity to appreciate when an overloaded key has switched to another function. These approaches are particularly well suited for small scale mobile devices having reduced size displays and overloaded keys such as mobile phones (e.g., cellular phones), two-way pagers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), or other two-way mobile communication devices.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for processing an overloaded key on a mobile device, said method comprising:
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receiving a key press of the overloaded key to be processed from a buffer;
determining whether the function of the overloaded key has switched; and
clearing any subsequent overloaded key presses of the overloaded key from the buffer when said determining determines that the function of the overloaded key has switched, wherein the overloaded key is a Clear/Back key that supports a clear function and a back function. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for processing an overloaded key on a mobile device, said method comprising:
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receiving a key press of the overloaded key to be processed from a buffer;
determining whether the function of the overloaded key has switched; and
clearing any subsequent overloaded key presses of the overloaded key from the buffer when said determining determines that the function of the overloaded key has switched, wherein the overloaded key is a Back/Exit key that supports a back function and an exit function. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for processing an overloaded key on a mobile device, said method comprising:
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receiving a key press of the overloaded key to be processed from a buffer;
determining whether the function of the overloaded key has switched; and
clearing any subsequent overloaded key presses of the overloaded key from the buffer when said determining determines that the function of the overloaded key has switched, wherein the overloaded key is a Clear/Back/Exit key that supports a clear function, a back function and an exit function. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of processing a Clear/Back key on a computing device having a display, said method comprising:
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(a) displaying user entered text in a text entry screen on the display of the computing device;
(b) displaying a cursor at the end of the user entered text on the display of the computing device;
(c) receiving a Clear/Back key press;
(d) determining whether at least one character of the user entered text remains backwards from the cursor;
(e) deleting the character immediately backwards from the cursor when said determining (d) determines that at least one character of the user entered text remains backwards from the cursor;
(f) determining whether said deleting has caused no more characters of the user entered text to remain;
(g) setting a timestamp when said determining (f) determines that said deleting has caused no more characters of the user entered text to remain;
(h) determining whether a predetermined amount of time has passed since the timestamp was set with respect to a previous Clear/Back key press when said determining (d) determines that no characters of the user entered text remain backwards from the cursor;
(i) ignoring the Clear/Back key press when said determining (h) determines that the predetermined amount of time has not yet passed since the timestamp was set; and
(j) returning back to a prior screen when said determining (h) determines that the predetermined amount of time has passed since the timestamp was set. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of processing a Back/Exit key on a computing device having a display, said method comprising:
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(a) receiving a Back/Exit key press while operating in a first application mode on the computing device;
(b) determining whether a home screen is presently being displayed on the display;
(c) returning to display of a prior screen on the display when said determining (b) determines that the home screen is not presently being displayed;
(d) determining whether the prior screen is the home screen;
(e) storing a time indication when said returning (c) displays the prior screen if said determining (d) determines that the prior screen is the home screen;
(f) determining whether the home screen has been displayed for at least a predetermined amount of time based on the stored time indication when said determining (b) determines that the home screen is presently being displayed;
(g) ignoring the Back/Exit key press when said determining (f) determines that the home screen has not been displayed for at least the predetermined amount of time; and
(h) exiting the first application mode when-said determining (f) determines that the home screen has been displayed for at least the predetermined amount of time. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code for processing an overloaded key on a mobile device, said computer readable medium comprising:
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computer program code for receiving a key press of the overloaded key to be processed from a buffer;
computer program code for determining whether the function of the overloaded key has just switched; and
computer program code for clearing any subsequent overloaded key presses of the overloaded key from the buffer when said computer program code for determining determines that the function of the overloaded key has just switched, wherein the overloaded key is a Clear/Back key that supports a clear function and a back function.
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30. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code for processing an overloaded key on a mobile device, said computer readable medium comprising:
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computer program code for receiving a key press of the overloaded key to be processed from a buffer;
computer program code for determining whether the function of the overloaded key has just switched;
computer program code for clearing any subsequent overloaded key presses of the overloaded key from the buffer when said computer program code for determining determines that the function of the overloaded key has just switched; and
wherein the overloaded key is a Back/Exit key that supports a back function and an exit function.
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Specification