Radiophone provided with an operation key with multiple functionality for handling access to a menu structure

• US 6,931,258 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2000
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ironworks Patents LLC
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Jarnstrom, Johanna, Jorgensen, Heidi
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agosta, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US09/506,582
• Time in Patent Office: 2,006 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90, 455/566, 455/550, 455/575, 379/433.06, 379/433.07, 379/368, 379/433.01, 715/786, 715/810
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• 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

A radiophone, arranged to assume a plurality of states, that includes a user interface provided with a display, a keypad, and control means. The keypad is arranged to enter the plurality of states, which changes the plurality of states. The keypad includes a first group of keys and a second group of keys that includes two soft keys with multiple functionality for handling access to a menu structure, and a scroll key to scroll between a group of items in a menu of said menu structure. The control means is arranged to control the display of an action, from said group of actions, as a default function, and to detect a state change event, which will change the state of the radiophone and redefine the functionality of the two soft keys in response to the preceding state and the nature of the detected state change event.

Claims

1. A radiophone, said radiophone arranged to assume a plurality of states including an idle state, said radiophone comprising:

control means controlling the user interface;

said user interface provided with;

a display;

a keypad comprising;

a group of keys for at least one of a number and a character entry;

a scroll key for scrolling through selectable items; and

two soft keys each having multiple functionality depending on the current state of the radiophone, the function of said two soft keys when pressed is controlled by the control means and displayed in the display in respective areas solely dedicated for displaying these functions;

said control means arranges a group of actions being allowable upon a state change event in idle state of the phone; and

said control means upon detection of an alphanumeric data input as said state change event in the idle state of the radiotelephone, displays;

in the softkey display area for a first of the two softkeys, a menu to access said group of actions by pressing the first soft key for operating on said alphanumeric data input; and

in the softkey display area for a second of the two softkeys, a menu to return to the idle state and clear said alphanumeric data input.

2. A radiophone according to claim 1, wherein the group of keys are alpha-numerical keys, wherein the control means determines whether the individual keys in the group of keys are in numerical or in alphabetic mode depending on the current state of the radiophone.

3. A radiophone according to claim 1, wherein the scroll key is a roller key, to scroll between several items in a menu.

4. A radio phone according to claim 3, wherein said several items in the menu comprises at least the following action to process a number, as was entered on the group of keys, to access a currency converter, in order to convert said number from one monetary unit to another, said currency converter being operatively arranged to said control means.

5. A radiophone according to claim 3, wherein said radiophone further comprises memory means, said several items in a menu comprising the following actions to process a number, as was entered by the group of keys,

to save a record of the number in a database, provided in said memory means, and

to establish a call to the number.

6. A radiophone according to claim 3, wherein said several items in the menu comprises at least the following action to process a number, as was entered on the group of keys, to access a calculator, in order to process said number in a calculation, said pocket calculator being operatively arranged to said control means.

7. A radiophone according to claim 1, wherein the state change event in idle state of the radiophone is caused by pressing a key included in said group of keys for at least one of a number and a character entry.

8. A radiophone according to claim 7, wherein a left soft key of said two soft keys changes a functionality label from “

Menu”

to “

Options”

.

9. A radiophone according to claim 1, wherein the state change event in idle state of the radiophone is caused by entering a number by pressing a key included in said group of keys for at least one of a number and a character entry.

10. A radiophone, said radiophone arranged to assume a plurality of states including an idle state, said radiophone comprising:

control means controlling the user interface;

said user interface provided with;

a display;

a keypad comprising;

a group of keys for at least one of a number and a character entry;

a scroll key for scrolling through selectable items; and

two soft keys each having multiple functionality depending on the current state of the radiophone, the function of said two soft keys when pressed is controlled by the control means and displayed in the display in respective areas solely dedicated for displaying these functions;

said control means arranges a group of actions being allowable upon a state change event in idle state of the phone; and

said control means upon detection of an alphanumeric data input as said state change event in the idle state of the radiotelephone, displays;

in the softkey display area for a first of the two softkeys, a menu to access said group of actions by pressing the first soft key for operating on said alphanumeric data input; and

in the softkey display area for a second of the two softkeys, a menu to return to the idle state and clear said alphanumeric data input; and

wherein the scroll key is a roller key, to scroll between several items in a menu;

said radiophone further comprises memory means, said several items in a menu comprising the following actions to process a number, as was entered by the group of keys, to save a record of the number in a database, provided in said memory means, and to establish a call to the number; and

wherein said radiophone further comprises memory means, said several items in the menu comprising the following actions to process at least one of a number and at least one letter, as was entered by the group of keys to add at least one of said number and said letter to an existing name in the database, provided in said memory means and to send an SMS message.

11. A method for controlling a radiophone, said radiophone arranged to assume a plurality of states including an idle state, comprising:

controlling a user interface of the radiophone, said user interface including a display, and a keypad that includes a group of keys for at least one of a number and a character entry, a scroll key for scrolling through selectable items, and two soft keys each having multiple functionality depending on the current state of the radiophone;

controlling the function of said two soft keys when said two soft keys are pressed;

displaying the function of said two soft keys in respective areas of said display solely dedicated for displaying these functions when said two soft keys are pressed;

arranging a group of actions being allowable upon a state change event in idle state of the radiophone;

detecting an alphanumeric data input as said state change event in an idle state of the radiophone;

displaying, upon said detecting, in the softkey display area for a first of said two softkeys, a menu to access said group of actions by pressing the first soft key for operating on said alphanumeric data input; and

displaying, upon said detecting, in the softkey display area for a second of the two softkeys, a menu to return to the idle state and clear said alphanumeric data input.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the group of keys are alpha-numerical keys, and further comprising determining whether the individual keys in the group of keys are in numerical or in alphabetic mode depending on the current state of the radiophone.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the scroll key is a roller key to scroll between several items in a menu.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

entering a number on the group of keys; and

accessing a currency converter in order to convert the number from one monetary unit to another, said currency converter access being one of said several items in the menu.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

entering a number on the group of keys;

saving a record of the number in a database provided in a memory means in said radiophone; and

establishing a call to the number, said record saving and said call establishing each being one of said several items in the menu.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

entering a number on the group of keys; and

accessing a calculator in order to process said number in a calculation, said calculator access being one of said several items in the menu.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising pressing a key included in said group of keys for at least one of a number and a character entry causing the state change event in idle state of the radiophone.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein a left soft key of said two soft keys changes a functionality label from “

Menu”

to “

Options”

.

19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising entering a number by pressing a key included in said group of keys for at least one of a number and a character entry causing the state change event in idle state of the radiophone.

20. A method for controlling a radiophone, said radiophone arranged to assume a plurality of states including an idle state, comprising:

said radiophone arranged to assume a plurality of states including an idle state, comprising controlling a user interface of the radiophone, said user interface including a display, and a keypad that includes a group of keys for at least one of a number and a character entry, a scroll key for scrolling through selectable items, and two soft keys each having multiple functionality depending on the current state of the radiophone;

controlling the function of said two soft keys when said two soft keys are pressed;

displaying the function of said two soft keys in respective areas of said display solely dedicated for displaying these functions when said two soft keys are pressed;

arranging a group of actions being allowable upon a state change event in idle state of the radiophone;

detecting an alphanumeric data input as said state change event in an idle state of the radiophone;

displaying, upon said detecting, in the softkey display area for a first of said two softkeys, a menu to access said group of actions by pressing the first soft key for operating on said alphanumeric data input; and

displaying, upon said detecting, in the softkey display area for a second of the two softkeys, a menu to return to the idle state and clear said alphanumeric data input;

wherein the scroll key is a roller key to scroll between several items in a menu; and

further comprising entering a number and a letter on the group of keys, adding at least one of the number and the letter to an existing name in a database, provided in a memory means in said radiophone, and sending an SMS message, said adding and said sending each being one of said several items in the menu.