Optimized user interface for small screen devices

• US 7,032,181 B1
• Filed: 06/18/2002
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Good Technology Incorporated (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Farcasiu, Alexandru
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US10/174,715
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 715/853, 715/854, 715/752, 715/763, 715/764, 715/765, 455/565, 455/566
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• 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 method and system is provided for allowing a user to selectively display tabular data on a display screen of a mobile device wherein an operating system of the mobile device does not provide a low memory solution to display tabular data. After selecting at least one set of tabular data stored on a remote database to be displayed on the display screen of the mobile device, the tabular data is downloaded to the mobile device. One or more columns of the tabular data are selected to be displayed, and the selected columns of the tabular data are displayed on the limited display screen of the mobile device. A master column can be specified so that it will remain unchanged when the user scrolls the tabular data around.

Claims

1. A method for allowing a user to selectively display tabular data on a display screen of a mobile computing device, the method comprising:

selecting at least one table stored on a remote database to be displayed on the display screen;

downloading the selected table to the mobile computing device;

selecting from the mobile computing device one or more columns of the table to be displayed;

specifying a master column of the table wherein the specified master column stays unchanged when the user scrolls the displayed table left or right; and

displaying the selected columns of the table,

wherein an operating system of the mobile computing device does not provide a low memory solution to display the tabular data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of specifying further includes programming a constant stream of data for repetitively generating and displaying the data of the master column when the user scrolls.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising specifying a master row of the table wherein the specified master row stays unchanged when the user scrolls the displayed table up or down.

4. The method of claim 3 further includes programming a constant stream for repetitively generating and displaying the data of the master row when the user scrolls.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising listing one or more tables on a user interface of a remote computer to allow the user to give access thereof to the mobile computing device, the remote computer and the mobile computing device being connected through a communications link.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile computing device is a J2ME compatible device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising listing one or more sets of tables on the display screen of the mobile device for the user to select.

8. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sets of instructions which allows a user to selectively display tabular data on a display screen of a J2ME compatible mobile computing device, which when executed by the mobile computing, causes the mobile computing to perform:

selecting at least one table stored on a remote database to be displayed on the display screen;

downloading the selected table to the mobile computing device;

selecting from the mobile computing device one or more columns of the table to be displayed;

specifying a master column of the table wherein the specified master column stays unchanged when the user scrolls the displayed table left of right; and

displaying the selected columns of the table,

wherein an operating system of the mobile computing device does not provide a low memory solution to display the tabular data.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the instructions for specifying further includes instructions for creating a constant stream of data for repetitively generating and displaying the data of the master column when the user scrolls.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising specifying a master row of the table wherein the specified master row stays unchanged when the user scrolls the displayed table up or down.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 10 further includes instructions for creating a constant data stream for repetitively generating and displaying the data of the master row when the user scrolls.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising instructions for listing one or more tables on a user interface of a remote computer to allow the user to give access thereof to the mobile computing device, the remote computer and the mobile computing device being connected through a communications link.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising listing one or more sets of tables on the display screen of the mobile device for the user to select.