Communication terminal

• US 7,142,889 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2000
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hera Wireless S.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Tottori Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okagaki, Mitsunori
• Primary Examiner(s): YANG, RYAN R
• Application Number:
  US09/642,911
• Time in Patent Office: 2,290 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/568, 345/825, 345/811, 345/812, 345/813, 345/841, 345/810, 345/828, 345/829
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• 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

The control circuit 11 causes display of messages received through the communication unit 1 in the display unit 14 in list form. A cursor for making selections from the messages displayed in list form has different patterns. The control circuit 11 associates the cursor patterns with message types. In another embodiment, the control circuit 11 groups received messages into new messages not yet reproduced by a user and old messages already reproduced, causes display of the number of the new messages in a predetermined area of the display unit when the new messages are stored in RAM 13, and display of the number of the old messages in said predetermined area when the new messages are not stored in RAM 13.

Claims

1. A communication terminal comprising

a display unit which displays an original selection screen for selecting at least one of a plurality of options;

display control means which causes display of options in said unit; and

a key for selecting an option not currently displayed on said display unit from the plurality of options;

said display control means causing, when an option not currently displayed has been selected, display of a screen associated with said selected option on said display unit and causing display of said selected option in reverse when displaying said original selection screen next by operating another hardware key.

2. A communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein said display control means comprises display control structure.

3. A communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein said display control structure causes a display of the selected option by division.

4. A communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein said display control structure causes a display of the selected option by scroll.

5. A communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein said display control structure causes a display of a selected option word in reverse.

6. A communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein said display control structure causes, in response to activation of a clear key after the display of the screen associated with the selected option, a display of an original selection screen that includes the selected option in reverse.

7. A communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein said display control structure, in response to a hardware key selecting an upper layer option not currently displayed on said original selection screen, causes an immediate display of a plurality of lower layer options corresponding to the selected upper layer option.

8. A communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein said key for selecting an option not currently displayed comprises an alphanumeric key.

9. A communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein said display control structure causes said original display screen to display less than seven options, and wherein said display control structure causes, in response to activation of the 7 key while said original selection screen is displayed, display on said display unit of a plurality of information associated with a seventh option not displayed on the original selection screen.

10. A communication terminal according to claim 9, wherein said display control structure causes, in response to activation of the 7 key while said original selection screen displays a plurality of upper layer options, display on said display unit of a plurality of lower layer options associated with a seventh option.

11. A communication terminal according to claim 9, wherein said display control structure causes, in response to selection of a clear key while said display unit displays the plurality of information associated with a seventh option, display of an original selection screen including the seventh option.

12. A communication terminal comprising

a display unit which displays an original selection screen for selecting at least one of a plurality of options;

display control means which causes display of options in said unit by scroll; and

a key for selecting an option not currently displayed on said display unit from the plurality of options;

said display control means causing, when an option not currently displayed has been selected, display of a screen associated with said selected option on said display unit and causing display of said selected option in reverse when displaying said original selection screen next by operating another hardware key.

13. A communication terminal according to claim 12, wherein said display control means comprises display control structure.

14. A communication terminal according to claim 13, wherein said display control structure causes a display of a selected option word in reverse.

15. A communication terminal according to claim 13, wherein said display control structure causes, in response to activation of a clear key after the display of the screen associated with the selected option, a display of an original selection screen that includes the selected option in reverse.

16. A communication terminal according to claim 13, wherein said display control structure, in response to a hardware key selecting an upper layer option not currently displayed on said original selection screen, causes an immediate display of a plurality of lower layer options corresponding to the selected upper layer option.

17. A communication terminal according to claim 13, wherein said key for selecting an option not currently displayed comprises an alphanumeric key.

18. A communication terminal according to claim 13, wherein said display control structure causes said original display screen to display less than seven options, and wherein said display control structure causes, in response to activation of the 7 key while said original selection screen is displayed, display on said display unit of a plurality of information associated with a seventh option not displayed on the original selection screen.

19. A communication terminal according to claim 18, wherein said display control structure causes, in response to activation of the 7 key while said original selection screen displays a plurality of upper layer options, display on said display unit of a plurality of lower layer options associated with a seventh option.

20. A communication terminal according to claim 19, wherein said display control structure causes, in response to selection of a clear key while said display unit displays the plurality of information associated with a seventh option, display of an original selection screen including the seventh option.

21. A communication terminal comprising

a display unit which displays an original selection screen for selecting from among a plurality of upper layer options;

display control structure which causes display of upper layer options and lower layer options on in said display unit; and

a hardware key for selecting an upper layer option not currently displayed on said display unit;

said display control structure causing, when an upper layer option not currently displayed has been selected by said hardware key, (i) display on said display unit of a screen associated with said selected upper layer option, and (ii) display of said selected upper layer option in reverse when next displaying said original selection screen.