User interface for transferring data with a communications terminal

• US 7,159,186 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Mattila, Jouka, Suomela, Riku, Rasanen, Eero
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh; Ba
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MYLINH T
• Application Number:
  US10/159,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20030222913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 345/853, 345/733, 345/764, 345/744, 345/737, 345/738, 345/749, 345/769, 345/724
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

An aspect of the present invention provides methods and apparatus for supporting a user interface of a terminal. The user interface enables the user to manipulate display objects on a display of the user interface in order to download software objects of other users, execute software objects of the user or of other users, and share software objects with other users. In an embodiment of the invention, the display is partitioned into three areas comprising a user'"'"'s data area, an applications area, and another user'"'"'s data area. The user can drag a display object between the user'"'"'s data area and the other user'"'"'s data area in order to download or publish a corresponding software object. Also, the user can drag a display object from either the user'"'"'s data area or the other user'"'"'s data area to the application area in order to execute or view the corresponding software object.

Claims

1. A terminal for providing data transfer services, the terminal comprising:

a user interface module comprising a display component and an input component;

a communications port;

a memory;

a processor that receives and transmits a software object through the communications port, receives an instruction from a user through the input component, and displays a display object corresponding to the software object on the display component, wherein the display object is indicative of the physical distance of the software object from the terminal, the processor configured to perform the steps of;

(a) receiving the instruction that indicates to position the display object from a first display area to a second display area, wherein the first display area and the second display area are displayed on the display component;

(b) processing the software object in response to step (a); and

(c) updating the display object on the display component.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the display object that corresponds to the software object includes a display characteristic selected from the group consisting of a name of the software object, an icon, a source location of the software object, and an owner of the software object.

3. The terminal of claim 2, wherein the source location of the software object comprises a universal resource locator (URL).

4. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the software object is selected from the group consisting of a data file, a data directory, a program file, a data structure, and a data object.

5. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the first display area comprises another user'"'"'s data area and the second display area comprises a user'"'"'s data area, and wherein:

step (b) comprises copying the software object from a second data storage capacity to a user'"'"'s data storage capacity; and

step (c) comprises copying the display object that is displayed on the other user'"'"'s data area to a second display object that is displayed on the user'"'"'s data area, wherein the display object and the second display object each comprise an icon.

6. The terminal of claim 5, wherein the display component comprises a region, the region displaying a percentage of the software object that has been downloaded into the user'"'"'s data storage capacity.

7. The terminal of claim 5, wherein the user'"'"'s data storage capacity comprises the memory.

8. The terminal of claim 5, wherein the user'"'"'s data storage capacity comprises an external data storage device.

9. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the first display area comprises a user'"'"'s data area and the second display area comprises another user'"'"'s data area, and wherein step (b) comprises:

(i) publishing the software object.

10. The terminal of claim 9, wherein step (i) comprises:

copying the software object into a public folder.

11. The terminal of claim 10, wherein the display object is displayed on the user'"'"'s data area, and wherein step (c) comprises:

updating the display object to indicate that the software object has been published.

12. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the first display area comprises a user'"'"'s data area and the second display area comprises another user'"'"'s data area, and wherein step (b) comprises:

uploading the software object to another user'"'"'s data storage capacity.

13. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the first display area comprises a user'"'"'s data area and the second display area comprises an application area, and wherein:

step (b) comprises opening the software object from a user'"'"'s data storage capacity; and

step (c) comprises showing display information in the application area, wherein the display information is generated in response to the processor processing the software object.

14. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the software object comprises a data directory, and wherein:

step (b) comprises opening the data directory from a data storage capacity; and

step (c) comprises displaying a display region of the display component in order to show constituent software objects that are associated with the data directory.

15. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the first display area comprises an application area and the second display area comprises a user'"'"'s data area, and wherein

step (b) comprises storing the software object in a user'"'"'s data storage capacity;

and

step (c) comprises displaying the display object on the user'"'"'s data area, wherein the display object comprises an icon.

16. The terminal of claim 15, wherein step (b) further comprises

closing the software object.

17. The terminal of claim 15, wherein the software object is executing in the memory.

18. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the first display area comprises another user'"'"'s data area and the second display area comprises an application area, and wherein:

step (b) comprises opening the software object from another user'"'"'s data storage capacity, and

step (c) comprises showing display information on the application area, wherein the display information is generated in response to the processor processing the software object.

19. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the first display area comprises an application area and the second display area comprises another user'"'"'s data area, and wherein step (b) comprises:

publishing the software object.

20. The terminal of claim 19, wherein step (b) further comprises

closing the software object.

21. The terminal of claim 19, wherein step (c) comprises:

updating the display object to indicate that the software object has been published.

22. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to perform the further step of:

(d) connecting to a second terminal in order to exchange display information that is displayed in the application area of the terminal and a second application area of the second terminal.

23. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the first display area comprises another user'"'"'s data area that corresponds to at least one other user.

24. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the second display area comprises another user'"'"'s data area that corresponds to at least one other user.

36. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the first display area comprises an application area and the second display area comprises another user'"'"'s data area, and wherein step (b) comprises:

(i) publishing the software object.

37. The terminal of claim 1, wherein (b) comprises:

(i) accessing the software object from the memory.

25. A method for providing data transfer services through a user interface of a terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving an instruction that indicates to position a display object from a first display area to a second display area, wherein a first display area and a second display area are displayed on a display component of the user interface and wherein a software object is associated with the display object, wherein the display object is indicative of the physical distance of the software object from the terminal;

(b) processing the software object in response to step (a);

wherein step (b) comprises the steps of;

(i) if the software object is requested by the terminal, receiving the software object by the terminal from another terminal;

(ii) if the software object is requested by the terminal, transmitting the software object by the terminal to the other terminal; and

(c) updating the display object on a display component.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first display area comprises another user'"'"'s data area and the second display area comprises a user'"'"'s data area, and wherein:

step (b) comprises copying the software object from a second data storage capacity to a user'"'"'s data storage capacity; and

step (c) comprises copying the display object that is displayed on the other user'"'"'s data area to a second display object that is displayed on the user'"'"'s data area, wherein the display object and the second display object each comprise an icon.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the first display area comprises a user'"'"'s data area and the second display area comprises another user'"'"'s data area, and wherein step (b) comprises:

publishing the software object.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the display object is displayed on the user'"'"'s data area, and wherein step (c) comprises:

updating the display object to indicate that the software object has been published.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the first display area comprises a user'"'"'s data area and the second display area comprises an application area, and wherein:

step (b) comprises opening the software object from a user'"'"'s data storage capacity; and

step (c) comprises showing display information on the application area, wherein the display information is generated in response by the processor processing the software object.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the first display area comprises an application area and the second display area comprises a user'"'"'s data area, and wherein

step (b) comprises storing the software object in a user'"'"'s data storage capacity;

and

step (c) comprises displaying the display object on the user'"'"'s data area.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein step (b) further comprises:

closing the software object.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the first display area comprises another user'"'"'s data area and the second display area comprises an application area, and wherein:

step (b) comprises opening the software object from another user'"'"'s data storage capacity; and

step (c) comprises showing display information in the application area, wherein the display information is generated in response to the software object.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the first display area comprises an application area and the second display area comprises another user'"'"'s data area, and wherein step (b) comprises:

publishing the software object.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein step (b) further comprises:

closing the software object.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein step (c) comprises:

updating the display object to indicate that the software object has been published, wherein the display object comprises an icon.

38. A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for allocating and controlling a computer system to provide data transfer services for a terminal, comprising instructions that cause the terminal to perform the steps of:

(a) receiving an instruction that indicates to position a display object from a first display area to a second display area, wherein a first display area and a second display area are displayed on the display component and wherein a software object is associated with the display object, wherein the display object is indicative of the physical distance of the software object from the terminal;

(b) processing the software object in response to step (a);

wherein step (b) comprises the steps of;

(i) if the software object is requested by the terminal, receiving the software object by the terminal from another terminal;

(ii) if the software object is requested by the terminal, transmitting the software object by the terminal th the other terminal; and

(c) updating the display object on a display component.

39. A wireless terminal for providing data transfer services, the wireless terminal comprising:

a user interface module comprising a display component and an input component;

a communications port;

a memory;

a processor that receives and transmits a software object through the communications port, receives one of a plurality of instructions from a user through the input component, and displays a display object corresponding to the software object on the display component, wherein the display object is indicative of the physical distance of the software object from the terminal, the processor configured to perform the steps of;

(a) upon receiving a first instruction that indicates to position the display object from another user'"'"'s data area to a user'"'"'s data area, copying the software object from another user'"'"'s data storage capacity to the memory;

(b) copying the display object that is displayed on the other user'"'"'s data area to a second display object that is displayed on the user'"'"'s data area;

(c) upon receiving a second instruction that indicates to position the display object from the user'"'"'s data area to the other user'"'"'s data area, publishing the software object;

(d) upon receiving a third instruction that indicates to position the display object from the user'"'"'s data area to an application area, opening the software object from the memory;

(e) showing display information on the application area, wherein the display information is generated by the processor processing the software object;

(f) upon receiving a fourth instruction that indicates to position the display object from the application area to the user'"'"'s data area, storing the software object in the memory;

(g) displaying the display object on the user'"'"'s data area, in response to step (f);

(h) upon receiving a fifth instruction that indicates to position the display object from the other user'"'"'s data area to the application area, opening the software object from the other user'"'"'s data storage capacity;

(i) showing the display information on the application area, wherein the display information is generated by the processor processing the software object; and

(j) upon receiving a sixth instruction that indicates to position the display object from the application area to the other user'"'"'s data area, publishing the software object.

40. A wireless terminal for providing data transfer services, the terminal comprising:

a user interface module comprising a display component and an input component,

a communications port;

a memory;

a processor that receives and transmits a software object through the communications port, receives an instruction from a user through the input component, and displays a display object corresponding to the software object on the display component, wherein the display object is indicative of the physical distance of the software object from the terminal the processor configured to perform the steps of;

(a) receiving the instruction that indicates to position the display object from a first display area to a second display area, wherein the first display area and the second display area are displayed on the display component;

(b) processing the software object in response to step (a); and

(c) updating the display object on the display component; and

(d) in response to a change of a geographical location of the wireless terminal, dynamically altering a appearance of the display component, the appearance being indicative of a collection of software objects that are accessible to the wireless terminal from other terminals at a current geographical location.

41. A terminal for providing data transfer services, the terminal comprising:

a user interface module comprising a display component and an input component;

a communications port;

a memory;

a processor that receives and transmits a software object through the communications port, receives an instruction from a user through the input component, and displays a display object corresponding to the software object on the display component, wherein the display object is indicative of the physical distance of the software object from the terminal, the processor configured to perform the steps of;

(a) receiving the instruction that indicates to position the display object from a first display area to a second display area, wherein the first display area and the second display area are displayed on the display component, and wherein one of the display areas is associated with shareable software objects and a second of the display areas is associated with unshareable software objects; and

(b) processing the software object in response to step (a); and

(c) updating the display object on the display component.

42. A user interface of a wireless terminal that provides data transfer services, the wireless terminal being associated with an associated user, comprising:

a first display area that displays a first display object, wherein the first display object corresponds to a first software object that is classified as private data and that is associated only with the associated user;

a second display area that displays a second display object, wherein the second display object corresponds to a second software object that is classified as published data and that is publicly available to the associated user and to other users and wherein the second display object is indicative of the physical distance of the software object from the terminal; and

a transfer display component that enables the associated user to drag the first display object to the second display area, wherein the first software object is copied into a public portion of a memory, and that enables the associated user to drag the second display object to the first display area, wherein the second software object is copied into a private portion of the memory for execution, display, or storage by the associated user.

43. The user interface of claim 42, wherein the public portion of the memory comprises a first folder.

44. The user interface of claim 42, wherein the private portion of the memory comprises a second folder.

45. The user interface of claim 42, wherein the first display object comprises a first display icon and the second display object comprises a second display icon.

46. The user interface of claim 42, wherein the second display object is indicative of a location-based criterion that is associated with the second software object.