Method and apparatus for mapping an input location with a displayed functional representation

• US 7,184,024 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2001
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones OY (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Eftekhari, Jamshid
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, JENNIFER T
• Application Number:
  US09/766,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,230 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-172, 707 1- 5, 455/550, 455/566, 315/501.1, 315/513, 315/613
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof

Abstract

A user interface is disclosed which may take a data stream, or file having hyperlinks or functional text embedded therein. The CPU of the user interface may select distinct colors for each hyperlink so that such links are distinguishable. The color selection may be made so that each link has a button that that has a matching color for at least one hyperlink. The user interface associates a button having a color with a hyperlink having the same color, such that when the button is actuated, programmed execution of the function associated with the hyperlink occurs. Thus a mapping of button, to color, to hyperlink, to function may be established.

Claims

1. A method in a device having a plurality of character-entry pressure points for selecting a function in a markup language file comprising:

a) reading the markup language file;

b) detecting a reference in a handheld device to a character encoding having a corresponding function, the corresponding function being displayed in a display of the handheld device;

c) illuminating substantially only one character-entry pressure point corresponding to the character encoding, the substantially only one character-entry pressure point being disposed in an input area of the handheld device in proximity to the display of the handheld device, wherein a color associated with a character-entry pressure point when illuminated corresponds to a color of the corresponding navigation function;

d) detecting an entry by the character-entry pressure point; and

e) triggering the navigation function.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting an entry by the character-entry pressure point comprises detecting a key-press.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting an entry by the character-entry pressure point comprises detecting a key-release.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting an entry by the character entry pressure point comprises detecting a long-duration key-press.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein triggering a function comprises displaying a card that corresponds to a single character-entry pressure point.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein triggering a function further comprises reading a deck.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein triggering a function further comprises moving a cursor.

8. A method for selecting a navigation function in a markup language file comprising:

reading the markup language file;

detecting a reference in a handheld device to a character encoding having a corresponding navigation function, the corresponding navigation function being displayed in a display of the handheld device;

illuminating substantially only one character-entry pressure point corresponding to the character encoding, the substantially only one character-entry pressure point being disposed in an input area of the handheld device in proximity to the display of the handheld device, wherein a color associated with a character-entry pressure point when illuminated corresponds to a color of the corresponding navigation function;

detecting a pressure actuation of the character-entry pressure point;

triggering the navigation function.

9. The method for selecting a navigation function of claim 8 wherein illuminating a character-entry pressure point comprises illuminating a light emitting diode (LED) near the character-entry pressure point.

10. The method for selecting of claim 9 wherein displaying a change further comprises displaying a portion of a markup language card.

11. The method for selecting of claim 10 wherein triggering comprises reading a second markup language file.

12. The method for selecting a navigation function of claim 8 wherein detecting comprises sensing a circuit closure.

13. The method for selecting a navigation function of claim 8 wherein detecting comprises sensing a long duration circuit closure.

14. The method for selecting a navigation function of claim 8 wherein detecting comprises sensing a circuit opening.

15. The method for selecting a navigation function of claim 8 further comprising color coding and displaying the navigation function on a display screen of the wireless device after detecting a reference to a character encoding having a corresponding navigation function and before illuminating a character-entry pressure point corresponding to the character encoding.

16. The method for selecting a navigation function of claim 15 further comprising reassigning the color of a navigation function when the navigation function moves on a display screen of the wireless device after triggering the navigation function.

17. A device having a plurality of character-entry pressure points for selecting a function in a markup language file comprising:

a) means for reading the markup language file;

b) means for detecting a reference in a handheld device to a character encoding having a corresponding function, the corresponding function being displayed in a display of the handheld device;

c) means for illuminating substantially only one character-entry pressure point corresponding to the character encoding, the substantially only one character-entry pressure point being disposed in an input area of the handheld device in proximity to the display of the handheld device, wherein a color associated with a character-entry pressure point when illuminated corresponds to a color of the corresponding navigation function;

d) means for detecting a entry by the character-entry pressure point; and

e) means for triggering the function.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the device has displayed a number of references and the means for illuminating the substantially only one character-entry pressure point comprises means for illuminating the number of character-entry pressure points.

19. The device of claim 17 wherein the means for detecting an entry by the substantially only one character-entry pressure point comprises means for detecting a key-press.

20. The device of claim 17 wherein the means for detecting an entry by the substantially only one character-entry pressure point comprises means for detecting a key-release.

21. The device of claim 17 wherein the means for detecting an entry by the substantially only one character entry pressure point comprises means for detecting a long-duration key-press.

22. The device of claim 17 wherein the means for triggering a function comprises means for displaying a card in response to a key press of a single character-entry pressure point.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein the means for triggering a function further comprises means for reading a deck.

24. The device of claim 17 wherein the means for triggering a function further comprises means for moving a cursor.

25. The device of claim 17 further comprising

means for color coding and displaying the corresponding function on a display screen of the device;

and

means for reassigning a color of the corresponding function of a character encoding, wherein the color coding of each character-entry point and a corresponding character encoding have similar colors.

26. A wireless device comprising a display, a manual user data entry device, and a CPU programmed to parse a file to identify at least one occurrence of a string representing a hyperlink and to associate individual ones of identified string occurrences with individual ones of colors associated with the manual user data entry device of said wireless device using a zone approach in which a color of a hyperlink is reassigned as the hyperlink is repositioned in a viewable window of the display, wherein individual ones of colors associated with the manual user data entry device of said wireless device are illuminable character-entry pressure points such that when one of the character-entry pressure points is selected by a user substantially only that character-entry pressure point is illuminated.

27. A wireless device as in claim 26, where said CPU is further programmed to illuminate said manual user data entry device with a sufficient number of colors to represent the identified string occurrences.

28. A wireless device as in claim 26, where said wireless device comprises one of a mobile phone, a pager and an electronic organizer.

29. A wireless device as in claim 28, where said file is received through a wireless link using a wireless transceiver having an output coupled to said CPU.

30. A method for selecting a navigation function in a markup language file comprising:

reading the markup language file in a wireless device;

detecting a reference to a character encoding having a corresponding navigation function;

color coding and displaying the navigation function on a display screen of the wireless device;

illuminating a character-entry pressure point corresponding to the character encoding when the character-entry pressure point is selected without significant illumination of nearby unselected character-entry pressure points, wherein a color associated with a character-entry pressure point corresponds to a color of the corresponding navigation function;

detecting a pressure actuation of the character-entry pressure point;

triggering the navigation function; and

reassigning the color of a navigation function when the navigation function moves on a display screen of the wireless device.