Computing device with user interface for navigating a contacts list

• US 7,293,244 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2001
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Crystal Mountain Communications, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Symbian Software Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Randall, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu; Tadesse
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roswell; Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/451,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20040113952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,149 Days
• Field of Search: 715/822, 715829-831, 715/784, 715/864
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/30 Control of display attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/34 for rolling or scrolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display

Abstract

A computing device comprises a display screen, the computing device is able to display on the screen a contact list automatically causes the relative prominence of one or more letters in one or more names to alter. For example, only the first letter of each name may be displayed; this facilitates fast scrolling through the contact list to the desired target.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising a display screen, and a memory storing a list of several names or words, the computing device displaying on the screen a list including some of these names or words,

in which the device is operable to scroll through the list at a speed that automatically increases as a scrolling action continues, and to automatically cause the relative prominence of at least the first letter in a name or word in the list to increase relative to the other letters in that name or word, if the scrolling speed exceeds a pre-defined threshold.

2. The computing device of claim 1 in which the device causes the relative prominence to alter by displaying at least the first letter in a more prominent colour or grey scale than the other letters.

3. The computing device of claim 1 in which the device causes the relative prominence to alter by displaying at least the first letter in a more prominent size than the other letters.

4. The computing device of claim 1 in which the device automatically causes the relative prominence of at least the first letter to increase relative to the other letters, only where the list is greater than a predefined length.

5. The computing device of claim 1 in which the device automatically causes the scrolling speed to decrease as a boundary within the list is approached.

6. The computing device of claim 5 in which the boundary is a new first letter.

7. The computing device as claimed in claim 1, being a mobile computing device.

8. A computer program which, when running on a computing device, causes the computing device to display on a screen a list of several names or words, and further automatically causes, when a user scrolls through the contact list, the relative prominence of one or more letters in one or more names or words to alter;

wherein the program automatically causes the scrolling speed to automatically increase as a scrolling action continues and to automatically cause the relative prominence of at least the first letter in a name or word in the list to increase relative to the other letters in that name or word, if the scrolling speed exceeds a pre-defined threshold.

9. A method of displaying a list of several names or words on a display of a computing device, comprising the steps of:

(a) scrolling through the list at a speed that automatically increases as a scrolling action continues;

(b) automatically causing the relative prominence of at least the first letter in a name or word in the list to increase relative to the other letters in that name or word, if the scrolling speed exceeds a pre-defined threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 including the step of automatically causing the relative prominence to alter by at least the first letter being displayed in a more prominent colour or grey scale than the other letters.

11. The method of claim 9 including the step of automatically causing the relative prominence to alter by at least the first letter being displayed in a more prominent size than the other letters.

12. The method of claim 9 including the step of automatically causing the relative prominence of at least the first letter in the list to increase relative to the other letters, only where the list is greater than a predefined length.

13. The method of claim 9 including the step of automatically causing the scrolling speed to decrease as a boundary within the list is approached.

14. The method of claim 13 in which the boundary is a new first letter.