Portable telephone

• US 7,405,722 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2001
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Ryosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Henry N
• Application Number:
  US09/927,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20020067352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,546 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/160, 345/161, 345/184, 345/163, 345/168, 345/173, 715/764, 715/810, 715856-861, 715/864, 715/817, 715819-824, 455/566, 455/575, 455/90
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 including a card reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit

Abstract

In a portable telephone according to the present invention, a display displays a block indicative of an operator, predetermined information and a pointer; the operator can be operated in directions opposite to each other; and the controller controls the display so as to shift the pointer to a desirable position within a predetermined information on a screen of the display in accordance with an operation of the operator and also display a mark indicative of a direction to which the pointer can be shifted and in which the predetermined information exists, adjacently to the block along a shift direction through the operator.

Claims

1. A portable communication apparatus comprising:

a display unit configured to display a plurality of lists in a hierarchy;

a pointer specifying one portion of information of one of the plurality of lists, and a mark indicating a direction said pointer can be shifted;

an operation unit configured to be operated by a user;

a controller configured to shift said pointer to a desired position in accordance with an operation of said operation unit and to eliminate said mark indicating said direction if said pointer can not be shifted to another list in a different level of the hierarchy.

2. The portable communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said operation unit is a dial which is rotated by said user.

3. The portable communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said operation unit is a push key operated by said user.

4. The portable communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said controller is configured to shift said pointer to said desired position in accordance with said operation of said operation unit and to eliminate said mark indicating an upper direction from the display unit when the screen of an upper hierarchy of the selected portion of information by said pointer is not displayed.

5. The portable communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said controller is configured to shift said pointer to said desired position in accordance with said operation of said operation unit and to eliminate a mark indicating a lower direction from the display unit when the screen of a lower hierarchy of the selected portion of information by said pointer is not displayed.

6. The portable communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reproduction unit configured to reproduce audio data; and

said portion of the information is a title of a song.

7. The portable communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an editing unit configured to edit the order of said portion of the information on said display unit.

8. The portable communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to shift said pointer to said desired position in accordance with said operation of said operation unit and to eliminate said mark indicating an upper direction from the display unit when the display unit displays a highest hierarchy of the information.

9. The portable communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to shift said pointer to said desired position in accordance with said operation of said operation unit and to eliminate said mark indicating a lower direction from the display unit when the display unit displays a lowest hierarchy of the information.

10. A display controlling method, the method comprising steps of:

displaying a plurality of lists in a hierarchy;

providing a pointer specifying one portion of information of one of the plurality of lists,

providing a mark indicating a direction said pointer can be shifted on a display;

detecting that an operation unit is operated by a user;

shifting said pointer to a desired position in accordance with an operation of said operation unit; and

eliminating said mark indicating said direction when said pointer can not be shifted to another list in a different level of the hierarchy.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said operation unit is a dial which is rotated by said user.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said operation unit is a push key operated by said user.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein a controller is configured to shift said pointer to said desired position in accordance with said operation of said operation unit and to eliminate said mark indicating an upper direction from the display if the screen of an upper hierarchy of the selected portion of information by said pointer is not displayed.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein said controller is configured to shift said pointer to said desired position in accordance with said operation of said operation unit and to eliminate said mark indicating a lower direction from the display when the screen of a lower hierarchy of the selected portion of information by said pointer is not displayed.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

reproducing audio data; and

wherein said plurality of lists are a plurality of titles of songs.

16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

editing the order of said plurality of lists on said display.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein a controller is configured to shift said pointer to said desired position in accordance with said operation of said operation unit and to eliminate said mark indicating an upper direction from the display if the display displays a highest hierarchy of the information.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein a controller is configured to shift said pointer to said desired position in accordance with said operation of said operation unit and to eliminate said mark indicating a lower direction from the display if the display displays a lowest hierarchy of the information.

19. A portable communication apparatus comprising:

a display unit configured to display a plurality of lists in a hierarchy;

a pointer specifying one portion of information of one of the plurality of lists, and a mark indicating a direction said pointer can be shifted;

an operation portion configured to be operated by a user;

a controller configured to shift said pointer to a desired position in accordance with an operation of said operation portion and to eliminate said mark from the display unit if another list does not exist at the next position of said portion of information of a different level of the hierarchy specified by said pointer in the direction which said mark indicates.

20. The portable communication apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said portable communication apparatus has four marks for indicating up, down, right and left directions;

said controller is configured to shift said pointer to a desired position and to eliminate at least one mark from the display unit when a portion of information does not exist at the next position of a portion of information specified by said pointer in the direction which one of said four marks indicates.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said controller is configured to shift said pointer to said desired position in accordance with said operation;

and

to eliminate said mark indicating an upper direction from the display unit when the screen of an upper hierarchy of the selected portion of information by said pointer is not displayed.

22. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said controller is configured to shift said pointer to said desired position in accordance with said operation;

and

to eliminate said mark indicating a lower direction from the display unit when the screen of a lower hierarchy of the selected portion of information by said pointer is not displayed.

23. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising an editor configured to edit the sequence of said portions of information on said display.

24. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said controller is configured to shift said pointer to said desired position in accordance with said operation of said operation portion and to eliminate said mark indicating an upper direction from the display unit when the display unit displays a highest hierarchy of the information.

25. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said controller is configured to shift said pointer to said desired position in accordance with said operation of said operation portion and to eliminate said mark indicating a lower direction from the display unit when the display unit displays a lowest hierarchy of the information.

26. A display controlling method, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of lists in a hierarchy;

providing a mark for specifying one portion of information of one of the plurality of lists;

indicating a direction a pointer can be shifted on a display;

detecting an operation by a user;

shifting said pointer to a desired position in accordance with an operation of an operation unit; and

eliminating said mark from the display when another list does not exist at the next position of said portion of information of a different level of the hierarchy specified by said pointer in the direction in which said mark indicates.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

providing four marks indicating up, down, right and left directions;

shifting said pointer to said desired position in accordance with said operation of said operation unit and to eliminate at least a mark from the display when a portion of information does not exist at the next position of a portion of information specified by said pointer in the direction which one of said four marks indicates.

28. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

shifting said pointer to said desired position in accordance with said operation; and

eliminating said mark indicating an upper direction from the display when the screen of an upper hierarchy of a selected portion of the information by said pointer is not displayed.

29. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

shifting said pointer to said desired position in accordance with said operation; and

eliminating said mark indicating a lower direction from the display when the screen of a lower hierarchy of a selected piece of information by said pointer is not displayed.

30. The method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of:

editing the sequence of said portions of information on said display.

31. The method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of:

configuring said controller to shift said pointer to said desired position in accordance with said operation of said operation unit and to eliminate said mark indicating an upper direction from the display if the display displays a highest hierarchy of the information.

32. The method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of:

configuring a controller to shift said pointer to said desired position in accordance with said operation of said operation unit and to eliminate said mark indicating a lower direction from the display if the display displays a lowest hierarchy of the information.