Mobile telephone with improved man machine interface

• US 7,624,357 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: De Bast, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pan; Yongjia
• Application Number:
  US11/646,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20070213099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 715/828, 715/829
• US Class Current: 715/828
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• 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 present invention envisages a GSM mobile telephone in which a line of icons is displayed on a display. As a user navigates through the displayed line of icons, the positions of the icons alter so that the selectable icon moves to the head of the line. This approach makes it very clear (i) which icon is selectable at any time and (ii) where that icon sits in relation to other icons at the same functional level (e.g. only first level icons will be present in one line). First level icons typically relate to the following functions: phonebook; messages; call register; counters; call diversion; telephone settings; network details; voice mail and IrDA activation.

Claims

1. A handheld communications device, comprising:

a memory in which a first set of at least three icons are stored, text associated with each one of the first set of icons also being stored in the memory;

a display coupled to the memory;

a circuit coupled to the display and the memory, the circuit being adapted to cause each icon in the first set of icons to be shown on the display in a non-circular array in which the at least three icons in the first set of icons are generally collinear with respect to each other, a first one of the icons in the first set of icons being shown as a selectable icon with the text associated therewith being shown at a fixed location on the display;

a selection device coupled to the circuit, the circuit being adapted to receive user input from the selection device to navigate through the array of the first set of icons and thereby cause different ones of the first set of icons to be shown on the display as the selectable icon without substantially increasing the size of any of the first set of icons and to cause the text associated with the one of the first set of icons that is shown as the selectable icon to be shown at the fixed location on the display;

wherein the selection device is adapted to be moved in at least first and second directions so that, when the circuit receives an input that the selection device has been moved in the first direction, the position of the selectable icon in the array defined by the first set of icons is moved in a first linear direction with respect to the array and so that, when the circuit receives an input that the selection device has been moved in the second direction, the position of the selectable icon in the array defined by the first set of icons is moved in a second linear direction with respect to the array that that is opposite to the first linear direction;

wherein each one of the icons in the first set of icons is associated with a function so that, when the circuit receives an input that the selection device has been actuated to select the selectable icon, a second set of at least two icons is shown on the display, each of the second set of at least two icons being associated with a function that is related to but at a lower level than the function associated with that of the selected selectable icon;

wherein, when the second set of icons is shown on the display, one of the second set of icons is shown as the selectable icon without substantially increasing its size with respect to any other icon in the second set of icons, with the text associated therewith being shown at a specific location on the display device;

wherein, after the second set of icons is shown on the display, and when the circuit receives an input that the selection device has been moved in the first direction, the position of the selectable icon in the array defined by the second set of icons is moved in a first direction with respect to the array and so that, when the circuit receives an input that the selection device has been moved in the second direction, the position of the selectable icon in the array defined by the second set of icons is moved in a second direction with respect to the array that is opposite to the first direction;

wherein, after the selection device has been used to select one of the second set of icons that is shown as the selectable icon, a third level function comprising at least one text sequence is shown on the display.

2. The handheld communications device of claim 1, wherein the handheld communications device comprises a cellular telephone.

3. The handheld communications device of claim 1, wherein the specific location and the fixed location are the same location.

4. The handheld communications device of claim 1, wherein the position of the selectable icon on the display device does not change as a user manipulates the selection device to navigate through the array defined by the first set of icons.

5. The handheld communications device of claim 1, wherein the position of the selectable icon on the display device does not change as a user manipulates the selection device to navigate through the array defined by the second set of icons.

6. The handheld communications device of claim 1, wherein, when the first set of icons is shown on the display and whenever the selection device is actuated in either the first or second direction, the position on the display of the icons of the first set of icons moves with respect to the display.

7. The handheld communications device of claim 1, wherein, when the second set of icons is shown on the display and whenever the selection device is actuated in either the first or second direction, the position on the display of the icons of the second set of icons moves with respect to the display.

8. The handheld communication device of claim 1, wherein the array formed by the first set of icons comprises a linear array.

9. The handheld communication device of claim 1, wherein, when the first set of icons is being shown on the display, the position of the selectable icon is the array defined by the first set of icons can be moved only in the first and second linear directions.