Method and apparatus for using menu functions of an electronic device
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- providing on a display of an electronic device menu functions in a layered menu structure comprising several at least partially overlapped menu layers, the layered menu structure comprising at least a first menu layer and at least one further menu layer, said first menu layer comprising first menu functions, the first menu layer being displayed as a top layer of the layered menu structure on the display, said at least one further menu layer comprising second menu functions, in which layered menu structure the at least one further menu layer and other menu layers preceding the at least one further menu layer are displayed as part of the layered menu structure so as to be at least partially covered by said first menu layer, where all menu layers except for the first menu layer are displayed as part of the layered menu structure so as to be at least partially covered by the first menu layer, the method further comprising;
forming a logical link between said first menu layer and one of said at least one further menu layer in such a way that said one of said at least one further menu layer is either (i) a menu layer that follows said first menu layer in the layered menu structure or (ii) a menu layer that precedes said first menu layer in the layered menu structure,a user selecting said one of said at least one further menu layer to be moved to the top layer of the layered menu structure so as to be displayed on the display instead of said first menu layer by giving a first command, said first menu layer then being displayed as part of the layered menu structure so as to be at least partially covered by said selected one of said at least one further menu layer, andthe user selecting a menu function presented on that menu layer which is on the top layer of the layered menu structure displayed on the display by giving a second command.
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Abstract
A method and an apparatus for using menu functions of an electronic device are presented. The electronic device provides the menu functions in a menu layer structure that comprises a top menu layer and at least one lower menu layer. One of the lower menu layers is a bottom menu layer. The top menu layer overlaps at least partially the lower menu layers. A user of the electronic device selects a menu layer to be provided as a top menu layer from the lower menu layers by giving a first command and the user selects a function to be performed from the top menu layer by giving a second command.
25 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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providing on a display of an electronic device menu functions in a layered menu structure comprising several at least partially overlapped menu layers, the layered menu structure comprising at least a first menu layer and at least one further menu layer, said first menu layer comprising first menu functions, the first menu layer being displayed as a top layer of the layered menu structure on the display, said at least one further menu layer comprising second menu functions, in which layered menu structure the at least one further menu layer and other menu layers preceding the at least one further menu layer are displayed as part of the layered menu structure so as to be at least partially covered by said first menu layer, where all menu layers except for the first menu layer are displayed as part of the layered menu structure so as to be at least partially covered by the first menu layer, the method further comprising; forming a logical link between said first menu layer and one of said at least one further menu layer in such a way that said one of said at least one further menu layer is either (i) a menu layer that follows said first menu layer in the layered menu structure or (ii) a menu layer that precedes said first menu layer in the layered menu structure, a user selecting said one of said at least one further menu layer to be moved to the top layer of the layered menu structure so as to be displayed on the display instead of said first menu layer by giving a first command, said first menu layer then being displayed as part of the layered menu structure so as to be at least partially covered by said selected one of said at least one further menu layer, and the user selecting a menu function presented on that menu layer which is on the top layer of the layered menu structure displayed on the display by giving a second command. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 42)
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15. An electronic device comprising:
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a display for displaying information to a user of the electronic device, and a processor, wherein said processor is adapted; to show a layered menu structure comprising several menu layers on the display, said layered menu structure comprising at least a first menu layer and at least one further menu layer, said first menu layer comprising first menu functions, the first menu layer being displayed as the top layer of the layered menu structure on the display, said at least one further menu layer comprising second menu functions, in which layered menu structure the at least one further menu layer and other menu layers preceding the at least one further menu layer are displayed as part of the layered menu structure so as to be at least partially covered by said first menu layer, where all menu layers except for the first menu layer are displayed as part of the layered menu structure so as to be at least partially covered by the first menu layer, to form a logical link between said first menu layer and one of said at least one further menu layer in such a way that said one of said at least one further menu layer is either (i) a menu layer that follows said first menu layer in the layered menu structure or (ii) a menu layer that precedes said first menu layer in the layered menu structure, as a response to a first command given by a user, to move said one of said at least one further menu layer to the top layer of the layered menu structure so as to be displayed on the display instead of said first menu layer, said first menu layer thus being displayed as part of the layered menu structure so as to be at least partially covered by said one of said at least one further menu layer, and as a response to a second command given by the user, to control operation of a menu function belonging to that menu layer which is on the top layer of the layered menu structure displayed on the display. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A memory encoded with a computer program, execution of the computer program resulting in operations comprising:
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providing on a display of an electronic device a layered menu structure comprising several at least partially overlapped menu layers, the layered menu structure comprising at least a first menu layer and at least one further menu layer, said first menu layer comprising first menu functions, the first menu layer being displayed as the top layer of the layered menu structure on the display, said at least one further menu layer comprising second menu functions, in which layered menu structure the at least one further menu layer and other menu layers preceding the at least one further menu layer are displayed as part of the layered menu structure so as to be at least partially covered by said first menu layer, where all menu layers except for the first menu layer are displayed as part of the layered menu structure so as to be at least partially covered by the first menu layer, forming a logical link between said first menu layer and one of said at least one further menu layer in such a way that said one of said at least one further menu layer is either (i) a menu layer that follows said first menu layer in the layered menu structure or (ii) a menu layer that precedes said first menu layer in the layered menu structure, controlling said one of said at least one further menu layer to be moved to the top layer of the layered menu structure so as to be displayed on the display instead of said first menu layer in response to a first command given by a user, said first menu layer thus being displayed as part of the layered menu structure so as to be at least partially covered by said one of said at least one further menu layer, and controlling a function of a menu function presented on that menu layer, which is on the top layer of the layered menu structure displayed on the display, in response to a second command given by the user. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 43)
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Specification