Symmetric softkeys on a mobile electronic device

• US 7,742,783 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2007
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Helio LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Virgin Mobile USA LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Duarte, Matias
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson; Blane J
• Application Number:
  US11/801,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20080280651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 455/347, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/575.1, 455/566, 345/156, 345/158, 345/169, 345/172
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

A mobile electronic device is provided having a display with a display centerpoint; a first softkey and a second softkey, each substantially equidistant from the display centerpoint; and a third softkey and a fourth softkey, each substantially equidistant from the display centerpoint, wherein the first softkey and the third softkey are positioned on opposite sides of the display and on a first axis that passes through the display centerpoint, and wherein the second softkey and the fourth softkey are positioned on opposite sides of the display and on a second axis that passes through the display centerpoint.

Claims

1. A mobile electronic device comprising:

an orientation sensor for detecting an orientation of the mobile electronic device;

a display screen;

a plurality of softkeys physically disposed on the mobile electronic device adjacent to the display screen, wherein each of the plurality of softkeys has a position relative to the display screen in a first orientation of the mobile electronic device that corresponds to a position relative to the display screen of a different softkey in a second orientation of the mobile electronic device; and

a processor coupled to the orientation sensor and configured to redefine the plurality of softkeys responsive to an indication from the orientation sensor that the mobile electronic device has been moved from the first orientation to the second orientation, wherein the plurality of softkeys are redefined so that each softkey in the second orientation has the same function as the different softkey in the same position in the first orientation.

2. The mobile electronic device of claim 1 wherein the display includes a first corner and a second corner adjacent to the first corner, and wherein the first softkey is positioned at a distance near the first corner and the second softkey is positioned near the second corner.

3. The mobile electronic device of claim 2 wherein the distance near the first corner is approximately equal to 25 percent of a distance between the first corner and the second corner.

4. The mobile electronic device of claim 2 wherein the first corner includes a rounded corner.

5. The mobile electronic device of claim 1 further comprising,

a processor operably coupled to the display;

a first softkey label displayed by the processor on the display at a location defined with respect to the user, wherein the first softkey label is associated with a function; and

an orientation sensor, operably coupled to the processor, for detecting the orientation of the mobile electronic device, wherein the processor is configured to change the orientation of the first softkey label in response to a change in the orientation of the mobile electronic device.

6. The mobile electronic device of claim 5 further comprising,

a label remapping module configured to redraw the first softkey label if the orientation of the mobile device changes so that the function remains in the location.

7. The mobile electronic device of claim 1 further comprising,

a processor operably coupled to the display;

a first softkey label displayed by the processor on the display; and

means for detecting the orientation of the mobile electronic device and changing the orientation of the first softkey label in response to a change in the orientation of the mobile electronic device.

8. The mobile electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first softkey includes a first label printed thereon, and wherein the first label includes a wide end and a narrow end, and wherein the narrow end is closer to the display centerpoint than the wide end.

9. The mobile electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first softkey and the second softkey are combined into a single rocker key.

10. The mobile electronic device of claim 1 wherein the display is square.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising

emphasizing one or more of the softkeys on the mobile electronic device by activating a visual stimulus within the softkey;

and

changing the visual stimulus in response to a change in an orientation of the mobile electronic device.

12. The method recited in claim 11 wherein the visual stimulus is from the group comprising activation of light, a change in light intensity, a change in light color, and a change in a light blinking pattern.