Mobile communications terminal having an improved user interface and method therefor

• US 7,778,671 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Korhonen, Hannu, Roykkee, Mika, Heino, Merja
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Ajit
• Application Number:
  US10/961,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20060080386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,139 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• 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

A mobile communication terminal having a display with an application area thereon. The application area is partitioned into at least two unequally sized sections. The size of the application area allocated to the respective application area sections is dynamically controlled in response to user input.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal comprising:

a user interface including a display component and an input component;

a processor being configured to control operation of said terminal including being configured to receive input from a user through the input component, and to run an application on said terminal;

said processor also being configured to show a partitioned application area for an application with two or more application area sections on said display component when the application is running on the terminal;

said processor further being configured to at least temporarily define an initial one of said application area sections as an initial larger application area section within the partitioned application area, and simultaneously at least temporarily define a complementary one of said application area sections as an initial smaller application area section within the partitioned application area, wherein the initial one of the application area sections includes a first information set related to a first application and the complementary one of the application area sections includes a second information set related to a second application, and wherein a smaller application area only displays a portion of a corresponding information set;

said processor moreover being configured to, in response to a detection of a selection input in the initial smaller application area section, at least temporarily redefine said initial larger application area section as a second smaller application area section within the partitioned application area, and simultaneously at least temporarily redefine said initial smaller application area section as a second larger application area section within the partitioned application area; and

wherein the initial larger application area section displays a plurality of selectable items with one of the items highlighted, and the initial smaller application area section displays details of the highlighted item, the processor being further configured to the redefine the initial smaller application area section as the second larger application area section upon detection of the selection of a selectable item in the initial first application area section;

said processor being configured to allocate a ratio of respective areas between each larger application area section and each smaller application area section within said partitioned application area.

2. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to, upon detection of a selection of an item or object in the second smaller application area redefine said the second smaller application area section as the initial larger application area section.

3. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the information displayed in the second larger application area section is in the form of selectable items.

4. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein the amount of information concerning the item selected in the initial larger application area sections is increased when the initial smaller application area section becomes the second larger application area section.

5. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein said display component and said input component comprises a touch screen.

6. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 5 wherein said processor is configured to display one or more command buttons on said touch screen simultaneously with said partitioned application area.

7. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 5, wherein said processor is configured to display one or more command buttons on said touchscreen only when one of one or more predetermined application areas is a larger application area section, and wherein an area used for displaying the command buttons is taken from said partitioned application area.

8. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 7, wherein the function and number of the command buttons is specific for each of the application area sections.

9. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 5, wherein said application is a phone or address book, and one of said application area sections displays a list of selectable phone or address book entries of which one is highlighted, and another of said application area sections displays details concerning the highlighted phone or address book entry.

10. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 5, wherein said application is a messaging application, and one of said application area sections displays a list of received, sent, deleted or drafted messages of which one is highlighted, and another of said application area sections displays details concerning the highlighted message.

11. A method comprising:

operating a user interface of a mobile communication terminal having a display component and an input component and

running an application;

showing a partitioned application area with two or more application area sections on said display component;

temporarily defining an initial one of said application area sections as a larger application area section within the partitioned application area; and

simultaneously at least temporarily defining a complementary one of said application area sections as a smaller application area section within the partitioned area, wherein the initial one of the application area sections includes a first information set related to a first application and the complementary one of the application area sections includes a second information set related to a second application, and wherein a smaller application area only displays a portion of a corresponding information set;

temporarily redefining said initial one of said application area sections as a smaller application area section within the partitioned application area, and simultaneously at least temporarily redefining said complementary one of said application are sections as a larger application area section within the partitioned application area in response to detection of an input to the initial smaller application area section;

allocating a ratio of respective areas between each of the larger application area sections and each of the smaller application area sections within said partitioned application area; and

displaying a plurality of selectable items with one of the items highlighted in a first one of said application area sections, and displaying in a second one of said application area sections details of the highlighted item and redefining said second one of said application area sections as the larger application area section upon detection of a selection a selectable item in said first one of said application area sections.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising, upon detection of a selection of an item or object in the second one of said application area sections, subsequently redefining said first one of said application area sections as the larger application area section when the second one of said application area sections is the larger application area section.

13. A method according to claim 11, further comprising displaying at least a part of the information in the second one of said application area sections in the form of selectable items when the second one of said application area sections is the larger application area section.

14. A method according to claim 12, further comprising increasing the amount of displayed information in the second one of said application area sections related to the item selected in the first one of said application area sections when the second one of said application area sections becomes the larger application area section.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein said display component and said input component comprises a touch screen.

16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising displaying one or more command buttons on said touch screen simultaneously with said partitioned application area.

17. A method according to claim 15, further comprising displaying one or more command buttons on said touchscreen only when at least one of one of the two or more application areas is the larger application area section, and taking the area used for displaying said command buttons from said partitioned application area.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein the function and the number of command buttons is specific for each application area section.

19. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a mobile communication terminal with a display component and an input component to:

show a partitioned application area with two or more application area sections on said display component when an application is running;

temporarily define an initial one of said application area sections as a larger application area section within the partitioned application area; and

simultaneously at least temporarily define a complementary one of said application area sections as a smaller application area section within the partitioned area, wherein the initial one of the application area sections includes a first information set related to a first application and the complementary one of the application area sections includes a second information set related to a second application, and wherein a smaller application area only displays a portion of a corresponding information set;

temporarily redefine said initial one of said application area sections as a smaller application area section as shown within the partitioned application area, and simultaneously at least temporarily redefining said complementary one of said application are sections as a larger application area section as shown within the partitioned application area in response to detection of an input;

allocate a ratio of respective areas between the larger application area section and the smaller application area section within said partitioned application area; and

display a plurality of selectable items with one of the items highlighted in a first one of said application area sections, and displaying in a second one of said application area sections details of the highlighted item and redefining said second one of said application area sections as the larger application area section upon detection of a selection a selectable item in said first one of said application area sections.

20. A computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein said ratio is larger than 1:

1 and smaller than 1;

0, said ratio preferably between being in the range between 3;

2 and 9;

1.

21. A computer-readable medium according to claim 20, wherein said ratio is redefined in response to the type and amount of information to be displayed in the respective application area sections.

22. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer useable medium having computer readable code means embodied therein for causing a computer to initialize an application stored in the terminal, the computer readable code means in the computer program product comprising;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to designate a portion of the user interface as a primary area;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to designate another portion of the user interface as a secondary area;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to, in an initial state of the user interface, allocate a larger portion of the user interface display area to the primary area relative to the secondary area;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to display a list of user selectable items in the primary area;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to display at least a portion of a content of one of the user selectable items in the secondary area when the user selectable item is highlighted in the primary area;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to transition to a second state when the user selectable item is selected, the second state comprising expanding a size of the secondary area and correspondingly reducing a size of the primary area;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to display a content of the selected user selectable item in the expanded secondary area; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to display at least a portion of the user selectable items in the reduced primary area.

23. An article of manufacture comprising:

a non-transitory computer useable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a computer to initialize an application stored in the terminal, the computer readable code means in the article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to designate a portion of the user interface as a primary area;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to designate another portion of the user interface as a secondary area;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to allocate a larger portion of the user interface display area to the primary area relative to the secondary area in an initial state of the user interface;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to display a list of user selectable items in the primary area;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to display at least a portion of a content of one of the user selectable items in the secondary area when the user selectable item is highlighted in the primary area;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to expand a size of the secondary area and correspondingly reduce a size of the primary area in a second state when one of the user selectable items is selected;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to display a content of the selected user selectable item in the expanded secondary area; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to display at least a portion of the user selectable items in the reduced primary area.