Mobile communications terminal and method therefore

• US 7,797,641 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 3, LLC
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Hamalainen, Seppo O., Karukka, Minna, Pusa, Juha M., Helle, Seppo, Sinnemaa, Antti V., Rong, Tao, Kekki, Jussi-Pekka, Kongqiao, Wang, Leinonen, Katja
• Primary Examiner(s): England; Sara
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEFFINGTON, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US11/140,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20060268100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 715/730, 715/739, 715/757, 715/767, 715/776, 715/782, 715/783, 715/784, 715/786, 715/787, 715/790, 715/802, 715/838, 715/850, 715/851, 715/852
• US Class Current: 715/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• 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 terminal has a controller, a display and an input device connected to the controller, and a digital object browser for browsing among a plurality of available digital objects. A first representation and a second representation of each of the digital objects are presentable on a display screen. The first representations of the digital objects are presented along a predefined path on the display screen, the first representation of a focused one of the digital objects being shown in a focus area on the display screen. For the focused digital object, the second representation thereof is presented in a preview area on the display screen. In response to a user input given on the input device, a desired scrolling operation is performed among the first representations presented, thereby shifting the positions of the first representations on the display screen along the path accordingly, updating the focus area to reflect a change in focus from the focused digital object to another digital object by presenting in the focus area the first representation of the other digital object, as well as updating the preview area correspondingly by presenting therein the second representation of the other digital object.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a controller;

a display connected to the controller;

an input device connected to said controller; and

a digital object browser for browsing among a plurality of available digital objects, a first representation and a second representation of each of said plurality of digital objects being presentable on a display screen of said display;

where said controller being adapted to cause said digital object browser to

present said first representations of said plurality of digital objects along a predefined path on said display screen, the first representation of a focused one of said digital objects being shown in a focus area on said display screen and a perspective angle of each of the digital objects increases depending on a distance along the path from the focus area such that an angle between intersecting planes of one of said digital objects and the focused one of said digital objects increases depending on the distance along the path from the focus area and a visual overlap of each of the digital objects progressively increases depending on the distance along the path from the focus area;

present, for said focused one of said digital objects, the second representation thereof in a preview area on said display screen; and

in response to a user input given on said input device, perform a desired scrolling operation among the first representations presented, thereby shifting the positions of the first representations on said display screen along said path accordingly, updating said focus area to reflect a change in focus from said focused one of said digital objects to another digital object by presenting in said focus area the first representation of said another digital object, as well as updating said preview area correspondingly by presenting therein the second representation of said another digital object.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the digital objects are images, the first representations are thumbnail versions of said images, and the second representation is a reduced version of the image whose thumbnail version is shown in said focus area.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said reduced version is larger, in at least one of image size, resolution or color depth, than the corresponding thumbnail version.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first representation of said focused digital object is shown in a front view on said display screen, whereas the first representations of digital objects other than the focused one are shown as perspective views on said display screen.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said predefined path follows a non-linear geometrical curve.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said focus area on said display screen is fixed, i.e. has a static position on said display screen.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said path is symmetrical around at least one symmetry axis and said static position of said focus area on said display screen is located at an intersection of said path and said symmetry axis.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller is adapted, upon receiving a first type of user input from said input device, to cause scrolling of said first representations in a first direction along said path, and said controller is adapted, upon receiving a second type of user input from said input device, to cause scrolling of said first representations in a second direction along said path, said second direction being opposite to said first direction.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, said controller being adapted, upon receiving a third type of user input from said input device, to cause presentation on said display screen of a menu having a plurality of menu options representing different available operations on said focused one of said digital objects.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said input device comprises a multi-way input device such as a 4/5-way navigation key or a joystick, said first and second types of user input being first-way and second-way actuations of said multi-way input device.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller is adapted to cause said digital object browser to present information associated with said focused one of said digital objects in a description area on said display screen.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, in the form of a mobile phone adapted for use in a mobile telecommunications network.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, in the form of a device selected from the group consisting of a digital notepad, a personal digital assistant and a hand-held computer.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, the terminal comprising a local memory, wherein at least some of said plurality of available digital objects are stored in said local memory.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, the terminal comprising a wireless communication interface to at least either a mobile tele-communications network or an external device, wherein at least some of said plurality of available digital objects are stored in said mobile telecommunications network or said external device and are accessible to said controller and said digital object browser through said wireless communication interface.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, the digital objects having a location in a hierarchical or otherwise ordered storage structure, wherein the presented information associated with said focused one of said digital objects includes information about said focused object'"'"'s location in the storage structure.

17. A method comprising:

presenting first representations of a plurality of digital objects along a predefined path on a display screen of a mobile terminal, the first representation of a focused one of said digital objects being shown in a focus area on said display screen;

presenting, for said focused one of said digital objects, a second representation thereof in a preview area on said display screen; and

in response to a user input, performing a desired scrolling operation among the first representations presented, thereby shifting the positions of the first representations on said display screen along said path accordingly where an angle between intersecting planes of one of said digital objects and the focused one of said digital objects increases depending on a distance along the path from the focus area and a visual overlap of each of the first representations of the digital objects progressively increases depending on the distance along the path from the focus area, updating said focus area to reflect a change in focus from said focused one of said digital objects to another digital object by presenting in said focus area the first representation of said another digital object, as well as updating said preview area correspondingly by presenting therein the second representation of said another digital object.

18. A computer program product embodied in a memory of a device comprising computer readable program code embodied in a computer readable medium for performing the method according to claim 17.

19. A mobile terminal having a controller, a display and an input device connected to said controller, and a digital object browser for browsing among a plurality of available digital objects, said controller being adapted to cause said digital object browser to

present a representation of each of said plurality of digital objects along a predefined path following a non-linear geometrical curve on said display screen, the representation of a focused one of said digital objects being shown in a focus area on said display screen, wherein the representation of said focused digital object is shown at a given size on said display screen, whereas the representations of digital objects other than the focused one are shown at sizes which decrease with a distance along said path from said focused digital object and an angle between intersecting planes of one of said digital objects and the focused one of said digital objects increases depending on the distance along the path from the focus area and a visual overlap of each of the digital objects progressively increases depending on the distance along the path from the focus area;

and

in response to a user input given on said input device, perform a desired scrolling operation among the representations presented, thereby shifting the positions of the representations on said display screen along said path accordingly and changing focus from said focused one of said digital objects to another digital object.

20. A mobile terminal as defined in claim 19, wherein the digital objects are images and said representations are thumbnail versions of said images.

21. A mobile terminal as defined in claim 19, wherein said controller is adapted, upon receiving a first type of user input from said input device, to cause scrolling of said representations in a first direction along said path, and said controller is adapted, upon receiving a second type of user input from said input device, to cause scrolling of said representations in a second direction along said path, said second direction being opposite to said first direction.

22. A mobile terminal as defined in claim 21, said controller being adapted, upon receiving a third type of user input from said input device, to perform an operation on said focused one of said digital objects.

23. A mobile terminal as defined in claim 22, wherein said operation involves presenting a second representation of said focused one of said digital objects on said display screen.

24. A mobile terminal as defined in claim 19, said plurality of digital objects belonging to a given level in a hierarchical structure including at least one folder at said given level, wherein a representation of said at least one folder is included among said representations of said plurality of digital objects which are presented along said predefined path.

25. A mobile terminal as defined in claim 22, said plurality of digital objects belonging to a given level in a hierarchical structure including at least one folder at said given level, wherein a representation of said at least one folder is included among said representations of said plurality of digital objects which are presented along said predefined path, and wherein, if said folder is focused, said operation involves:

changing to a next level subordinate to said given level in said hierarchical structure; and

causing presentation on said display screen of digital objects included in said folder instead of said plurality of digital objects belonging to said given level.

26. A mobile terminal as defined in claim 19, wherein said controller is adapted to cause said digital object browser to present information associated with said focused one of said digital objects in a description area on said display screen.

27. A mobile terminal as defined in claim 19, wherein said controller is adapted to adjust a shape or size of said predefined path depending on a number of said plurality of available digital objects.

28. A mobile terminal as defined in claim 19, wherein said predefined path is endless.

29. A mobile terminal as defined in claim 19, in the form of a mobile phone adapted for use in a mobile telecommunications network.

30. A mobile terminal as defined in claim 19, in the form of a device selected from the group consisting of a digital notepad, a personal digital assistant and a hand-held computer.

31. A digital object browsing method for a mobile terminal having a display with a display screen, a representation of each of a plurality of available digital objects being presentable on said display screen, the method comprising:

presenting said representations of said plurality of digital objects along a predefined path following a non-linear geometrical curve on said display screen, the representation of a focused one of said digital objects being shown in a focus area on said display screen, wherein the representation of the focused digital object is shown at a given size on the display screen, whereas the representations of digital objects other than the focused one are shown at sizes which decrease with the distance along the path from the focused digital object and an angle between intersecting planes of one of said digital objects and the focused one of said digital objects increases depending on the distance along the path from the focus area and a visual overlap of each of the digital objects progressively increases depending on the distance along the path from the focus area; and

in response to a user input, performing a desired scrolling operation among the representations presented, thereby shifting the positions of the representations on said display screen along said path accordingly and changing focus from said focused one of said digital objects to another digital object.

32. A computer program product embodied in a memory of a device comprising computer readable program code embodied in a computer readable medium for performing the method according to claim 31.