Method for displaying menu items in a mobile device

• US 7,861,184 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optis Cellular Technology LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jin Soo, Kim, Tae Hyoung, Byun, Yu Chan
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Thanh T
• Application Number:
  US11/549,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20070130544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 715/779, 715/825, 715/840, 715/841, 715/811, 715/854, 715/826
• US Class Current: 715/811
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72472 wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use

Abstract

The method for managing menu functions in a mobile station includes the steps of executing menu edition, selecting menu items the user uses frequently in the executed menu edition, to set up a menu, executing the menu, and displaying the menu of the selected menu items at first. The basic menu inclusive of all menu items the mobile station provides is selected as a last menu item of the mode menu displayed at first so that the user can access to menu items other than the menu items of preference. By providing easy mode menu with menu items the user or manufacturer of the mobile station uses frequently in advance, and displaying on a display window at first, the user is permitted a quick and easy access to a desired menu item without going through many steps of menus for using the desired menu item.

Claims

1. A method for displaying menu items in a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

displaying a main menu comprising a plurality of menu items and an easy mode menu item in response to a first input for displaying the main menu, the easy mode menu item being associated with an easy menu comprising preferred menu items that were previously selected to be included in the easy menu, and wherein the easy mode menu item is an item that is separate from each of the plurality of menu items;

displaying the easy menu comprising the preferred menu items in response to a second input for selecting the easy mode menu item in the main menu, wherein the plurality of menu items of said main menu are displayed in icon form; and

executing at least one of the preferred menu items in response to a third input for selecting the at least one of the preferred menu items,

wherein the preferred menu items comprise at least one submenu item of the plurality of menu items that are displayed in the main menu, the at least one submenu item not being displayed concurrently with the plurality of menu items in the main menu such that the at least one submenu item is displayed when one of the plurality of menu items is selected from the main menu if not selected to be listed in the easy menu.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said preferred menu items are user-defined.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the user selects said preferred menu items with reference to statistics of menu items used recently for many times.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said preferred menu items are system-defined.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the preferred menu items are defined with reference to statistics of menu items used recently for many times.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said user selection from a dedicated menu button associated with said mobile communication device.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying said preferred menu items of said easy menu in icon form.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of menu items of the main menu has a plurality of submenu items.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the main menu comprises only one easy mode menu item such that the easy menu is displayed when the only one easy mode menu item is selected from the main menu.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the preferred menu items that are configured to be in the same hierarchical level in the easy menu comprise menu items that are configured to be in different hierarchical levels in the main menu.

11. A method for displaying menu items in a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

displaying a basic menu of the mobile communication device in response to a first input, said basic menu representing a hierarchical architecture of menu items comprising a plurality of main menu items that are displayed in the basic menu and a plurality of submenu items that are displayed upon selection of each of the plurality of main menu items such that the plurality of main menu items and the plurality of submenu items that are configured to be in different hierarchical levels are not displayed concurrently in the basic menu;

associating a separate user-selectable region with each of said menu items; and

fabricating an easy mode menu comprising at least one selected menu item of said menu items, the at least one selected menu item comprising certain menu items that are configured to be in the same hierarchical level in the easy mode menu while the certain menu items are configured to be in different hierarchical levels in the basic menu, wherein said at least one selected menu item has an associated user-selectable region which has been selected by a user; and

displaying said basic menu further comprising an easy mode menu item corresponding to the fabricated easy mode menu in response to a second input; and

displaying the easy mode menu comprising the at least one selected menu item in response to a third input,

wherein the at least one selected menu item in the easy mode menu comprises at least one submenu item of the menu items displayed in the basic menu such that the at least one submenu item is displayed in the easy mode menu that is displayed in response to the third input for selecting an easy mode menu item that is displayed in the basic menu in response to the second input for initiating a menu function after the easy mode menu has been fabricated, and

wherein the easy mode menu is separate from top-level menu items displayed in the basic menu.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said user-selectable region associated with each of said menu items comprises a check box.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said check box is selectable via user manipulation of a button.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the menu items of the basic menu has a plurality of submenu items.

15. A method for displaying menu items in a mobile device, comprising:

displaying a main menu comprising menu items and an easy menu item, said easy menu item being associated with an easy menu comprising preferred menu items and a main menu submenu item being associated with said main menu that are configured to be in the same hierarchical level in the easy menu, wherein the preferred menu items of the easy menu and the menu items of the main menu are configured to be in different hierarchical levels and are not displayed concurrently, the easy menu being displayed when said easy menu item is selected from the main menu and the main menu being displayed when the main menu submenu item is selected from the easy menu, and wherein the easy menu item is an item that is separate from each of the menu items of the main menu; and

switching between said displaying of the menu items of said main menu and displaying of the preferred menu items of said easy menu, responsive to user input,

wherein the menu items of said main menu are displayed in icon form, and

wherein the preferred menu items comprise at least one submenu item of the menu items displayed in the main menu such that hierarchical levels of the at least one submenu item are configured to be different in the easy menu and the main menu.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

arranging said easy menu item first relative to said menu items in said main menu.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

arranging said main menu submenu item first relative to said preferred menu items in said easy menu.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

displaying the preferred menu items of said easy menu in icon form.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein each of said preferred menu items correspond to a different function.

20. A mobile communication terminal, comprising:

a keypad;

a display;

a memory for storing data and instructions; and

a processor for operating responsive to said data and said instructions, wherein said processor is configured to;

display on said display a main menu comprising a plurality of menu items and an easy menu item in response to a first input for displaying the main menu, said easy menu item being associated with an easy menu comprising preferred menu items that were previously selected to be included in the easy menu, and wherein the easy menu item is an item that is separate from each of the menu items of the main menu;

display on said display the easy menu comprising said preferred menu items responsive to a second input for selecting the easy menu item in the main menu, the second input generated by user manipulation of said keypad; and

execute at least one of the preferred menu items in response to a third input for selecting the at least one of the preferred menu items,

wherein the plurality of menu items of said main menu are displayed in icon form,

wherein the preferred menu items comprise at least one submenu item of the menu items that are displayed in the main menu, and

wherein the preferred menu items that are configured to be in the same hierarchical level in the easy menu comprise menu items that are configured to be in different hierarchical levels in the main menu such that the at least one submenu item is not displayed concurrently with the plurality of menu items in the main menu, the at least one submenu item being displayed when one of the plurality of menu items is selected from the main menu, if not selected to be listed in the easy menu.