Main menu navigation principle for mobile phone user

• US 8,019,388 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2004
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Original Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Inventors: Jabry, Bassam, Chiam, Thor Itt
• Primary Examiner(s): DESIR, PIERRE LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US10/772,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20050009571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,778 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/566, 455/416, 466/566, 345/169, 715/850, 715/841
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0225 Rotatable telephones, i.e. the body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0231 Including a rotatable keypad body part
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0243 using the relative angle between housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/18 including more than one keyboard unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals

Abstract

A menu-driven electronic device utilizes a display and a single two-dimensional navigation key. The display is configured to selectively display one of a plurality of menus, including a main menu and a sub-menu. The two-dimensional navigation key is configured to select one of a plurality of main menu items and to select a sub-menu item of the sub-menu associated with a selected main menu item. A portion of the plurality of menu main items is displayed. The main menu and the sub-menu can be accessed by maintaining contact with the two-dimensional navigation key. The device is configured to display a main menu item icon to provide a visual reference to the selected main menu item in a menu tree of the menu being displayed. The device is preferably a cellular phone.

Claims

1. A menu-driven electronic device comprising:

a. a display configured to selectively display at least one of a plurality of menus, including a main menu and a sub-menu; and

b. a two-dimensional navigation key configured as a single-button including four sets of contact points, wherein during a menu selection mode, a plurality of main menu items of the main menu remains visible after a main menu item is selected, while the two-dimensional navigation key is configured to select and perform an action corresponding to one of the plurality of main menu items of the main menu and to select and perform an action corresponding to a sub-menu item of the sub-menu associated with a selected main menu item using the four sets of contact points.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of main menu items is displayed, and further wherein both the main menu and the sub-menu can be accessed by maintaining contact with the two-dimensional key.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to allow navigation through the plurality of menus by using the two-dimensional navigation key.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to allow navigation through the plurality of menus while maintaining tactile contact with the two-dimensional navigation key.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to allow toggling among at least two control levels by a single access of the two-dimensional navigation key.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to allow toggling between the main menu and one of the plurality of main menu items by using a first direction of the two-dimensional navigation key and to allow toggling between the selected main menu item and the sub-menu associated with the selected main menu item by using a second direction of the two-dimensional navigation key.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to allow scrolling among at least two control levels by a single access of the two-dimensional navigation key.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to display the selected main menu item simultaneously with the sub-menu associated with the selected main menu item.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to display the selected main menu item simultaneously with a plurality of sub-menu items associated with the selected main menu item.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of menus are organized in a menu tree.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the main menu further comprises a main menu item icon representing a main menu item.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the device is configured to display the main menu item icon to provide a visual reference to an item in the menu tree of the menu being displayed.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein when the device displays at least a portion of the main menu, the main menu item icon is displayed in a first appearance, and when the device displays the sub-menu, the main menu item icon is displayed in a second appearance different from the first appearance.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the first appearance differs from the second appearance by at least one of size, shape, color, highlighting, and pattern.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein when the device displays the sub-menu, the main menu item icon is displayed in a third size different from the first size and the second size.

16. The device according to claim 9, wherein the main menu further comprises a non-graphical listing of the plurality of sub-menu items of the sub-menu associated with the selected main menu item.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is a phone.

18. A menu-driven wireless telecommunications device comprising:

a. a display configured to selectively display at least one of a plurality of menus, including a main menu, a first sub-menu, and a second sub-menu; and

b. a two-dimensional navigation key configured as a single-button including four sets of contact points, wherein during a menu selection mode, a plurality of main menu items of the main menu remains visible after a main menu item is selected, while the two-dimensional navigation key is configured to select and perform an action corresponding to one of the plurality of main menu items of the main menu, to select and perform an action corresponding to a first sub-menu item of the first sub-menu associated with a selected main menu item, and further to select and perform an action corresponding to a second sub-menu item of the second sub-menu associated with the selected main menu item using the four sets of contact points.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein the device is configured to allow scrolling between the main menu and one of the plurality of main menu items by using a first direction of the two-dimensional navigation key, to allow scrolling between the selected main menu item and the first sub-menu associated with the selected main menu item by using a second direction of the two-dimensional navigation key, and further to allow scrolling between the second sub-menu associated with the selected main menu item and a second sub-menu item by using a third direction of the two-dimensional navigation key.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein the third direction corresponds with the first direction of the two-dimensional navigation key.

21. The device according to claim 18, wherein the device is configured to display a main menu item icon to provide a visual reference to an item in a menu tree of the menu being displayed.

22. A menu-driven wireless telecommunications device comprising:

a. a display configured to selectively display at least one of a plurality of menu trees, including a plurality of main menu items, each having a plurality of sub-menu items; and

b. a two-dimensional navigation key configured as a single-button configured to operate along two orthogonal paths such that each of the orthogonal paths has two directions along the path, wherein during a menu selection mode, the plurality of main menu items remains visible after a main menu item is selected, while;

i. operating the key along a first of the orthogonal paths selects a preferred main menu item from among the plurality of main menu items;

ii. operating the key along a second of the orthogonal paths selects a preferred sub-menu item among the plurality of sub-menu items; and

iii. operating the key along the first orthogonal path activates the selected sub-menu item.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein when the menu trees have multiple sub-menu levels such that each next level is traversed by changing between the first orthogonal path and the second orthogonal path unto a lowest level is achieved wherein a selected lowest level sub-menu is activated by changing between the first orthogonal path and the second orthogonal path.

24. The device according to claim 22, wherein the plurality of menu items includes a first sub-menu and a second sub-menu, wherein the first sub-menu further comprises a plurality of first sub-menu items and further wherein one of the plurality of first sub-menu items is associated to a second sub-menu.

25. The device according to claim 24, wherein the second sub-menu further comprises a plurality of second sub-menu items.

26. The device according to claim 25, wherein a third orientation of the two-dimensional navigation key is configured to select one of the plurality of second sub-menu items.

27. A menu-driven electronic device comprising:

a. a display configured to selectively display at least one of a plurality of menus; and

b. a two-dimensional navigation key configured as a single-button including four sets of contact points, wherein during a menu selection mode, a plurality of main menu items of a main menu remains visible after a main menu item is selected, while the two-dimensional navigation key is configured to directly toggle between a sub-menu associated with a first main menu item and a sub-menu associated with a second main menu item by a single access of the two-dimensional navigation key.

28. The device according to claim 27, wherein the two-dimensional navigation key is configured to allow scrolling.

29. The device according to claim 27, wherein the plurality of menus include:

a. a main menu having a plurality of main menu items; and

b. sub-menus, each sub-menu associated with a main menu item and has at least one submenu item.

30. The device according to claim 29, wherein the two-dimensional navigation key includes a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation.

31. The device according to claim 30, wherein the vertical orientation is configured to select one of the plurality of main menu items.

32. The device according to claim 31, wherein the display is configured to display at least one sub-menu item of the sub-menu associated with a selected main menu item.

33. The device according to claim 32, wherein the horizontal orientation is configured to select one of the at least one sub-menu item associated with the selected main menu item.

34. The device according to claim 32, wherein the selected main menu item is further represented by a icon in the main menu, the icon having a different appearance than the selected main menu item in the main menu.

35. The device according to claim 29, wherein the main menu and a sub-menu are accessed by maintaining contact with the two-dimensional navigation key.