Method and arrangment for a primary actions menu for a contact data entry record of an address book application on a handheld electronic device

• US 8,341,551 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Lee, Matthew Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIAU, SHEN C
• Application Number:
  US11/618,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20070192705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,188 Days
• Field of Search: 715/829, 715/841, 715/847, 715/811, 715/825, 715/810, 715/828, 715/830
• US Class Current: 715/825
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed that provides for displaying on the screen of a handheld electronic device, an extended menu or a short menu, which is a subset of the corresponding extended menu. The system and method include a contact data entry record of an address book application being displayed on a screen. If a contact data entry record is designated through use of the auxiliary user input device and no menu is displayed, the user may initiate an ambiguous request. Various short menus are provided with their respective menu items being dependent and adjustable based upon the position of a cursor on the display page, the currently opened application, and/or the previous selections. Further, a selection from the short menu is capable of displaying the extended menu corresponding thereto.

Claims

1. A method of causing display of an abbreviated menu of user-selectable actions on a display screen of a handheld electronic device when a contact data entry record of an address book application is presented on the display screen of the device, said the method comprising:

displaying a contact data entry record of an address book application of a handheld electronic device on a display screen of a handheld electronic device, the display screen having at least one location that is visually signified for menu display actuation;

receiving an ambiguous request for displaying menu options of user-selectable actions associated with the displayed contact data entry record on the display screen of the handheld electronic device, the ambiguous request being received in response to a user positioning a cursor at a location on the display screen that is not visually signified for menu display actuation;

and displaying, in response to receiving the ambiguous request, an abbreviated menu having a short list of menu options that is a subset of a full menu of options of all user-selectable actions available relative to the displayed contact data entry record, menu options on the short list of menu options being dynamically updated based upon selected menu options from the full menu of menu options,

where displaying the abbreviated menu having the short list of menu options further comprises determining if the contact data entry record has been changed;

in response to determining that the contact data entry record has not been changed, displaying the short list of menu options with a full menu option that is pre-designated as a highlighted menu option for user selection changed; and

in response to determining that the contact data entry record has changed, displaying the short list of menu options comprising with a user-selectable action that is associated with the contact data entry record.

2. The method of claim 1, where the user-selectable action is a save option.

3. The method of claim 1, where the short list of menu options comprises an add photo option that is pre-designated for user selection when a photo-field in the contact data entry record is designated and no photograph has been added.

4. The method of claim 1, where the short list of menu options comprises the following options when a photo-field in the contact data entry record is designated and a photograph has been added:

replace photo, save photo and delete photo.

5. The method of claim 1, where the address book application further comprises a group data entry record and a short list of menu options comprises an add member option that is pre-designated for user selection when a member field in the group data entry record is designated and no members exist in the group data entry record.

6. The method of claim 1, where the address book application further comprises a group data entry record and a short list of menu options comprises the following options when a member field in the group data entry record is designated and a member exists in the group data entry record:

view members, change members, delete members, add members, and save group.

7. The method of claim 1, where the address book application further comprises a group data entry record and when a populated group member field in the group data entry record is designated, a short list of menu options comprises a show-member-details option that is pre-designated for user selection.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing said the initiation of the ambiguous request for display of menu options of user-selectable actions by actuating an auxiliary user input device on the handheld electronic device.

9. The method of claim 8, where the auxiliary user input device is a trackball.

10. A handheld electronic device programmed to display an abbreviated menu of user-selectable actions on a display screen of the device when a contact data entry record of an address book application is presented on the display screen of the device, the handheld electronic device comprising:

a display screen on which a contact data entry record of an address book application of the device is displayed, the contact data entry record having at least one location that is visually signified for menu display actuation;

a keyboard configured to accommodate textual input to the handheld electronic device; and

a microprocessor having a control program associated therewith for controlling operation of handheld electronic device, control program configured to process an ambiguous request for displaying menu options of user-selectable actions associated with the displayed contact data entry record on the display screen of the handheld electronic device, the ambiguous request being received in response to a user positioning a cursor at a location on the display screen that is not visually signified for menu display actuation,

the microprocessor configured to display, in response to the ambiguous request being processed, an abbreviated menu having a short list of menu options that is a subset of a full menu of options of all user-selectable actions available relative to the displayed contact data entry record, menu options on the short list of menu options being dynamically updated based upon selected menu options from the full menu of menu options, where the microprocessor is configured to display the abbreviated menu having the short list of menu options by

determining if the contact data entry record has been changed;

in response to determining that the contact data entry record has not been changed, displaying the short list of menu options with a full menu option that is pre-designated as a highlighted menu option for user selection;

and in response to determining that the contact data entry record has changed, displaying the short list of menu options with a user-selectable action that is associated with the contact data entry record.

11. The handheld electronic device of claim 10, where the user-selectable action is a save option.

12. The handheld electronic device of claim 10, where the short list comprises an add photo option that is pre-designated for user selection when a photo-field in the contact data entry record is designated and no photograph has been added.

13. The handheld electronic device of claim 12, further comprising an auxiliary user input device.

14. The handheld electronic device of claim 13, where the auxiliary user input device comprises at least one of a trackball, a navigation pad, a joy stick and a thumbwheel.

15. The handheld electronic device of claim 10, where the short list comprises the following options when a photo-field in the contact data entry record is designated and a photograph has been added:

replace photo, save photo and delete photo.

16. The handheld electronic device of claim 10, where the address book application further comprises a group data entry record and a the short list comprises an add member option that is pre-designated for user selection when a member field in the group data entry record is designated and no members exist in the group data entry record.

17. The handheld electronic device of claim 10, where the address book application further comprises a group data entry record and the short list comprises the following options when a member field in the group data entry record is designated and a member exists in the group data entry record:

view members, change members, delete members, add members, and save group.

18. The handheld electronic device of claim 10, where the address book application further comprises a group data entry record and when a populated group member field in the group data entry record is designated, the short list comprises a show-member-details option that is pre-designated for user selection.

19. A processing subsystem configured to be installed in a handheld electronic device comprising a user interface including a display screen, the processing subsystem comprising:

a microprocessor; and

memory, coupled to the microprocessor, the memory including computer instructions that when executed by the microprocessor controls operation of an incorporating handheld electronic device, the processing subsystem configured to;

process an ambiguous request for displaying menu options of user-selectable actions associated with the displayed contact data entry record on the display screen of the handheld electronic device, the ambiguous request being received in response to a user positioning a cursor at a location on the display screen that is not visually signified for menu display actuation, the microprocessor configured to display, in response to the ambiguous request being processed, an abbreviated menu having a short list of menu options that is a subset of a full menu of options of all user-selectable actions available relative to the displayed contact data entry record, menu options on the short list of menu options being dynamically updated based upon selected menu options from the full menu of menu options, where the microprocessor is configured to display the abbreviated menu having the short list of menu options by determining if the contact data entry record has been changed;

in response to determining that the contact data entry record has not been changed, displaying the short list of menu options with a full menu option that is pre-designated as a highlighted menu option for user selection; and

in response to determining that the contact data entry record has changed, displaying the short list of menu options with a user-selectable action that is associated with the contact data entry record.