Mobile terminal and method for adjusting menu bar softkey display dynamically

• US 8,659,625 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2010
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Zhang, Xue
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, JIN CHENG
• Application Number:
  US13/258,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20120242706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 715/786, 715/810, 715/825, 715/866, 345/169, 345/173, 345661-667
• US Class Current: 345/661
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/40935 Selection of predetermined shapes and defining the dimensions with parameter input
• 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: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method and terminal for adjusting menu bar softkey display dynamically are provided by the present invention. The method includes the following steps: obtaining the total display length of the menu bar and the respective corresponding character string length value and the location information of all the softkeys on the menu bar; setting the softkey of which the character string length value is non-zero on the menu bar as the non-zero softkey; assigning the display location and display length of each non-zero softkey according to the number of the non-zero softkeys and location information of each non-zero softkey; and displaying each non-zero softkey according to the assigned display location and display length. The method and terminal of the present invention overcomes the current defect that currently the fixed value is adopted to display the softkey of the bottom bar.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting menu softkey display dynamically in a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

obtaining, with a display configuration unit of the mobile terminal, a total display length of a menu bar in a direction and respective corresponding character string length value in the direction and location information of all softkeys on the menu bar; and

assigning, with the display configuration unit of the mobile terminal, display location and display length of each non-zero softkey in the direction according to the number of the non-zero softkeys whose character string length values are not zero on the menu bar and the location information of the non-zero softkeys, and displaying each non-zero softkey according to the assigned display location and display length wherein;

a sum of the display length of each non-zero softkey is less than or equal to the total display length of the menu bar;

if the character string length value corresponding to one non-zero softkey exceeds the display length assigned for that non-zero softkey, intercepting or abbreviating the character string corresponding to the non-zero softkey;

wherein, the step of displaying the each non-zero softkey according to the assigned display location and display length comprises;

if the character string length value in the direction corresponding to any one non-zero softkey is greater than a length mean value received after the total display length of the menu bar in the direction is averaged according to the number of the non-zero softkeys and the number of the non-zero softkeys is 1, then;

assigning, with the display configuration unit of the mobile terminal, the display location according to the location information of that non-zero softkey, assigning character string length value in the direction of that non-zero softkey as less than or equal to ¾

of the total display length of the menu bar in the direction, and displaying that non-zero softkey; and

if the character string length value corresponding to any one non-zero softkey is greater than a length mean value received after the total display length of the menu bar is averaged according to the number of the non-zero softkeys and the number of the non-zero softkeys is 2, then;

assigning, with the display configuration unit of the mobile terminal, the display location according to the location information of each non-zero softkey, assigning a length value of which the display length is less than or equal to ⅖

of the total display length of the menu bar for each non-zero softkey, and displaying each non-zero softkey.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the step of displaying each non-zero softkey according to the assigned display location and display length comprises:

if the character string length values corresponding to all the non-zero softkeys are less than or equal to a length mean value received after the total display length of the menu bar is averaged according to the number of the non-zero softkeys, then assigning, with the display configuration unit of the mobile terminal, the display location according to the location information of each non-zero softkey, regarding the length mean value as the display length, and displaying each non-zero softkey.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, the menu bar locates at a bottom bar, or a top bar, or a left side bar, or a right side bar on a user interface of a mobile terminal.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein, the location information comprises:

a left location, a middle location and a right location.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the step of displaying each non-zero softkey according to the assigned display location and display length comprises:

if the character string length value corresponding to any one non-zero softkey is greater than a length mean value received after the total display length of the menu bar is averaged according to the number of the non-zero softkeys and the number of the non-zero softkeys is 3, then;

obtaining, with the display configuration unit of the mobile terminal, a sum disSum of the character string lengths of three non-zero softkeys, if the difference of the total display length of the menu bar disManu and the disSum is less than or equal to a first threshold value, then obtaining a mean value of surplus display space disAve=(disSum−

disManu)/2; and

assigning the softkey display location according to the location information of the three non-zero softkeys, setting an initial coordinate of a first softkey as 0, the initial coordinate of a second softkey being the sum of the length value of the first softkey and the mean value disAve, the initial coordinate of a third softkey being the difference of the total display length of the menu bar disManu and the length value of the third softkey, and displaying the first, second and third softkeys according to the assigned display location and the display coordinate dynamically.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, the menu bar locates at a bottom bar, or a top bar, or a left side bar, or a right side bar on a user interface of a mobile terminal.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein, the location information comprises:

a left location, a middle location and a right location.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the step of displaying each non-zero softkey according to the assigned display location and display length comprises:

if the character string length value corresponding to any one non-zero softkey is greater than a length mean value received after the total display length of the menu bar is averaged according to the number of the non-zero softkeys and the number of the non-zero softkeys is 3, then;

obtaining, with the display configuration unit of the mobile terminal, a sum disSum of the character string lengths of three non-zero softkeys, if the difference of the total display length of the menu bar disManu and the disSum is greater than a first threshold value, then obtaining a length difference of the character string of the first and third softkeys of which the location information locates at two ends respectively;

if the length difference is greater than a set second threshold value, then;

setting an initial coordinate of the first softkey as 0, setting the initial coordinate of the third softkey as a difference of the total display length of the menu bar disManu minus the character string length of the first softkey and the second threshold value, and the second softkey being displayed in the middle in a surplus display space.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, the menu bar locates at a bottom bar, or a top bar, or a left side bar, or a right side bar on a user interface of a mobile terminal.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein, the location information comprises:

a left location, a middle location and a right location.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the step of displaying each non-zero softkey according to the assigned display location and display length comprises:

if the character string length value corresponding to any one non-zero softkey is greater than a length mean value received after the total display length of the menu bar is averaged according to the number of the non-zero softkeys and the number of the non-zero softkeys is 3, then;

obtaining, with the display configuration unit of the mobile terminal, a sum disSum of the character string lengths of three non-zero softkeys, if a difference of the total display length of the menu bar disManu and the disSum is greater than a first threshold value, then obtaining a length difference of the character string of the first and third softkeys of which the location information locates at two ends respectively;

if the length difference is less than or equal to a set second threshold value, then;

setting the length values of the first, second and third softkeys to be less than or equal to ⅓

length of the total display length of the menu bar disManu respectively, assigning the display location according to the location information of the first, second and third softkeys, and performing intercept or abbreviation on the character string which goes beyond ⅓

length of the total display length of the menu bar disManu.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, the menu bar locates at a bottom bar, or a top bar, or a left side bar, or a right side bar on a user interface of a mobile terminal.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein, the location information comprises:

a left location, a middle location and a right location.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the menu bar locates at a bottom bar, or a top bar, or a left side bar, or a right side bar on a user interface of a mobile terminal.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the location information comprises:

a left location, a middle location and a right location.

16. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a control module for adjusting menu bar softkey display dynamically, wherein, the control module comprises a parameter obtaining unit, a display configuration unit and a display unit, wherein,

the parameter obtaining unit is configured to obtain a total display length of a menu bar in a direction and respective corresponding character string length value in the direction and location information of all softkeys on the menu bar;

the display configuration unit is configured to assign display location and display length for each non-zero softkey in the direction according to the number of the non-zero softkeys whose character string length values are not zero on the menu bar and location information of the non-zero softkeys;

the display unit is configured to display each non-zero softkey according to the assigned display location and display length, wherein;

a sum of the display length of each non-zero softkey is less than or equal to the total display length of the menu bar;

if the character string length value corresponding to a single non-zero softkey exceeds the display length assigned for that non-zero softkey, intercept or abbreviation is performed on the character string corresponding to the single non-zero softkey; and

the display configuration unit is further configured to, (1) of the character string length value in the direction corresponding to any one non-zero softkey is greater than the length mean value received after the total display length of the menu bar in the direction is averaged according to the number of the non-zero softkeys and the number of the non-zero softkeys is 1, assign the display location according to the location information of that non-zero softkey and assign character string length value in the direction of the non-zero softkey as less than ¾

of the total display length of the menu bar in the direction; and

(2) if the character string length value corresponding to any one non-zero softkey is greater than a length mean value received after the total display length of the menu bar is averaged according to the number of the non-zero softkeys and the number of the non-zero softkeys is 2, assign the display location according to the location information of each non-zero softkey and assign character string length value in the direction of the non-zero softkey as less than or equal to ⅖

of the total display length of the menu bar for each non-zero softkey.

17. The mobile terminal according to claim 16, wherein, the menu bar locates at a bottom bar, or a top bar, or a left side bar, or a right side bar on a user interface of a mobile terminal.

18. The mobile terminal according to claim 17, wherein, the location information comprises:

a left location, a middle location and a right location.

19. The mobile terminal according to claim 16, wherein, the location information comprises:

a left location, a middle location and a right location.

20. The mobile terminal according to claim 16, wherein the display configuration unit is further configured to, if the character string length value corresponding to any one non-zero softkey is greater than a length mean value received after the total display length of the menu bar is averaged according to the number of the non-zero softkeys and the number of the non-zero softkeys is 3, obtain a sum disSum of the character string lengths of three non-zero softkeys if the difference of the total display length of the menu bar disManu and the disSum is less than or equal to a first threshold value, obtain a mean value of surplus display space disAve=(disSum−

disManu)/2, assign the softkey display location according to the location information of the three non-zero softkeys, set an initial coordinate of a first softkey as 0, and display the first, second and third softkeys according to the assigned display location and the display coordinate dynamically, wherein the initial coordinate of a second softkey is the sum of the length value of the first softkey and the mean value disAve, and wherein the initial coordinate of a third softkey is the difference of the total display length of the menu bar disManu and the length value of the third softkey.

21. The mobile terminal according to claim 16, wherein the display configuration unit is further configured to, if the character string length value corresponding to any one non-zero softkey is greater than a length mean value received after the total display length of the menu bar is averaged according to the number of the non-zero softkeys and the number of the non-zero softkeys is 3, obtain a sum disSum of the character string lengths of three non-zero softkeys if the difference of the total display length of the menu bar disManu and the disSum is greater than a first threshold value, obtain a length difference of the character string of the first and third softkeys of which the location information locates at two ends, respectively, if the length difference is greater than a set second threshold value, set an initial coordinate of the first softkey as 0, set the initial coordinate of the third softkey as a difference of the total display length of the menu bar disManu minus the character string length of the first softkey and the second threshold value, and display the second softkey in the middle in a surplus display space.

22. The mobile terminal according to claim 16, wherein the display configuration unit is further configured to, if the character string length value corresponding to any one non-zero softkey is greater than a length mean value received after the total display length of the menu bar is averaged according to the number of the non-zero softkeys and the number of the non-zero softkeys is 3, obtain a sum disSum of the character string lengths of three non-zero softkeys if a difference of the total display length of the menu bar disManu and the disSum is greater than a first threshold value, obtain a length difference of the character string of the first and third softkeys of which the location information locates at two ends, respectively, if the length difference is less than or equal to a set second threshold value, set the length values of the first, second and third softkeys to be less than or equal to ⅓

length of the total display length of the menu bar disManu respectively, assign the display location according to the location information of the first, second and third softkeys, and perform intercept or abbreviation on the character string which goes beyond ⅓

length of the total display length of the menu bar disManu.