System and method for using navigational and other commands on a mobile communication device

• US 8,689,147 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason T., Bocking, Andrew, Scott, Sherryl Lee Lorraine, Major, Harry, Yach, David
• Primary Examiner(s): TILLERY, RASHAWN N
• Application Number:
  US11/532,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20070080954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,755 Days
• Field of Search: 715/864, 715/866, 348/333.1, 455/550.1, 455/566.1, 455/553.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 345/156, 345/169, 345/168, 345/172, 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 345/176, 345/177, 345/178, 345/179
• US Class Current: 715/866
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• 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: H04M 2250/56 including a user help function

Abstract

A wireless handheld communication device having a housing containing a display screen located above a physical keyboard. The keyboard includes a plurality of physical keys and corresponding indicia. Some of the keys are associated with alphabetic characters corresponding to a QWERTY array of letters A-Z and some are associated with numeric characters 0-9 corresponding to a telephone keypad arrangement. At least some of the keys associated with numeric characters are overlaid on the physical keys associated with alphabetic characters. A microprocessor is included that runs the device in at least a telephony mode, an email mode and at least one additional mode. The microprocessor displays a key-function map on the display screen indicative of enabled functions associated with particular physical keys of the keyboard which are different from any function signified by the indicia associated with the respective particular physical key.

Claims

1. A method performed on a device having a display and a memory that stores a plurality of applications and an operating system, the method comprising:

identifying an active application selected from the plurality of applications;

rendering on the display a representation of a keyboard;

overlaying first shortcut command indicia on corresponding keys of the representation, the first shortcut command indicia corresponding to shortcut command functions available to the active application;

overlaying second shortcut command indicia on at least one remaining key of the representation, the second shortcut command indicia corresponding to shortcut command functions available to the plurality of applications; and

rendering a prompt to enter customized shortcut command functions associated with the active application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining an actuation signal requesting entry of the customized shortcut command functions; and

rendering a menu for selecting customized shortcut command functions associated with the active application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising overlaying customized shortcut command indicia on selected keys of the representation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the active application is a calculator application and the first shortcut command indicia corresponds to shortcut command functions available to the calculator application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of applications include at least two of a telephone application, an email application, a texting application, a browser application, a calendar application, a scheduling application, and a game application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the customized shortcut command functions include at least two of a copy function, a paste function, a mode switch function, a mute function, a compose message function, a reply function, a forward message function, and a reply function.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second shortcut command indicia corresponding to the shortcut command functions available to the plurality of applications include navigation command functions.

8. A computer program product for execution on a device having a display, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory memory device storing a plurality of applications, an operating system, and computer readable code which, upon execution of the computer readable code by a processor, causes the processor to:

identify an active application selected from the plurality of applications;

render on the display a representation of a keyboard;

overlay first shortcut command indicia on corresponding keys of the representation, the first shortcut command indicia corresponding to shortcut command functions available to the active application

overlay second shortcut command indicia on at least one remaining key of the representation, the second shortcut command indicia corresponding to shortcut command functions available to the plurality of applications; and

render a prompt to enter customized shortcut command functions associated with the active application.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, which further causes the processor to:

obtain an actuation signal to request entry of the customized shortcut command functions; and

render a menu for selecting customized shortcut command functions associated with the active application.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, which further causes the processor to overlay customized shortcut command indicia on selected keys of the representation.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the active application is a calculator application and the first shortcut command indicia corresponds to shortcut command functions available to the calculator application.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the plurality of applications include at least two of a telephone application, an email application, a texting application, a browser application, a calendar application, a scheduling application, and a game application.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the customized shortcut command functions include at least two of a copy function, a paste function, a mode switch function, a mute function, a compose message function, a reply function, a forward message function, and a reply function.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the second shortcut command indicia corresponding to the shortcut command functions available to the plurality of applications include navigation command functions.

15. A device comprising:

a display;

a keyboard;

a non-transitory memory device storing a plurality of applications and an operating system;

a processor in signal communication with the display, the keyboard, and the non-transitory memory device, the processor being configured to;

identify an active application selected from the plurality of applications;

render on the display a representation of the keyboard;

overlay first shortcut command indicia on corresponding keys of the representation, the first shortcut command indicia corresponding to shortcut command functions available to the active application;

overlay second shortcut command indicia on at least one remaining key of the representation, the second shortcut command indicia corresponding to shortcut command functions available to the plurality of applications; and

render a prompt to enter customized shortcut command functions associated with the active application.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

obtain an actuation signal to request entry of the customized shortcut command functions; and

render a menu for selecting customized shortcut command functions associated with the active application.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to overlay customized shortcut command indicia on selected keys of the representation.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to render a calculator application as the active application and the first shortcut command indicia corresponds to shortcut command functions available to the calculator application.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of applications include at least two of a telephone application, an email application, a texting application, a browser application, a calendar application, a scheduling application, and a game application.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the customized shortcut command functions include at least two of a copy function, a paste function, a mode switch function, a mute function, a compose message function, a reply function, a forward message function, and a reply function.