Interface environment for accessing applications

• US 8,803,834 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swanburg, Scott Allen, Wuthnow, Mark, Mahler, Roger, Klenzak, Megan
• Primary Examiner(s): Merkoulova, Olga
• Application Number:
  US13/569,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20120309434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/173, 345/158, 345/685, 345/799, 345/794, 345/857, 345/863, 345/8, 345/115, 345/123, 178/18.01, 178/18.05, 178/18.06, 715/856, 715/864, 715/810, 715/781
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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: 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

Abstract

A home key of a mobile device is utilized to activate a map object displayed in a virtual template area of the mobile device. The virtual template area is available on a display of the mobile device. The home key is utilized to set the home key as an object home for a user-defined starting place on the map object. Upon the object home being activated, the object home returns to the user-defined starting place on the map object.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a virtual template area, wherein the virtual template area comprises a universal home location and a plurality of objects, and wherein a map object of the plurality of objects comprises children objects that are spawned when the map object is launched;

defining, for a physical home key of a mobile device, a first state and a second state, wherein the first state comprises returning a field of view to the universal home location of the virtual template area, the first state applied when none of the plurality of objects is launched when the physical home key is selected, and wherein the second state comprises returning the field of view to the map object of the virtual template area, the second state applied when the map object is launched when the physical home key is selected;

in response to receiving a selection of the physical home key, determining whether any of the plurality of objects is launched;

if none of the plurality of objects is launched, determining that the first state exists and, in response, returning the field of view to the universal home location of the virtual template area; and

if the map object is launched,

determining that the second state exists and, in response, determining whether the field of view is associated with a first child object of the children objects spawned when the map object launched, wherein the map object communicates first usage information to and receives second usage information from the first child object and wherein the first child object interacts with a child object of another object of the plurality of objects of the virtual template area to create new usage information that pertains to the map object, and

in response to determining that the field of view is associated with the first child object, returning the field of view to the map object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual template area is available outside of a frame of a display of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of objects are activated simultaneously.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a cellular phone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the map object is a software bundle of variables and related methods.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein an interaction between the map object and the first child object is a linear interaction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first usage information, the second usage information, and the new usage information are collected into a user profile using an intelligence information collection repository.

8. A method, comprising:

providing a virtual template area, wherein the virtual template area comprises a universal home location and a plurality of objects, and wherein a map object of the plurality of objects comprises children objects that are spawned when the map object is launched;

defining, for a physical home key of a mobile device, a first state and a second state, wherein the first state comprises returning a field of view to the universal home location of the virtual template area, the first state applied when none of the plurality of objects is launched when the physical home key is selected, and wherein the second state comprises returning the field of view to the map object of the virtual template area, the second state applied when the map object is launched when the physical home key is selected;

in response to receiving a selection of the physical home key, determining whether any of the plurality of objects is launched, wherein an object of the plurality of objects is launched when the object is placed into a hot zone spot of the virtual template area and then touched by a user of the mobile device;

if none of the plurality of objects is launched, determining that the first state exists and, in response, returning the field of view to the universal home location of the virtual template area; and

if the map object is launched,

determining that the second state exists and, in response, determining whether the field of view is associated with a first child object of the children objects spawned when the map object launched, wherein the map object communicates first usage information to and receives second usage information from the first child object and wherein the first child object interacts with a child object of another object of the plurality of objects of the virtual template area to create new usage information that pertains to the map object, and

in response to determining that the field of view is associated with the first child object, returning the field of view to the map object.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a selection of an up physical key of the mobile device;

if none of the plurality of objects is launched, scrolling the virtual template area in an upward direction; and

if the map object is launched, scrolling the map object in an upward direction.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein an object of the plurality of objects is alternatively launched when the object is placed into the hot zone spot of the virtual template area and a physical go key of the mobile device is selected.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a physical zoom key of the mobile device; and

in response to determining that the map object is launched, zooming in on the map object to provide more details associated with the map object.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first usage information, the second usage information, and the new usage information are collected into a user profile using an intelligence information collection repository.