Mobile communications device user interface

• US 9,218,067 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2009
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kruzeniski, Michael J., Smuga, Michael A., Henderlight, Michael K., Wilson, Brian M., Voss, Chad Aron, Guntaur, Paula, Friedman, Jonathan D., Corrigan, Patrick S., Williams, Dustin Owen, McLaughlin, Joseph P., Murphy, Ryan T.
• Primary Examiner(s): BADAWI, ANGIE M
• Application Number:
  US12/560,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20100180233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,289 Days
• Field of Search: 715/834
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• 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 1/72469 : for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 : Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 : from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A mobile communications device user interface is described. In an implementation, a method is implemented by a computing device that includes displaying content in conjunction with a first level of a hierarchical menu in a user interface on a display device of the computing device. Responsive to receipt of an input to navigate to a second level of the hierarchical menu that is a sublevel of the first level, the second level in displayed conjunction with the content on the display device, the content having a reduced display richness when displayed in conjunction with the second level than when displayed in conjunction with the first level.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a computing device, the method comprising:

displaying, in a user interface on a display device of the computing device, a first level of a plurality of levels of a hierarchical menu in conjunction with content other than any part of the hierarchical menu, the content displayed outside the display of the first level of the hierarchical menu;

responsive to receipt of an input to navigate to a second level of the plurality of levels of the hierarchical menu that is a sublevel of the first level, displaying, in the user interface, the second level in conjunction with the content, the content displayed outside the display of the second level, the content that is not any part of the hierarchical menu having a reduced display richness when displayed in conjunction with the second level than when the content is displayed in conjunction with the first level; and

responsive to receipt of an input to navigate to a third level of the plurality of levels of the hierarchical menu that is a sublevel of the second level, displaying, in the user interface, the third level in conjunction with the content, the content having a reduced display richness in comparison to the display richness of the content when it is displayed in conjunction with the second level, control of the display richness involving desaturation or darkening of the content and is indicative of a respective one of the plurality of levels of the hierarchical menu that is displayed in the user interface.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein one or more portions of the hierarchical menu represent actions that involve the content.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the display of the hierarchical menu does not have the reduced display richness.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured as a mobile communications device having telephone functionality and one or more levels of the hierarchical menu include representations of contacts.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to include an image capture device and the content is an image that was captured using the image capture device.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the first level and the second level are displayed as an overlay over the content.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the user interface does not include a toolbar.

8. A mobile communications device comprising:

a display device;

a processor; and

memory configured to maintain an operating system that is executable on the processor to perform operations comprising;

displaying, in a user interface on the display device, a first level of a plurality of levels of a hierarchical menu in conjunction with content other than any part of the hierarchical menu, the content displayed outside the display of the first level of the hierarchical menu;

responsive to receipt of an input to navigate to a second level of the plurality of levels of the hierarchical menu that is a sublevel of the first level, displaying, in the user interface, the second level in conjunction with the content, the content displayed underlying the display of the second level, the content that is not any part of the hierarchical menu having a reduced display richness when displayed in conjunction with the second level than when the content is displayed in conjunction with the first level; and

responsive to receipt of an input to navigate to a third level of the plurality of levels of the hierarchical menu that is a sublevel of the second level, displaying, in the user interface, the third level in conjunction with the content, the content having a reduced display richness in comparison to the display richness of the content when it is displayed in conjunction with the second level, control of the display richness involving desaturation or darkening of the content and is indicative of a respective one of the plurality of levels of the hierarchical menu that is displayed in the user interface.

9. A mobile communications device as described in claim 8, wherein one or more portions of the hierarchical menu represent actions that involve the content.

10. A mobile communications device as described in claim 8, wherein the display of the hierarchical menu does not have the reduced display richness.

11. A mobile communications device as described in claim 8, wherein the computing device is configured as a mobile communications device having telephone functionality and one or more levels of the hierarchical menu include representations of contacts.

12. A mobile communications device as described in claim 8, further comprising an image capture device and the content is an image that was captured using the image capture device.

13. A mobile communications device as described in claim 8, wherein the first and second levels are displayed as an overlay over the content.

14. A mobile communications device as described in claim 8, wherein the user interface does not include a toolbar.

15. A mobile communications device comprising:

a touchscreen device;

a processor; and

memory configured to maintain an operating system that is executable on the processor to perform operations comprising;

displaying, in a user interface on the touchscreen device, a first level of a plurality of levels of a hierarchical menu in conjunction with content other than any part of the hierarchical menu, the content displayed outside the display of the first level of the hierarchical menu;

responsive to receipt of an input detected via the touchscreen device to navigate to a second level of the plurality of levels of the hierarchical menu that is a sublevel of the first level, displaying, in the user interface, the second level in conjunction with the content, the content displayed underlying the display of the second level, the content that is not any part of the hierarchical menu having a reduced display richness when displayed in conjunction with the second level than when the content is displayed in conjunction with the first level; and

responsive to receipt of an input detected via the touchscreen device to navigate to a third level of the plurality of levels of the hierarchical menu that is a sublevel of the second level, displaying, in the user interface, the third level in conjunction with the content, the content having a reduced display richness in comparison to the display richness of the content when it is displayed in conjunction with the second level, control of the display richness involving desaturation or darkening of the content and is indicative of a respective one of the plurality of levels of the hierarchical menu that is displayed in the user interface.

16. A mobile communications device as described in claim 15, wherein one or more portions of the hierarchical menu represent actions that involve the content.

17. A mobile communications device as described in claim 15, wherein the display of the hierarchical menu does not have the reduced display richness.

18. A mobile communications device as described in claim 15, wherein the computing device is configured as a mobile communications device having telephone functionality and one or more levels of the hierarchical menu include representations of contacts.

19. A mobile communications device as described in claim 15, further comprising an image capture device and the content is an image that was captured using the image capture device.

20. A mobile communications device as described in claim 15, wherein the first and second levels are displayed as an overlay over the content.