System and method for enabling manipulation or graphic images to form a graphic image

• US 20020149631A1
• Filed: 06/13/2002
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sciammarella, Eduardo, Mugura, Kazuto, Kravitz, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,093,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/864
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• 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: 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

An instrument includes a display screen which includes a bitmap graphical user interface including an on-screen menu, and a control element which enables movement of the on-screen menu corresponding to movement of the control element, enables the user to manipulate and select graphic images for executing selected instrument functions. The instrument is adapted to enable manipulation of a plurality of graphic elements in an on-screen menu such that the user is able to form a graphic image on the display screen.

Claims

1. A system for enabling manipulation of a plurality of graphic elements on a display screen, to enable a user to form a graphic image in the display screen, the system comprising:

a display screen;

means for presenting an array including a plurality of graphic elements for forming a graphic image in the display screen, and for presenting a line in which the graphic image is to be formed in the display screen, comprising a graphical user interface, wherein the array presenting means and line presenting means intersect at a position in which a graphic element is selectable as a part of the graphic image to be formed;

means for enabling a graphic element to be a selectable graphic element at the intersection of the array presenting means and line presenting means wherein a graphic element is movable into the selectable position; and

means for enabling movement of the array presenting means to move a graphic element into and out of the position as the selectable element in the line for forming the graphic image, and for enabling selection of the selectable graphic element in the display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the movement enabling means are rotatable such that rotation thereof results in corresponding rotation of the array presenting means in the display screen.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the movement enabling means comprise a jog dial which is rotatable and pressable.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an instrument in which the display screen is mounted.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an instrument in which the display screen is mounted, wherein the instrument is adapted to be held by the user in one hand, and the movement enabling means are adapted to be manipulated by the user with one finger.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the display screen comprises a liquid crystal display screen.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the display screen comprises a color display screen.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the array presenting means are scrollable.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for presenting a picture in the display screen.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the elements comprise letters, and the graphic image comprises text.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the array presenting means are oriented generally vertically in the display.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the line for forming the graphic image is oriented generally horizontally in the display.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the movement enabling means are further adapted to enable movement of the array presenting means to a position for a selectable graphic element adjacent the selected graphic element position, to enable the adjacent part of the graphic image to be formed.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein the movement enabling means are pressable such that pressing thereof results in selection of the selectable graphic element.

15. The system of claim 2, wherein the array presenting means appear to occupy three-dimensional space.

16. The system of claim 3, further comprising an instrument in which the display screen is mounted, wherein the jog dial is located on a side of the instrument.

17. The system of claim 3, further comprising an instrument in which the display screen is mounted, wherein the jog dial is located in the back of the instrument.

18. The system of claim 5, wherein the instrument comprises a wireless telephone.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein the line presenting means present the line for forming the graphic image in a position below the picture.

20. The system of claim 9, wherein the line formed by the line presenting means comprises a subtitle for the picture.

21. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for taking the picture.

22. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for transmitting the picture and graphic image.

23. The system of claim 10, wherein the elements further comprise numbers.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the movement enabling means comprise a jog dial which is rotatable and pressable.

25. The system of claim 14, further comprising an instrument in which the display screen is mounted, wherein the instrument is adapted to be held by the user in one hand, and the jog dial is adapted to be manipulated by the user with one hand.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the line presenting means appear to be a wheel which is rotatable.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the picture-taking means comprise a CCD camera.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the line presenting means present the letters in lower and upper case, and present the lower and upper case letters and numbers in sequence.

29. The system of claim 24, further comprising an instrument in which the display screen is mounted, wherein the jog dial is located on a side of the instrument.

30. The system of claim 24, further comprising an instrument in which the display screen is mounted, wherein the jog dial is located in the back of the instrument.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the jog dial is adapted to be manipulated by the thumb of the user.

32. The system of claim 26, wherein the jog dial is adapted to be manipulated by the forefinger of the user.

33. A method of enabling manipulation of a plurality of graphic elements on a display screen, to enable a user to form a graphic image in the display screen, the method comprising:

activating a display screen in a system which includes the display screen, means for presenting an array including a plurality of graphic elements for forming a graphic image in the display screen, and for presenting a line in which the graphic image is to be formed in the display screen, comprising a graphical user interface, wherein the array presenting means and line presenting means intersect at a position in which a graphic element is selectable as a part of the graphic image to be formed;

means for enabling a graphic element to be a selectable graphic element at the intersection of the array presenting means and line presenting means wherein a graphic element is movable into the selectable position; and

means for enabling movement of the array presenting means to move a graphic element into and out of the position as the selectable graphic element in the line for forming the graphic image, and for enabling selection of the selectable graphic element in the display;

presenting the array presenting means and line presenting means in the display;

moving the movement enabling means to move a graphic element into and out of position as the selectable graphic element, wherein movement of a graphic element into position as the selectable graphic element enables the user to select the selectable graphic element; and

activating the movement enabling means to select the selectable graphic element in the display.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the movement enabling means are rotatable such that rotation thereof results in corresponding rotation of the array presenting means in the display screen, and the steps of moving and activating the movement enabling means comprises rotating the movement enabling means and selecting the selectable graphic element.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the movement enabling means comprise a jog dial which is rotatable and pressable, and the steps of moving and activating the movement enabling means comprises activating the jog dial.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising an instrument in which the display screen is mounted, wherein the instrument is adapted to be held by the user in one hand, and the movement enabling means are adapted to be manipulated by the user with one hand, and the steps of moving and activating the movement enabling means comprise manipulating the movement enabling means with one hand of the user.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the display screen comprises a liquid crystal display screen, and the step of activating the display screen comprises activating the liquid crystal display screen.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the display screen comprises a color display screen, and the step of activating the display screen comprises activating the color display screen.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein the array presenting means are scrollable, and the step of moving the movement enabling means comprises scrolling the array presenting means.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein the system further comprises means for presenting a picture in the display screen, further comprising the step of activating the picture presenting means to present the picture in the display screen.

41. The method of claim 33, wherein the graphic elements comprise letters, and the graphic image comprises text, and the step of presenting the graphic image array comprises presenting the graphic elements letter for forming the graphic image text.

42. The method of claim 33, wherein the array presenting means are oriented generally vertically in the display, and the step of presenting the graphic element array comprises presenting the array in a generally vertical orientation in the display.

43. The method of claim 33, wherein the line presenting means are oriented generally horizontally in the display, and the step of presenting the graphic image comprises presenting the image in a generally horizontal orientation in the display.

44. The method of claim 33, wherein the movement enabling means are further adapted to enable movement of the array presenting means to a position for a selectable graphic element adjacent the selected graphic element position, to enable the adjacent part of the graphic image to be formed, further comprising the step of moving the graphic element array to the position adjacent the selected graphic element.