Menu navigation and operation feature for a handheld computer

• US 20030122882A1
• Filed: 12/28/2001
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kho, Samuel
• Granted Patent: US 7,665,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/864
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A handheld computer is provided having a housing, a display and a processor. The processor is configured to detect an input corresponding to a menu request, to active a first menu on the display in response to the menu request, process navigation input that causes a menu bar of the active menu to become selectable, and to process selection input for selecting the menu bar when it is selectable. The processor is configured to cancel activation of the menu in response to the menu bar being selected.

Claims

1. A handheld computer comprising:

a housing;

a display accessible on a panel of the housing; and

a processor coupled to the display, the processor being configured to;

detect an input corresponding to a menu request;

activate a first menu on the display in response to the menu request, the activated first menu displaying a menu bar and one or more menu items;

process navigation input to navigate to the menu bar of the active first menu, including navigation input to cause the menu bar of the active first menu to be selectable;

process selection input when the menu bar is selectable; and

cancel activation of the first menu from the display in response to the menu bar of that menu being selected by selection input.

2. The handheld computer of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to process navigation input to navigate vertically to the menu bar from one of the one or more menu items in the active first menu.

3. The handheld computer of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute an application that makes only the first menu available while a corresponding page of the application is being displayed on the display, and to process a lateral navigation input while the first menu is active in order to cancel the first menu from being active.

4. The handheld computer of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to process navigation input to navigate laterally from the first menu to a second menu in order to make the second menu active instead of the first menu, and wherein the processor is configured to automatically make a menu bar of the second menu selectable in response to the second menu being activated by the lateral navigation input.

5. The handheld computer of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to process navigation input to cause the menu bar of the second menu item to be selectable immediately upon the second menu being made active in response to the lateral navigation input, and wherein the processor is configured to cancel activation of the second menu from the display in response to the menu bar of the second menu being selected by the selection input.

6. The handheld computer of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to process the navigation input to make the menu bar highlighted for selection by the selection input.

7. The handheld computer of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to process navigation input to navigate from one of the one or more menu items of the first menu to the menu bar in order to make the menu bar selectable.

8. The handheld computer of claim 1, further comprising one or more user-interactive features on the first panel of the housing, each of the user-interactive features being actuatable to cause the selection input to be entered.

9. The handheld computer of claim 1, further comprising one or more user-interactive features on the first panel of the housing, each of the user-interactive features being actuatable to cause the navigation input to be entered.

10. The handheld computer of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to process navigation input from actuation of one or more user-interactive features, the navigation input being processed by the processor to navigate to and make the menu bar selectable, wherein the processor is configured to navigate laterally from the first menu to a second menu in response to the actuation of the one or more user-interactive features corresponding to a lateral navigation input, and to make the menu bar of the active second menu bar selectable upon navigating to the second menu.

11. The handheld computer of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to process selection input when the menu bar of the second menu is made selectable in order to select that menu bar and cause cancellation of the second menu being active.

12. The handheld computer of claim 1, further comprising one or more user-interactive features on the first panel of the housing, wherein actuation of the one or more user-interactive features causes discrete inputs to be processed by the processor, wherein the processor is configured to process navigation input corresponding to actuation of one or more of the plurality of user-interactive features to navigate to the menu bar vertically from one of the menu items in the first menu in response to receiving a series of one or more discrete inputs from operations of the one or more user-interactive features.

13. The handheld computer of claim 12, wherein the series of discrete inputs correspond to a series of button presses.

14. The handheld computer of claim 12, wherein the series of discrete inputs correspond to a series of button presses from a multi-directional button mechanism.

15. The handheld computer of claim 1, wherein the processor navigates to the menu bar by highlighting the menu bar.

16. The handheld computer of claim 1, further comprising one or more user-interactive features on the first panel of the housing, the one or more user-interactive features being actuatable to cause navigation input to be processed by the processor, wherein a direction in which the processor navigates the menu bar is determined by a user selectively actuating the one or more user-interactive features.

17. The handheld computer of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to perform an action in response to one of the menu items of the first menu being selected.

18. The handheld computer of claim 1, further comprising one or more user-interactive features on the first panel of the housing, the one or more user-interactive features being actuatable to cause navigation input to be processed by the processor, and wherein the one or more user-interactive features includes a multi-directional mechanical feature.

19. The handheld computer of claim 18, wherein the multi-directional mechanical feature is selected from a group of user-interactive features consisting of a joy stick, a joy pad, and a set of scroll buttons.

20. The handheld computer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user-interactive features include a set of application buttons.

21. The handheld computer of claim 1, further comprising one or more user-interactive features on the first panel of the housing, the one or more user-interactive features being actuatable to cause navigation input to be processed by the processor, and wherein the one or more user-interactive features include virtual features that appear on the display and which are selectable through contact with the display.

22. A handheld computer comprising:

a housing;

a display accessible on a panel of the housing;

a set of actuatable mechanisms provided on the housing; and

a processor coupled to the display and to the plurality of actuatable mechanisms, the processor being configured to;

associate an application to each actuatable mechanism so that, in response to one of the actuatable mechanisms being actuated, the processor is configured to execute the application assigned to that actuatable mechanism;

detect an input corresponding to a menu request;

in response to detecting the input corresponding to the menu request, assign a menu function to each actuatable mechanism in the set of actuatable mechanisms; and

display one or more sets of menu items that are active in response to the menu request, each of the one or more sets of menu items being displayed as a portion of a menu having a menu bar;

while the one or more sets of menu items are active, process input corresponding to actuation of any one of the actuatable mechanisms as the menu function assigned to the actuated actuatable mechanism.

23. The handheld computer of claim 22, wherein the menu function assigned to one or more of the actuatable mechanisms corresponds to navigation input.

24. The handheld computer of claim 22, wherein the menu function assigned to each of the actuatable mechanisms corresponds to one of the menu functions selected from the group of menu functions consisting of navigation input, selection input to select a menu item, and selection input to select cancellation of the one or more active sets of menu items.

25. The handheld computer of claim 22, wherein the application associated with each actuatable mechanism is different for each actuatable mechanism.

26. The handheld computer of claim 22, wherein the actuatable mechanisms are buttons.

27. The handheld computer of claim 23, wherein actuatable mechanisms in the set of actuatable mechanisms are each assigned an individual menu function corresponding to navigating menu items in one of either a lateral direction or a vertical direction.

28. The handheld computer of claim 24, wherein at least one of the actuatable mechanisms in the set of actuatable mechanisms is assigned a menu function for selecting a selectable menu item.

29. The handheld computer of claim 23, wherein the handheld computer is operable in a sleep mode, and wherein the processor is configured to launch an application associated in response to one of the actuatable mechanisms associated with that application being actuated when the handheld computer is in the sleep mode.

30. The handheld computer of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured to display a menu bar with each of the one or more sets of menu items in response to receiving the menu request, and wherein the processor is configured to cancel activation of the one or more sets of menu items in response to selection input for canceling the one or more active sets of menu items.

31. A handheld computer comprising:

a housing;

a display accessible on a panel of the housing; and

a processor coupled to the display, the processor being configured to;

detect an input corresponding to a menu request;

activate a first menu on the display in response to the menu request; and

process lateral navigation input to cancel activation of the first menu.

32. The handheld computer of claim 31, wherein the processor processes lateral navigation input to cancel activation of the menu if only the first menu is available to be active for a page being displayed on the handheld computer.

33. The handheld computer of claim 31, wherein the processor is configured to activate the first menu by displaying a menu bar and one or more menu items

34. The handheld computer of claim 33, wherein the processor is configured to process vertical navigation input to make the menu bar selectable, and to process selection input to cancel activation of the first menu when the menu bar is made selectable.