Computing device with improved user interface for applications

• US 20040051726A1
• Filed: 08/27/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: 2011 Intellectual Property Asset Trust (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Martyn, Mathieu Kennedy
• Granted Patent: US 8,434,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/700
• 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: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• 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

The present invention offers a snap-shot view which brings together, in one summary window, a limited list of common functions and commonly accessed stored data which itself can be reached directly from the main menu listing some or all applications. This yields many advantages in ease and speed of navigation, particularly on small screen devices.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising a display screen, the computing device being able to display on the screen an application summary window, the summary window comprising a limited list of (i) common functions offered within an application and/or (ii) data stored in that application.

2. The computing device of claim 1 in which selecting a common function listed in the summary window causes the related application to open and that selected common function to be activated.

3. The computing device of claim 1 or 2 in which an application launcher lists the names and/or icons of several applications and selecting a name or icon causes the summary window for that application to be opened.

4. The computing device of any preceding claim in which the kinds of content of a summary window for a given application is selected using a process in which the device learns what functionality and/or stored data types are of interest to any given user.

5. The computing device of any preceding claim in which the user can define what functionality and/or stored data types are of interest to that user for the summary window for an application.

6. The computing device of any preceding claim in which the functionality and/or stored data types for a summary window for a given application varies with the environment of the device.

7. The computing device of any preceding claim in which the functionality and/or stored data types for a summary window for a given application varies with the actions of the user.

8. The computing device of any preceding claim in which opening a summary window for a given application does not result in that application being opened.

9. The computing device of any preceding claim in which the summary window is a frame which includes the name of the associated application.

10. A computing device as claimed in any preceding claim, being a mobile telephone.

11. A computing device as claimed in any preceding claim 1-9, being a PC.

12. A computer program which, when running on a computing device, causes the computing device to operate as a computing device as claimed in claim 1-11.

13. The computer program of claim 12, being an operating system program.