User interface

• US 20040109013A1
• Filed: 12/10/2002
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neonode Smartphone LLC (Aequitas Technologies, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Neonode, Inc.
• Inventors: Goertz, Magnus
• Granted Patent: US 8,095,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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: 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: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

The present invention relates to a user interface for a mobile handheld computer unit, which computer unit comprises a touch sensitive area (1), which is divided into a menu area (2) and a display area (3). The computer unit is adapted to run several applications simultaneously and to present an active application on top of any other application on the display area (3). The menu area (2) is adapted to present a representation of a first (21), a second (22) and a third predefined (23) function. The first function (21) is a general application dependent function, the second function (22) is a keyboard function, and the third function (23) is a task and file manager. Any one of these three functions can be activated when the touch sensitive area (1) detects a movement of an object with its starting point within the representation of the function on the menu area (2) and with a direction from the menu area (2) to the display area (3).

Claims

1. User interface for a mobile handheld computer unit, where said computer unit comprises a touch sensitive area, which touch sensitive area is divided into a menu area and a display area, where said computer unit is adapted to run several applications simultaneously, and to present an active application on top of any other application on said display area, characterised in, that said menu area is adapted to present a representation of a first, a second and a third predefined function, that said first function is a general application dependent function, that said second function is a keyboard function, that said third function is a task and file manager, and that any one of said three functions can be activated when said touch sensitive area detects a movement of an object with its starting point within the representation of said function on said menu area and with a direction from said menu area to said display area.

2. User interface according to claim 1, characterised in, that, if said first function is activated, said display area is adapted to display icons representing different services or settings depending on the current active application, that one of said icons always represents a “

help”

-service, regardless of application, and that, if no application is currently active on said computer unit, said icons are adapted to represent services or settings of the operations system of said computer unit, such as background picture, clock, users, help, etc.

3. User interface according to claim 2, characterised in, that that a selection of a preferred service or setting is done tapping on corresponding icon.

4. User interface according to claim 1, characterised in, that, if said second function is activated, said display area is adapted to display a keyboard and a text field,

that, if a text passage in said active application is highlighted, said text passage is displayed in said text field for editing through said keyboard and that said highlighted text passage is replaced by said edited text passage when said second function is deactivated, and

that, if no text passage in said active application is highlighted, said text field is available for inputting and editing of text through said keyboard.

5. User interface according to claim 4, characterized in, that if no text passage in said active application is highlighted, and said text field is used for inputting and editing of text through said keyboard, then

said first function can be activated, or

said second function can be closed, in which a choice of saving or deleting said inputted text is given, where the choice of saving said inputted text results in an activation of said first function,

in which said first function will present services or settings available for said inputted text, such as saving said inputted text for later use, using said inputted text as telephone number in a telephone application, or sending said inputted text as message in communications application.

6. User interface according to claim 1, characterised in, that, if said third function is activated, said display area is adapted to display a list with a library of available applications and files on said computer unit, that a selection of an application will start said application, and that a selection of a file will open said file in an application intended for said file.

7. User interface according to claim 6, characterised in, that a selection of an application or a file is done by moving said object so that the representation of desired application or file is highlighted, removing said object from said touch sensitive area, and then tapping on said touch sensitive area, and that an application or file is highlighted by placing some kind of marking on the representation of said application or file, such as positioning a frame around the representation of said application or file or inverting the representation of said application or file.

8. User interface according to claim 7, characterised in, that said list is adapted to present only said files or only said applications, that the top area of said list presents a field through which the content if said list can be altered, that, if said list only presents files, said field displays a representation of a task manager and a selection of said field will cause said list to alter to present only applications, and that, if said list only presents applications, said field displays a representation of a file manager and a selection of said field will cause said list to alter and present only files.

9. User interface according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in, that, a navigation in said list is performed by moving said object in a direction towards the top of said list or towards the bottom of said list, that the movement of said object will cause said marking to move in the same direction, and that the speed of the movement of said marking is lower than the speed of the movement of said object.

10. User interface according to claim 9, characterised in, that, if the number of applications and/or files in said list exceeds the number of applications and files that can be presented on said display area, and if said object is moved to the top or bottom position of said display area, then lifted, replaced on said display area, and again moved to the top or bottom of said display area, the content of said display area will be replaced one whole page, meaning that if said object is position at the bottom of said display area, then lifted, replaced on said display area, and then again moved to the bottom of said display area, the content of said display area will be replaced by the following applications and/or files in said list, and if said object is position at the top of said display area, then lifted, replaced on said display area, and then again moved to the top of said display area, the content of said display area will be replaced by the preceding applications and/or files in said list.

11. User interface according to claim 10, characterised in, that if said object is removed from a first position on said display area and then replaced on a second position on said display area, said navigation can be continued from said second position.

12. User interface according to any preceding claim, characterised in, that an active application, function, service or setting is moved on one step by moving said object from the left of said display area to the right of said display area, and that the active application, function service or setting is closed or backed one step by moving said object from the right of said display area to the left of said display area.

13. User interface according to any preceding claim, characterised in, that said menu area is positioned at the bottom of said touch sensitive area, that said representation of said first function is positioned at the left side of said menu area, that said representation of said second function is positioned at the middle of said menu area, and that said representation of said third function is positioned at the right side of said menu area.

14. User interface according to any preceding claim, characterised in, that said user interface is adapted to a touch sensitive area with a size that is in the order of 2-3 inches, and that said user interface is adapted to be operated by one hand, where said object can be a finger, such as the thumb, of a user of said computer unit.

15. An enclosure adapted to cover a computer unit, said computer unit being adapted to present a user interface according to any of claims 1 to 14, characterised in, that said enclosure is provided with an opening for said display area, and that a representation of said menu area is printed on top of said enclosure.

16. Enclosure according to claim 15, characterised in, that said enclosure is removable and exchangeable.

17. A computer readable medium, with a computer program product stored therein, characterised in, that said computer program product comprises computer readable code, which, when read by a computer, will make it possible for said computer to present a user interface according to any of claims 1 to 14.

18. A computer readable medium according to claim 17, characterised in, that said computer program product is adapted to function as a shell upon an operations system.