Mobile communication terminal with multi orientation user interface

• US 20050090288A1
• Filed: 10/22/2003
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Stohr, Josef, Franke, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,181,251 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• 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: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

The invention relates to a mobile communication terminal comprising a user interface with a display and a keypad for supporting various functions. According to the invention, the orientation of the content of a hard label or a soft label of at least one of the keys can changed so that the key can be used with the terminal in different orientations. The content of the display may also be readable in different orientations by changing the display direction. The mobile terminal may be provided with an orientation sensor allowing automatic changing of the display direction of the soft labels and the rest of the display content. The labeling of the hard keys may be changeable by operating a handle or by mechanical arrangements or optical effects.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal having a user interface comprising:

a display for showing information,

a keypad including at least one softkey,

the function of the softkey being controlled by a controller unit and being displayed as a soft label in a predetermined area of said display, and

means for instructing the controller unit to change the orientation of the soft label.

2. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller unit changes the orientation of the soft label without changing the position of the predetermined area relative to the at least one softkey.

3. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller unit changes the orientation of the soft label in response to a state change of the terminal or a upon a user entered command.

4. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller unit changes the orientation of the soft label in response to a signal from an orientation sensor in the terminal or in response to a manually activated switch.

5. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller unit applies the same orientation changes to information on the display as to the soft label.

6. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the soft label includes textual content.

7. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the soft label includes graphical content.

8. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the keypad comprises a plurality of hard keys, the plurality of hard keys preferably includes a group of alphanumerical keys and/or one or more navigation keys.

9. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the hard keys is provided with a hard label that can be read in at least two different orientations.

10. A terminal according to claim 9, wherein the hard label is formed by a hologram.

11. A terminal according to claim 9, wherein the hard label is changed by changing the backlighting of the hard key concerned.

12. A terminal according to claim 9, wherein the orientation of hard label is changed by rotating a polarized film relative to another polarized film.

13. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the keypad comprises a plurality of softkeys, the function of each of the softkeys being displayed by the controller unit a predetermined area in the display, the controller unit changing the orientation of the soft labels in response to user or sensor input.

14. A mobile communication terminal having a user interface comprising:

a display for showing information,

a keypad including at least one hard key with a hard label that can be read in at least two different orientations,

the present function of the at least one hard key being controlled by a controller unit in dependence of the orientation of the terminal,

and means for informing the controller unit of the orientation of the terminal.

15. A terminal according to claim 14, wherein the orientation of the information on the display is changed in accordance with the orientation of the terminal.

16. A terminal according to claim 14, wherein the hard label includes textual content.

17. A terminal according to claim 14, wherein the hard label includes graphical content.

18. A mobile communication terminal having a user interface comprising:

a display for showing information,

a keypad including at with a plurality of hard keys,

the labels of the hard keys including textual and or graphical content relating to the function of the hard key concerned,

the label of least one of the hard keys being formed by a hologram on which the textual and/or graphical content can be read in at least two different orientations.

19. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 18, wherein the information on the display can be shown in different orientations.

20. A mobile communication terminal having a user interface comprising:

a display for showing information,

a keypad including a plurality of hard keys,

the labels of the hard keys including textual and or graphical content relating to the function of the hard key concerned,

at least one of the hard keys being formed by an at least partially transparent key body that allows objects under the key to be seen through the top of the key,

at least two labels being arranged under the key on a substrate that can move relative to the key,

the at least two labels being preferably provided with textual and/or graphical content that can be read in different ordinations,

whereby the substrate can be moved relative to the hard key to allow a different one of the at least two labels to be visible through the key.

21. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 20, wherein the substrate forms part of a slidable or rotatable substrate that covers a plurality of keys so that a group of labels belonging to a plurality of keys can be moved simultaneously relative to the keys concerned.

22. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 21, wherein a coherent group of functions for a set of keys visible in one position of the substrate, and another group of functions visible in another position of the substrate.

23. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 20, wherein substrate can move linearly relative to key or keys concerned.

24. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 20, wherein substrate can move rotably relative to key or keys concerned.

25. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 21, wherein the substrate is user exchangeable and provided with means allowing the mobile terminal to identify the substrate.

26. A mobile communication terminal having a user interface comprising:

a display for showing information,

a keypad including a plurality of hard keys,

the labels of the hard keys including textual and or graphical content relating to the function of the hard key concerned,

at least one of the hard keys comprises a lenticular screen with at least two interlaced labels there behind, each of the at least two labels being visible from a different viewpoint and preferably being readable in a different orientation.

27. A mobile communication terminal having a user interface comprising:

a display for showing information,

a keypad including a plurality of hard keys,

the labels of the hard keys including textual and or graphical content relating to the function of the hard key concerned,

at least one of the hard keys being formed by an at least partially transparent key body that allows objects under the key to be seen through the top of the key,

a label arranged under the key under a pair of polarized films that can be moved relative to one another,

whereby the textual and/or graphical content of the label can be read in at least two different orientations in dependence of relative orientation of the polarized films to one another.

28. A mobile communication terminal having a user interface comprising:

a display for showing information,

a keypad including a plurality of hard keys arranged in a substantially circular pattern,

the labels of the hard keys including textual and or graphical content relating to the function of the hard key concerned,

the hard keys being formed by an at least partially transparent key body that allows objects under the key to be seen through the top of the key,

the labels of the hard keys being arranged on a rotatable substrate in a substantial circular pattern that matches the circular pattern in which the hard keys are arranged.

29. A mobile communication terminal having a user interface comprising:

a display,

a confirming key and a rejection key,

a function to be confirmed or to be rejected being controlled by a controller unit and being displayed in a predetermined area of said display, and

means for instructing the controller unit to change the orientation in which the function is displayed.

30. A terminal according to claim 29, wherein the controller unit changes the orientation of the function to be confirmed or to be rejected without changing the position of the predetermined area relative to the confirming key and rejection key.

31. A terminal according to claim 29, wherein the controller unit changes the orientation of the function to be confirmed or to be rejected in response to a state change of the terminal or upon a user entered command.

32. A terminal according to claim 29, wherein the controller unit changes the orientation of the function to be confirmed or to be rejected in response to a signal from an orientation sensor in the terminal or in response to a manually activated switch.

33. A terminal according to claim 29, wherein the controller unit applies the same orientation changes to information on the display as to the function to be confirmed or to be rejected.

34. A terminal according to claim 29, wherein the function to be confirmed or to be rejected is represented by textual content.

35. A terminal according to claim 29, wherein the function to be confirmed or to be rejected is represented by graphical content.

36. A terminal according to claim 29, wherein the keypad comprises a plurality of hard keys, the plurality of hard keys preferably includes a group of alphanumerical keys and/or one or more navigation keys.

37. A terminal according to claim 29, wherein at least one of the hard keys is provided with a hard label that can be read in at least two different orientations.

38. A terminal according to claim 37, wherein the hard label is formed by a hologram.

39. A terminal according to claim 38, wherein the hard label is changed by changing the backlighting of the hard key concerned.

40. A terminal according to claim 39, wherein the orientation of hard label is changed by rotating a polarized film relative to another polarized film.