METHOD AND ARRANGMENT FOR A PRIMARY ACTION ON A HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20070192738A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: LEE, Matthew Richard
• Application Number:
  US11/618,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20070192738A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A handheld electronic device and method for alternatively displaying, upon user request, one of a plurality of available screens on a display screen of a handheld electronic device through the use of at least two different user input devices provided on the handheld electronic device. The method includes running an application on the handheld electronic device to display of a cursor-navigable page on a display screen of the device and directly displaying, without first displaying a menu listing, a next screen of the running application that has been assessed a highest probability of being user-desired amongst a plurality of available next screens of the running application. The direct display of the next screen is affected by actuation of a first auxiliary user input device on the handheld electronic device. The method further includes using a second auxiliary device to display a menu including a plurality of selectable items.

Claims

1. A method for alternatively displaying, upon user request, one of a plurality of available screens on a display screen of a handheld electronic device through the use of at least two different user input devices provided on the handheld electronic device, said method comprising:

running an application on a handheld electronic device and thereby causing display of a cursor-navigable page on a display screen of the handheld electronic device; and

directly displaying, without first displaying a menu listing, a next screen of the running application that has been assessed a highest probability of being user-desired amongst a plurality of available next screens of the running application, said direct display of the next screen being affected by actuation of a first auxiliary user input device on the handheld electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by actuation of a second auxiliary user input device on the handheld electronic device, an abbreviated menu of user-selectable actions having a short list of menu items which is a subset of a full list of menu items of an extended menu associated with the displayed page, said short list of menu items comprising a plurality of items having been assessed a higher probability for being user-selected than at least some items of the full list of menu items not included in said short list of menu items.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by actuation of a second auxiliary user input device on the handheld electronic device, a menu of user-selectable actions associated with the displayed page.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said first auxiliary user input device is a trackball useable to control movement of a cursor on the screen of the handheld electronic device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said direct display of the next screen of the running application is affected by a single user press-actuation of the trackball.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said second auxiliary user input device is a depressible key located on the handheld electronic device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said display of said abbreviated menu of user-selectable actions is affected by a single press-actuation of the depressible key.

8. A handheld electronic device comprising:

a processor;

a display screen; and

,

at least two user input devices;

said processor running an application on said handheld electronic device and displaying a cursor-navigable page on said display screen, said processor, upon a user request, displaying one of a plurality of available screens on said display screen, a first of said at least two user input devices inputting a request to directly display, without first displaying a menu listing, a next screen of the running application.

9. The handheld electronic device of claim 8, wherein said first of said at least two user input devices comprises a trackball for navigating a cursor about said display screen.

11. The handheld device of claim 8, wherein said next page is assessed a highest probability of being user-desired amongst a plurality of available next screens of the running application.

12. The handheld device of claim 8, wherein said next screen is programmable by a user

13. The handheld electronic device of claim 8, wherein a second of said at least two user input devices inputs a request to display a list of menu items.

14. The handheld device of claim 9, wherein said list of menu items comprises a short list of menu items.

15. The handheld device of claim 14, wherein items listed on said short list of menu items are assessed a highest probability of being user-desired amongst a plurality of items.

16. The handheld device of claim 14, wherein items listed on said short list of menu items are programmable by a user.

17. The handheld device of claim 14, wherein said second user input device is a depressible key located on the handheld electronic device.

10. The handheld device of claim 10, wherein said trackball is press-actuated to directly request said next screen of said running application.

18. A processing subsystem configured to be installed in a mobile communication device comprising a user interface including a display and a keyboard having a plurality of input keys with which letters are associated, said processing subsystem comprising:

operating system software controlling operation of a handheld electronic device, said operating system processing an ambiguous request to display a next screen of a running application upon a user request using a first auxiliary input device, said operating system processing a non-ambiguous request upon a user request using a second auxiliary input device to display an abbreviated menu having a short list of menu options which is a subset of a full menu of options of user-selectable actions available.

19. The processing subsystem of claim 18 wherein said next screen has been assessed a highest probability of being user-desired amongst a plurality of available next screens of the running application.

20. The processing subsystem of claim 18 wherein said abbreviated menu includes a listing of items assessed as having a highest probability of being user-desired amongst a plurality of items.