Mobile telephone with improved man machine interface

• US 20070213099A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bast, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 7,624,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• 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: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• 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 envisages a GSM mobile telephone in which a line of icons is displayed on a display. As a user navigates through the displayed line of icons, the positions of the icons alter so that the selectable icon moves to the head of the line. This approach makes it very clear (i) which icon is selectable at any time and (ii) where that icon sits in relation to other icons at the same functional level (e.g. only first level icons will be present in one line). First level icons typically relate to the following functions: phonebook; messages; call register; counters; call diversion; telephone settings; network details; voice mail and IrDA activation.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

a display;

a graphical user interface executing on the processor;

one or more icons corresponding to an operation or set of operations that can be performed by the electronic device visible on the display;

a switch for enabling a user to select a one of the one or more visible icons as a selected icon by navigating to the selected icon;

wherein the selected icon is animated to indicate to the user that the electronic device can perform the operation corresponding to the selected icon.

2. The electronic device recited in claim 1, wherein the animation causes the selected icon to change in appearance.

3. The electronic device recited in claim 1, wherein the animation causes the selected icon to twist.

4. The electronic device recited in claim 1, wherein the selected icon change in size.

5. The electronic device recited in claim 1, wherein the selected icon appears to move with respect to the display.

6. The electronic device recited in claim 1, wherein the switch is a rocker switch.

7. The electronic device recited in claim 1, wherein the switch is a joy stick.

8. The electronic device recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises text that is displayed on the display corresponding to the operation associated with the selected icon.

9. The electronic device recited in claim 8, wherein text associated only with the selected icon is displayed.

10. The electronic device recited in claim 9, wherein the size of the displayed text is changed.

11. The electronic device recited in claim 1, wherein the selected icon corresponds to a set of operations that the electronic device can perform, and wherein when the user selects the set of operations corresponding to the selected icon, a set of different icons is displayed in the display.

12. The electronic device recited in claim 11, wherein there is text displayed in the display describing each of the different icons.

13. A method for operating an electronic device, comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface in a display;

visibly displaying one or more icons corresponding to an operation or set of operations that can be performed by the electronic device on the display;

selecting a one of the one or more visible icons as a selected icon by navigating to the selected icon;

animating the selected icon to indicate to the user that the electronic device can perform the operation corresponding to the selected icon.

14. The method recited in claim 13 wherein animating the selected icon comprises changing the appearance of the selected icon.

15. The method recited in claim 13, wherein animating the selected icon comprises causing the selected icon to twist.

16. The method recited in claim 13, comprising changing the size of the selected icon.

17. The method recited in claim 13, wherein animating the selected icon comprises causing the selected icon to appear to move with respect to the display.

18. The method recited in claim 13, comprising displaying text on the display corresponding to the operation associated with the selected icon.

19. The method recited in claim 18, further comprising displaying only text associated with the selected icon.

20. The method recited in claim 13, wherein the size of the displayed text is changed.

21. The method recited in claim 13, wherein the selected icon corresponds to a set of operations that the electronic device can perform, comprising displaying a set of different icons in the display.

22. The method recited in claim 21, comprising displaying text in the display describing each of the different icons.

23. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

a display;

a graphical user interface executing on the processor for displaying on the display screen one or more visible icons that can be selected by a user to control operation of the device, each visible icon corresponding to a function of the device;

wherein when a user selects one of the visible icons, the selected icon is animated.

24. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the processor is one of a microcontroller, a sequencer, and a microcomputer.

25. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the selected icon is animated by moving it from one point on the display screen to another point on the display screen.

26. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the selected icon is animated by making it appear to twist.

27. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein there is text associated with each of the one or more icons.

28. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the size of the text associated with the selected icon is changed.

29. The electronic device of claim 23, further comprising a hierarchy of visible icons, wherein selection of an icon causes a different level of the hierarchy of visible icons to be displayed.

30. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the size of the selected icon is changed.

31. A method for operating an electronic device, comprising:

displaying on the display screen one or more visible icons that can be selected by a user to control operation of the device, each visible icon corresponding to a function of the device;

accepting a user'"'"'s selection of one of the icons; and

causing the selected icon to twist upon the user'"'"'s selection of the selected icon.

32. The method recited in claim 31, further comprising moving the selected icon from one point on the display screen to another.

33. The electronic device of claim 31, further comprising making the selected icon appear to twist.

34. The method recited in claim 31, further comprising associating text with each of the one or more icons.

35. The method recited in claim 34, further comprising changing the size of the text associated with the selected icon is changed.

36. The method recited in claim 34, changing to a different hierarchy of icons when an icon is selected.

37. The method recited in claim 31, further comprising changing the size of the selected icon.

38. A mobile electronic device for carrying out communications, comprising:

a processor;

a display coupled to the processor;

a graphical user interface executing on the processor having one or more icons on the display, each icon corresponding to a communication function of the mobile electronic device;

a switch coupled to the processor for allowing a user to select one of the one or more icons as a selected icon to cause the mobile electronic device to perform the communication function of the mobile electronic device corresponding to the selected icon;

wherein selection of the selected icon causes animation of at least one of the one or more icons.

39. The mobile electronic device recited in claim 38, wherein selection of the selected icon causes animation of the selected icon.

40. The mobile electronic device recited in claim 39, wherein the animation is a twisting of the selected icon.

41. The mobile electronic device recited in claim 39, wherein the animation is moving the selected icon from one position on the display to another position on the display.

42. The mobile electronic device recited in claim 38, wherein there is text associated with each of the one or more icons that can be displayed on the display, the text describing the communication function associated with its corresponding icon.

43. The mobile electronic device recited in claim 42, wherein only text associated with the selected icon is displayed on the display.

44. The mobile electronic device recited in claim 38, wherein the size of the selected icon can be changed.

45. The mobile electronic device recited in claim 44, wherein the size of the selected icon is scalable.

46. An electronic device, comprising:

a display screen;

a processor;

a graphical user interface executing on the processor for displaying one or more visible icons on the display screen that can be selected by a user, each icon corresponding to an operation or set of operations that can be performed by the electronic device;

wherein when a user selects one of the visible icons, the selected icon appears to twist.

47. The electronic device of claim 46, wherein the processor is one of a microcontroller, a sequencer, and a microcomputer.

48. The electronic device of claim 46, wherein the selected icon is moved from one point on the display screen to another point on the display screen.

49. The electronic device of claim 46, wherein there is text associated with each of the one or more icons.

52. The electronic device of claim 46, further comprising a hierarchy of visible icons, wherein choosing the operation associated with the selected icon causes a different level of the hierarchy of visible icons to be displayed.

53. The electronic device of claim 46, wherein the size of the selected icon is changed.

50. The electronic device of claim 50, wherein the text associated with the selected icon only is displayed.

51. The electronic device of claim 50, wherein the size of the text associated with the selected icon is changed.

54. A method for operating an electronic device, comprising:

displaying on a display screen one or more visible icons that can be selected by a user to control operation of the device;

accepting a user'"'"'s selection of one of the icons; and

causing the selected icon to twist upon the user'"'"'s selection of the selected icon.

55. The method recited in claim 54, further comprising moving the selected icon from one point on the display screen to another point on the display screen.

56. The method recited in claim 54, further comprising associating text with each of the one or more icons.

57. The method recited in claim 56, further comprising changing the size of the text associated with the selected icon is changed.

58. The method recited in claim 56, changing to a different hierarchy of icons when an icon is selected.

59. The method recited in claim 54, further comprising changing the size of the selected icon.