Application Adaptive Mobile Terminal

• US 20120309434A1
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swanburg, Scott Allen, Wuthnow, Mark, Mahler, Roger, Klenzak, Megan
• Granted Patent: US 8,803,834 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/457
• 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: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• 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

A user interface is presented for mobile devices that provides for efficient and logical movement between applications on the mobile device. Multiple applications may be used simultaneously and interactively. Such uses and data are stored on the device and re-presented to the user at subsequent uses to provide efficiencies in commonly used functions, applications, and contacts.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

utilizing a home key of a mobile device to activate a map object displayed in a virtual template area of the mobile device, the virtual template area being available on a display of the mobile device; and

utilizing the home key to set the home key as an object home for a user-defined starting place on the map object, the object home being for returning to the user-defined starting place on the map object upon the object home being activated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual template area is available outside of a frame of the display of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual template area includes more than one object.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least two of the objects are activated simultaneously.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a cellular phone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the map object is a software bundle of variables and related methods.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising spawning a child object upon activating the map object.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein an interaction between the map object and the spawned child object is a linear interaction.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a data corresponding to a usage of the map object is collected into a user profile using an intelligence information collection repository.

10. A method, comprising:

launching a map object by placing the map object into a hot zone spot using a virtual push me button of a mobile device, the hot zone spot being located in a center of a virtual template area of a display of the mobile device; and

setting the home key as an object home for a user-defined starting place on the map object using the virtual push me button, the object home being for returning to the user-defined starting place on the map object upon the object home being activated;

wherein upon placing the map object into the hot zone spot, the map object becomes visually modifiable, the visual modification including at least one of zooming in on a particular location on the map or zooming out of the particular location on the map.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising navigating the map object in a plurality of directions using the virtual push me button.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of directions include a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and a diagonal direction.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the map object is alternatively launched via a mechanical bezel located on the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the mobile device is a cellular phone.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein an information corresponding to a usage of the map object is collected into a user profile using an intelligence information collection repository.

16. A method, comprising:

controlling a map object by placing the map object into a hot zone spot using a virtual push me button of a mobile device, the hot zone spot being located in a center of a virtual template area of a display of the mobile device; and

setting the home key as an object home for a user-defined starting place on the map object using the virtual push me button, the object home being for returning to the user-defined starting place on the map object upon the object home being activated;

wherein upon placing the map object into the hot zone spot, the map object is instructed to perform at least one of a task, a change of state, or an interaction with another object.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the other object is a video stream.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the task is a change in view of the map.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein an information corresponding to the interaction is collected into a user profile using an intelligence information collection repository.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the mobile device is a cellular phone.