User interface methodology supporting light data entry for microprocessor device having limited user input

• US 6,141,011 A
• Filed: 11/04/1998
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starfish Software, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bodnar, Eric O., Feague, Roy W., Lee, Jennifer J., Kahn, Philippe R., Liu, Gwoho H., Jorgensen, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): dela Torre, Crescelle N.
• Application Number:
  US09/186,732
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 345/357, 345/356, 345/339, 345/348, 345/352, 345/353, 345/354, 345/145, 345/146, 345/157, 345/160, 345/963, 345/336, 345/338, 707/505, 707/507
• US Class Current: 715/812
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading

Abstract

A portable computing device or "information appliance" having terse user input (e.g., limit set of keys) is provided with an improved user interface. A six-key embodiment is described that provides a "super-key" light entry and editing input system for ultra-portable devices, thus making it well suited for use with credit card-sized devices. In a preferred six-button embodiment, a credit card-sized device is modified to include an additional input button, an EDIT key. In user operation, pressing the EDIT key brings up a context sensitive pop-up menu, thus invoking the super-key feature. Customized user input controls, such as a Text Input Control (e.g., letter and number strips), are provided at appropriate times, for facilitating input. Underlying the super-key input is a heuristic sub-system that remembers and anticipates user input. In this fashion, the system can present in-context options for each application running on the target device, and present appropriate options during different phases of the execution of a variety of tasks. By remembering what the user has previously inputted and by using context-sensitive menus and adaptive "quick" lists, the system can anticipate what the user needs to do at any given time and can guide the user through a step-by-step process to complete each task, thus facilitating the tasks that users most often perform. By including adaptive techniques or built-in intelligence that allows the device to be faster and easier to use with each user session, the target device may anticipate the tasks users need to perform in specific situations and thus make those tasks increasingly easier.

Claims

1. In a computing device having a limited set of input keys, a method for assisting a user with entering user input, the method comprising:

providing a terse set of physical input keys comprising navigation keys, a select key, and an edit key;

at a different location on said computing device than where said physical input keys are located, displaying a user interface that requires input of information from the user;

receiving user input at the navigation keys for moving a screen cursor to different regions of the user interface;

with the screen cursor positioned at a particular region of the user interface, receiving user input at the edit key for invoking a context-sensitive input system;

determining a set of appropriate user input entries for the device for the particular region of the user interface where the screen cursor is currently positioned;

displaying at the particular region a control based on at least some of said set of appropriate user input entries;

receiving user input at the navigation keys for positioning the screen cursor at a desired entry from said set of appropriate user input entries; and

receiving user input at the select key for inputting the desired entry as user input for the device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said input of information required comprises a selected one of alphabetic, alphanumeric, numeric, time, and date information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said input of information is inputted at least in part using a text input control.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said text input control comprises a character strip displaying selected alphanumeric information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said input of information is inputted at least in part using a tabbed input control.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein display of said control ceases when input at the control is not required.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving additional user input at the edit key for terminating invocation of the context-sensitive input system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after receiving input at the control, marking the control as having received input.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

altering movement of the screen cursor during navigation based on which controls have been marked as having received input.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein each control is marked only if the user has not canceled input.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of appropriate user input entries comprises selected ones of system default entries and user-provided entries.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of appropriate user input entries comprises an ordered list, said list being ordered according to how likely each entry is to be selected by the user.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a status bar having hint information about operation of at least one of the keys.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the hint information for at least one of the keys changes during input for indicating additional functionality of the key during input.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the hint information includes graphical information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said graphical information comprises an icon identifying a particular key.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the hint information includes text describing how at least one key operates.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said navigation keys comprise up, down, forward, and reverse keys.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said user interface provides a module selector view displaying an application icon for each of a plurality of applications.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein each key of said terse set of input keys operates in response to a single click of the key by the user.

21. In a computing device requiring input of information, a method for assisting a user with completing input, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface comprising a sequence of input controls that are arranged sequentially for receiving user input, said user input including user-supplied information for input into said computing device;

marking all input controls as initially unfilled, for indicating that each of the controls has not yet received input from the user; and

assisting the user with completing input for the input controls, by;

(1) receiving navigational input for moving a screen cursor among the sequence of input controls;

(2) if the navigational input specifies forward movement, positioning the screen cursor at a next one of the sequence of input controls that is unfilled;

(3) if the navigational input specifies backward movement, positioning the screen cursor at a previous one of the sequence of input controls that is unfilled;

(4) receiving input from the user for the input control that the screen cursor is currently positioned at;

(5) upon completion of input by the user at the control, marking the control as filled, for indicating that the control has received input; and

(6) repeating substeps (1)-(5) until the user has completed all input desired.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

selectively ceasing displaying of at least one of the input controls, based on user input entered at another control.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said input controls are capable of receiving input that comprises a selected one of alphabetic, alphanumeric, numeric, time, and date information.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the navigational input is coupled with operation of an edit key, so that selection of the edit key invokes a context-sensitive menu selection.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said sequence of input controls are divided into individual groups for display on a sequence of pages, each particular group being displayed on a particular page.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein each control is marked as filled only if the user has not canceled input.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein at least some of the input controls display a set of appropriate user input entries.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said set of appropriate user input entries comprises selected ones of system default entries and user-provided entries.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein said set of appropriate user input entries comprises an ordered list, said list being ordered according to how likely each entry is to be selected by the user.

32. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

displaying a status bar having hint information about operation of at least one key of the computing device during input.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the hint information for at least one of the keys changes during input for indicating additional functionality of the key during input.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the hint information includes graphical information.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said graphical information comprises an icon identifying a particular key.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the hint information includes text describing how at least one key operates.

37. The method of claim 21, wherein said navigational input is generated by user activation of navigation keys provided by the computing device.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said navigation keys comprise keys having directional arrows.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein each key of said navigation keys operates in response to a single click of the key by the user.

40. The method of claim 21, wherein display of an input control ceases when input at the control is no longer required.

41. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one input control is determined to no longer require input based, at least in part, on input already received at another input control.

42. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one input control is determined to no longer require input based, at least in part, on absence of input having been received at another input control.

26. In a computing device requiring input of information, a method for assisting a user with completing input, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface comprising a sequence of input controls that are arranged sequentially for receiving user input;

marking all input controls as initially unfilled, for indicating that each of the controls has not yet received input from the user; and

assisting the user with completing input for the input controls, by;

(1) receiving navigational input for moving a screen cursor among the sequence of input controls;

(2) if the navigational input specifies forward movement, positioning the screen cursor at a next one of the sequence of input controls that is unfilled;

(3) if the navigational input specifies backward movement, positioning the screen cursor at a previous one of the sequence of input controls that is unfilled;

(4) receiving input from the user for the input control that the screen cursor is currently positioned at;

(5) upon completion of input by the user at the control, marking the control as filled, for indicating that the control has received input; and

(6) repeating substeps (1)-(5) until the user has completed all input desired;

wherein the navigational input is coupled with operation of an edit key, so that selection of the edit key invokes a context-sensitive menu selection;

wherein the navigational input is coupled with operation of an edit key, so that selection of the edit key invokes a context-sensitive menu selection;

wherein said sequence of input controls are divided into individual groups for display on a sequence of pages, each particular group being displayed on a particular page;

marking all pages as initially activated, for indicating that each of the pages has input controls that should be displayed for receiving input from the user; and

upon receiving input at a control of one page, marking another page as deactivated, for indicating that the page has input controls that no longer need to receive input.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

receiving navigational input for moving the screen cursor from a current page to another page;

if the navigational input specifies forward movement, positioning the screen cursor at a next one of the sequence of pages that is activated; and

if the navigational input specifies backward movement, positioning the screen cursor at a previous one of the sequence of pages that is activated.

43. A microprocessor-based device with improved user input capability comprising:

a device having a microprocessor, a memory, a display, and a set of input keys, said device requiring input of information by a user, said display for displaying input controls for receiving input in response to user activation of at least some of said input keys said input including user-supplied information for input into said device;

initialization logic for initializing all input controls to an activated and an unfilled state;

control logic operating to;

set focus of input to a first located input control that is activated and unfilled if one is located, and

otherwise transfer control to navigation logic of the device;

entry logic operating to;

process input by a user at an input control currently having focus and thereafter mark the input control as filled and transfer control to the control logic of the device, and

otherwise transfer focus to a prior input control that is activated and unfilled; and

navigation logic operating to;

set, in response to a forward navigation request from the user, focus of input to a next located input control that is activated and unfilled if one exists,

set, in response to a backward navigation request from the user, focus of input to a prior input control that is activated and unfilled if one exists, and

transfer, in response to an edit request from the user, control to the entry logic of the device.

44. The device of claim 43, wherein said set of input keys comprises a terse key set.

45. The device of claim 43, wherein said set of input keys comprises navigation keys, an edit key, a select key, and a home key.

46. The device of claim 45, wherein said navigation requests are generated by user activation of said navigation keys.

47. The device of claim 45, wherein said edit request is generated by user activation of said edit key.

48. The device of claim 43, wherein display of an input control is suppressed if the control is not activated.

49. The device of claim 43, further comprising:

deactivating at least one input control based on input received at another input control and, thereafter, ceasing display of said deactivated at least one input control.

50. The device of claim 43, wherein said input controls are capable of receiving input that comprises a selected one of alphabetic, alphanumeric, numeric, time, and date information.

51. An input system for a device having a terse set of input keys, the system comprising:

means for displaying a plurality of pages, each page having a plurality of input controls, each input control being initialized to an unfilled state, each said input control capable of receiving user-supplied information for input into said device;

means for setting focus of input to a first located input control that is unfilled;

means for processing input by a user at an input control currently having focus and thereafter marking the input control as filled; and

means for transferring focus to another input control that is unfilled, said means operating in response to a forward navigation request from the user to set focus of input to a next located input control that is unfilled, and operating in response to a reverse navigation request from the user to set focus of input to a prior input control that is unfilled.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein said means for displaying operates to initialize each input control to an activated state.

53. The system of claim 52, further comprising:

means for selectively deactivating an input control, so that the input control is no longer displayed.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein said means for selectively deactivating an input control operates based on input entered at an input control other than the one being deactivated.

55. The system of claim 52, wherein focus is preferentially set to an input control that is activated and unfilled.