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

• US 6,232,970 B1
• Filed: 11/04/1998
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• 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: Lee, Jennifer J., Bodnar, Eric O., Feague, Roy W., Kahn, Philippe R., Liu, Gwoho H., Jorgensen, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): dela Torre, Crescelle N.
• Application Number:
  US09/187,007
• Time in Patent Office: 923 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: 715/708
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/963 Calendar or scheduling

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 portable information processing device capable of providing selective viewing of information via a graphical user interface, wherein the user interface includes a plurality of available views, a method for accepting input by a user to affect content of the information, the method comprising:

providing a terse set of input keys for inputting first commands that are capable of being invoked by the user for controlling viewing of the information;

accepting invocations of the first commands by the user;

responsive to the invocations of the first commands, selectively providing views, from among the plurality of views, for display to the user;

providing a dedicated physical edit key that is capable of being invoked by the user while any one of multiple views of the plurality of views is displayed, wherein the key is substantially dedicated to initiating an edit mode for the device wherein user input is received to affect content of the information, and at least some of the multiple views are for ordinary user viewing of portions of the information;

responsive to input received at the edit key from the user while one of the multiple views is displayed invoking said edit mode for the device;

determining, based on a context, a set of context-appropriate user input activities for affecting content of the information, wherein the context includes the particular one view displayed when the input at the key was accepted; and

the determined set of user input activities would have been different had a particular other view, of the multiple views, been displayed when the input at the key was accepted;

while in said edit mode for the device, accepting input from the user for indicating a desired one of the user input activities; and

in response to the input received while in said edit mode, displaying user-selectable information that the user may select as user input, thereby assisting the user in performing the desired user input activity that affects content of the information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to the step of accepting input from the user for indicating the desired activity, communicating the determined context-appropriate user input activities to the user.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of communicating the determined context-appropriate user input activities comprises suppressing context-inappropriate user input activities from being communicated to the user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of selectively providing views for display to the user comprises providing views via a display no larger than about the area of a credit card.

5. A portable information processing device with improved user input capability, for viewing and possible altering of information by a user, the device comprising:

a microprocessor;

a memory;

a display for displaying views from a plurality of views, including views for displaying portions of the information;

a physical input key that is substantially dedicated to initiating a mode for user alteration of the information, wherein the input key remains visible to the user substantially throughout ordinary use of the device;

logic operating to react to a user input at the input key when a view is being displayed by determining, based on the particular displayed view, referred to hereinafter as the context-view, a set of context-appropriate user input activities for altering the information, including displaying user-selectable information that may serve as user input for the alteration of said information, wherein a user input activity that is context-appropriate for a first possible context-view is context-inappropriate for a second possible context-view; and

logic operating to communicate at least some of the determined context-appropriate user input activities to the user;

logic operating to accept from the user an indication of a desired one of the determined context-appropriate user input activities, and

logic operating to assist the user in performing the desired user input activity.

6. In a portable information processing device capable of providing selective viewing of information via a graphical user interface, wherein the information includes records grouped into multiple modules, and the user interface includes a plurality of available views, a method for accepting input by a user to alter the information, the method comprising:

providing first commands that are capable of being invoked by the user for controlling viewing of the information;

accepting invocations of the first commands by the user;

responsive to the invocations of the first commands, selectively providing views, from among the plurality of views, for display to the user;

providing a second command from a continually-available, dedicated edit key that is capable of being invoked by the user while any one of multiple views of the plurality of views is displayed, wherein the second command is predominantly for initiating user input to affect content of the information, and form of the second command is consistent regardless of which of the multiple views is then displayed, and at least some of the multiple views include portions of the information for display;

accepting an invocation of the second command by the user while one of the multiple views is displayed, herein referred to as the context-view;

determining a set of context-appropriate user input activities for altering the information, wherein the determining step comprises;

determining a first set of user input activities as the set of context-appropriate activities, if the context-view relates primarily to a first module of the modules; and

determining a second set of user input activities as the set of context-appropriate activities, if the context-view relates primarily to a second module of the modules;

wherein the first and second modules are different modules, and the first and second sets of activities are not identical;

communicating the determined context-appropriate user input activities to the user and suppressing context-inappropriate user input activities from being communicated to the user;

accepting from the user an indication of a desired one of the user input activities; and

in response to the indication, assisting the user in performing the desired user input activity, including displaying user-selectable information that may serve as user input for altering said content of the information.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of determining the set of context-appropriate user input activities further comprises determining a third set of user input activities as the set of context-appropriate activities, if the context-view is a module-selector view that does not relate primarily to any particular one of the plurality of views;

wherein the third set of activities is not identical to either of the first or second sets of activities.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the multiple views include a first view in which attention is focused on a particular record, and the step of determining the first set of user input activities comprises determining the first set of user input activities to include a selected one of deletion of the focused-on record and modification of the focused-on record, if the context-view is the first view.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the first view is either:

a view displaying data for only the focused-on record, or

a view displaying indicators for a plurality of records including the focused-on record, in which a focus indicator indicates the focused-on record for the user.

10. In a device for processing information, a method for alerting a user of availability of information from a related data set that corresponds to information currently present in an input form having at least one input control that is receiving user input:

maintaining a first set of information comprising a plurality of information records;

displaying an input form for entering input for a second set of information, said second set of information being maintained separately and independently from said first set of information, said input form having at least one input control for inputting information by the user;

based on information already present at said at least one input control, attempting to locate in the first set of information a particular information record that corresponds to information currently present in said at least one input control;

if a particular corresponding information record is located, indicating to the user that corresponding information is available; and

if a particular corresponding information record is not located, refraining from indicating to the user that corresponding information is available.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said first set of information comprises contact information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said contact information includes name and address information for different contacts.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said second set of information comprises scheduling information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said scheduling information includes a selected one of meeting, phone call, and to do task-based information.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of indicating to the user that corresponding information is available further comprises:

displaying a control on the form allowing the user to invoke display of the particular corresponding information record.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said step of refraining from indicating to the user that corresponding information is available further comprises:

removing from display the control on the form that allows the user to invoke display of a corresponding information record.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the control on the form that allows the user to invoke display of a corresponding information record comprises a menu choice that is displayed in a pop-up menu.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein said particular corresponding information record is located based on name information currently displayed at said at least one control.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said name information is automatically extracted from another text string within which the name information appears.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein said attempting to locate step occurs without the user'"'"'s awareness.