Enhanced graphic user interface for mobile radiotelephones

• US 6,366,302 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1998
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Douros, Kenneth W., Pisutha-Arnond, Suthirug Num, Crosby, Shelia Renee, Gremo, Christopher S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luu, Sy D.
• Application Number:
  US09/218,324
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326, 345/341, 345/352, 345/973, 345/783-787, 345/816-820, 345/700, 455/550, 455/564, 455/566
• US Class Current: 715/786
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/973 Scroll tool, e.g. window scroll bar

Abstract

A radiotelephone (200) has a display (208) that efficiently presents information such as lists and text fields. For each list, the display (208) presents a title message (300) with unique identification markings (332,334), an end-of-list indicator (340), and a dynamic scroll indicator (308) to indicate scrolling directions. A context-sensitive symbol (306) is displayed whenever a context sensitive menu is available for a highlighted item. A search function is incorporated to allow expert users to quickly find information. A notepad feature allows the most recent string of user input data to be stored and recalled so that the data is not accidentally appended to subsequently entered data. Specialized data entry modes such as an editor screen (900), an editor-with-list screen sequence, a set value list screen sequence, a toggle value screen sequence, and a form screen sequence provide efficient retrieval, display, and entry of information.

Claims

1. A radiotelephone comprising:

a radiotelephone housing;

a display mounted on the radiotelephone housing;

a controller positioned in the radiotelephone housing and coupled to the display;

a memory coupled to the controller; and

a plurality of input keys mounted on the radiotelephone housing and electrically coupled to the controller;

the controller causing the display to present various lists, wherein,

a title message is presented at a top portion of the display when a top portion of any of the various lists is presented on the display;

an end-of-list indicator is presented at a bottom portion of the display when a bottom portion of any of the various lists is presented on the display;

a highlighter is presented on the display to highlight a currently displayed item of any of the various lists;

a dynamic scroll indicator is presented on the display to indicate possible scrolling directions, the dynamic scroll indicator having multiple appearances for different display conditions, wherein the multiple appearances of the dynamic scroll indicator comprises;

a downward pointing arrow when the title message is displayed and a first item of any of the various lists is highlighted to indicate that a possible scrolling direction is down;

an arrow that points both up towards the top portion of the display and downward towards the bottom portion of the display to indicate that the possible scrolling direction is up and down when neither the title message nor the end-of-list indicator are displayed; and

an upward pointing arrow when the end-of-list indicator is displayed to indicate that the possible scrolling direction is up;

a smooth scroll feature, wherein,

when the title message is displayed and a last currently displayed item is not highlighted, a user can hold depressed a down input key to sequentially highlight a next currently displayed item and the user can hold depressed an up input key to sequentially highlight a previous currently displayed item,

when the title message is displayed and the last currently displayed item is highlighted, the user can hold depressed the down input key to cause currently displayed items to scroll vertically upward across the display with top-most displayed items scrolling off of the top portion of the display and new items scrolling onto the display from the bottom portion of the display, the currently displayed items scrolling at a smooth scroll rate,

when the dynamic scroll indicator indicates that the possible scrolling directions are up and down and the title message is not displayed, the user can hold depressed the down input key to cause the currently displayed items to scroll upward across the display at the smooth scroll rate, and the user can hold depressed the up input key to cause the currently displayed items to scroll downward across the display at the smooth scroll rate, and

when the end-of-list indicator appears on the display, the user can hold depressed the up input key to cause displayed lines to scroll downward across the display at the smooth scroll rate;

a search function that allows a user to press an input key corresponding to a desired letter to cause a currently displayed list to automatically jump to a first item of the currently displayed list that begins with the desired letter and then display and highlight the first item of the currently displayed list that begins with the desired letter; and

a fast scroll rate for the search function, wherein,

when the user presses the input key corresponding to the desired letter and the desired letter is alphabetically subsequent to the first letter of a currently highlighted item, a page down occurs until the first item that begins with the desired letter is displayed and highlighted, the page down occurring at the fast scroll rate so that the currently displayed items scroll off of the top portion of the display and the new items scroll onto the display from the bottom portion of the display, and

when the user presses the input key corresponding to the desired letter and the desired letter alphabetically precedes the first letter of the currently highlighted item, a page up occurs until the first item that begins with the desired letter is displayed and highlighted, the page up occurring at the fast scroll rate so that the currently displayed items scroll off of the bottom portion of the display and the new items scroll onto the display from the top portion of the display.

2. The radiotelephone as in claim 1, wherein when the currently displayed items scroll at the smooth scroll rate, currently displayed scrolling items are substantially readable.

3. The radiotelephone as in claim 2, wherein the fast scroll rate is a faster scrolling speed than the smooth scroll rate.

4. The radiotelephone as in claim 3, wherein during the fast scroll rate, the currently displayed items are substantially not readable, and currently displayed scrolling items appear as a stream of moving pixels.

5. The radiotelephone as in claim 4, wherein an amount of pixels per display line limits an amount of information that can be displayed, so that the dynamic scroll indicator is a miniature dynamic scroll indicator that comprises:

an up arrowhead when the possible scrolling direction is up;

a down arrowhead when the possible scrolling direction is down; and

a down arrowhead and an up arrowhead when the possible scrolling directions are up and down.

6. The radiotelephone as in claim 4, wherein the dynamic scroll indicator is presented at a side portion of the display.

7. The radiotelephone as in claim 6, wherein the title message has a right horizontal line extending from a right side of the title message and a left horizontal line extending from a left side of the title message.

8. The radiotelephone as in claim 7, wherein when the title message is displayed, the dynamic scroll indicator is coupled to the title message.

9. The radiotelephone as in claim 8, wherein the end-of-list indicator is a horizontal line, and when the end-of-list indicator is displayed, the dynamic scroll indicator is coupled to the horizontal line.

10. The radiotelephone as in claim 9, wherein the highlighter is for indicating which currently displayed item can be selected, wherein a highlighted item flashes at least one time when the highlighted item is selected.

11. A radiotelephone comprising:

a radiotelephone housing;

a display positioned in the radiotelephone housing;

a controller positioned in the radiotelephone housing and coupled to the display;

a memory coupled to the controller; and

inputs electrically coupled to the controller, the controller causing the display to present various lists, wherein,

a title message is presented at a top portion of the display when a top portion of any of the various lists is presented on the display;

an end-of-list indicator is presented at a bottom portion of the display when a bottom portion of any of the various lists is presented on the display;

a highlighter is presented on the display to highlight a currently displayed item of any of the various lists; and

a dynamic scroll indicator is presented on the display to indicate possible scrolling directions, the dynamic scroll indicator having multiple appearances for different display conditions; and

wherein

a search function allows a user to press an input key corresponding to a desired letter to cause a currently displayed list to automatically jump to a first item of the currently displayed list that begins with the desired letter and then display and highlight the first item of the currently displayed list that begins with the desired letter, the search function having a fast scroll rate, wherein,

when the user presses the input key corresponding to the desired letter and the desired letter is alphabetically subsequent to the first letter of a currently highlighted item, a page down occurs until the first item that begins with the desired letter is displayed and highlighted, the page down occurring at the fast scroll rate so that the currently displayed items scroll off of the top portion of the display and the new items scroll onto the display from the bottom portion of the display, and

when the user presses the input key corresponding to the desired letter and the desired letter alphabetically precedes the first letter of the currently highlighted item, a page up occurs until the first item that begins with the desired letter is displayed and highlighted, the page up occurring at the fast scroll rate so that the currently displayed items scroll off of the bottom portion of the display and the new items scroll onto the display from the top portion of the display.

12. The radiotelephone of claim 11, wherein the indicator directed downward is an arrow having a tail extending from a line of the title message when the title message is displayed and a first item of a list is highlighted to indicate that a possible scrolling direction is presented.

13. The radiotelephone of claim 11, wherein the indicator directed upward is an arrow having a tail extending from a line of the end-of-list indicator to indicate a possible scrolling direction is presented.

14. The radiotelephone as in claim 11, further comprising a context-sensitive symbol that is actively presented on the display only when a context sensitive menu is available for a highlighted item.

15. The radiotelephone as in claim 11, wherein the dynamic scroll indicator is presented at a side portion of the display.

16. The radiotelephone as in claim 11, wherein the title message includes a right horizontal line extending from a right side of the title message and a left horizontal line extending from a left side of the title message.

17. The radiotelephone as in claim 11, wherein the highlighter is for indicating which currently displayed item can be selected, wherein a highlighted item flashes at least one time when the highlighted item is selected.

18. The radiotelephone as in claim 11, wherein the end-of-list indicator is a horizontal line.

19. A graphic user interface (GUI) optimized for a radiotelephone display, the GUI to present on the radiotelephone display various lists such as text messages, information lists, and menus, the GUI presenting the various lists using a list display format, the last display format comprising:

a title message is presented at a top portion of the radiotelephone display when a top portion of any of the various lists is presented on the display;

an end-of-list indicator is presented at a bottom portion of the radiotelephone display when a bottom portion of any of the various lists is presented on the display;

a highlighter is presented on the radiotelephone display to highlight a currently displayed item of any of the various lists;

a dynamic scroll indicator is presented on the radiotelephone display to indicate possible scrolling directions, the dynamics scroll indicator having multiple appearances for different display conditions, the multiple appearances of the dynamic scroll indicator include;

an indicator directed downward and extending from the title message only when a first item of a list is presented on the display,

an indicator directed upward and extending from an end-of-list indicator only when the last item of a list is presented on the display, and

an indicator directed upward and downward when the first and last messages of list are presented, and

a search function that allows a user to press an input key corresponding to a desired letter to cause a currently displayed list to automatically jump to a first item of the currently displayed list that begins with the desired letter and then display and highlight the first item of the currently displayed list that begins with the desired letter,

the search function having a fast scroll rate, wherein,

when the user presses the input key corresponding to the desired letter and the desired letter is alphabetically subsequent to the first letter of a currently highlighted item, a page down occurs until the first item that begins with the desired letter is displayed and highlighted, the page down occurring at the fast scroll rate so that the currently displayed items scroll off of the top portion of the display and the new items scroll onto the display from the bottom portion of the display, and

when the user presses the input key corresponding to the desired letter and the desired letter alphabetically precedes the first letter of the currently highlighted item, a page up occurs until the first item that begins with the desired letter is displayed and highlighted, the page up occurring at the fast scroll rate so that the currently displayed items scroll off of the bottom portion of the display and the new items scroll onto the display from the top portion of the display.

20. The radiotelephone of claim 19, wherein the indicator directed downward is an arrow having a tail extending from a line of the title message when the title message is displayed and a first item of a list is highlighted to indicate that a possible scrolling direction is presented.

21. The radiotelephone of claim 19, wherein the indicator directed upward is an arrow having a tail extending from a line of the end-of-list indicator to indicate the possible scrolling direction is presented.

22. The radiotelephone as in claim 19, further comprising a context-sensitive symbol that is actively presented on the display only when a context sensitive menu is available for a highlighted item.

23. The radiotelephone as in claim 19, further comprising a search function that allows a user to press an input key corresponding to a desired letter to cause a currently displayed list to automatically jump to a first item of the currently displayed list that begins with the desired letter and then display and highlight the first item of the currently displayed list that begins with the desired letter.