System and method for enabling manipulation of graphic images to form a graphic image

• US 7,093,203 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2002
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sciammarella, Eduardo, Mugura, Kazuto, Kravitz, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LE V
• Application Number:
  US10/171,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20020149631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 715/773, 715/831, 715/859, 715/787
• US Class Current: 715/864
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

An instrument includes a display screen which includes a bitmap graphical user interface including an on-screen menu, and a control element which enables movement of the on-screen menu corresponding to movement of the control element, enables the user to manipulate and select graphic images for executing selected instrument functions. The instrument is adapted to enable manipulation of a plurality of graphic elements in an on-screen menu such that the user is able to form a graphic image on the display screen.

Claims

1. A system for enabling the formation of a line graphic image from a plurality of selectable graphic elements on a display screen, comprising:

a display screen;

a column of a plurality of graphic elements, wherein each graphic element is adapted to be selectable and the column is adapted to be moveable for enabling a line graphic image to be formed thereby and to be displayed on the display screen;

a manipulation-enabling element for enabling manipulation of the column of the plurality of graphic elements on the display screen to enable movement of a graphic element into position as a selectable graphic element on the display screen and to enable selection of the selectable graphic element to be a part of a line graphic image to be formed on the display screen, wherein the manipulation enabling element appears to be a rotatable wheel which occupies a three-dimensional space, and the column of the plurality of graphic elements is foreshortened at a top and bottom of the rotatable wheel and appears to rotate with the rotatable wheel; and

a movement-enabling element for enabling movement of the manipulation-enabling element to the next adjacent location for enabling manipulation and selection of a selectable graphic element to be part of the line graphic image to be formed on the display screen for enabling formation of the line graphic image.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the manipulation enabling element includes a selectable movement-enabling element for enabling movement of one of the plurality of graphic elements into position as the selectable element.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the movement enabling element is rotatable such that rotation thereof results in corresponding rotation of the plurality of graphic elements in the manipulation-enabling element in the display screen.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an instrument in which the display screen is mounted.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the display screen comprises a liquid crystal display screen.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the display screen comprises a color display screen.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the manipulation-enabling element is scrollable.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a presenting element for presenting a picture in the display screen.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphic elements comprise letters, and the graphic image comprises text.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the manipulation-enabling element is adapted to be oriented generally vertically in the display.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the line for forming the graphic image is oriented generally horizontally in the display.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the movement-enabling element is further adapted to enable movement of the manipulation-enabling element to a position for a selectable graphic element adjacent the selected graphic element position, to enable the adjacent part of the graphic image to be formed.

13. The system of claim 3, wherein the movement-enabling element comprises a jog dial which is rotatable and pressable.

14. The system of claim 3, further comprising an instrument in which the display screen is mounted, wherein the instrument is adapted to be held by the user in one hand, and the movement-enabling element is adapted to be manipulated by the user with one finger.

15. The system of claim 3, wherein the movement-enabling element is pressable such that pressing thereof results in selection of the selectable graphic element.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the movement-enabling element is adapted to present the line for forming the graphic image in a position below the picture.

17. The system of claim 8, wherein the line formed by the movement-enabling element comprises a subtitle for the picture.

18. The system of claim 8, further comprising a picture taking element for enabling the taking of the picture.

19. The system of claim 8, further comprising a transmitting element for transmitting the picture and graphic image.

20. The system of claim 9, wherein the graphic elements further comprise numbers.

21. The system of claim 13, further comprising an instrument in which the display screen is mounted, wherein the jog dial is located on a side of the instrument.

22. The system of claim 13, further comprising an instrument in which the display screen is mounted, wherein the jog dial is located in the back of the instrument.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the instrument comprises a wireless telephone.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the movement-enabling element comprises a jog dial which is rotatable and pressable.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising an instrument in which the display screen is mounted, wherein the instrument is adapted to be held by the user in one hand, and the jog dial is adapted to be manipulated by the user with one hand.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the picture-taking element comprises a CCD camera.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the manipulation-enabling element presents the letters in lower and upper case, and presents the lower and upper case letters and numbers in sequence.

28. The system of claim 24, further comprising an instrument in which the display screen is mounted, wherein the jog dial is located on a side of the instrument.

29. The system of claim 24, further comprising an instrument in which the display screen is mounted, wherein the jog dial is located in the back of the instrument.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the jog dial is adapted to be manipulated by the thumb of the user.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the jog dial is adapted to be manipulated by the forefinger of the user.

32. A method of enabling formation of a graphic image from a plurality of selectable graphic elements on a display screen in a system which comprises a display screen, a column of a plurality of graphic elements, adapted to be displayed on the display screen, a manipulation-enabling element for enabling manipulation of the column of the plurality of graphic elements on the display screen to enable movement of a graphic element into position as a selectable graphic element on the display screen and to enable selection of the selectable graphic element to be a part of a line graphic image to be formed on the display screen, wherein the manipulation-enabling element appears to be a rotatable wheel which occupies a three-dimensional space, and the column of the plurality of graphic elements is foreshortened at a top and bottom of the rotatable wheel and appears to rotate with the rotatable wheel, and a movement-enabling element for enabling movement of the manipulation-enabling element to the next adjacent location for enabling manipulation and selection of a selectable graphic element to be part of the line graphic image to be formed on the display screen for enabling formation of the line graphic image, wherein the method comprises:

activating the display screen;

presenting the column of the plurality of graphic elements on the display screen;

manipulating the column of the plurality of graphic elements to move a graphic element into position as a selectable graphic element in the line graphic image; and

selecting the selectable graphic elements as a part of the line graphic image.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the manipulation-enabling element includes a selectable movement-enabling element for enabling movement of one of the plurality of graphic elements into position as the selectable graphic element, further comprising moving the manipulation-enabling element to the next adjacent location for enabling the formation of a line graphic image.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the manipulation-enabling element is rotatable such that rotation thereof results in corresponding rotation of the plurality of graphic elements in the display screen, and moving and activating the movement-enabling element comprises rotating the manipulation-enabling element and selecting the selectable graphic element.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the movement-enabling element comprises a jog dial which is rotatable and pressable, and moving and activating the movement-enabling element comprises activating the jog dial.

36. The method of claim 32, further comprising an instrument in which the display screen is mounted, wherein the instrument is adapted to be held by the user in one hand, and the movement-enabling element is adapted to be manipulated by the user with one hand, and moving and activating the movement-enabling element comprise manipulating the movement-enabling element with one hand of the user.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein the display screen comprises a liquid crystal display screen, and activating the display screen comprises activating the liquid crystal display screen.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein the display screen comprises a color display screen, and activating the display screen comprises activating the color display screen.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein the manipulation-enabling element is scrollable, and moving the movement enabling element comprises scrolling the manipulation enabling element.

40. The method of claim 32, wherein the system further comprises a presenting element for presenting a picture in the display screen, further comprising activating the presenting element to present the picture in the display screen.

41. The method of claim 32, wherein the graphic elements comprise letters, and the graphic image comprises text, and presenting the graphic image array comprises presenting the graphic element letter for forming the graphic image text.

42. The method of claim 32 wherein the manipulation-enabling element is oriented generally vertically in the display, and presenting the graphic element array comprises presenting the array in a generally vertical orientation in the display.

43. The method of claim 32, wherein the movement-enabling element is oriented generally horizontally in the display, and presenting the graphic image comprises presenting the image in a generally horizontal orientation in the display.

44. The method of claim 32, wherein the movement-enabling element is further adapted to enable movement of the manipulation-enabling element to a position for a selectable graphic element adjacent the selected graphic element position, to enable the adjacent part of the graphic image to be formed, further comprising moving the graphic element array to the position adjacent the selected graphic element.