Mobile telephone with improved man machine interface

• US 7,283,845 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vtech Mobile, Ltd.
• Inventors: De Bast, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US10/203,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20050114796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,433 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/566, 715/835, 715/836, 715/837, 715/838, 715/839, 715/840, 715/975, 715/859, 715/860, 715/861, 715/810, 715/862, 715/711, 715/715, 715/856, 715/819, 715/820, 715/817
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• 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

Abstract

The present invention envisages a GSM mobile telephone in which a line of icons is displayed on a display. As a user navigates through the displayed line of icons, the positions of the icons alter so that the selectable icon moves to the head of the line. This approach makes it very clear (i) which icon is selectable at any time and (ii) where that icon sits in relation to other icons at the same functional level (e.g. only first level icons will be present in one line). First level icons typically relate to the following functions: phonebook; messages; call register; counters; call diversion; telephone settings; network details; voice mail and IrDA activation.

Claims

1. A mobile telephone comprising:

computing means for storing representations of icons; and

a display operable to be controlled by the computing means to display the icons;

wherein the display is operable to show at a given time a subset of the icons in an array, and to provide a single selectable icon position that is configured to display one of the icons in the subset of icons, wherein the array is an inclined array comprising a plurality of icons; and

a selection device cooperating with the computing means such that movement of the selection device in a first direction initiates movement of icons in the array such that said one of the icons in the subset of icons in the single selectable icon position is changed to a different icon, and wherein movement of the selection device in a second direction different from the first direction initiates a function associated with said one of the icons in the subset of icons in the single selectable icon position.

2. The mobile telephone of claim 1 in which the single selectable icon position is maintained at a prominent position within the array.

3. The mobile telephone of claim 2 in which the selectable icon has displayed in proximity to it a word or words describing the function of the icon.

4. The mobile telephone of claim 1 in which the icons in the array are animated so that their positions on the display alter as a user navigates through them.

5. The mobile telephone of claim 2 in which the icons in the array are animated to appear to move upward along the inclined array as different icons become selectable.

6. The mobile telephone of claim 1 in which selecting an icon in the array causes some or all of the icons to alter temporarily or permanently in appearance.

7. The mobile telephone of claim 6 in which the alteration is an animation in which other icons appear to twist or revolve and turn into different icons.

8. The mobile telephone of claim 1 in which several icons are displayed at the same time but only a single icon that is located in the selectable icon position has an accompanying word or words.

9. The mobile telephone of claim 1 in which there is provided a zoom function by which a user can cause the size of the several icons in the array of icons, and/or one or more words explaining the function of an icon, to be altered.

10. The mobile telephone of claim 9 in which the zoom function is controlled by a volume up and a volume down button.

11. The mobile telephone of claim 3 in which the user can select that the word or words explaining the function of one or more icons is/are not displayed.

12. The mobile telephone of claim 1 in which data representing an icon is stored in a memory and the same data can be used to display the icon at two or more different sizes.

13. The mobile telephone of claim 1,

wherein said one of the icons in the subset of icons in the single selectable icon position corresponds to a first function performed at a top functional level,

wherein selection of said one of the icons initiates display of a plurality of lower level icons corresponding to a functional, level lower than the top level,

and wherein each of the plurality of lower level icons corresponds to a function related to the first function.

14. The mobile telephone of claim 13,

wherein one of the plurality of lower level icons is displayed in the selectable icon position, and movement of the selection device in the first direction initiates movement of positions of the plurality of lower level icons,

and wherein the one of the plurality of lower level icons displayed in the selectable icon position changes.

15. The mobile telephone of claim 13,

wherein the selection device is configured such that when the plurality of lower level icons are displayed, movement in a third direction initiates display of higher level icons. including a higher level icon located in the selectable icon position,

and wherein the plurality of lower level icons are related to the higher level icon displayed in the selectable icon position.

16. The mobile telephone of claim 13, wherein the selection device comprises a joystick.

17. A device, comprising:

computing means for storing representations of one or more icons; and

a display operable to be controlled by the computing means to display one or more icons;

wherein the display is operable to show at a given time a subset of the icons in an array and to provide a single selectable icon position that is configured to display one of the icons in the subset of icons, the appearance of some or all of the icons in the array altering as a user selects an icon to visually indicate that a status of the computing means is changing, wherein only a function associated with an icon in the selectable icon position can be initiated, wherein the array is an inclined array.

18. The mobile telephone of claim 17 in which the altering is an animation in which some or all of the icons appear to twist or revolve and turn into different icons.