Application access and activation system and method

• US 7,636,079 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2000
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wong, Yoon Kean
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdulselam; Abbas I
• Application Number:
  US09/726,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20020063678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,310 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-169, 345/173, 345/179, 345/901, 455/90, 455/566, 455/575, 455/564, 713/320, 713/321, 348/734, 463 37- 38, 200/11.R, 200 12- 14
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer

Abstract

The present invention system and method facilitates one handed operation of a hand held computer including application access and activation. A personal digital assistant application access and activation system and method of the present invention permits a user to hold a PDA in one hand and activate a new application with the same hand. In one embodiment of the present invention an application list is presented on a display when a jog dial is depressed for a specific amount of time (e.g., two seconds). In one exemplary implementation of the present invention the application list includes a variety of application titles and application icons representing applications. A highlighting indicator is moved to a different application identifier in response to movements in the jog dial. The highlighted application is activated when the jog dial is depressed again. In one embodiment of the present invention a first application is activated even though a second application is already running. In one exemplary implementation of the present invention an application list includes a cancel indicator for canceling an application access. In yet another exemplary implementation the application list includes an off indicator for turning off the hand held computer.

Claims

1. A method of using a jog dial, said method comprising:

presenting an application list comprising a plurality of application identifiers on a display when said jog dial is depressed for at least a specific amount of time, wherein said plurality of application identifiers are associated with applications and one of said applications is a cellular telephone application and wherein said presenting said application list occurs while an application is active and allows two or more of said applications to be open concurrently wherein one of said applications is activated even though another one of said applications is already running;

moving a highlighting indicator to a different one of said plurality of application identifiers in response to movements in said jog dial;

activating an application in association with said one of said plurality of application identifiers when said jog dial is depressed again; and

receiving input from a plurality of buttons, wherein one of said plurality of buttons is a dedicated home button.

2. A method of using a jog dial of claim 1, wherein said activating said application is performed after said jog dial is depressed a predetermined number of times.

3. A method of using a jog dial of claim 1 wherein said application list includes a variety of application titles and application icons representing applications.

4. A method of using a jog dial of claim 1 wherein a user rotates the jog dial to highlight an application identifier included in the application list.

5. A method of using a jog dial of claim 1 wherein said jog dial is rotated up to move a highlighter up in the list and down to move the highlighter down the list.

6. A method of using a jog dial of claim 1 wherein a user depresses said jog dial again when a desired application is highlighted and said desired application is activated.

7. A method of using a jog dial of claim 1 further comprising canceling an application activation by highlighting a cancel indicator included in said application list and depressing said jog dial.

8. A method of using a jog dial of claim 1 further comprising turning off a hand held computer by highlighting an off indicator included in said application list and depressing said jog dial.

9. A method of suing a jog dial of claim 1 further comprising performing an operating system function in a hand held computer by highlighting an operating system indicator included in said application list and depressing said jog dial.

10. A computer program application access and activation system comprising:

a bus for communicating information;

a display for displaying a navigable application identification graphic, wherein said navigable application identification graphic comprises a list of applications and presentation of said application list occurs while an application is active, said display coupled to said bus;

a processor for processing information, said processor coupled to said bus;

a memory for storing information and instructions for said processor, said memory coupled to said bus;

a plurality of buttons in communication with said processor, wherein one of said plurality of buttons is a dedicated home button; and

an input component for accessing and activating an application displayed in said navigable application identification graphic, said input component coupled to said bus, wherein said input component is a jog dial and wherein said accessing and activation allow a plurality of said applications to be open concurrently wherein one of said applications is activated even though another one of said applications is already running and said list of applications includes;

a cellular telephone application and said jog dial is utilized to access and activate said communications application;

a cancel indicator for canceling said access when said jog dial is depressed; and

an off indicator for turning off said personal digital assistant.

11. The computer program application access and activation system of claim 10 wherein said navigable application identification graphic includes OS level operation identifiers or icons.

12. The computer program application access and activation system of claim 10 wherein said navigable application identification graphic comprises an application list.

13. The computer program application access and activation system of claim 10 wherein said navigable application identification graphic appears on said display when said input component is manipulated in a predetermined manner for longer than a specific period of time.

14. The computer program application access and activation system of claim 10 wherein said input component provides navigation instructions and enter instructions in response to manipulations of said input component.

15. The computer program application access and activation system of claim 14 wherein said manipulations of said input component cause a corresponding movement in a highlight indicator shown on said display.

16. The computer program application access and activation system of claim 10 wherein a depression of said input component causes activation of a highlighted application.

17. An activation method for an electronic device comprising:

presenting an operating system function list on a display when an input component is manipulated in a predetermined manner, wherein said presenting of said operating function list occurs while another operating system function is already being performed;

moving a highlighting indicator to a different operating system function identifier included in said operating system function list in response to manipulation of said input component;

activating an operating system function associated with said operating system function identifier when said input component is manipulated in a predetermined manner; and

receiving input from a plurality of buttons, wherein one of said plurality of buttons is a dedicated home button.

18. An activation method of claim 17 wherein a user manipulates said input component for a specified period of time to make said operating system function list appear.

19. An activation method of claim 17 wherein said operating system function list includes a cancel identifier for canceling the operating system function access and application activities.

20. An activation method of claim 17 wherein said operating system function list includes an off identifier for turning off the personal digital assistant.