Patent Application
20130132899
The present invention relates generally to mobile communication devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to an interface and method for invoking an editing command associated with a text-based application on a mobile communication device.
Mobile communication devices are widely used for performing tasks such as sending and receiving e-mails, placing and receiving phone calls, editing and storing contact information, and scheduling. Users typically activate a desired application by engaging one or more input devices (e.g., real and virtual keys, touch screens, thumb wheels or switches) present on the device.
Mobile devices serve as a platform for a user to execute a large number of applications, each of which has numerous commands associated with each application. Conventionally, applications are executed in response to a selection in either a menu driven or icon driven application launcher. With large numbers of applications, both icon-driven application launchers and menu-driven application launchers can become unwieldy and menu-driven application launchers often require many nested layers. Often, a user will only make use of a small number of the applications, and in each application will make use of only a small selection of the available commands on a routine basis. Long menus that require scrolling through, or multiple menus required to navigate the functionality of the device result in the user consuming an undesirable amount of time for a routinely-performed task.
Another problem arising from conventional user interfaces on mobile devices relates to the selection of a particular command. Due to the small size of the device, the limited keypad and other input devices that are available to the user, it is often difficult to easily identify or select an application or menu option with a single hand, particularly from a long list of options. Several keystrokes may be required, typically requiring the use of both hands. The limited number of input devices has necessitated combining numerous, often unrelated commands to a single input device. This catch-all approach has often frustrated beginner- and advanced-level users alike, who may routinely perform only a select few of the commands offered. In addition, it is often necessary for the user to engage two or more input devices in rapid succession (e.g. a key on a keyboard to activate a menu and then a thumb wheel to scroll between the presented options) to access a particular command from a menu. The use of different input devices can be awkward for a user who is performing other tasks that require relatively undivided attention.
Manipulating (e.g., editing) text can also be cumbersome and frustrating, particularly in a mobile setting, which can lead to unwanted input errors. A user performing text editing first selects the text to be edited, such as activating a select function from a menu, using a thumbwheel to select a block of text, then selecting one or more commands such as copy, cut and/or paste from another menu. Because of the limited space available on the screen of a device, a menu of editing options often obscures the text to be edited.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide an interface which provides greater ease of use and access to functions and commands which are more likely to be performed and invoked on a mobile communication device during a specific task.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached Figures, wherein:
It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate at least one disadvantage of previous editing interfaces and methods for editing text on a mobile communication device.
In one aspect of the present invention there is provided a mobile communication device comprising a housing having a display and a plurality of input devices, and an interface for editing a portion of text in a text-based application on a mobile communication device, the interface comprising a reduced set of commands on the display which is accessed by actuating one of the input devices, the reduced set of commands comprising a set of editing commands derived from a full-function set of commands associated with the text-based application.
In another aspect of the present invention there is provided a user interface for invoking a command for editing a portion of text in a text-based application on a mobile communication device, the interface comprising a display, a plurality of input devices on the mobile communication device, and a reduced set of commands on the display which is accessed by actuating one of the input devices, the reduced set of commands comprising a set of editing commands derived from a full-function set of commands associated with the text-based application.
In yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of editing a portion of text in a text-based application on a mobile communication device, the method comprising selecting the text-based application from an application interface, selecting the portion of text to be edited, actuating an input device on the mobile communication device to display a reduced set of commands comprising editing commands which are derived from a full-function set of commands associated with the application, selecting an editing command from the set of editing commands, and actuating the input device again to perform the command.
The set of editing commands can be a menu comprising commands which are more likely to be performed in the text-based application than commands from the full-function set of commands. The set of editing commands can appear below the text to be edited.
The set of editing commands can be accessed by actuating a dedicated input device (such as a trackball) on the mobile communication device. Using the trackball, accessing a longer set of commands associated with a particular application is not required. This saves the user time and increases productivity.
Additionally, an applications/activities menu or a full-function set of commands can be accessed from the context-sensitive set of editing commands, should the user require performing an editing command which is not likely performed in a particular text-based application.
Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
Generally, the present invention is directed to selecting and invoking an editing command associated with a text-based application on a mobile communication device. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a mobile communication device comprising a housing having a display and a plurality of input devices, and an interface for editing a portion of text in a text-based application on a mobile communication device, the interface comprising a reduced set of commands on the display which is accessed by actuating one of the input devices, the reduced set of commands comprising a set of editing commands derived from a full-function set of commands associated with the text-based application.
As used herein, a “mobile communication device” refers to any portable wireless device. These can include, but are not limited to, devices such as personal data assistants (PDAs), cellular and mobile telephones and mobile e-mail devices.
As used herein, an “interface” on a mobile communication device of the present invention is provides a mechanism for the user of the mobile device to interact with the device. The interface can be icon-driven, so that icons are associated with different applications resident on the mobile device. The applications can be executed either by selection of the associated icon or may also be executed in response to the actuation of either a soft or dedicated application key in a keyboard or keypad input. An “application interface” is an interface from which an application resident on the mobile can be executed. The application interface can include a “Home Screen”, which is displayed when the mobile communication device of the present invention is first turned on. This Home Screen is also returned to when a user closes an active application, or after a task has been completed. The Home Screen can also show the status of the mobile communication device, such as an indication of whether Bluetooth or Wireless modes are on or off.
As used herein, an “input device” refers to any means by which the user directly provides input or instructions to the mobile device. The input device can be used to execute applications, perform functions, and/or invoke a command on a mobile communication device of the present invention. Exemplary input devices can include, but are not limited to, real and virtual keyboards, touch screens, thumb wheels, trackballs, voice interfaces and switches.
As used herein, an “application” is a task implemented in software on the mobile device that is executed by the mobile communication device of the present invention to allow specific functionality to be accessed by the user. Exemplary applications include, but are not limited to, messaging, telephony, address and contact information management and scheduling applications.
As used herein, a “function” is a task performed by the user in conjunction with a particular application. Exemplary functions can include, but are not limited to, composing e-mails (as part of a messaging application), composing memos (as part of a text editing application), placing a phone call (in a telephony application), and arranging a calendar (in a scheduling application).
As used herein, a “command” is a directive to (or through) the application to perform a specific task. A function may have many commands associated with it. Exemplary commands include send, reply and forward (when handling e-mail); copy, cut, and paste (when composing a memo); send (when placing a phone call). As noted above, a function can have multiple associated tasks, at least one of the associated tasks can be considered an “end-action” command for the particular function. “End-action” commands upon their completion terminate a function. One such example is that when composing an e-mail message (a function), the send command terminates the function upon completion, as e-mail no longer needs to be composed after it has been sent.
Commands can be invoked in a number of ways, for example, by actuating an input device, such as a key on a keypad, or keyboard, engaging a trackball, tapping a touch screen, or clicking a mouse or thumb wheel, etc. In some cases, a command can be tied to a sequence of inputs to allow the user to quickly perform the command (e.g. a command to execute a designated application can be associated either with a programmable key, or with a pairing of inputs such as depressing a thumb wheel and then pressing a keyboard key). The sequence of inputs need not be restricted to originating from a single input device, and can include a combination of inputs from different input devices. Execution of the sequence allows the user to rapidly requires that the sequence be memorized by the user. Users often have difficulty remembering complex or lengthy command sequences, and also may encounter difficulty in executing command sequences that make use of different input devices.
As used herein, an “application-sensitive function” is a function associated with a given application. For example, the function of composing an e-mail is associated with a messaging application and not a scheduling application. Therefore, composing e-mail is considered an application-sensitive function.
As used herein, a “context-sensitive command” is a command associated with a particular function. For example, a user might “send” an e-mail after it has been composed; the user would not “dial” an e-mail as they would a phone number. The “send” command, in this example, is a context-sensitive command associated with e-mail, while “dial” is an example of a context-sensitive command associated with telephony.
As used herein, a “full-function set” is a complete set of functions and commands associated with a particular application. A full-function set of functions includes application-sensitive functions and context-sensitive commands, as well as functions and commands which may be present across applications.
Some of the elements of mobile device 130 perform communication-related functions, while other subsystems provide “resident” or on-device functions. Some elements, such as keyboard 132 and display 134, are for both communication-related functions, such as entering a text message for transmission over a communication network, and device-resident functions such as a calculator or task list.
For voice communications, received signals may be output to a speaker 136 and signals for transmission would be generated by a microphone (not shown) on the mobile device 130. Alternative voice or audio I/O subsystems, such as a voice message recording subsystem or a voice-interface input device, can be implemented on mobile device 130. Although in telephony applications, the primary output device is speaker 136, other elements such as display 134 can be used to provide further information such as the identity of a calling party, the duration of a call in progress, and other call related information.
Embodiments of the invention may be represented as a software product stored on a machine-readable medium (also referred to as a computer-readable medium, a processor-readable medium, or a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein). The machine-readable medium may be any type of magnetic, optical, or electrical storage medium including a diskette, compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM), memory device (volatile or non-volatile), or similar storage mechanism. The machine-readable medium may contain various sets of instructions, code sequences, configuration information, or other data. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other instructions and operations necessary to implement the described invention may also be stored on the machine-readable medium. Software running from the machine-readable medium may interface with circuitry to perform the described tasks.
Turning now to
One or more sets of functions or commands can be accessed on the mobile communication device of the present invention. The commands can be presented in the form of menus which can be viewed on the display of the device. Herein are described three kinds of menus: the Activities/Applications (AA) menu, the Primary Actions menu and the Edit menu.
Activities/Applications (AA) Menu
As the functionality of mobile devices increase, the number of applications executable by a mobile device increases. As the number of applications, and their functionality increases, the number of functions and commands associated with the applications increases as well. This increase in the number of functions and commands available to the user makes selecting an appropriate function or command difficult. The number of functions and the limited size of the display on most mobile communication devices has typically resulted in a long list of functions that the user must scroll through to select a desired function. For most users, a small number of commands and functions are used far more frequently than other functions. Being able to quickly identify and access these functions, even if it involves making the other functions more difficult to access, provides the user with an enhanced interface.
To provide the user of mobile device 10 with such an enhanced interface, the present invention makes use of an Activities/Applications (AA) menu. The AA menu provides a user with a reduced set of functions and commands associated with an application. The AA menu comprises a set of application-sensitive functions derived from a full-function set of functions associated with a particular application. From the AA menu, commonly used functions can be invoked. These functions can be pre-determined based on how likely each is to be performed with a given application. Depending on the application, or the function within the application, the AA menu may change to display the functions most likely to be performed. An AA menu may also contain a set of high-level functions or commands which can be performed in more than one application. These particular functions or commands may be associated with the general operation of the mobile communication device as a whole. These can include, but are not limited to, turning the alarm on or off, locking the keypad, or accessing a “help” application. Furthermore, the AA menu can provide the user with a quick mechanism to switch between applications.
An AA menu can be linked to a dedicated input device, or an element of an input device (such as a key on a keypad, for example). In this way, the AA menu can be readily accessed at any point during an application or from the Home Screen.
If the AA menu is accessed from an application, the AA menu will contain a list of functions appropriate to the given application. When accessed from an application the AA menu can also contain a number of functions not present in an AA menu accessed from the Home Screen.
In one embodiment, the AA menu can be accessed at any time during the use of the device. Often, the AA menu is accessed before performing a desired application. This can occur on the Home Screen or when a particular application has already been accessed. From the Home Screen, a high-level application can be accessed. However, as mentioned previously, a high-level application may also be accessed at any point during an application.
In
To exit the AA menu, the Escape key (not shown) or another suitable input device is depressed.
Primary Actions Menu
Due to the increasing number and complexity of applications available on mobile communication devices, finding a command related to an application can be frustrating to users due to the limitations of the reduced form factor of many mobile communication devices. A user with limited knowledge or use of commands not commonly performed must sift through a large number of commands to find the desired task. For most users, a small subset of the commands forms a core set of commands used more frequently than the other commands. It can be time-consuming for a user to scroll through a complete listing of commands, to select one of the options and perform a task in an application.
To address this concern, the present invention provides a “Primary Actions” menu. The Primary Actions menu displays a convenient reduced set of commands specifically related to the current application or the function presently being used. The commands in a Primary Actions menu are derived from a full selection of the commands associated with the application or function. Depending on the application, one or more commands from a Primary Actions menu may also appear in a corresponding AA menu as illustrated in
The Home Screen or any particular application can have its own Primary Actions menu. In some applications, only one (default) command is available; rather than opening up a set of commands in a Primary Actions menu, the default command can be performed. Keyboard shortcuts associated with commands in the Primary Actions menu can be displayed beside the corresponding option in the menu. This provides the user with the shortcut, and allows the user to learn shortcuts as the need arises. A similar feature can be provided with the AA menu illustrated in
Launching the Primary Actions menu can be linked to a dedicated input device or to a keyboard shortcut. In some embodiments of the present invention, the Primary Actions menu is accessed by actuating an input device, or a key, distinct from the key or input device used to access the AA menu. In the embodiments shown in
The commands in a Primary Actions menu are preferably context-sensitive. The commands can be pre-determined and/or user-defined based on how likely each is to be performed within the context of a given application. Depending on the application, or the function within the application, the Primary Actions menu may change to reflect functions that are more likely to be performed. User-defined options in the Primary Actions menu (or also in the AA menu) can either be set through configuration options, or can be dynamically adjusted based on the historical command usage of the user.
When the user selects the desired e-mail message 60 in
Edit Menu Components
As with other tasks, editing text on a mobile communication device can be cumbersome and frustrating due to the limited form factor of the device. A user may need to perform numerous functions while editing large tracts of text. Because of the limited space available on the display of a device, a set of on-screen editing options, such as those associated with soft keys, can obscure the text to be edited, as can menus appearing at fixed locations on the screen. Errors in the editing process often occur, resulting in the undesirable editing of text, a loss of productivity and frustration to the user. Menus typically default to a particular location on the screen of a mobile device, and have typically been associated with the application in use. Menus related to text editing functions and commands also provide no indication of the region of text that they are being applied to.
To alleviate user frustration and loss of productivity, an Edit menu is provided by the present invention. The Edit menu can be thought of as a variant to the Primary Actions menu. The Edit menu provides a set of commands designed specifically for editing documents (such as e-mails and memos) and other text containers (such as fields) in text-based applications. The Edit menu can also provide a set of commands that allows the user to share data, within and between applications, via a Clipboard.
The Edit menu can be considered a reduced set of editing commands, and in the embodiment discussed below includes commands most likely to be invoked when performing a particular editing function. The commands in an Edit menu are derived from a full-function set of editing commands associated with a text-based application. The editing commands in the Edit can also be made available in other menus such as the AA menu. The Edit menu can be considered a shortcut for accessing the editing commands most likely to be invoked in a particular text-based application. Accessing the Edit menu reduces time and effort to the user.
In certain embodiments of the present invention, the Edit menu is presented below the text to be edited. In this way, text to be edited is not obscured, thus facilitating the editing task at hand. The location of the edit menu below the text upon which the action is to be performed, allows the user to quickly associate the function to be performed with the text that it will be performed on.
Launching the Edit menu can be linked to a dedicated input device. In some embodiments of the present invention, the Edit menu is accessed by pressing an input device different than the Menu key. As with the Primary Actions menu, an Edit menu may also be accessed by a depressing a trackball.
The Edit menu 110 can appear below the text so that the text to be edited is not covered up by the Edit menu 110. This allows the user to clearly see the text to be edited. A cursor 118 is positioned at the end of the text.
Turning to
An icon representative of the desired command may be included next to, or substituted for, the text description of the command. In a further embodiment (not shown), when a command is highlighted, the cursor 118 can change appearance to reflect the highlighted command. Thus, when a user highlights the cut command 122, an icon, such as a pair of scissor, may be presented next to the cursor 118. This provides the user with further visual cues directly associated with the highlighted section. Similarly, if the Copy command 124 is selected, a duplicate cursor (to represent something being copied) may be present next to the cursor 118. The presence of an icon does not influence the utility of the particular Edit menu command; it merely serves to direct a user to a command in a convenient manner.
Because the Edit menu is akin to a Primary Actions menu, there may also be an AA menu associated therewith. If a user wishes to invoke a command not in the Edit menu, pressing the Menu button 12 can call up an additional, longer set of commands, such as those in an AA menu, which can be performed within the Edit application. Included in this menu are commands likely to appear in the Edit menu, together with editing commands which are less likely to be invoked. As with the Primary Actions menu, selecting a “Show More” option in the Edit menu can launch an AA menu associated with the text-based application at hand.
One additional feature associated with editing (but not explicitly included in the Edit menu) is the Clipboard (not shown). The Clipboard stores data cut or copied from a document to allow the user to place the data into another document. The Clipboard is available to most or all applications, and its contents do not change when the user switches from one application to another. The Clipboard provides support for the exchange of different data types between applications. Text formatting is preferably maintained when text is copied to the Clipboard.
As
Turning to
Other editing commands known to the skilled person can be included in the Edit menu of the present invention. These can include: Undo (which reverses the effect of a user's previous operation); Redo (which reverses the effect of the most recent Undo command performed); Paste (which inserts data that has been stored on the Clipboard at a location (insertion point) in a text field); Paste and Match Style (which matches the style of the pasted text to the surrounding text); Find (for finding a particular part of text); or Spelling (which checks the spelling of text). The above list represents a sampling of editing commands which can be included in an Edit menu, and is not intended to be exhaustive.
The above-described embodiments of the present invention are intended to be examples only. Alterations, modifications and variations may be effected to the particular embodiments by those of skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the claims appended hereto.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/393,791 filed Mar. 31, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11393791 | Mar 2006 | US |
| Child | 13745084 | US |
