METHOD AND ARRANGMENT FOR A PRIMARY ACTIONS MENU FOR A HIERARCHICAL FOLDER SYSTEM ON A HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICE

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed that provides for displaying on the screen of a handheld electronic device, an extended menu or a short menu, which is a subset of the corresponding extended menu. The system and method include a hierarchal folder system used to store an email message from a list of email messages being displayed on a screen. If at least one email message is designated through use of the auxiliary user input device and no menu is displayed, the user may initiate an ambiguous request and deposit the designated email message into a target folder. Various short menus are provided with their respective menu items being dependent and adjustable based upon the position of a cursor on the display page, the currently opened application, and/or the previous selections. Further, a selection from the short menu is capable of displaying the extended menu corresponding thereto.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary methods and arrangements conducted and configured according to the advantageous solutions presented herein are depicted in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts a handheld communication device cradled in the palm of a user's hand;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram representing a wireless handheld communication device interacting in a communication network;

FIG. 3 a is a device-displayed home screen which shows a set of icons representing various applications available on the device and the email icon is selected;

FIG. 3 b is a device-displayed home screen which shows another set of icons representing various applications available on the device and the email icon is selected;

FIG. 4 is a device-displayed high level extended menu associated with the email icon on the home screen;

FIG. 5 a is a device-displayed email listing;

FIG. 5 b is a device-displayed extended menu relevant to the email listing;

FIG. 5 c is a device-displayed open message chosen from the email listing;

FIG. 5 d is a user requested short menu that presents frequently desired actions relative to an open email message;

FIG. 5 e is an extended menu that presents further options relevant to an open email message which was displayed based on a user selection of the “show more” option of FIG. 5d;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart representative of a hierarchical menu process;

FIG. 7 a depicts an expedited menuing system on a handheld electronic device in which an extended menu pops-up showing a listing of actions, including the file action, the user may desire to perform, in the illustrated case, relative to one or more designated email messages;

FIG. 7 b depicts a hierarchal folder system in which the user stored a designated email from FIG. 7a in a targeted folder that lacks sub-folders, and the resulting listing of email messages;

FIG. 7 c depicts a hierarchal folder system in which the targeted folder possesses further subfolders and thus requires a drop-action menu to show other menu items the user may desire to perform, in the illustrated case, relative to one ore more designated email messages;

FIG. 8 further illustrates the hierarchical menu process depicted in FIGS. 7a, 7b, and 7c;

FIG. 9 is a front view of an exemplary handheld electronic device including a full QWERTY keyboard;

FIG. 10 a illustrates an exemplary QWERTY keyboard layout;

FIG. 10 b illustrates an exemplary QWERTZ keyboard layout;

FIG. 10 c illustrates an exemplary AZERTY keyboard layout;

FIG. 10 d illustrates an exemplary Dvorak keyboard layout;

FIG. 11 illustrates a QWERTY keyboard layout paired with a traditional ten-key keyboard;

FIG. 12 illustrates ten digits comprising the numerals 0-9 arranged in a telephone keypad configuration, including the * and # flanking the zero; and

FIG. 13 illustrates a numeric phone key arrangement according to the ITU Standard E.161 including both numerals and letters.

Claims

1. A method for filing an email message in a hierarchical folder system where the message to be filed is a member of a listing of messages in an email box that is presented on a display screen of a handheld electronic device, said method comprising: displaying a listing of email messages on a display screen of a handheld electronic device, said listing of email messages being associated with an email box that is user-accessible via the handheld electronic device;designating an email message for being moved to a target folder in a hierarchical folder system wherein said target folder is capable of having subfolders therein; andexecuting a drop-action that deposits the designated email message into the target folder when no subfolders exist in said target folder and causing the display of a list of menu options comprising user-selectable actions available with respect to the designated email message upon execution of the drop-action relative to the target folder when subfolders do exist within the target folder, said list of menu options comprising: (i) expand/collapse and (ii) file.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising said list of menu options consisting of the following user-selectable actions: (i) expand/collapse and (ii) file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising said list of menu options consisting of the following user-selectable actions: (i) expand/collapse; (ii) file and (iii) full menu.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said drop-action is affected utilizing an auxiliary user input device on the handheld electronic device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said auxiliary user input device is a navigation tool that controls cursor movement on the display screen of the handheld electronic device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said navigation tool is a trackball.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein said handheld electronic device is a wireless handheld communication device that transmits data to, and receives data from a communication network utilizing radio frequency signals.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein said handheld electronic device is sized to be cradled in the palm of a user's hand.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein said handheld electronic device is longer than wide and wherein the width of said handheld electronic device measures between approximately two and approximately three inches thereby facilitating the device being palm cradled by a user.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein said handheld electronic device further comprises a keyboard suitable for accommodating textual input to the handheld electronic device and a navigation tool located essentially between the keyboard and the screen of the handheld electronic device.

11. A handheld electronic device programmed to enable filing an email message in a hierarchical folder system where the message to be filed is a member of a listing of messages in an email box that is presented on the display screen of the device, said handheld electronic device comprising: a display screen on which a listing of email messages is displayed, said listing of email messages being associated with an email box that is user-accessible via the handheld electronic device and at least one of the email messages is user-designated for being moved to a target folder in a hierarchical folder system wherein said target folder is capable of having subfolders therein;a keyboard located below said display screen and configured to accommodate textual input to the handheld electronic device; anda microprocessor having a control program associated therewith for controlling operation of said handheld electronic device, said control program configured to, based upon user-execution of a drop-action, deposit the designated email message into the target folder when no subfolders exist in said target folder and causing the display of a list of menu options comprising user-selectable actions available with respect to the designated email message upon execution of the drop-action relative to the target folder when subfolders do exist within the target folder, said list of menu options comprising: (i) expand/collapse and (ii) file.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising said list of menu options consisting of the following user-selectable actions: (i) expand/collapse and (ii) file.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising said list of menu options consisting of the following user-selectable actions: (i) expand/collapse; (ii) file and (iii) full menu.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising an auxiliary user input device user-utilizable to affect the drop-action and wherein said auxiliary user input device is a navigation tool that controls cursor movement on the display screen of the handheld electronic device.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said navigation tool is a trackball.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein said handheld electronic device is a wireless handheld communication device that transmits data to, and receives data from a communication network utilizing radio frequency signals.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein said handheld electronic device is sized to be cradled in the palm of a user's hand and said handheld electronic device is longer than wide.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the width of said handheld electronic device measures between approximately two and approximately three inches thereby facilitating the device being palm cradled by a user.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein said handheld electronic device further comprises a navigation tool located essentially between the keyboard and the screen of the handheld electronic device.

20. A processing subsystem configured to be installed in a handheld electronic device comprising a user interface including a display screen and a keyboard having a plurality of input keys with which letters are associated, said processing subsystem comprising: operating system software that controls operation of an incorporating handheld electronic device and said operating system software is programmed to control operation of said handheld electronic device, said operating system software is configured to, based upon user-execution of a drop-action, deposit the designated email message into the target folder when no subfolders exist in said target folder and expanding said target folder upon execution of the drop-action relative to the target folder when subfolders do exist within the target folder.