Patent Application
20090312062
The present invention relates generally to cellular telephone displays, and more particularly to displays to indicate that a soft key function has changed.
Usage of wireless mobile communication devices (mobile devices), such as cellular telephones, is ever increasing due to their portability and connectivity. Mobile devices are also growing in sophistication, supporting many useful applications that can run simultaneously, and becoming multipurpose productivity tools. To provide flexibility in user input keys, many applications that run on the mobile devices use soft keys as part of the user interface. A soft key is a button, located alongside or beneath the device's display which is associated with a function that is defined by the application. To inform users of the function associated with each soft key, the display will typically include text appearing above, beside or otherwise close to the physical key. In contrast, hard keys are hard-coded keys, such as a number key pad or the Send/End key of a mobile phone, for which the associated function can be printed on the keys themselves.
A typical mobile phone has soft keys located at the left (LSK), right (RSK) and center (CSK) of the device just beneath the display. Depending on the modality of the application, various functions can be mapped onto each soft key, with the mapped function appearing on the display just above the key. A soft key can also bring up multiple functions listed on a pop-up expanded menu, with the menu appearing on the display above the key.
As a user executes different applications on the mobile device, the function mapped to each soft key may vary with each application. Heretofore, when the function mapped to a soft key changes, the soft key function presented on the display changes instantaneously. Such instantaneous display changes are often not readily apparent to the user, particularly when the main elements of the display remain unchanged. Users can easily lose track of the function mapped to each soft key when launching or switching applications. As a result, the user may inadvertently enter incorrect commands using a soft key not realizing that the soft key function has changed.
Various embodiment systems and methods are disclosed which utilize animation to provide an attention-grabbing indication that the function mapped to a soft key has changed on a mobile device. When an application changes the function mapped to a soft key, the change is denoted by an animation which draws the user's attention to the change. Various embodiments disclosed herein provide themeable animations for indicating a change in soft key function.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention, and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain features of the invention.
The various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. References made to particular examples and implementations are for illustrative purposes, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention or the claims.
As used herein, the terms “mobile device”, “mobile handset”, “handset” and “handheld device” refer to any one or all of cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless electronic mail receivers (e.g., the Blackberry® and Treo® devices), multimedia Internet enabled cellular telephones (e.g., the iPhone®), and similar personal electronic devices. In a preferred embodiment, the mobile device is a cellular handset device (e.g., a cellphone). However, cellular telephone communication capability is not necessary as the various embodiments may be implemented on any computing device which utilizes soft keys. Thus, the various embodiment methods may be implemented on laptop as well as desktop computers. Consequently, the terms “mobile device”, “mobile handset”, “handset” and “handheld device” may also refer to a laptop or desktop computing device.
Technological developments have greatly expanded the variety of applications capable of executing on mobile device processors. The level of sophistication and power of the various applications capable of running on a mobile device is often hampered by the rudimentary user interface which is limited by the small size of such devices. In many implementations the limited number of hard keys available on a mobile device are insufficient to enable the user to fully utilize features available to various applications. Soft keys are one way to increase the flexibility of user interface capabilities of a mobile device with a limited number of keys.
A typical mobile phone has soft keys located at the left (LSK), right (RSK) and center (CSK) of the device just beneath the display. Depending on the modality of the application, various functions can be mapped onto each soft key, with the mapped function appearing on the display just above the key. A soft key can also bring up multiple functions listed on a pop-up expanded menu, with the menu appearing on the display above the key.
The mobile device 10 may also include soft keys, such as soft key buttons 20, 21, and 22 in
While the soft key labels 24, 23, 25 are typically found at the bottom of display 11, one of skill in the art would appreciate that soft key labels may be located on any portion of the display 11 so long as they are easily associated with the soft keys 20, 21, 22.
The function mapped to each soft key 20, 21, 22 and the respective soft key label 24, 23, 25 may change frequently. The function and label may change due to a new application launching on the mobile device 10. The function and label may also change within an application, such as when a user “drills down” into different levels of an application's menu system. It may also change due to a highlight of cursor change on the same screen.
In instances where users launch a new application that changes the entire user interface display 11, users may expect that some or all aspects of the new user interface display 11 may change as compared to the previous display. Changing of the entire display may also cause users to scan the new display, and thereby recognize that the soft key function assignments have changed. Consequently, when the entire user interface display 11 changes, users will anticipate that the soft key label 24, 23, 25 and the function mapped to the soft keys 20, 21, 22 will also change.
However, it may be the case that launching a new application does not change the entire user interface display 11. Also, some applications have operating modes which change the soft key functions. This is particularly the case when the same application is running, but subtle changes occur, such as changes to the soft key functions and labels. For example, as a user “drills down” in a system menu, the overall menu display may not change, but the soft key functions may change, and thus the soft key labels on the display 11 may change. Heretofore, the change of soft key labels on the display 11 has been quick, sometimes subtle. and sometimes unexpected. Thus, when only the soft key labels 23, 24, 25 change, users often fail to notice.
Embodiments disclosed herein utilize animation to draw users' eyes and attention to any change to soft key labels 24, 23, 25. By directing users' attention to changing soft key labels, users are made aware of the change to the function mapped to the soft keys 20, 21, 22 at the moment the changes are effected. Such animations may be part of the users' themes or selected by users from a variety of alternative animations.
In the various embodiments, animation may be created by recalling from memory a series of images for display in sequence. For example, the intermediary images shown in
Similar embodiments may be implemented on laptop and desktop computing devices where menus or toolbars may be configured to use animation to make the appearance and disappearance of menu items more obvious. For example, when users select a button on a floating palette a menu or toolbar may be removed from display. In such instances it would be useful to draw the user's attention to the change in menu functions and display. For sake of simplicity, the various embodiments may be described with reference to a mobile device and the soft key labels and functions. However, the embodiments may also be implemented on a laptop or desktop computer and such implementations are consistent with the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The function mapped to any of soft keys 20, 21, 22 and the associated soft key labels 24, 23, 25 may change independently. Alternative embodiments may utilize other forms of animation to draw the users' attention to the soft key change. For example, the rollover animation may display a horizontal rollover (i.e., rolling about a vertical centerline) as opposed to the vertical rollover shown in
Other embodiments may be implemented wherein the graphic animation shown on the user interface display relates to different kinds of moving images or a theme of the user's choosing. For example, race cars may be shown to pass over the soft key window whenever a soft key label change is effected. Other example animations include a runner running or a swimmer swimming in the soft key window whenever a soft key label change is effected. Any graphical image that can be incorporated into an animation sequence may be utilized. A number of different animation images or icons may be provided with a menu application provided to enable a user to select a particular animated image or icon to indicate soft key changeover. Also, animated images or icons may be selected for or based upon a theme applied to or selected for the mobile device. Also, animated images or icons may be determined by the application being initiated so that an animation associated with the application is observer. For example, if a game application is being loaded, the soft key change animation may be an actor or graphic featured in the game.
An animated soft key changeover indicator may be implemented in software instructions operating on the mobile device by employing a variety of software methods.
If the changed application flag is set (i.e., Test 102=“Yes”), indicating a new application is being executed on the mobile device 10 processor, the new application is checked to determine if a change to soft key labels is required, test 103. This may be indicated by a change soft key function/label flag that may be set (such as by storing a “1” in a particular memory register) when the new application is initiated. Alternatively, the main loop may check memory registers associated with the display 11 to determine if the soft key label portions of the display have been changed. If the change soft key function/label flag is not set (i.e., Test 103=“No”) then there is no need to change the soft key function or label and the main loop routine 101 continues processing until the next opportunity to check the changed application flag.
If the change soft key function/label flag is set (i.e., Test 103=“Yes”), indicating a new application is being executed on the mobile device 10 processor that requires changing the soft key labels, then the processor may execute a soft key label animation routine, step 104. The soft key label animation routine 104 may be configured to exhibit motion which draws the user's attention to the change in soft key labels on the user interface display 11. Once the animation routine has completed, the new soft key labels will be displayed and the processor returns to the main loop routine 101.
As would be appreciated by one of skill in the art, flags which indicate that a new application is initiating and/or that soft key labels are changing may be cleared as part of or immediately after the step of testing the flags, tests 102, 103. Clearing the flags ensures the animation are only activated once.
The soft key animation routine may use a variety of known methods for presenting moving graphics on the display of a mobile device. In a simple example, the animation program may simply sequence through a series of incrementing images stored in memory that are shown in a sufficiently rapid succession so as to appear as continuous movement, such as illustrated in
As mentioned above, in an embodiment the animated graphic signaling the soft key changeover may be part of a user's theme. For example, a user may chose to display his favorite NASCAR® driver's car as a wallpaper that is shown whenever the processor of the mobile device is in a standby state. In this example, once a soft key function and label changeover is activated, the NASCAR® driver's car may start to drive across the user interface display or the wheels may turn until the soft key labels have changed to their new display.
Referring to
If the newly initiated application does not require an entire user interface display 11 change (i.e., Test 111=“No”) then the processor may determine whether the function/label of any soft key has changed or will change, test 112. If the soft key function/label changes without changing the entire user interface display 11, the user may not notice the soft key function/label change without some attention grabbing animation. Accordingly, if the soft key function/label requires a change (i.e., Test 112=“Yes”), then the processor implements the soft key animation images, step 113. As described above with reference to
The embodiments described above may be implemented on any of a variety of mobile devices, such as, for example, cellular telephones, personal data assistants (PDA), mobile electronic mail receivers, mobile web access devices, and other processor equipped devices that may be developed in the future. In addition, the embodiments described above may be implemented on any of a variety of computing devices that implement soft keys, including but not limited to desktop and laptop computers. For example, most personal computers include a set of general function keys F1 through F12 that are assigned functions by applications. The function of the general function keys F1 through F12 may be denoted by labels shown on a display, which may change as the function assigned to each general function key changes.
The processor 191 may be any programmable microprocessor, microcomputer or multiple processor chip or chips that can be configured by software instructions (applications) to perform a variety of functions, including the functions of the various embodiments described above. In some mobile devices, multiple processors 191 may be provided, such as one processor dedicated to wireless communication functions and one processor dedicated to running other applications. Typically, software applications may be stored in the internal memory 192 before they are accessed and loaded into the processor 191. In some mobile devices, the processor 191 may include internal memory sufficient to store the application software instructions. For the purposes of this description, the term memory refers to all memory accessible by the processor 191, including internal memory 192 and memory within the processor 191 itself. The memory 192 may be volatile or nonvolatile memory, such as flash memory, or a mixture of both. Mobile handsets typically include a key pad 13, as well as other hard keys 14, 15, 16, 17 (see
The various embodiments described above may be implemented on a typical mobile device 10 by a user executing a new application via keypad 13 and/or menu selection buttons 12 and an application dispatcher in memory 192 which comprises processor executable software instructions that will cause the processor 191 to execute the embodiment methods described herein to display an animated graphical image on user interface display 11.
The hardware used to implement the foregoing embodiments may be processing elements and memory elements configured to execute a set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions are for performing method steps corresponding to the above methods. Alternatively, some steps or methods may be performed by circuitry that is specific to a given function.
Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.
The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. The software module may reside in a processor readable storage medium and/or processor readable memory both of which may be any of RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other tangible form of data storage medium known in the art. Moreover, the processor readable memory may comprise more than one memory chip, memory internal to the processor chip, in separate memory chips, and combinations of different types of memory such as flash memory and RAM memory. References herein to the memory of a mobile handset are intended to encompass any one or all memory modules within the mobile handset without limitation to a particular configuration, type or packaging. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor in either the mobile handset or the theme server such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC.
The foregoing description of the various embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, and instead the claims should be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
