WO2001075579A2

WO2001075579A2 - Method and apparatus for electronic device feature access

Info

Publication number: WO2001075579A2
Application number: PCT/US2001/010465
Authority: WO
Inventors: Scott D. Beith
Original assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
Priority date: 2000-03-31
Filing date: 2001-03-30
Publication date: 2001-10-11
Also published as: AU2001251189A1; WO2001075579A3

Abstract

A simplified user interface for accessing multiple features resident in an electronic device. A higher level menu includes a location application. The user launches the location application and enters a name or partial name of a feature or application the user wishes to locate. The application then displays to the user a list of features that most closely match the user entry. The user can then choose one of the displayed features or applications. The user is also provided the opportunity to scroll through a list of available features within the device. If the user accesses a feature from the list the corresponding control display is presented to the user. If the user accesses an application from the list the application is immediately launched. The high level application allows the user to access features and launch applications without navigating the menu structure.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICE

FEATURE ACCESS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to electronic devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a novel and improved method and apparatus for searching and accessing features in an electronic device.

II. Description of the Related Art

The sophistication and complexity of electronic devices has greatly increased due in part to the improvements in available processing power. Electronic devices such as personal computers are beneficiaries of the increase in digital processing power. The increase in processing power is coupled with a simultaneous decrease in the size and power consumption required to achieve the level of processing power. Portable electronic devices such as wireless phones are beneficiaries of the reduced size and power consumption of the powerful digital processors.

The increased complexity of electronic devices results in a corresponding increase in the complexity of the user interface. Electronic devices provide numerous applications and user features that are accessible by the user. The user accesses each user feature and application through the user interface. Although the user may access features through a variety of interfaces, the electronic device's multiple features typically interface to the user through the display.

A feature is defined to encompass any user feature of application that is available on an electronic device. User features utilize settings that control the operation of the electronic device. The user accesses the user feature to modify the settings. The user may be able to adjust the settings on a user display such as the contrast or brightness of the display. The user may also be able to access a loudspeaker feature that enables the user to adjust the sound and volume settings of audible alerts.

An application is any predetermined routine that the electronic device performs. The application may require functions performed in hardware, software, or a combination of the two. The user interface determines the manner in which features are accessed. The user interface must serve the needs of both the novice user and the advanced user. A novice user must have the capability of immediately using the electronic device for its designed task. This requirement leads to a user interface that is simple and almost instructional in its use. However, the user interface must also serve the needs of the advanced user. An advanced user is familiar with the capabilities of the electronic device and knows the features within the device. The user interface for the advanced user needs to be simple and allow the user to quickly access the numerous features within the electronic device. The advanced user is often annoyed with the instructional type of user interface geared towards the novice user. The ideal user interface serves any level of user without undue operation on the part of the user.

One manner of user interface is the command line interface. In the command line interface the user accesses each feature and application through a single command line. The user typically enters the command using a keyboard or equivalent interface. The user input is displayed on a single line. The contents of the command line are executed by the electronic device's operating system when the user enters a predetermined character. In a personal computer, carriage return is the most common predetermined character that initiates command line execution. The command line interface is cumbersome for the user because the user must remember each command. The number of commands the user must remember is extremely large when the electronic device offers many features. The vast number of features make the command line interface particularly problematic for the novice user. The user commands that must be entered on the command line are often not intuitive. The novice user is often required to refer to a manual in order to locate the proper command line entry. This is very inconvenient for the novice user and may not be feasible where the electronic device is portable and designed to operate in remote environments. An alternative to a command line interface is a menu interface. The menu interface can represent the sole user interface or it can be combined with the command line interface. As the name implies, the applications and user features are organized within menus. Menus are organized to allow the user to more easily navigate to the desired user feature or application. The various available user options are shown to the user on a display. When the number of available options within a single menu exceed the display capabilities the user is provided means for scrolling through the menu choices. The user navigates the menu structure and highlights the desired menu choice. The user then signals the electronic device to execute the highlighted menu choice. In a personal computer utilizing a menu structure the menu choices are navigated using the arrow keys. The arrow keys move a cursor to selectively highlight individual menu choices. The user typically uses the enter key or carriage return key to execute the highlighted menu choice.

When the number of applications and user features is large the features are organized within nested menus. There may be any number of menu categories nested within a menu choice. Each nested menu choice ideally represents a sub-category of the higher level menu choice. The menu organization is used to facilitate user navigation of the menus. The menu choices are sometimes displayed in graphical format rather than textual format to further facilitate user navigation of the menus.

While the menu interface is easier to navigate than the command line interface, the use of nested menus results in a user interface that is still cumbersome for the user to navigate. A user searching the menu interface for a feature that is seldom used will need to navigate through a series of nested menus. If the user reaches the end of the nested menus and the feature or application has not been located the user must navigate up through the menu structure to search through other menus. Alternatively, the user may be able to return to the original starting point by pressing a predetermined key. The user is required to navigate through the complete menu structure when searching for a particular feature placed within the menu. The process of locating a specific feature or application presents a daunting task for the user since each menu item may contain nested menus. What is required is a user interface that allows the user to easily locate and access features within an electronic device. The interface is required to be simple enough for a novice user to operate yet the interface must not be so elementary that the advanced user is annoyed with the process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a novel and improved method and apparatus for accessing features within an electronic device. A feature may be a user feature or an application within the device. A menu style user interface is configured where a look up application appears on a higher level menu. The look up application presents information to the user on a display and provides a space for text entry. The look up application allows the user to enter a name or partial name of a feature into the provided entry space. The user inputs the entry using a keyboard or similar interface device. As the user inputs the text the look up application locates within the electronic device the features that most closely match the user input. The features located by the look up application are displayed to the user in an alphabetic list. The list of features is updated following each user character entry.

Alternatively, the user enters the name or partial name of a feature in the space provided by the look up application. The user then instructs the look up application to initiate a search of all features within the electronic device. The user initiates the search by depressing a predetermined key or by some other predetermined means. The look up application locates the features that most closely match the user input. The results are displayed to the user in an alphabetic list.

The results that are displayed to the user may be limited to features that fall within some predetermined range of error. Alternatively, the results displayed to the user may represent an alphabetic list of all features available within the electronic device. The results displayed to the user are centered about the specific feature or application that most closely matches the user input.

The user is able to select one of the features or applications returned by the look up application. When the look up application returns all of the features within the electronic device the user is able to access any of them from within this application. The user navigates through the returned results in the same manner that a long menu list would be navigated. The user is able to scroll through a long list of features and highlight the desired entry. The user is then able to access the desired entry.

If a feature is accessed the corresponding setting display for the feature is displayed. The user is then allowed to set the feature values in the same manner as when the feature settings are accessed by navigating through the menu. If an application is accessed the electronic device launches the application. In this manner the user is able to launch an application without having to navigate the menus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which like reference characters identify correspondingly throughout and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a generic menu interface;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a wireless phone menu interface; FIG. 3 is a flow chart of the look up application; and

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a wireless phone.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED

EMBODIMENTS

Electronic devices often configure their user interfaces in a "menu" style interface. This enables incorporation of a large number of features in the device without inundating the user with a disorganized user interface that simultaneously displays all user options. The menu interface categorizes all available features. Accessing an application in the menu causes that application to be launched. Accessing a feature in the menu launches the corresponding feature setting display that allows the user control over the feature. A block diagram of a generic menu interface is shown in FIG. 1.

The menu interface incorporates a top level menu 100. The top level menu 100 represents the beginning level of the menu. The user begins all menu interface at the top level menu 100. For this reason, the electronic device typically displays the top level menu 100 as the default display. The electronic device will typically display the top level menu 100 upon initial power up and may automatically return to the top level menu 100 from a lower level menu after a timeout period in which no user interaction has occurred with the electronic device. The top level menu 100 allows access to only a minimum of features. Those features available on the top level menu 100 represent the features most commonly accessed on the electronic device. In an electronic device such as a wireless phone the top level menu 100 may provide immediate access to dialing and call origination applications without requiring the user to navigate the menu interface. In other electronic devices, the top level menu 100 may not allow access to any features or applications. Rather, the user is required to navigate the menu before any applications may be accessed. Requiring the user to navigate the menu may be appropriate in electronic devices where the majority of applications are accessed using hardware on the device rather than through applications accessible through a menu interface. Such electronic devices include stereo players or VCRs where the user primarily interfaces with hardware on the electronic device and only infrequently navigates the menu interface to set a feature.

The top level menu 100 consists of broad categories that organize the remaining menu items. In the block diagram of FIG. 1 the top level menu consists of category A 102 and category B 104. Ideally, each of the top level menu 100 categories is descriptive of the items contained within the category.

When the user accesses a menu item from the top level menu 100 the user interface displays the available menu items in the next lower menu. If a user accesses the category A 102 menu item the user interface displays the menu items available in the level denoted sub menu 1 120. Applications, features, as well as additional menu choices may exist within the sub menu 1 120 level. Applications or features appear in the block diagram as items with no lower level items descending from them. Menu items Al 121 or A2 122 represent either applications or features that are available at the sub menu 1 120 level when category A 102 is accessed at the top level menu 100. Accessing either item Al 121 or A2 122 launches the corresponding application or initiates the corresponding feature setting display.

In contrast, menu item A3 123 represents another sub menu. Accessing menu item A3 123 directs the user to another deeper sub menu. Accessing menu item A3 123 results in the user interface displaying the sub menu 2 130 items descending from menu item A3 123. The menu items depicted in sub menu 2 130 all represent applications or features. The menu items in sub menu 2 130 may represent applications, features, or additional menu items. There is no limit to the number of nested menus that may exist. The number of nested menu levels contributes to the difficulty of operating the user interface. The user is required to navigate through each upper level menu before reaching the sub menu level containing the desired feature or application. A novice user searching the menu structure for a particular application may be required to search through many nested menu layers. As an example, a novice user searching for an application residing in sub menu 2 130 beneath sub menu 1 120 item B4 128 is required to correctly navigate three levels of menu choices. The user must be able to correctly differentiate the category names in each of the menu levels. An error in the choice of an upper level menu results in an extreme lengthening of the user's search time since the user must first realize that the desired application does not reside in any of the sub menus currently displayed. Once the user realizes the desired application does not reside in any of the sub menus currently displayed the user must navigate back up the menu structure to the menu level that branches to the correct sub menu. Then the user can navigate down to the sub menu that holds the desired application.

The user interface is greatly improved by implementing a look up application at the top level menu 100 or sub menu 1 120 levels. The look up application is likely placed in the sub menu 1 120 level in order to minimize the display clutter and number of user choices at the top level menu 100. Alternatively, the look up menu is placed at the top level menu 100 to allow the user immediate access to the application. As an example of placement in the sub menu 1 120 level, the menu selection Al 121 may represent the look up application. The user only needs to navigate through one menu level to access Al 121.

The user is presented with a text entry display once the look up application is accessed. In a first embodiment, the user enters characters using a user interface such as a keypad. Other user interfaces are equally compatible. The user interface could be a keyboard, touch screen, or voice recognition interface. The user utilizes the interface to enter the characters one at a time. A list of the features most closely matching the user input is displayed to the user. The list may be limited to the features having a description that closely match the user entered characters or the list may consist of all features available in the electronic device with the list centered about the single entry that most closely matches the user input.

The user may choose to continue to enter characters or may choose to select an entry from the displayed list. The user can access a feature or application from the list by highlighting the item on the list and executing it. The user is provided means for scrolling through the list when the list is longer than can be simultaneously displayed.

The list is updated after the user inputs each character. The look up application continually focuses the list to the feature or application most closely matching the user input. In an alternate embodiment the look up application does not provide a list of matching applications and features until the user completes the text entry. In this embodiment, the user first enters all characters in a name or partial name of a feature or application. The user then executes the search by depressing a predetermined key or some equivalent means. When a touch sensitive screen is used the means for executing the search may be the entry of a special character. Similarly, when a voice recognition user interface is used the utterance of a predetermined command word will cause the search to be executed. Once the search is executed the look up application displays the results in a list as described in the first embodiment. The user then can choose an application from the displayed list or can choose to enter a new term and execute a new search.

The look up application is closed and the feature or application is launched if the user selects a feature or application from the displayed list. If the user selects a feature the corresponding feature setting display is shown. The user can then modify the settings according to the options provided in the feature setting display. The corresponding application is launched if the user selects an application from the displayed list. FIG. 2 shows the menu interface of a typical wireless phone. The interface is organized in three menu levels. Two menu items are located at the top level menu. One menu item is labeled "menu" 202 and the other menu item is labeled "book" 204. To minimize the number of items shown in FIG. 2, the sub menus within the "book" 204 menu are not shown. The sub menus within the "book" 204 menu contain applications and features that allow the user to add, delete, and modify entries in an electronic phone book stored within the wireless phone memory. Other applications within the "book" 204 menu allow the user to search the phone book and view a display of the call history details on the phone. FIG. 2 shows that the "menu" 202 selection contains numerous sub menus. There are no applications or features available to the user in the first sub menu level. The user must navigate another sub menu prior to locating the desired feature or application. Therefore, a user must manually navigate to a third menu level before an application or feature can be accessed. It can be seen that some of the menu category labels are not entirely informative, although many of the menus have category labels that are descriptive of their contents. Some features are located in multiple sub menus to facilitate user location. As an example, the key beep 224 feature is located in the volume 220 sub menu as well as the features 250 sub menu. The look up application is most conveniently located within the "menu"

202 menu. The look up application is placed in the first sub menu level alongside the sub menu selections. Placement of the look up application in the first sub menu level allows convenient user access to the application. The look up application allows the user access to any of the features in both the "menu" 202 and "book" 204 menus with minimal menu navigation.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a first embodiment of the look up application. The user is first required to navigate through the menu interface to the look up application. As detailed earlier, the look up application is typically situated in either the top level menu or one of the first sub menu levels. This maximizes the user's ability to locate the application. Once the user has navigated to the look up application the user selects the application and launches it 302. When the look up application is launched 302 the application provides a text entry display to the user. The text entry display can take the form of a highlighted window for user character entry or user entry can be prompted using a cursor on an entry line. The actual form of the entry space will be determined by the hardware and software limitations of the electronic device. Each character entered by the user is appended 304 to any characters already displayed in the entry window to create an aggregate user entry. The entry window is cleared each time the look up application is launched. The look up application initially presents the user a blank entry window.

The look up application searches all features 306 within the electronic device following each character entered by the user. The search is performed on the aggregate user entry. A master list of features is searched to determine a match to the user's entry. A list of features that closely match the aggregate user entry is displayed in a list 308 following the search. The list is arranged alphabetically and as a minimum contains a predetermined number of features that closely match the user input. Alternatively, the list may display a number of features that fall within predetermined matching or search criteria. The matching criteria may include the number of characters in the user entry that match characters in corresponding features or applications. One skilled in searching routines can determine appropriate matching criteria. An additional alternative is for the look up application to alphabetically list all features and application available within the electronic device. The search routine centers the list on the one feature or application that most closely matches the user input. Thus, the alphabetic list of all features is centered about the best matching feature or application. The number of features that can be simultaneously displayed to the user is limited by the attributes of the display. The user is provided means for navigating through the search list when the number of features to be displayed exceeds the display capabilities. Scrolling is the most common implementation of navigation through a list. However, alternative implementations allowing the user to page through the list are also available. The embodiments are not limited by the manner in which the list is to be displayed to the user.

Once the search results are displayed to the user the look up application checks to see if the user has selected a feature or application from the displayed list 310. The user can select an entry from the displayed list once a single character has been entered. Alternatively, the user can choose to continue to enter characters.

If the user continues to enter characters the look up application returns to block 304 where the character input by the user is appended to the existing user entry, the search is re-executed 306, and the display list is updated 308. The powerful digital processors implemented in modern electronic devices allow fast performance of the search and update tasks. The display list updates as the user inputs characters. The search and display update appears to occur instantaneously to the user.

The user will continue to input characters until either the user has inputted as much of the description as is known or the display list displays the feature or application the user wishes to locate. The user then navigates the display list to select and execute the desired feature or application. A particular entry on the display list can be executed by directing a cursor to the desired entry and issuing a predetermined command to the electronic device. The predetermined command may be depressing a predetermined key on the keypad when the primary user interface is a keypad. The predetermined command may be uttering an audible command where the primary user interface is conducted through voice recognition.

Once the user selects and executes the desired feature or application the look up application proceeds to block 320 where the look up application is closed. The look up application closes and simultaneously instructs the electronic device to launch the selected feature or application 322. The corresponding feature setting display is displayed if a feature is selected. In the feature setting display the user is allowed to modify the controls associated with that particular feature. As an example, in the ringer 222 feature shown in FIG. 2 the user is allowed to set the relative volume of the wireless phone ringer. The actual application is launched when the user selects an application from the search display list. Launching the application directly from the look up application eliminates the need for the user to navigate the menu interface.

A second embodiment operates similarly to the first embodiment with the exception that the look up application waits for the user to enter a predetermined command prior to executing the search and display. The predetermined command can be the entry of a predetermined execute character. This embodiment can be used where the processor is unable to search and update the display list in the time it takes for the user to enter another character.

A wireless phone 400 implementation is shown in FIG. 4. The wireless phone 400 utilizes an antenna 452 to receive and transmit RF radiation. The antenna 452 is used to couple received RF signals to the RF transceiver 450. The antenna 452 is also used to couple the transmit RF signals from the RF transceiver 450 to free space.

The RF transceiver 450 utilizes a receiver to process the received RF signals. The receiver tunes to a specific RF channel and filters, amplifies, and downconverts the received RF signal. The downconverted receive signal is then demodulated to extract the pertinent information. The processor 430 running a demodulation routine saved in memory 440 demodulates digital modulation formats. The processor 430 routes the demodulated message to the display 410 or other user interface 420. The processor 430 routes textual and graphic messages to the display 410. Alert messages, such as a ringer tone, are routed to the appropriate user interface 420. Audio messages are also routed to the appropriate user interface 420.

User messages transmitted by the wireless phone 400 traverse a path opposite the receive signal path. User input is coupled to the wireless phone 400 through the appropriate user interface 420. The user interfaces 420 include a keypad and microphone. The user input is then coupled to the processor 430 where the input is formatted and modulated. The modulated transmit signal is then provided to the transmitter within the RF transceiver 450. The transmitter in the RF transceiver 450 filters, amplifies, and upconverts the modulated signal. The antenna 452 broadcasts the transmit RF signal.

The wireless phone 400 utilizes an operating system saved in memory 440 and executed in the processor 430. The operating system defines the operation of the user interface. The user interface in a wireless phone 400 is organized as a menu interface, as detailed above. Textual information is provided to the user on the display 410 and user input and control is interfaced using the hardware interfaces 420.

Menu choices are shown to the user on the display 410. The user manipulates the keys on the keypad to navigate through the menu structure. The look up application is listed in one of the upper sub menus. The processor retrieves the look up application from memory 440 and executes it when the user selects the application from the menu. The user enters the search term through the keypad. In the first embodiment the search is conducted after each user keystroke. The look up routine compares the user entered characters with a master list of features stored in memory 440. The look up application then outputs on the display 410 a list of the most likely matches. The user navigates through the displayed list using the keypad. The user selects an item from the list by depressing a predetermined key on the keypad. The look up application is closed and the selected application is launched once the user depresses the predetermined key.

A second embodiment performs the search in the same manner except the search is not performed until the user enters all characters followed by an execute character. The second embodiment reduces the level of processor power required to support the look up application.

As an example, suppose the user wishes to locate and execute a calculator application that is stored within the wireless phone. The user first navigates and executes the look up application. The look up application is placed in the highest level of sub menu and is easily located by the user. Once the look up application is launched the user is presented with a prompt to enter the search term. The user uses the keys to type in "calculator" or any portion of the word. In a first embodiment the look up application searches a complete list of all features and application stored in the wireless phone memory after each character entry. A list of most likely matches is displayed to the user after each key entry. As the user enters additional characters, the list of likely matches has a higher probability of matching the user's desired application. The user can cease entering characters at any time and choose to navigate through the list of matches provided by the look up application. The user navigates through the displayed list using keypad presses. The user highlights the desired selection and launches it using predetermined keys on the keypad. Once the user launches a feature or application from the displayed list the look up application first closes then launches the feature or application.

The user interface is greatly enhanced by allowing the user to navigate and directly launch a feature or application from an upper level menu. The novice user can search the entire menu contents without having to navigate through nested menus. Similarly, any user can use the look up application in lieu of navigating the nested menu structure.

The previous description of the preferred embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. The 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 the use of the inventive faculty. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

What is Claimed is:

Claims

1. A method of application access within an electronic device comprising: providing an entry space; receiving a user character entry; searching a master list of features; displaying a list of closely matching features that closely match the user character entry; and launching a feature corresponding to a user selection from the list of closely matching features.

2. The method of Claim 1 further comprising steps prior to the steps of launching a feature comprising:

(a) receiving an additional user character entry; (b) appending the additional user character entry to the previous user character entry to create an aggregate user entry; (c) searching the master list of features; and

(d) displaying an updated list of features that closely match the aggregate user entry.

3. The method of Claim 2 wherein steps (a) through (d) are repeated until a launching step is performed.

4. The method of Claim 1 wherein the feature is an application of the electronic device.

5. The method of Claim 1 wherein the displayed list is an alphabetic list of all features centered about a best matching feature.

6. A method of feature or application access within an electronic device comprising:

(a) providing an entry space; (b) receiving a user character entry; (c) appending the user character entry to characters already within the entry space to generate an aggregate user entry if the character entered is not a predetermined execute character; (d) searching a master list of features or applications when the predetermined execute character is entered; (e) displaying a list of features or applications that closely match the aggregate user entry; and (f) launching a feature setting display or application corresponding to a user selection from the displayed list.

7. The method of Claim 6 wherein the displayed list is arranged alphabetically.

8. The method of Claim 7 wherein the displayed list is limited to a predetermined number of features or applications that most closely match the aggregate user input.

9. The method of Claim 7 wherein the displayed list is limited to features that fall within a predetermined search criteria.

10. The method of Claim 7 wherein the displayed list is the master list of features or applications.

11. The method of Claim 4 wherein the master list of features or applications contains all features and applications available within the electronic device.

12. An apparatus for feature access within an electronic device comprising: a processor; a memory device; a user display; and a user interface; wherein the processor searches a master list of features saved within the memory for a user entry that is entered using the user interface and the processor displays on the user display a list of search results from which the user can select and execute a feature.

13. The apparatus of Claim 12 wherein the electronic device is a wireless phone.

14. The apparatus of Claim 12 wherein the user interface is a keypad.

15. The apparatus of Claim 12 wherein the user interface is a touchscreen.

16. The apparatus of Claim 15 wherein the user display is the touchscreen.

17. The apparatus of Claim 12 wherein the list of search results is a list of features that fall within a predetermined matching criteria of the user entry.

18. The apparatus of Claim 12 wherein the list of search results is the master list of features arranged alphabetically and centered about a best match.