EP0633684A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Mobile telephone user interface including fixed and dynamic function keys and method of using same
Assignee: US West Advanced Technologies Inc
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Filing: 1994-06-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-06-29
Abstract
Abstract A user interface for use in a mobile telephone handset which includes static visual display means for presenting the status of the mobile telephone and other services accessible by the user. The interface further includes dynamic visual display means for presenting a plurality of context sensitive function labels. A plurality of fixed-labels signaling keys and soft-label signaling keys are also provided in electrical communication with the static and dynamic visual display means. The soft-label signaling keys are operative to access the displayed function labels relevant to the current context of the user interface. A method is further disclosed which includes the provision of a mobile telephone handset as described above, as well as the steps of viewing the static and visual displays to obtain instructions as to the status of the mobile telephone, the availability of telephone functions and whether fixed or soft-label signaling keys should be utilized. As a further step, selected telephone function labels are presented on the static and dynamic visual displays and selected functions are accessed.
Inventors
- 👤 Kam-Cheong Anthony Tsoi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 06:23
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M1/00; H04M1/72; H04M1/724; H04M1/72466; G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/02; G06F3/023; G06F3/0233; G06F3/0236; H04M1/26; H04M1/27; H04M1/274; H04M1/2745; H04M1/27467; H04M1/2747; H04M1/2748
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
97 words
A user interface for use in a mobile telephone handset, comprising: static visual display means for presenting the status of said mobile telephone and other services accessible by said user; dynamic visual display means for presenting a plurality of context sensitive function labels; a plurality of fixed-label signaling keys in electrical communication with said static and dynamic visual display means; and a plurality of soft-label signaling keys in electrical communication with said static and dynamic visual display means, said soft-label keys operative to access said displayed function labels relevant to the current context of said user interface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
36 words
A user interface as in claim 1, further comprising prompting means in electrical communication with said dynamic visual display means for indicating to said user whether said fixed-label or said soft-label signaling keys should be used.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A user interface as in claim 2, wherein said prompting means comprises a selectively displayed blinking cursor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A user interface as in claim 1, wherein said fixed-label signaling keys comprise Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signaling keys.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
123 words
A user interface for use in a mobile telephone handset, comprising: static visual display means for presenting the status of said mobile phone and other services accessible by said user; dynamic visual display means for presenting a plurality of context sensitive function labels; a plurality of Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signaling keys in electrical communication with said static and visual display means; a plurality of soft-label signaling keys in electrical communication with said static and visual display means; and prompting means in electrical communication with said dynamic visual display means for indicating to said user whether said DTMF or said soft-label signaling keys should be used, such that said user may access the functions relevant to the current context of said user interface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
A user interface as in claim 5, wherein said prompting means comprises a selectively displayed blinking cursor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
92 words
A mobile telephone handset, comprising: an earpiece; a mouthpiece; static visual display means for presenting the status of said mobile phone and other services accessible by said user; dynamic visual display means for presenting a plurality of context sensitive function labels; a plurality of fixed-label signaling keys in electrical communication with said static and visual display means; and a plurality of soft-label signaling keys in electrical communication with said static and visual display means, said soft-label keys operative to access said displayed function labels relevant to the current context of said handset.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
A mobile telephone handset as in claim 7, further comprising prompting means in electrical communication with said dynamic visual display means for indicating to said user whether said fixed-label or said soft-label signaling keys should be used.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
A mobile telephone handset as in claim 8, wherein said prompting means comprises a selectively displayed blinking cursor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
A mobile telephone handset as in claim 7, wherein said handset has an elongated body portion having a display side which includes said static and dynamic visual display means and said pluralities of fixed and soft-label signaling keys and a communication side which includes said earpiece and mouthpiece.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
A mobile telephone handset as in claim 7, wherein said fixed-label signaling keys comprise Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signaling keys.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
108 words
For use in mobile telephone communications, a method of interfacing a mobile telephone party to a secondary party, comprising the steps of: providing a mobile telephone handset having an ear piece, a mouthpiece and a user interface which includes a static visual display, a dynamic visual display, a plurality of fixed-label signaling keys, a plurality of soft-label signaling keys and indicator means; viewing said visual display to obtain instructions as to the status of said mobile telephone, the availability of telephone functions and whether fixed or soft-label signaling keys should be utilized; and accessing selected telephone functions whose labels are presented on said static and dynamic visual displays.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
154 words
For use in a telephone having a primary visual display and a plurality of fixed label signaling keys each having a corresponding group of designations, a method of entering selected designations in said primary visual display, comprising the steps of: providing at least one dynamic visual display means for presenting a plurality of context sensitive function labels; providing a plurality of soft-label signaling keys in electrical communication with said primary visual display and said dynamic visual display means, said soft-label signaling keys operative to individually access the corresponding designations of said groups, said designations represented as soft labels on said dynamic visual display means; depressing a selected fixed-label signaling key corresponding to said group of said selected designation so as to enter a predetermined designation in said primary visual display; and depressing said soft-label signaling key corresponding to said selected designation so as to replace said entered designation with said selected designation where necessary.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
164 words
For use in a mobile telephone having a primary visual display and a plurality of fixed label signaling keys each having a numeric designation and a corresponding group of alphabetic designations, a method of entering selected alphabetic designations in said primary visual display, comprising the steps of: providing at least one dynamic visual display means for presenting a plurality of context sensitive function labels; providing a plurality of soft-label signaling keys in electrical communication with said primary visual display and said dynamic visual display means, said soft-label signaling keys operative to individually access the corresponding designations of said alphabetic groups, said designations represented as soft labels on said dynamic visual display means; depressing a selected fixed-label signaling key corresponding to said group of said selected alphabetic designation so as to enter a predetermined alphabetic designation in said primary visual display; and depressing said soft-label signaling key corresponding to said selected designation so as to replace said entered designation with said selected designation where necessary.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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