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US5774540A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Hierarchical menu screen interface for displaying and accessing telephone terminal features
Assignee: Nokia of America Corp
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Filing: 1995-11-15
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Granted: 1998-06-30
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Expires: 2015-11-15
Abstract
Abstract A user of a telephone terminal with an interactive display is provided complete access to all feature choices in a hierarchical menu through a minimum number of menu keys. These menu keys include a "Next" key, a "Back" key, a "Select" key and a "Home" key. These menu keys occupy minimal space on the housing of the telephone terminal, yet enable the user of the terminal to easily scroll to and select every feature in the interactive display. The user is able to quickly develop a mental model of the feature choices and easily navigate through these menu selections. Context-sensitive functionality also is provided for using the interactive display. As a user completes a command function, the feature choice presented to the user for this function is the one most likely to be accessed by the user, thus advantageously avoiding the necessity of having a dedicated key for allowing the user to select this feature choice.
Inventors
- 👤 Joanne W. Davidson
- 👤 William F. Dudley, Jr.
- 👤 David A. Fishman
- 👤 David M. Gresham
- 👤 Kenneth Kasiske
- 👤 Michael L. Moroze
- 👤 Elizabeth Bauer-Nilsen Sanders
- 👤 Alessandro A. Subrizi
- 👤 Susan L. Tuttle
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 23:48
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M1/00; H04M1/72; H04M1/724; H04M1/72469; H04M1/26; H04M1/27; H04M1/274; H04M1/2745; H04M1/27485; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S345/00; Y10S345/902
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
205 words
An arrangement for accessing selectable features of a telephone terminal, the arrangement comprising: means for displaying a plurality of menu screens in a display device at said telephone terminal, each one of the plurality of menu screens containing an indication of one of a plurality of selectable features of said telephone terminal available at each one of a plurality of selectable levels, an indication of the total number of selectable levels associated with said indicated feature, and an indication of which of said associated selectable levels is being displayed; and a plurality of button means coupled to said means for displaying for accessing each one of the plurality of menu screens, a first one of the plurality of button means providing a means for moving from a displayed first menu screen at a first selectable level forward to a second menu screen at said first selectable level, a second one of the plurality of button means providing a means for moving backward from said displayed first menu screen to a third menu screen at said first selectable level, and a third one of the plurality of button means providing a means for selecting one from the plurality of menu screens at a second selectable level.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
205 words
An arrangement for accessing selectable features of a telephone terminal, the arrangement comprising: means for displaying a plurality of menu screens in a display device at said telephone terminal, each one of the plurality of menu screens containing an indication of one of a plurality of selectable features of said telephone terminal available at each one of a plurality of selectable levels, an indication of the total number of selectable levels associated with said indicated feature, and an indication of which of said associated selectable levels is being displayed; and a plurality of button means coupled to said means for displaying for accessing each one of the plurality of menu screens, a first one of the plurality of button means providing a means for moving from a displayed first menu screen at a first selectable level forward to a second menu screen at said first selectable level, a second one of the plurality of button means providing a means for moving backward from said displayed first menu screen to a third menu screen at said first selectable level, and a third one of the plurality of button means providing a means for selecting one from the plurality of menu screens at a second selectable level.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said first button means and said second button means provide access to each one of the menu screens available at said first selectable level.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
The arrangement of claim 2 further including means for configuring said third one of the plurality of button means for selecting a specific one of the plurality of menu screens at said second selectable level from said displayed first menu screen.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The arrangement of claim 3 wherein said first, second and third button means respectively comprise first, second and third hard key buttons located on the telephone terminal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
The arrangement of claim 4 wherein said first hard key button comprises a Next key.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The arrangement of claim 4 wherein said second hard key button comprises a Back key.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The arrangement of claim 4 wherein said third hard key button comprises a Select key.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
The arrangement of claim 1 further including a fourth one of the plurality of button means for executing a command function of said telephone terminal while at said displayed first menu screen.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
The arrangement of claim 8 further including means for selecting a specific one of the plurality of menu screens at said second selectable level for display in response to execution of said command function by said fourth one of the plurality of button means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
53 words
The arrangement of claim 9 further including a fifth one of the plurality of button means for providing a means for moving from any displayed menu screen at any one of the plurality of selectable levels to a specific one of the plurality of menu screens at said first selectable level for display.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The arrangement of claim 10 wherein said fifth button means comprises a hard key button located on the telephone terminal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
The arrangement of claim 11 wherein said fifth hard key button comprises a Home key.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
150 words
An arrangement for accessing selectable features of a telephone terminal, the arrangement comprising: means for displaying a plurality of menu screens in a display device at said telephone terminal, each one of the plurality of menu screens containing an indication of one of a plurality of selectable features of said telephone terminal available at each one of a plurality of selectable levels, an indication of the total number of selectable levels associated with said indicated feature, and an indication of which of said associated selectable levels is being displayed; button means coupled to said means for displaying for executing a command function of said telephone terminal while at a displayed first menu screen at a first selectable level; and means for selecting a specific one of the plurality of menu screens at a second selectable level for display in response to execution of said command function by said button means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
150 words
An arrangement for accessing selectable features of a telephone terminal, the arrangement comprising: means for displaying a plurality of menu screens in a display device at said telephone terminal, each one of the plurality of menu screens containing an indication of one of a plurality of selectable features of said telephone terminal available at each one of a plurality of selectable levels, an indication of the total number of selectable levels associated with said indicated feature, and an indication of which of said associated selectable levels is being displayed; button means coupled to said means for displaying for executing a command function of said telephone terminal while at a displayed first menu screen at a first selectable level; and means for selecting a specific one of the plurality of menu screens at a second selectable level for display in response to execution of said command function by said button means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
The arrangement of claim 13 wherein said command function includes a user entering digits on a keypad at the telephone terminal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
The arrangement of claim 13 wherein said command function includes a user going off-hook into a conversation mode at the telephone terminal.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
The arrangement of claim 13 wherein said command function includes a user going on-hook into a standby mode at the telephone terminal.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
195 words
A method of accessing selectable features of a telephone terminal, the method comprising the steps of: displaying a plurality of menu screens in a display device at said telephone terminal, each one of the plurality of menu screens containing an indication of one of a plurality of selectable features of said telephone terminal available at each one of a plurality of selectable levels, an indication of the total number of selectable levels associated with said indicated feature, and an indication of which of said associated selectable levels is being displayed; and accessing each one of the plurality of menu screens through a user interface compnsing a plurality of buttons, the accessing step activating a first one of the plurality of buttons for moving from a displayed first menu screen at a first selectable level forward to a second menu screen at said first selectable level, a second one of the plurality of buttons for moving backward from said displayed first menu screen to a third menu screen at said first selectable level, and a third one of the plurality of buttons for selecting one from the plurality of menu screens at a second selectable level.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
195 words
A method of accessing selectable features of a telephone terminal, the method comprising the steps of: displaying a plurality of menu screens in a display device at said telephone terminal, each one of the plurality of menu screens containing an indication of one of a plurality of selectable features of said telephone terminal available at each one of a plurality of selectable levels, an indication of the total number of selectable levels associated with said indicated feature, and an indication of which of said associated selectable levels is being displayed; and accessing each one of the plurality of menu screens through a user interface compnsing a plurality of buttons, the accessing step activating a first one of the plurality of buttons for moving from a displayed first menu screen at a first selectable level forward to a second menu screen at said first selectable level, a second one of the plurality of buttons for moving backward from said displayed first menu screen to a third menu screen at said first selectable level, and a third one of the plurality of buttons for selecting one from the plurality of menu screens at a second selectable level.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 17 wherein said first button and said second button provide access to each one of the menu screens available at said first selectable level.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 18 further including the step of configuring said third one of the plurality of buttons for selecting a specific one of the plurality of menu screens at said second selectable level from said displayed first menu screen.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 17 further including the step of executing a command function of said telephone terminal while at said displayed first menu screen, said executing step being activated through a fourth one of the plurality of buttons.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 20 further including the step of selecting a specific one of the plurality of menu screens at said second selectable level for display in response to execution of said command function by said fourth one of the plurality of buttons.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 21 wherein the accessing step activates a fifth one of the plurality of buttons for moving from any displayed menu screen at any one of the plurality of selectable levels to a specific one of the plurality of menu screens at said first selectable level for display.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
137 words
A method of accessing selectable features of a telephone terminal, the method comprising the steps of: displaying a plurality of menu screens in a display device at said telephone terminal, each one of the plurality of menu screens containing an indication of one of a plurality of selectable features of said telephone terminal available at each one of a plurality of selectable levels, an indication of the total number of selectable levels associated with said indicated feature, and an indication of which of said associated selectable levels is being displayed; executing a command function of said telephone terminal while at a displayed first menu screen at a first selectable level; and selecting a specific one of the plurality of menu screens at a second selectable level for display in response to the execution of said command function.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
137 words
A method of accessing selectable features of a telephone terminal, the method comprising the steps of: displaying a plurality of menu screens in a display device at said telephone terminal, each one of the plurality of menu screens containing an indication of one of a plurality of selectable features of said telephone terminal available at each one of a plurality of selectable levels, an indication of the total number of selectable levels associated with said indicated feature, and an indication of which of said associated selectable levels is being displayed; executing a command function of said telephone terminal while at a displayed first menu screen at a first selectable level; and selecting a specific one of the plurality of menu screens at a second selectable level for display in response to the execution of said command function.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 23 wherein said command function includes a user entering digits on a keypad at the telephone terminal.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 23 wherein said command function includes a user going off-hook into a conversation mode at the telephone terminal.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 23 wherein said command function includes a user going on-hook into a standby mode at the telephone terminal.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-06-29 | 2001-12-29 | 2002-06-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-06-29 | 2005-12-29 | 2006-06-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-06-29 | 2009-12-29 | 2010-06-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |