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Mobile phone having hinting capabilities for operation function selection

Mobile phone having hinting capabilities for operation function selection description/claims

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/686,504 filed Oct. 14, 2003, from which priority is claimed under all applicable sections of Title 35 of the United States Code including, but not limited to, Sections 120, 121, and 365(c).

1. Technical Field

The present invention deals generally with user operation of portable electronic devices and deals more particularly with mobile telephones such as a cellular telephone having hinting capabilities for making a user aware of possible next functions available for selection.

2. Discussion of Related Art

There has been an increasing demand for more and more features in portable electronic devices, particularly mobile telephones such as for example, cellular telephones. Generally, the operation of the features are carried out by operating a combination of one or more keys which may be selection keys or alphanumeric keys such as typically found on and used with cellular telephones. One such prior art cellular telephone is shown in FIG. 1 and generally designated 10. The cellular telephone includes a display 12 for displaying text and/or graphics, selection keys 14, 16 for selecting desired operational functionalities of the cellular phone, keypad means generally designated 18 for inputting alphanumeric characters to the phone, a scrolling means generally designated 20 which may be part of the keypad 18 for navigating operative sub-functionalities within a selected operational functionality, and various control keys 22 and 24, for example, to send a call or end a call. The alphanumeric keys 26, 26 may be part of a physical keypad 18 as illustrated or may be part of a virtual keypad, for example a keypad representation on the display screen of the device (not shown) and operated in a well known manner including pen and touch screen operation.

Many of the features included with the portable electronic device such as the cellular telephone are complex and their operation may be menu driven with multiple selection options available through nested sub-menus as illustrated in cascading menu form in FIG. 2 for example. Often, the menu sub-operation selections are not intuitive and cause the user to guess at which operations or key selections should be made to perform the desired operation selection for a given selected desired function.

Further, other features and functions may not be frequently used to enable the user to memorize the necessary sequence of operation steps to carry out the desired selected function much less to become proficient with the operation of the desired feature. Generally, user manuals accompany the portable electronic device to explain the step-by-step operations necessary to carry out the desired function. Obviously, it is inconvenient to carry and time consuming to refer to the user manual each time the user wants to select and operate a feature, particularly an unfamiliar feature or function. It is difficult, even with the user's manual to know with certainty which menu selection step to take in the sequence of steps to carry out or progress in the desired feature or function. Even with practice it takes some time to learn with confidence the steps and possible operational functions available for selection to carry out the desired feature or function.

It would be desirable to provide portable electronic devices such as mobile telephones and particularly cellular telephones that overcome the limitations and deficiencies of the prior art in learning, selecting, and operating desired features and functions of the device.

It would be further desirable if a user of the device could be made aware without guessing of possible operation functions available for selection in a desired chosen function.

Accordingly, what is needed is a way to provide a portable electronic device such as a mobile telephone and particularly a cellular telephone with hinting capabilities to make a user aware of next possible operation functions available for selection in a desired chosen function.

What is also needed is a way to provide a method for use in a portable electronic device such as a mobile telephone and particularly a cellular telephone that serves as a learning tool to assist a user to learn the necessary operation functions in a desired chosen function.

In accordance with a first broad aspect of the invention, one or more modules are arranged and configured for determining in a device an operational context of a given functionality, providing in response to the determined operational context one or more operative sub-functionalities for selection associated with the determined operational context, and hinting at one or more one next probable operative sub-functionalities of the one or more operative sub-functionalities associated with the determined operational context. In some embodiments, at least one next probable operative sub-functionality is communicated via a suitable alerting mechanism, wherein the suitable alerting mechanism is a first text menu list of suggested operative sub-functionalities available for selection, the first text menu list being shown on a display in response to a chosen desired operational context. In some embodiments, the suitable alerting mechanism comprises one or more selection hinting indicators configured and arranged for activation each of which is associated with a next probable operative sub-functionality. In some embodiments, a text menu list containing at least one next probable operative sub-functionality is displayed in response to the operation of a corresponding one of the one or more selection hinting indicators. In some embodiments, one or more modules is further configured and arranged for deactivating the suitable alerting mechanism. In some embodiments, the suitable alerting mechanism further comprises one or more user action prompting instructions. In some embodiments, the user action prompting instruction is a text message representation. In some embodiments, the user action prompting instruction is a graphic message representation. In some embodiments, the activated selection hinting indicator is illuminated. In some embodiments, the activated selection hinting indicator is arranged to flash on and off. In some embodiments, the activated selection hinting indicator is color illuminated. In some embodiments, the suitable alerting mechanism comprises one or more selection hinting indicators graphically represented on the display each of which graphically represented selection hinting indicators is configured and associated with a next probable operative sub-functionality corresponding to the given operational context and sequence progression step in the selected desired operational sub-functionality. In some embodiments, the hinting indicators respond to contact by a screen touch operation. In some embodiments, the apparatus is configured as a mobile phone. In some embodiments, the suitable alerting mechanism comprises one or more distinctive tones each of which tones corresponds to a given selection hinting indicator associated with a next probable operative sub-functionality available for user selection. In some embodiments, the suitable alerting mechanism comprises an icon of a selection hinting indicator corresponding to a short-cut key for carrying out the operational sequence progression steps corresponding to the selected desired operational sub-functionality. In some embodiments, the apparatus has at least one menu driven operational functionality. In some embodiments, one or more modules are arranged and configured for hinting at one or more one next probable operative sub-functionalities is arranged for voice announcement of the one or more hinted next feature selections available from a list of features in the menu driven operational functionality. In some embodiments, the hinting at one or more one next probable operative sub-functionalities is arranged for voice recognition for responding to a spoken feature selection.

In accordance with a second broad aspect of the invention, an operational context of a given functionality is determined in a device. One or more operative sub-functionalities for selection associated with the determined operational context are provided in response to the determined operational context. One or more next probable operative sub-functionalities of the one or more operative sub-functionalities associated with the determined operational context are hinted at. In some embodiments, all operative sub-functionalities available for selection are identified. In some embodiments, a suitable alerting mechanism of the device is associated with each of the operative sub-functionalities as a hinting indicator. In some embodiments, the hinting indicator for hinting of its availability for selection as a next probable operational sub-functionality is activated. In some embodiments, the hinting indicator is illuminated. In some embodiments, the hinting indicator is illuminated in a color. In some embodiments, the hinting indicator is illuminated by flashing on and off. In some embodiments, an icon representing the associated hinting indicator is shown on a display of the device for hinting of its availability for selection as a next probable operational sub-functionality. In some embodiments, the associated hinting indicator is a short-cut key. In some embodiments, one or more distinctive audio tones is provided, each of which tones corresponds to an identified associated hinting indicator. In some embodiments, one or more of the associated hinting indicators are activated to select the operational functionality corresponding to the activated associated hinting indicator. In some embodiments, one or more of the associated hinting indicators are activated through voice recognition operation by speaking the name of the hinting indicator. In some embodiments, a hinting indicator responds to contact by a screen touch operation.

A third broad aspect of the invention provides a computer program product with a program code, which program code is stored on a machine readable carrier, for carrying out a method comprising determining in a device an operational context of a given functionality, providing in response to the determined operational context, one or more operative sub-functionalities for selection associated with the determined operational context, and hinting at one or more next probable operative sub-functionalities of the one or more available operative sub-functionalities associated with the determined operational context.

In accordance with a fourth broad aspect of the invention, an apparatus comprises means for determining in a device an operational context of a given functionality, means for providing in response to the determined operational context one or more operative sub-functionalities for selection associated with the determined operational context, and means for hinting at one or more one next probable operative sub-functionalities of the one or more operative sub-functionalities associated with the determined operational context.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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