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US 7,454,713 B2Granted
Apparatus, methods and computer program products providing menu expansion and organization functions
AssigneeSony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB
InventorsKarin Spalink, James B Cunningham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Display of menu items on a display of an electronic device, such as a cellphone or other portable device, is managed by defining first and second menus including respective first and second groups of menu items (e.g., graphic icons and/or text), wherein the first group of menu items is a subset of the second group of menu items. The device transitions from display of the first menu to display of the second menu responsive to user activation of a menu expansion function. Menu items may be organized responsive to user input.
Claims27
A method of managing display of menu items on a display of an electronic device, the method comprising:
- defining first and second menus comprising respective first and second groups of individually selectable menu items, wherein the first group of menu items is a subset of the second group of menu items;
- displaying the first menu as a first rectangular array having plural rows and plural columns of individually selectable menu items;
- responsive to user activation of a menu expansion function, displaying the second menu as a second rectangular array having a greater number of rows and/or columns of individually selectable menu items than the first rectangular array;
- defining a third menu comprising a third group of individually selectable menu items, wherein the first and second groups of menu items are subsets of the third group of menu items;
- responsive to user activation of a menu expansion function, transitioning from display of the second rectangular array to display of the third menu as a third rectangular array having a greater number of rows and/or columns of individually selectable menu items than the second rectangular array;
- and
- responsive to user activation of a menu reduction function, transitioning from display of the third rectangular array to display of the first rectangular array.
4 more elements
An electronic device, comprising:
- a display;
- a user input device;
- and
- a processor operatively associated with the user input device and the display, the processor configured to define first and second menus comprising respective first and second groups of individually selectable menu items, the first group of menu items a subset of the second group of menu items, to display the first menu as a first rectangular array having plural rows and plural columns of individually selectable menu items, responsive to user activation of a menu expansion function via the user input device, to display the second menu as a second rectangular array having a greater number of rows and/or columns of individually selectable menu items than the first rectangular array, to define a third menu comprising a third group of individually selectable menu items, the first and second groups of menu items subsets of the third group of menu items, to transition from display of the second rectangular array to display of the third menu as a third rectangular array having a greater number of rows and/or columns of individually selectable menu items than the second rectangular array responsive to user activation of a menu expansion function via the user input device and to transition from display of the third rectangular array to display of the first rectangular array responsive to user activation of a menu reduction function via the user input device.
1 more element
A program product for managing display of menu items on a display of an electronic device, the program product comprising code embodied in a processor-accessible medium, the code comprising:
- code configured to define first and second menus comprising respective first and second groups of individually selectable menu items, wherein the first group of menu items is a subset of the second group of menu items;
- code configured to display the first menu as a first rectangular array having plural rows and plural columns of individually selectable menu items and, responsive to user activation of a menu expansion function, to display the second menu as a second rectangular array having a greater number of rows and/or columns of individually selectable menu items than the first rectangular array;
- and
- code configured to define a third menu comprising a third group of individually selectable menu items, the first and second groups of menu items subsets of the third group of menu items, to transition from display of the second rectangular array to display of the third menu as a third rectangular array having a greater number of rows and/or columns of individually selectable menu items than the second rectangular array responsive to user activation of a menu expansion function via the user input device and to transition from display of the third rectangular array to display of the first rectangular array responsive to user activation of a menu reduction function via the user input device.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.