# US 7,706,831 B2 · Simplified intuitive cell phone user interface > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,706,831 B2 - Document ID: US7706831B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/452,110 - Filed: 2006-06-13 - Published: 2007-04-19 - Granted: 2010-04-27 - Earliest claimed: 2005-06-13 - Assignees: Dyna LLC - Inventors: Brian Thomas Richardson; Arlene Joy Harris; Virginia Ellen Beneke; Mary Cozza; Michael S. Dawes; Susan M. Duthie - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7706831B2 ## CPC - H04M 1/72475: specially adapted for disabled users - H04M 1/72436: for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails - H04M 1/72469: for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons - H04M 1/0214: {Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position (combined with translation movement H04M1/0235)} - H04M 1/0245: {using open/close detection} - H04M 1/271: {controlled by voice recognition} - H04M 1/72424: with manual activation of emergency-service functions - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract A portable communications device, e.g., a cell phone with a simplified user interface and easy to use keys is described. The user interface supports book type and circular type applications. Book interface type applications are applications in which a user is stopped from moving beyond the last page when a next page operation is selected. In circular applications a user is allowed to move from the last page of an application to the first page of the application by selecting a next page option. Regardless of the application type, in response to a displayed page a user, in some embodiments, is presented with at most 4 options. This allows navigation between applications, pages and selection of actions corresponding to pages to be supported using relatively few keys, e.g., 4 keys, thereby allowing the number of keys on the phone to be kept small and the key size large. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of implementing a user interface on a cell phone including memory comprising: storing in said memory, a first set of information corresponding to application pages of an application of a first type, said first type being a book presentation type; storing in said memory, a second set of information corresponding to application pages of an application of a second type, said second type being a circular presentation type; presenting one application page at a time to a user, the user being provided at most four input options in response to a displayed application page; responding to user input after presentation of an application page, said response including one of up to four possible responses depending on which one of the up to four input options is selected by the user; repeating said presenting and responding steps a plurality of times; wherein the first application being of a first type, said first type being a book type application wherein in said responding step the user is enabled to progress in sequential order from a current page in the first application to the next page in the first application when the current presentation page is not the last presentation page and from a current presentation page in the first application to a previous presentation page when the current presentation page is not the first presentation page, the user being prevented from proceeding from the first presentation page in the first application directly to the last presentation page of the application and being precluded from proceeding from the last presentation page of the first application to the first page of the first application; and wherein the second application is of a second type, said second type being a circular type application wherein in said responding step the user is enabled to progress in sequential order from a current page in the second application to a next page in the second application, when a next page option is selected, the first page of the application being the next page from the last page of the application, and wherein the user is able to progress in reverse sequential order from a current page in the second application to a previous page in the second application in response to a previous page option being selected, the last page being a previous page to the first page. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing information indicating an application presentation ordering, the ordering indicating an order in which first through Nth applications are to be presented; and wherein the step of presenting one application page at a time to the user includes presenting at least one page from each application in the indicated presentation order prior to presenting a page from a next application included in said application presentation ordering. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: after presenting at least one page from the last application indicated in said application presentation ordering, presenting a page from the first application indicated in said presentation ordering when said user selects an input option indicating a selection to move to the next application. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the first application is a phonebook application. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: prompting the user with dial prompt after displaying a telephone application page including a name or number corresponding to a telephone number which can be dialed. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein said dial prompt is presented only when a connection with a base station sufficient to complete a telephone call has been established. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: lighting input keys which can be used to provide a valid input corresponding to a displayed page; and de-lighting input keys which can not be used to provide a valid input corresponding to a displayed page. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing, for each application, information indicating the total number of presentation pages in said application, each presentation page corresponding to one screen of information to be presented to the user. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of said first and second applications includes subpages, the method further comprising: storing information on the number of subpages for each page of said at least one of said first and second applications for which there is a subpage. ### Claim 10 A cellular telephone, comprising: a memory including a first set of information corresponding to application pages of an application of a first type, said first type being a book presentation type, and a second set of information corresponding to application pages of an application of a second type, said second type being a circular presentation type; means for presenting one application page at a time to a user, the user being provided at most four input options in response to a displayed application page; means for responding to user input after presentation of an application page, said response including one of up to four possible response depending one which one of the up to four input options is selected by the user; means for repeating said presenting and responding steps a plurality of times; wherein the first application being of a first type, said first type being a book type application wherein in said responding step the user is enabled to progress in sequential order from a current page in the first application to the next page in the first application when the current presentation page is not the last presentation page and from a current presentation page in the first application to a previous presentation page when the current presentation page is not the first presentation page, the user being prevented from proceeding from the first presentation page in the first application directly to the last presentation page of the application and being precluded from proceeding from the last presentation page of the first application to the first page of the first application; and wherein the second application is of a second type, said second type being a circular type application wherein in said responding step the user is enabled to progress in sequential order from a current page in the second application to a next page in the second application, when a next page option is selected, the first page of the application being the next page from the last page of the application, and wherein the user is enable to progress in reverse sequential order from a current page in the second application to a previous page in the second application in response to a previous page option being selected, the last page being a previous page to the first page. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The cell phone of claim 10, further comprising: a set of stored information indicating an application presentation ordering, the ordering indicating an order in which first through Nth applications are to be presented; and wherein the means for presenting one application page at a time to the user includes means for presenting at least one page from each application in the indicated presentation order prior to presenting a page from a next application included in said application presentation ordering. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The cell phone claim 11, further comprising: means for presenting a page from the first application indicated in said presentation ordering when said user selects an input option indicating a selection to move to the next application, after presenting at least one page from the last application indicated in said application presentation ordering. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The cell phone of claim 12, wherein the first application is a phonebook application, each page corresponding to a different phone number which can be called. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The cell phone of claim 13, further comprising: means for prompting the user with dial prompt after displaying a telephone application page including a name or number corresponding to a telephone number which can be dialed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The cell phone of claim 14, wherein said means for prompting the user with a dial prompt, presents the dial prompt only when a connection with a base station sufficient to complete a telephone call has been established. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The cell phone of claim 15, further comprising: control means for lighting input keys which can be used to provide a valid input corresponding to a displayed page; and for de-lighting input keys which can not be used to provide a value input corresponding to a displayed page. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The cell phone of claim 10, further comprising: stored information, for each application, indicating the total number of presentation pages in said application, each presentation page corresponding to one screen of information to be presented to the user. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The cell phone of claim 17, wherein at least one of said first and second applications includes subpages, the cell phone further comprising: stored information indicating the number of subpages for each page of said at least one of said first and second applications for which there is a subpage.