User interface methods and apparatus for controlling the visual display of maps having selectable map elements in mobile communication devices

A mobile communication device, comprising:

• a wireless transceiver;
• one or more processors coupled to the wireless transceiver;
• a user interface coupled to the one or more processors and including:
• a positioning mechanism;
• a visual display;
• the one or more processors being operative to:
• cause a viewable map region of a map to be visually displayed in the display, the viewable map region including a plurality of point of interest (POI) indicators displayed therein, the viewable moo further including one or more off-map indicators displayed therein, each off-map indicator indicating a POI indicator which is outside of the viewable map region but within a predetermined range thereof;
• when the positioning mechanism is configured to provide upwards and downwards movement, control user interface operation for the viewable map region based on the stored list of element identifiers by:
• in response to detecting a forward direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism when a cursor in the display is on a current POI or off-map indicator:
• causing the cursor in the display to be repositioned in an upwards direction onto a next POI or off-map indicator in the viewable map region without panning the viewable map region, but if the cursor is on a topmost POI or off-map indicator when the forward direction positioning signal is detected, then causing the viewable map region of the map to be panned in the display in the upwards direction;
• in response to detecting a reverse direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism when the cursor is on the current POI or off-map indicator:
• causing the cursor in the display to be repositioned in a downwards direction onto a previous POI or off-map indicator in the viewable map region without panning the viewable map region, but if the cursor is on a bottommost POI or off-map indicator when the reverse direction positioning signal is detected, the causing the map to be panned in the display in the downwards direction;
• when the positioning mechanism is configured to provide leftwards and rightwards movement, control the user interface operation for the viewable map region by:
• in response to detecting a forward direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism when the cursor is on the current POI or off-map indicator:
• causing the cursor to be repositioned in a rightwards direction onto a next POI or off-map indicator in the viewable map region without panning the viewable map region, but if the cursor is on a rightmost POI or off-map indicator when the forward direction positioning signal is detected, then causing the viewable map region of the map to be panned in the display in the rightwards direction;
• and
• in response to detecting a reverse direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism when the cursor is on the current POI or off-map indicator:
• causing the cursor in the display to be repositioned in a leftwards direction onto a previous POI or off-map indicator in the viewable map region without panning the viewable map region, but if the cursor is on a leftmost POI or off-map indicator when the reverse direction positioning signal is detected, then causing the map to be panned in the display in the leftwards direction.

A method for use in controlling user interface operation of a communication device, the method comprising the acts of:

• causing a viewable map region of a map to be visually displayed in a display, the viewable map region including a plurality of point of interest (POI) indicators, the viewable map region further including one or more off-map indicators displayed therein, each off-map indicator indicating a POI indicator which is outside of the viewable map region but within a predetermined range thereof;
• controlling end user selection of the POI and off-map indicators via a positioning mechanism in left and right directions in accordance with an order of x-coordinates of the POI and off-map indicators, by:
• in response to detecting a rightwards direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism when a cursor in the display is on a current POI or off-map indicator:
• causing the cursor of the display to be repositioned in a rightwards direction onto a next POI or off-map indicator in the viewable map region without panning the viewable map region, but if the cursor is on a rightmost POI or off-map indicator when the rightwards direction positioning signal is detected, then causing the viewable map region of the map to be panned in the display in the rightwards direction;
• in response to detecting a leftwards direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism when the cursor is on the current POI or off-map indicator:
• causing the cursor in the display to be repositioned in a leftwards direction onto a previous POI or off-map indicator in the viewable map region without panning the viewable map region, but if the cursor is on a leftmost POI or off-map indicator when the reverse direction positioning signal is detected, then causing the map to be panned in the display in the leftwards direction;
• further controlling end user selection of the POI and off-map indicators via the positioning mechanism in up and down directions in accordance with an order of y-coordinates of the POI and off-map indicators, by:
• in response to detecting a upwards direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism when the cursor is on the current POI or off-map indicator:
• causing the cursor in the display to be repositioned in an upwards direction onto a next POI or off-map indicator in the viewable map region without panning the viewable map region, but if the cursor is on a topmost POI or off-map indicator when the upwards direction positioning signal is detected, then causing the viewable map region of the map to be panned in the display in the upwards direction;
• and
• in response to detecting a downwards direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism when the cursor is on the current POI or off-map indicator:
• causing the cursor in the display to be repositioned in a downwards direction onto a previous POI or off-map indicator in the viewable map region without panning the viewable map region, but if the cursor is on a bottommost POI or off-map indicator when the downwards direction positioning signal is detected, then causing the map to be panned in the display in the downwards direction.

A mobile communication device, comprising:

• a wireless transceiver;
• one or more processors coupled to the wireless transceiver;
• a user interface coupled to the one or more processors and including:
• a visual display;
• a positioning mechanism;
• the one or more processors being operative to:
• cause a viewable map region of a map to be visually displayed in the display, the viewable map region including a plurality of point of interest (POT) indicators displayed therein, the viewable map region further including one or more off-map indicators displayed therein, each off-map indicator identifying a POT indicator which is outside of the viewable map region but within a redetermined range thereof;
• control end user selection of the POT or off-map indicators via the positioning mechanism in left and right directions in accordance with an order of x-coordinates of the POT or off-map indicators, by:
• in response to detecting a rightwards direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism from the positioning mechanism when a cursor in the display is on a current POT or off-map indicator:
• causing a cursor of the display to be repositioned in a rightwards direction onto a next POT or off-map indicator in the viewable map region without panning the viewable map region, but if the cursor is on a rightmost POT or off-map indicator when the rightwards direction positioning signal is detected, then causing the viewable map region of the map to be panned in the display in the rightwards direction;
• in response to detecting a leftwards direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism when the cursor is on the current POI or off-map indicator:
• causing the cursor in the display to be repositioned in a leftwards direction onto a previous POI or off-map indicator in the viewable map region without panning the viewable map region, but if the cursor is on a leftmost POI or off-map indicator when the reverse direction positioning signal is detected, then causing the map to be panned in the display in the leftwards direction;
• further control end user selection of the POI or off-map indicators via the positioning mechanism in up and down directions in accordance with an order of y-coordinates of the POI or off-map indicators, by:
• in response to detecting a upwards direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism when the cursor is on the current POI or off-map indicator:
• causing the cursor in the display to be repositioned in an upwards direction onto a next POI or off-map indicator in the viewable map region without panning the viewable map region, but if the cursor is on a topmost POI or off-map indicator when the upwards direction positioning signal is detected, then causing the viewable map region of the map to be panned in the display in the upwards direction;
• and
• in response to detecting a downwards direction positioning signal from the positioning mechanism when the cursor is on the current POI or off-map indicator:
• causing the cursor in the display to be repositioned in a downwards direction onto a previous POI or off-map indicator in the viewable map region without panning the viewable map region, but if the cursor is on a bottommost POI or off-map, indicator when the downwards direction positioning signal is detected, then causing the map to be panned in the display in the downwards direction.