Abstract:
Mobile phone application graphically shrinks a display in response to a flick down in right or left diagonal direction, thereby enabling easier operation with a single hand. Soft keys in a menu bar are provided at the bottom of the display conveniently to facilitate single hand use.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    As mobile communication devices, such as cellphone, tablets, and other wireless communication products, are provided with larger, or in some cases smaller, graphical user touch displays, there is increasingly a need to facilitate user interaction manually and automatically, e.g., so that a user may hold and control such larger or smaller device comfortably with one hand, and do something different (e.g., hold a cup of coffee) safely with another hand. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0002]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate a pair of exemplary display screens of a mobile device configured to implement one or more aspect of a cellphone manager system and method as described herein. 
           [0003]      FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary wireless telecommunication system configured to operate with various mobile devices to implement one or more aspect of a cellphone manager system and method as described herein. 
           [0004]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary flow chart of general operational steps to operate one or more mobile device configured to implement one or more aspect of a cellphone manager system and method as described herein. 
           [0005]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate a pair of optional display screens of a mobile device configured to implement one or more aspect of a cellphone manager system and method as described herein. 
           [0006]      FIG. 5A  illustrates an approach where the soft buttons disappear when they would otherwise be closely adjacent to corresponding hard buttons while  FIG. 5B  illustrates an approach where the soft buttons are maintained even in a full screen mode when there are no corresponding hard buttons closely adjacent to the soft buttons. 
           [0007]      FIG. 6A  illustrates an approach where the soft buttons are maintained in a full screen mode even if there are corresponding hard buttons when the orientation of the mobile device is such that the hard buttons might otherwise be difficult to access with a single hand while  FIG. 6B  shows that the soft buttons are maintained even as the device is adjusted to a smaller non-full screen mode. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0008]    Generally a mobile, portable, wireless, or other network-accessible computing device is configured for executing one or more software application that runs on a processor of the computing device to provide automated operations to display by the processor a first screen area on the computing device, detect by the processor single-hand touch input by the user on the computing device, and display by the processor according to such one or more software applications a second screen area automatically on the computing device in response to the detected user touch input, such that the second screen area includes a graphic shrink, enlarge or other graphical modification of the first screen area. The user single-hand touch input may be a diagonally rightward, leftward, or other pre-defined single-hand finger flick touch by the user. 
         [0009]    Also, the user single-hand touch input may correspond with user audio input provided simultaneously with detected touch input, such that audio and touch inputs cause the processor automatically to display graphic shrink or enlarge modification. Furthermore, user single-hand touch input may correspond with user shaking motion of the computer device provided simultaneously with detected touch input, such that shaking motion and touch inputs cause the processor automatically to display the graphic shrink or enlarge modification. Moreover, user single-hand touch input may be detected by the processor on a non-display surface of the computing device. In addition, user single-hand touch input may be configurably detected by the processor according to a secure authentication or user signature. For example, automatic detection by the processor of at least one authentication text, symbolic, audio, or gesture input, as well as user signature or unique input alpha/numeric code may be processed in real-time, optionally in a manner that is user-configurable or otherwise personalizable. 
         [0010]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate a pair of exemplary display screens  10 ,  10 ′ of a mobile device  20  configured by a processor  24  to implement one or more aspect of a manager system and method as described herein. Exemplary mobile devices  20  may include, without limitation, a mobile device, cellular phone, a smart-phone, a super-phone, a tablet computer, a next generation portable device, a handheld computer, a secure voice communication equipment, networking hardware, or some other computing system and/or device having a touch screen interface display of the type discussed herein. 
         [0011]    As shown, both  FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate relatively larger display screens  10 ,  10 ′ (e.g., shown in “full screen” mode) compared correspondingly to relatively smaller display screens  12 ,  12 ′ that represent less than the total surface area of a full screen mode. Such relatively larger and smaller display screens  10 ,  10 ′,  12 ,  12 ′ each respectively may display various correspondingly larger and smaller menu selection hard buttons  16 ,  16 ′ and soft buttons  16 ,  16 ′, respectively along the bottom edge of each such display screens  10 ,  10 ′,  12 ,  12 ′; although it is contemplated optionally that such menu selection soft buttons  14 ,  14 ′, may be displayed along the top or side edges as well. Such buttons may be configurable or otherwise personalizable. Hard buttons  16  and  16 ′, typically being mechanical in nature, may include such things as a feedback mechanism in the form of a tactile reactive surface. Such a surface may include a physical key that is biased into a non-active orientation. A biasing device such as a spring may be disposed between the tactile reactive surface of the key and a base surface. When key  16  or  16 ′ is physically depressed, it may temporarily move from its non-active orientation to an active orientation overcoming the biasing force of the spring to send a signal, the key returning to its non-active orientation by way of the biasing force, when no longer physically depressed. While also providing feedback, soft buttons  14 ,  14 ′ may rely on other mechanisms such as sound in place of a force based mechanism to let a user know when a key has been activated. 
         [0012]    In one exemplary approach, soft buttons  14 ,  14 ′ are software-implemented graphically relatively smaller replicas of actual physical hard buttons  16 ,  16 ′ of the mobile device  20 , such that soft buttons  14 ,  14 ′ are generated automatically by processor  24  when larger display  10 ,  10 ′ is invoked by the user to shrink the display so that it corresponds to the illustrated smaller display  12 ,  12 ′. Both soft and hard buttons  14 ,  14 ′,  16 ,  16 ′ may functionally respond in an equivalent manner as input keys to user selection. For example, as shown in  FIG. 1A , hard button  16   a  corresponds to soft button  14   a,  hard button  16   b  corresponds to soft button  14   b,  and hard button  16   c  corresponds to soft button  14   c.  While three buttons  14 ,  14 ′,  16 ,  16 ′ are illustrated, the number of buttons may be increased or decreased. 
         [0013]    An advantage of such an approach is that the functionality that is available by way of hard buttons  16  and  16 ′ when using display screens  10  or  10 ′, respectively, remain available when the screen size is reduced to that shown with respect to display screens  12  or  12 ′. However, rather than having to utilize hard buttons  16  or  16 ′, which may be hard to reach, the corresponding soft buttons  14  or  14 ′ with the same functionality may be easily reached and manipulated (e.g., with one hand) since they are associated with the smaller screen size. In one exemplary approach, the relative location of each of keys  16  or  16 ′ in relation to screen  10  or  10 ′ is proportionally matched with respect to soft buttons  14  or  14 ′ in relation to the smaller screen size  12  or  12 ′. Thus, as illustrated, at least one hard button  16  or  16 ′ is at a fixed location in relation to the first screen area represented by either display screen  10  or display screen  10 ′ and at least one soft button  14  or  14 ′ at a fixed location in relation to the second screen area represented by either display screen  12  or display screen  12 ′. The fixed location of the at least one hard button  16  or  16 ′ in relation to the first screen area may be proportionally matched by the at least one soft button  14  or  14 ′ in relation to the second screen area. 
         [0014]    Furthermore,  FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate respectively user single touch input flick or finger drag movement diagonally upward or downward, such that in  FIG. 1A , for example, a right diagonal downward user touch flick movement automatically causes larger display screen  10  to shrink graphically to corresponding smaller display screen  12 , and in  FIG. 1B , for example, a left diagonal downward user touch flick movement automatically causes larger display screen  10 ′ to shrink graphically to corresponding smaller display screen  12 ′. Such exemplary display screens  10 ,  10 ′,  12 ,  12 ′ illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B  are not intended to be limiting. Indeed, additional or alternative display screens, components and/or implementations may be used. 
         [0015]      FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary wireless telecommunication system simplified block diagram configured to operate with various mobile or other communication devices  20  coupled wirelessly or wired to one or more digital communication networks  29  for audio, video, text, or other media telecommunication to implement one or more aspect of a cellphone manager system and method as described herein. Generally device  20  includes a user touch-activatable or otherwise sensitive graphic display screen for electronic input/output (I/O)  22  for enabling user single-hand entry manipulation, a processor  24  that executes one or more applications such as a cellphone manager system or method contemplated herein, a memory  26  for storing various applications and data accessible and executable by processor  24 , and a network interface  28  that enables wireless or wired communication between device  20  and network  29  as well as other network devices coupled thereto. Device  20  may take many different forms and include multiple and/or alternate components and facilities. While an exemplary device  20  is shown in  FIG. 20 , the exemplary components illustrated in  FIG. 2  are not intended to be limiting. Indeed, additional or alternative components and/or implementations may be used. 
         [0016]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary flow chart of general operational steps  32 ,  34 ,  36  to operate one or more mobile device  20  configured to implement one or more aspect of a large cellphone manager system and method as described herein. In particular, one or more applications may be stored in memory  26  or otherwise accessible from other network-accessible device or storage via network  29  to implement automatically a cellphone manager system and method, for example, computer software program or other instructions that enable processor  24  to cause an initial screen display to be generated  32  graphically via I/O element  22 , as shown via exemplary display of  FIGS. 1A and 1B . Moreover, the cellphone manager system and method executes such computer software program or other instruction to enable processor  24  to detect  34  one or more user touch input on display screen I/O  22  of device  20 . It is contemplated that such detection automatically facilitates user single-hand touch input including predefined touch patterns, such as a diagonally rightward or leftward upward or downward finger flick touch  18 ,  18 ′ by the user on display screen I/O  22 . Accordingly, the cellphone manager system and method executes such computer software program or other instruction to enable processor  24  to display another screen area  12 ,  12 ′ automatically on device  20  in response to such detected user touch input  18 ,  18 ′, whereupon such other screen area  12 ,  12 ′ represents a smaller shrink or larger enlargement that respectively modifies the initial screen area  10 ,  10 ′, and such display screen input flicking action may conveniently enable single-hand automatic resizing of the working screen area  12 ,  12 ′ to toggle conveniently between larger  10 ,  10 ′ and smaller  12 , 12 ′ display options. 
         [0017]    Alternatively the cellphone manager system and method may be embodied not just as computer software program or other instructions executable by processor  24 , but also as hardware or firmware, or combinations of software, hardware and/or firmware, as one or multiple functional modules. 
         [0018]    Optionally, it is contemplated that the user single-hand touch input may correspond with user audio input provided simultaneously with detected touch input, such that audio and touch inputs cause the processor automatically to display graphic shrink or enlarge modification. Furthermore, user single-hand touch input may correspond with user shaking motion of the computer device provided simultaneously with detected touch input, such that shaking motion and touch inputs cause the processor automatically to display the graphic shrink or enlarge modification. Moreover, user single-hand touch input may be detected by the processor on a non-display surface of the computing device. In addition, user single-hand touch input may be configurably detected by the processor according to a secure authentication or user signature. For example, automatic detection by the processor of at least one authentication text, symbolic, audio, or gesture input, as well as user signature or unique input alpha/numeric code may be processed in real-time, optionally in a manner that is user-configurable or otherwise personalizable. 
         [0019]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate a pair of optional exemplary display screens  40 ,  40 ′ of the same or other mobile device  20  configured by processor  24  to implement one or more aspect of a cellphone manager system and method as described herein. As shown, both  FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate relatively larger display screens  40 ,  40 ′ compared correspondingly to relatively smaller display screens  42 ,  42 ′. Such relatively larger and smaller display screens  40 ,  40 ′,  42 ,  42 ′ each respectively may display various correspondingly larger and smaller menu selection hard buttons  46 ,  46 ′ and soft buttons  44 ,  44 ′, respectively along the bottom edge of each such display screens  40 ,  40 ′,  42 ,  42 ′; although it is contemplated optionally that such menu selection soft buttons  44 ,  44 ′ may be displayed along the top or side edges as well. Such buttons may be configurable or otherwise personalizable. 
         [0020]    In one exemplary approach, soft buttons  44 ,  44 ′ are software-implemented graphically relatively smaller replicas of actual physical hard buttons  46 ,  46 ′ of the mobile device  20 , such that soft buttons  44 ,  44 ′ are generated automatically by processor  24  when larger display  40 ,  40 ′ is invoked by the user to shrink the display so that it corresponds to the illustrated smaller display  42 ,  42 ′. Both soft and hard buttons  44 ,  44 ′,  46 ,  46 ′ may functionally respond in an equivalent manner as input keys to user selection. For example, as shown in  FIG. 4A , hard button  46   a  corresponds to soft button  44   a,  hard button  46   b  corresponds to soft button  44   b,  and hard button  46   c  corresponds to soft button  44   c.  The advantages to having such a relationship between hard buttons  46  or  46 ′ and soft buttons  44  or  44 ′ is the same as discussed above with respect to hard buttons  16  or  16 ′ and soft buttons  14  or  14 ′ and the corresponding discussion above is incorporated herein. 
         [0021]    Furthermore,  FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate respectively user single touch input flick or finger drag movement diagonally upward or downward, such that in  FIG. 4A , for example, a left diagonal upward user touch flick movement automatically causes smaller display screen  40  to expand graphically to corresponding larger display screen  40 , and in  FIG. 4B , for example, a right diagonal upward user touch flick movement automatically causes smaller display screen  42 ′ to expand graphically to corresponding larger display screen  40 ′. Such exemplary display screens  40 ,  40 ′,  42 ,  42 ′ illustrated in  FIGS. 4A and 4B  are not intended to be limiting. Additional or alternative display screens, components and/or implementations may be used. 
         [0022]    In addition, soft buttons  14 ,  14 ′,  44 ,  44 ′ and hard buttons  16 ,  16 ′,  46 ,  46 ′ may be disposed accessibly to enable user finger touch or pinching access to reach proximately along the bottom, top or side edge of smaller display  12 ,  12 ′,  42 ,  42 ′ and larger display  10 ,  10 ′,  40 ,  40 ′ of mobile device  24 , such that single-hand screen display manipulation and finger touch entry are facilitated ergonomically, while simultaneously holding, pinching, gripping, palming or otherwise manually supporting the mobile device  24  with the same hand  41 ,  41 ′ used to enter user touch screen input, as shown representatively in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . 
         [0023]    Thus, the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , as well as  4 A and  4 B, illustrate particular functionality that automatically uses one or more soft-key equivalent corresponding to one or more hard-key buttons on a given physical display of such corresponding mobile device  20 . Hence, this soft-key/hard-key equivalent correspondence facilitates manual and/or automatic user input via a single left or right hand, particularly using a single finger, as shown in such Figures. Additionally, in either or both examples of  FIGS. 1A and 1B , as well as  4 A and  4 B, it is contemplated herein optionally that such shown single finger and thumb (or other finger or pointing device) may be used in a simultaneous touch, inward pinching or outward un-pinching manner to provide user input or selection manually or automatically. Accordingly, in such embodiments, the user may conveniently still hold or otherwise manually support, control or otherwise secure below and/or behind the mobile device  20  with the same hand shown that includes the single finger (and thumb or other finger or pointing device) that is used to touch the touch screen as user input. 
         [0024]      FIG. 5A  illustrates an approach where the soft buttons  44  may disappear when they would otherwise be closely adjacent to corresponding hard buttons  46  such as in a full screen portrait mode and the hard buttons are disposed along the short edge closest to a hand  41 . In such an orientation there may be unwanted redundancy. In contrast,  FIG. 5B  illustrates an approach where the soft buttons are maintained even in a full screen mode when there are no corresponding hard buttons closely adjacent to the soft buttons. While no hard buttons  46  are shown in  FIG. 5B , in an alternative approach, the mobile device of  5 A may be re-oriented one-hundred and eighty degrees such that the hard buttons  46  are not readily accessible to a hand  41 . In such a situation it would be desirable to utilize soft buttons  44  as shown in  FIG. 5B . 
         [0025]      FIG. 6A  illustrates an approach where again the soft buttons  44  are maintained even in a full screen mode if there are corresponding hard buttons  46  when the orientation of the mobile device is such that the hard buttons might otherwise be difficult to access with a single hand  41 . In the illustrated example, the mobile device  20  is shown in a landscape mode where the hard buttons are along the short edge with at least a subset of the hard buttons not as readily accessible. Of note, in some situations it may be desirable to use a combination of soft buttons  44  and hard buttons  36 , particularly when a corresponding button is more easily accessible to a hand. For example, in  FIG. 6A , the arrow feature of hard button  46  is more readily accessible than the corresponding arrow feature shown for soft button  44 . In contrast, it may be easier to access the soft button  44  with a rectangular image as compared to the corresponding button  46  that is not as close to the illustrated thumb of hand  41 . Thus, in some situations only a subset of soft buttons  44  may be displayed depending on their relative proximity to a hand  41  as compared to a permanent hard button  46 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 6B  shows that the soft buttons may be maintained even as the device is adjusted to a smaller non-full screen mode. In the illustrated example, the size and relative spacing of the soft buttons  44 ′ are changed relative to soft buttons  44  in the original full screen mode. 
         [0027]    In general, computing systems and/or devices, such as device  20 , may employ any of a number of computer operating systems, including, but by no means limited to, versions and/or varieties of the Microsoft Windows® operating system, the Unix operating system (e.g., the Solaris® operating system distributed by Oracle Corporation of Redwood Shores, Calif.), the AIX UNIX operating system distributed by International Business Machines of Armonk, N.Y., the Linux operating system, the Mac OS X and iOS operating systems distributed by Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., the BlackBerry OS distributed by Research In Motion of Waterloo, Canada, and the Android operating system developed by the Open Handset Alliance. Examples of computing devices include, without limitation, a computer workstation, a server, a desktop, notebook, laptop, or handheld computer, or some other computing system and/or device. 
         [0028]    Computing devices such as device  20  generally include computer-executable instructions such as the instructions of the cellphone manager system and method, where the instructions may be executable by one or more computing devices such as those listed above. Computer-executable instructions may be compiled or interpreted from computer programs created using a variety of programming languages and/or technologies, including, without limitation, and either alone or in combination, Java™, C, C++, C#, Objective C, Visual Basic, Java Script, Perl, etc. In general, a processor (e.g., a microprocessor) receives instructions, e.g., from a memory, a computer-readable medium, etc., and executes these instructions, thereby performing one or more processes, including one or more of the processes described herein. Such instructions and other data may be stored and transmitted using a variety of computer-readable media. 
         [0029]    A computer-readable medium (also referred to as a processor-readable medium) includes any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) medium that participates in providing data (e.g., instructions) that may be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such a medium may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatile media may include, for example, optical or magnetic disks and other persistent memory. Volatile media may include, for example, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes a main memory. Such instructions may be transmitted by one or more transmission media, including coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise a system bus coupled to a processor of a computer. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EEPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other medium from which a computer can read. 
         [0030]    Databases, data repositories or other data stores described herein, such as memory  26 , may include various kinds of mechanisms for storing, accessing, and retrieving various kinds of data, including a hierarchical database, a set of files in a file system, an application database in a proprietary format, a relational database management system (RDBMS), etc. Each such data store is generally included within a computing device employing a computer operating system such as one of those mentioned above, and are accessed via a network in any one or more of a variety of manners. A file system may be accessible from a computer operating system, and may include files stored in various formats. An RDBMS generally employs the Structured Query Language (SQL) in addition to a language for creating, storing, editing, and executing stored procedures, such as the PL/SQL language mentioned above. 
         [0031]    In some examples, system elements may be implemented as computer-readable instructions (e.g., software) on one or more computing devices (e.g., servers, personal computers, etc.), stored on computer readable media associated therewith (e.g., disks, memories, etc.). A computer program product may comprise such instructions stored on computer readable media for carrying out the functions described herein. 
         [0032]    With regard to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that, although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with the described steps performed in an order other than the order described herein. It further should be understood that certain steps could be performed simultaneously, that other steps could be added, or that certain steps described herein could be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating certain embodiments, and should in no way be construed so as to limit the claims. 
         [0033]    Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided would be apparent upon reading the above description. The scope should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the technologies discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In sum, it should be understood that the application is capable of modification and variation. 
         [0034]    All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable constructions and their ordinary meanings as understood by those knowledgeable in the technologies described herein unless an explicit indication to the contrary in made herein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,” “said,” etc. should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary. 
         [0035]    The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.