COMPUTING DEVICE WITH IMPROVED USER INTERFACE FOR APPLICATIONS

Abstract: The present invention offers a snap-shot view which brings together, in one summary window, a limited list of common functions and commonly accessed stored data which itself can be reached directly from the main menu listing some or all applications. This yields many advantages in ease and speed of navigation, particularly on small screen devices.

Description: COMPUTING DEVICE WITH IMPROVED USER INTERFACE FOR APPLICATIONS BACKGROUND TO THE INVETION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a computing device with an improved user interface for applications. The term 'computing device' refers to any kind of device which can process and display information. The invention has specific application to mobile telephones. The term 'mobile telephone' refers to any kind of mobile device with communications capabilities and includes radio (mobile) telephones, smart phones, communicators, PDAs and wireless information devices. It includes devices able to communicate using not only mobile radio such as GSM or UMTS, but also any other kind of wireless communications system, such as Bluetooth. 2. Description of the Prior Art One of the problems facing the designers of computing devices with small screens is how to allow the user to navigate quickly and efficiently to access data and activate a desired function. Computing devices with small screens tend to need data and functionality divided into many layers or views: for example, the small display size of mobile telephones has conventionally meant that several hierarchies of functions have to be offered to a user. The interface can be thought of as having many layers, with the user having to first locate the correct top level function and then, within that function, progressively drill down (sometimes through 3 or more layers) to complete the required task. Where a mobile telephone includes several different applications (e.g. a message application, a contacts/ address book application, a calendar application and a telephone application) , then the user normally has to first of all locate, then start/open the required application and then may need to navigate to the required function (e.g. create a new contact entry) or cause the required stored data (e.g. display names beginning with the letter 'A') to be displayed. This process can seem slow, complex and difficult to learn, particularly to novice users. Hence, with conventional user interfaces, a user may need to scroll around and switch views many times to find the right data/ functionality. An effective user interface would ideally enable the user to readily and rapidly access the right data/ functionality. Designing such an interface is however a complex human factors problem, especially for computing devices such as mobile telephones. In some mobile telephones, a menu of several available options is displayed: the menu commands may then be divided into functional groups, with the most useful functional group at the top of the menu; the most useful command within that group is then placed at the top of group. In other devices, only one option is shown on the screen at any one time, making it harder for a user to appreciate the available options and therefore navigate effectively. Some mobile telephones also offer limited shortcuts to get straight to a particular function. This usually involves memorising various keyboard input sequences, corresponding to different menu positions at different levels in the menu hierarchy. These shortcuts appeal only to a small number of expert users. Most mobile telephones also include idle screens (i.e. a display which is shown when the mobile telephone is switched on but not in use); these idle screens often carry alerting messages (e.g. "1 missed call"). On a more theoretical basis, a user interface typically has to demonstrate or make explicit the changing internal status of the mobile telephone as navigation proceeds. For example, to select or initiate a function (e.g. to open an address book function, enter a PIN security number or to alter the ring melody) a user has to understand (a) how to navigate to that function in order to select that function and (b) that the status of the telephone is such that the function can be selected or initiated. The technical problem of effectively enabling the user to understand this changing internal state has to date been inadequately addressed. The object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of user interface which addresses this problem. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a computing device comprising a display screen, the computing device being able to display on the screen an application summary window, the summary window comprising a Umited list of (i) common functions offered within an application and/or (ii) data st ore d in that appUcation. Hence, the present invention envisages, in one implementation, a 'snap-shot' view of an application in which the snap-shot view brings together, in one summary window, a limited list of common functions and commonly accessed stored data. Preferably, where the summary window for a given appUcation shows data or a function of interest, the user can directly select that data or function; this causes the appUcation to open and the user to be presented with a screen in which the data or function of interest is prominent. This saves the user from navigating to the required appUcation, opening it up, and then navigating within that appUcation to enable the data of interest to be seen or a function of interest to be activated. In another aspect, there is a computer program which when running on a computing device (such as a mobile telephone), enables the device to operate in accordance with the above aspects of the invention. The program may be an operating system. BRIEF DE SCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES The invention wiU be described with reference to the accompanying Figures, in which: Figures 1-3 are screen shots showing an implementation of the present invention. DETAILED DE SCRIPTION The present invention offers, in one implementation, a snap-shot view which brings together, in one summary window, a Umited Ust of common functions and commonly accessed s ored data which itself can be reached directly from the main menu Usting some or all appUcations. This yields many advantages in ease and speed of navigation, particularly on smaU screen devices. For example, a user can get to the summary window in just two steps — first, launch a main view which shows various appUcations; then, launch the appropriate summary window for the appUcation of interest. This is far faster and easier than conventional navigation approaches. Once the summary window is launched, core data/ functionality is displayed and can be accessed in more detail can typicaUy be reached simply by selecting that data/ unctionality. Hence, only three steps may be needed from start up to reaching the required data/ functionality; navigating from between each step is clear and straightforward. As an example, the main view may be an AppUcation Launcher for several appUcations such as 'Messages', 'Contacts', 'Calendar' and 'Phone'. The AppUcation Launcher view is then presented as a standard scrolUng Ust of appUcation names with appropriate appUcation icons next to them. The Ust is vertical and only one appUcation is presented per Une. Standard highlight functions apply in that when the AppUcation Launcher view is opened the highlight defaults to the first item in the Ust of appUcations. This is shown in Figure 1, in which the screen display 1 includes a Ust of appUcations ('Messages'; 'Contacts'; 'Calendar'; and 'Phone'), including a highlighted 'Messages' at 2. Alternatively, the highlight may default to the middle item in the Ust of appUcations. At this point, the user may take conventional navigation steps, such as scrolUng, to move the highlight and using the available select function to navigate to the required highlighted appUcation. The innovative summary window functionaUty can be accessed as foUows: should the highlight rest on the name of an appUcation in the App Launcher for a certain amount of time (say a 1.2 second timeout), the summary window (the "App Snapshot") drops down from the highlight bar. The App Snapshot for any given appUcation is a window which includes commonly requested data associated with that appUcation and Unks to common functionaUty in that appUcation. The App Snapshot is shown at 3 in Figure 2; it includes the number of new messages ('0') and Unks to the two most common functions (as defined by the system designer, or selected by the user, or learned by the device) in the Messages appUcation — 'Create Messages' and 'Enter chat room'. In Figure 3, a slightly longer App Snapshot is shown, indicating at 4 that there are '2 new SMS' messages and '1 Chat Ongoing'. Other selection processes could also be used (e.g. voice activation, softkey selection etc) to access the App Snapshot. For example, the App Snapshot may be 'caUed' or 'fired' by using a right scroll function (if the mobile telephone has 4-way scrolUng capacity) ; a press and hold of the select function when an appUcation name is highlighted; or using a right cursor key on a highlighted appUcation name. A highlight is available in the App Snapshot dropdown which may be scrolled in order to select a required item. When an item in the App Snapshot is selected (e.g. by being highlighted and then selected using a conventional selection technique such as pressing a right cursor), the device displays the relevant data in the appUcation details view, or displays the relevant screen offering the relevant functionaUty. The required appUcation may be automaticaUy opened when the item in the App Snapshot is selected. The App Snapshot can therefore display data from an appUcation and functions of that appUcation without actuaUy opening the appUcation up: only once a user has selected an item in the App Snapshot associated with a given appUcation does that appUcation have to be opened. For example, when 'Create Messages' in an App Snapshot is selected, then the messaging appUcation is opened up; that appUcation does not however have to be opened up prior to that stage. Although the term 'window' has been used to describe the drop down summary, the summary does not have to be presented within any kind of frame. Any manner of presenting the common functions offered within an appUcation and/or data stored in that appUcation wiU constitute a 'window' as such. The App Snapshot dropdown may be dismissed in the following ways: • If a timeout is used to caU the App Snapshot, scrolUng the highlight back to the relevant appUcation name (i.e. back up to 'Messages' in Figure 2 or 3) removes the App Snapshot. ScrolUng down through the App Snapshot and off the end moves the highlight to the next appUcation in the Ust (i.e. to 'Contacts' if the Messages App Snapshot has been scrolled through). • If scroll functions (e.g. right scroll) caU the App Snapshot the opposite scroll function removes the snapshot. When a user scrolls off the end of the App Snapshot, the main Ust from which the App Snapshot was opened de-compresses to regain the display estate that was taken up by the App Snapshot (i.e. the screen reverts to that shown Figu e 1). If the user has scrolled up back to the appUcation name (so that the highlight moves up), this appUcation name stays where it was and the next main Ust item draws back up to abut it. If the user scrolls off the end of the App Snapshot, the highlight moves down to the next item in the main Ust and this item together with the highlight move up the screen to regain the App Snapshot estate (i.e. taking the place of the App Snapshot) . Another caveat regarding the main Ust is that when the App Snapshot opens, there will typicaUy be one item in the main Ust above and below it to preserve context — (i.e. to reduce any feeUngin the user of having been transported somewhere else in the UI. They have not gone anywhere yet; the App Snapshot is just showing where they could easily go to). Hence in Figure 2, the term 'Launcher' remains at the top of the screen, and the word 'Phone' and its associated icon remains at the bottom. App Snapshots are not intended to replace notifications, but to complement them by providing non-intrusive reminders for the user, as weU as rapid shortcuts to key appUcation functionaUty. The mobile telephone may be able to learn what functionaUty and/or stored data types are most Ukely to be of interest to a given user and which should therefore be included in a summary view to any given user. Alternatively, the user or system designer may define the kinds of functionaUty and/or stored data to be included in the App Snapshot for a given appUcation. The constituency of the App Snapshot can therefore vary as determined by the user and/or system designer and/ or thae usage patterns of the user. The consistent goal however is for the App Snapshot to show only the most useful views and states. Another possible feature is that the constituency of the App Snapshot may vary with the environment in which the mobile telephone finds itself. For example, if the telephone is Bluetooth enabled, then there may be a Bluetooth appUcation which has associated with it a summary window which Usts the other Bluetooth devices in the vicinity. A further possible feature is that the constituency of the App Snapshot may vary with the actions of the user. For example, if the mobile telephone has an active Calendar appUcation, and the user opens the App Snapshot for Contacts, then the Contacts App Snapshot may include contact information for parties in the previously or currently open Calendar appUcation. But if the user opened the Contacts App Snapshot when the Phone appUcation was current, then the Contacts App Snapshot may instead include contact information of the most caUed party, or a missed call party, or a party whose call the user is auto- replying to. In a Messages view, when the highlight rests on a message entry, further information on that message becomes visible such as date and time it arrived and the first Une/ subj ect of the message. Rather than an App Snapshot opening here, the highlight expands to cover this extra information as weU as the Ust item. It does this here because the extra information displayed is not 'fireable' Uke App Snapshot items in the appUcation switcher. In the Contacts manager, the App Snapshot opens (using whatever mechanism is implemented) to display phone numbers and email addresses which may be 'fired' (i.e. a phone number is dialled, an email address is seeded into a new message). The Contacts manager can have a base view - a Ust of names of the people stored in a device. It opens to show usable contact details Uke phone numbers and email addresses for each contact so you can initiate communication from here rather than navigating further within the Contacts Manager appUcation. For example, the contact John Smith would have a snapshot which expands to show his phone number and emaU address. A user can scroll to the email address and hit the select button - the display then changes to a new email form seeded with his email address and all the user need do is input some body text and hit a 'Do It' button. The present invention can also be used in systems which do not have a concept of separate appUcations as such. Then, the snapshot views are then views of commonly used functions and/or data, selected by the system designer, user or through a machine learning process. As explained above, the present invention is particularly useful for mobile telephones because of their user interface constraints. However, it may also be used in environments outside of mobile telephony. For example, desktop and laptop PCs may also benefit from the present invention. The present invention may therefore be used in any computing environment, including both keyboard and keyboard- less devices.

Claims: CLAIM S 1. A computing device comprising a display screen, the computing device being able to display on the screen an appUcation summary window, the summary window comprising a Umited st of (i) common functions offered within an appUcation and/or (ii) data stored in that appUcation. 2. The computing device of Qaim 1 in which selecting a common function Usted in the summary window causes the related appUcation to open and that selected common function to be activated. 3. The computing device of Claim 1 or 2 in which an appUcation launcher Usts the names and/or icons of several appUcations and selecting a name or icon causes the summary window for that appUcation to be opened. 4. The computing device of any preceding claim in which the kinds of content of a summary window for a given appUcation is selected using a process in which the device learns what functionaUty and/or stored data types are of interest to any given user. 5. The computing device of any preceding claim in which the user can define what functionaUty and/or stored data types are of interest to that user for the summary window for an appUcation. 6. The computing device of any preceding claim in which the functionaUty and/or stored data types for a summary window for a given appUcation varies with the environment of the device. 7. The computing device of any preceding claim in which the functionaUty and/or stored data types for a summary window for a given appUcation varies with the actions of the user. 8. The computing device of any preceding claim in which opening a summary window for a given appUcation does not result in that appUcation being opened. 9. The computing device of any preceding claim in which the summary window is a frame which includes the name of the associated appUcation. 10. A computing device as claimed in any preceding claim, being a mobile telephone. 11. A computing device as claimed in any preceding claim 1 — 9, being a PC. 12. A computer program which, when running on a computing device, causes the computing device to operate as a computing device as claimed in Qaim 1 — 11. 13. The computer program of Qaim 12, being an operating system program.

Inventors: MARTYN MATTHIEU KENNEDY, MARTYN, MATTHIEU, KENNEDY
Applicants: MARTYN MATTHIEU KENNEDY, SYMBIAN LTD, MARTYN, MATTHIEU, KENNEDY, SYMBIAN LIMITED
Application year: 2001
Main classification: G06F3
IPC codes: G06F3, H04M1