Patent Publication Number: US-2006015822-A1

Title: Method and apparatus for updating a user interface display of a portable communication device

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
      This invention relates in general to portable communication devices and more particularly to the user interface involved in displaying menu selections for such devices.  
     BACKGROUND  
      With the widespread popularity of portable communication devices such as two-way radios, cellular telephones and wireless personal digital assistants, users of the devices are demanding user interfaces that are more intuitive and efficient. The small size of the displays on portable communication devices, however, can cause a user to become disoriented while trying to navigate through the maze of information on a small display. As the number of device features increases, user access to these features can become complicated. In some cases, users have to go through several layers of menu selection using scanning, scrolling and high-lighting canned text to get to the desired feature. This can decrease the likelihood of those features being used just because they are difficult to access. A new user does not want to spend a lot of time having to learn a complex user interface; both new and experienced users want a user interface that efficiently utilizes input actions.  
      Accordingly, there is a need for an improved portable communication device user interface for menu selection.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularly in the appended claims. The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:  
       FIG. 1  is an illustration in block diagram of a portable communication device incorporating a user interface for menu selection in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is an example of a portable radio incorporating the user interface of the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating a method of updating a display menu of a portable communication device in accordance with the present invention; and  
       FIG. 4  illustrates examples of user entry progression of keypresses with corresponding menu display updates in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward.  
      Briefly, in accordance with the present invention there is provided herein an apparatus and technique which facilitate menu selection in a portable communication device.  FIGS. 1 and 2 , describe a block diagram and physical implementation of a portable communication device with user interface menu selection of the present invention. In  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a method of updating a user interface display of the portable communication device along with examples of user entries versus displayed menus are provided.  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a portable communication device  100  incorporating a user interface that facilitates menu selection from a display in accordance with the present invention. The portable communication device  100  provides two-way voice communication and may also include data transfer functions such as internet connectivity, e-mail, and FAX capability. Portable communication device  100  includes an antenna  102 , transceiver  104 , and controller  106  having input buffer  108 , user interface  110  and memory  112 . The memory  112  is coupled to the controller  106  and is for permanent and temporary storage of information, data, and software programs necessary for operation of the portable communication device  100 . Typically, the user interface  110  includes a microphone, a speaker, a display, and a plurality of input keys.  
      General transmit and receive operations of the portable communication device  100  are described as follows. On the transmit side, to transmit radio frequency (RF) signals containing transmit data (such as voice, digital information, or control signals) from the portable communication device  100 , the user interface  110  directs user input data to a controller  106 . Controller  106  formats the transmit data obtained from the user interface  110  and conveys it to a transmitter within transceiver  104  for conversion into RF modulated signals. The transceiver  104  conveys the RF modulated signals to the antenna  102  for transmission. On the receive side, portable communication device  100  detects RF signals containing receive data through the antenna  102  and produces detected RF signals. A receiver within the transceiver  104 , coupled to the antenna  102 , converts the detected RF signals into electrical baseband signals, demodulates the electrical baseband signals, recovers the receive data and outputs the receive data to the controller  106 . The controller  106  formats the data into recognizable voice or data information for the use by user interface  110 .  
      For the purposes of this application, the user interface  110  will focus on the plurality of input keys, data entry to the keys and the ability to facilitate menu generation and selection on the display. In accordance with the present invention, a menu selection technique is stored in the memory  112  and accessed by the controller  106  via input keys in order to control how information is presented to the display.  
      Portable communication device  100  is preferably a portable radio  200  as shown in  FIG. 2 . In accordance with the present invention, portable radio  200  incorporates the menu selection technique of the present invention. The menu selection technique of the present invention, provides a smart dialing menu that minimizes the number of keypresses or keystrokes made by a user to display and narrow a menu selection.  
      The portable radio  200  comprises a portable radio housing  202 , a display  204  and a plurality of input keys  206  mounted on the portable radio housing. Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in accordance with the present invention, the plurality of input keys  206  are electrically coupled to the controller  106 , the controller causing the display  204  to present a sequence of narrowing available menu features in response to progressive alphanumeric entries being entered at the plurality of input keys. Each entry is a single digit, such as the numeral “2” or the letter “b” of some predetermined feature known by the user, for example the digits of a phone number, pager number or zone. In accordance with the present invention, each progressive alphanumeric entry is added to the input buffer  114 , the content of the buffer being matched with available features stored in the memory  112 . For example, a string of five data entry digits may correspond to three possible menu features. The display  204  is updated with the narrowing available menu features until a selection is made from the menu and the selected feature is launched with the input buffer  114 . A select button or single, multi-direction input key  208  may be incorporated on the housing  202  to allow the user to select the desired feature from the menu. Once a feature is selected and launched, no further data entries are required from the user, as the remainder of the data string is tied to the selected feature and also stored in memory  112 .  
       FIG. 3  is a method  300  of updating a user interface display of a portable communication device in accordance with the present invention. Method  300  starts by turning on the radio at step  302 , waiting (for some predetermined amount of time) for user input at step  304  and determining whether an alphanumeric entry has been received at step  306 . If an entry has been received at step  306 , then that entry is added to an input buffer of the controller at step  308 . The contents of the input buffer are then matched with available features of the radio at step  310 . At step  312 , the menu is updated on the display to list the matched entries and further input is awaited at step  304 . If another alphanumeric entry is received at step  304 , the entry is once again, stored and matched to available features. Thus, the menu update at step  312  will begin to narrow the menu selection of available features. The steps  304 - 312  are repeated until no more entries are received at step  306 . If the user makes a selection from the narrowed menu list at step  314 , then the corresponding feature is launched with the input buffer at step  316 . If no feature was selected then further input is awaited at step  304 .  
       FIG. 4  illustrates examples  402 ,  404  of user entry progression of keypresses with corresponding menu display updates. As a first example  402 , a data entry of “1” might present a menu selection to the user consisting of a list of the following features: ZONE, CHANNEL, PHONE, STATUS and MESSAGE. The user can either select the desired feature from this menu, via multi-direction input key  208  of  FIG. 2 , or continue to enter keypresses. For example, a subsequent keypress entry of “9” updates the display with a narrowed menu selection of CHANNEL, PHONE and STATUS. User entry progression continues until the user selects a feature from the menu. In example  402 , the following subsequent entries “54555123” are made without any change to the menu selection. The menu selection in example  402  remains static until entry “4” is added to the buffer at which point a final menu selection of PHONE appears on the display.  
      As a second example, a data entry of “7” might present a menu selection of ZONE, CHANNEL, PHONE, STATUS, MESSAGE, CALL and PAGE. The user can either select the desired feature from this menu, or continue to enter keypresses. In this example, the display remains static during subsequent entries of “4869” until a fifth entry of “3” is entered and the menu selection is narrowed to PHONE, CALL and PAGE. The user can either select the desired feature from this menu, or continue to enter keypresses. In this example, a sixth entry “5” is added to the buffer. With a data string now consisting of “7486935” in the input buffer, the menu selection is narrowed to a single feature: PHONE. Examples  402 ,  404  demonstrate how the menu selection of a portable communication device is dynamically updated utilizing the menu selection technique of the present invention.  
      The menu selection technique of the present invention can be summarized by the following steps: receiving an alphanumeric entry, adding the alphanumeric entry to an input buffer of the portable radio, matching the buffer content with available features stored in the portable radio; and updating the display with a menu selection of the matched available features. By repeating the steps of receiving through updating until no further alphanumeric entries are received, the menu selection is narrowed and a selected feature can be launched from the matched available features.  
      Thus, there has been provided a method and apparatus for presenting a narrowing menu selection on a portable communication device display. The menu selection technique provides many features which significantly aid the user in accessing and entering information through a portable communication device. The menu selection technique of the present invention eliminates the need for any high-lighting of pre-canned text and minimizes scrolling through multiple windows with up/down arrows. Menu items are capable up being updated dynamically as the user dialed entries are received as opposed to menu items being static and not changing. Updating and displaying available features as a data string is entered allows the user to access information faster, which is very important a portable radio environment.  
      While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the invention is not so limited. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.