Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7503014?dq=6,034,652
Timestamp: 2016-09-28 02:06:01
Document Index: 37649690

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 4', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 25', 'art 6', 'art 25', 'art 6', 'art 5', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 7', 'art 4', 'art 25', 'art 6', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 7', 'art 4', 'art 25', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 25', 'art 4', 'art 7', 'art 4', 'art 25', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 25', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 25', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 25']

Patent US7503014 - Menu item selecting device and method - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsIn order to provide a configuration with which a desired function can be started rapidly from a function menu of an electronic device having a plurality of functions together, a circular menu is displayed on a main LCD 21, a function item activated is shifted item by item in response to left-and-right...http://www.google.com/patents/US7503014?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7503014 - Menu item selecting device and methodAdvanced Patent SearchTry the new Google Patents, with machine-classified Google Scholar results, and Japanese and South Korean patents.Publication numberUS7503014 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 10/890,282Publication dateMar 10, 2009Filing dateJul 14, 2004Priority dateJan 22, 2002Fee statusPaidAlso published asEP1469375A1, EP1469375A4, EP1469375B1, US20040250217, WO2003062976A1Publication number10890282, 890282, US 7503014 B2, US 7503014B2, US-B2-7503014, US7503014 B2, US7503014B2InventorsJun Tojo, Takuma SudoOriginal AssigneeFujitsu Limited, Ntt Docomo, Inc.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (18), Non-Patent Citations (3), Referenced by (76), Classifications (13), Legal Events (4) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetMenu item selecting device and method
US 7503014 B2Abstract
FIG. 1 shows one example of a method of selecting a desired item from a list menu in the prior art;
FIG. 4 illustrates an example of operation according to the menu item selecting method in the embodiment of the present invention. Images (a), (b), (c), and (d) in FIG. 4 are displayed on a screen of the main LCD 25 shown in FIG. 3, and the respective alphabets letters A, B, C, D and F show respective items of an operation menu. An example of each of these menu items is: ‘refer to a received mail’, ‘create a mail to transmit’, ‘display/register a phone book (address book)’, ‘display/update a schedule table (scheduler)’ or such.
When the user wishes to use another function, for example, to perform the function of ‘create a mail to transmit’ and it is assumed that a relevant function key is of the item F, the user operates the cross-shaped key in a right direction. As a result, an operation input signal from this key operation is sent to the control part 4 which then processes it. As a result, the control part 4 sends a control signal to the display control part such as to rotate the display on the main LCD 21 in a right direction along the menu arrangement direction into a state shown in FIG. 4( b). As a result, the display state shown in FIG. 4( b) occurs, thus, the item F is located at the front position and becomes active. Then, when the fix key is pressed in this state, the control part 4 executes control such as to start the function of ‘create a mail to transmit’ corresponding to the item F. As a result, the user can freely create a mail to transmit by operating respective keys on the main operation part 25. The contents of a thus-created mail to transmit are also stored in the registration part 6 a of the memory 6, and, then, by operating the main operation part 25, it is possible to transmit the thus-stored contents for a relevant destination address registered in the registration part 6 a. Further, in a case where the operator wishes to use a function corresponding to the item D (for example, the function of ‘refer to/update a schedule table’), in a state in which the item A is located at the very front position as shown in FIG. 4( a) where the item A is in the active condition, the user operates the cross-shaped key in an up direction. By this operation, the same as the above, a corresponding operation input signal is sent from the input operation part 5 to the control part 4. The control part 4 then sends a control signal to the display control part 7 such as to rotate the menu arrangement by 180 degrees, as shown in FIG. 4( d). As a result, the menu arrangement displayed on the main LCD 21 is rotated 180 degrees along the arrangement direction, and thus, as shown, the item D which is located opposite to the item A comes to the front position at this time. When the fix key is pressed in this state, the control part 4 performs control such as to start the function of ‘refer to/update a schedule table’ corresponding to the item D. As a result, the user can freely refer to or update a schedule table with the use of the main operation part 25 as well as the main LCD 21. The contents of the schedule table are stored in the registration part 6 a of the memory 6, and are automatically updated in response to updating operation. The sequence of these operations is executed as a result of the predetermined respective parts being operated under the control of the control part 4 In a case where another item, for example, the item B is selected from the state shown in FIG. 4( a), the cross-shaped key is operated in a left direction, thereby the menu displayed on the main LCD 21 is rotated item by item in a left direction along the arrangement direction through a control operation such as that mentioned above. As a result, the screen shows a state shown in FIG. 4( c), in which B is located at the front position and becomes active. Then, when the fix key is pressed in this state, a corresponding function is started by control operation of the control part 4.
After that, the control part 4 performs control to alter display sizes of the items, i.e., performs item resizing (Step S3). That is, control is made such that, as shown in FIG. 11, the front item is displayed in a larger size, while the display size is made smaller as the item moves toward the opposite end. As a result, the display image changes in its state as shown in FIGS. 12, (b) to (c). Then, in Step S4, drawing processing is performed. That is, by the display control part 7, processing is performed so that each item is displayed in size altered in Step S3 on the main LCD 21. At this time, processing is performed such as to display the item at the front end most clearly (or sharply) while to display other items intentionally blurry in sequence by defocusing, and thus, to perform display to emphasize which is an item to be selected (i.e., the active item) in response to the ‘fix key’ being pressed in a subsequent step. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 18, control is performed such that, at least for the item at the front end, an item name or a corresponding function name is displayed in text, and thus, the user can further easily recognize the active item.
Then, in Step 31 of FIG. 10, the control part 4 determines whether or not the ‘fix key’ on the main operation part 25 has been operated. When the result shows that it has been operated, the control part 4 starts the function corresponding to the item (active item) currently located at the front end (coordinate P1) in Step S32. As a result, the displayed image on the main LCD 21 changes in its state as shown in FIGS. 12, (c) to (d). Further, the control part 4 determines whether or not an ‘end key’ on the operation part 25 has been pressed by the user after operation by the above-mentioned function is finished. When the end key has been operated, the menu display on the main LCD 21 is finished.
After that, the control part 4 performs control to alter display sizes of the items, i.e., performs item resizing (Step S13). That is, control is made such that, as shown in FIG. 11, the front item is displayed in a larger size, while the display size is made smaller as the item moves toward the opposite end. As a result, the display image changes in its state as shown in FIGS. 13, (b) to (c). Then, in Step S14, drawing processing is performed. That is, by the display control part 7, processing is performed so that each item is displayed in size altered in Step S13 on the main LCD 21. At this time, processing is performed such as to display the item at the front end most clearly (or sharply) while to display other items intentionally blurry in sequence by defocusing, and thus, to perform display to emphasize which is an item to be selected (i.e., the active item) when the ‘fix key’ is pressed in a subsequent step. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 18, control is performed such that, at least for the item at the front end, an item name or a corresponding function name is displayed in text, and thus, the user can further easily recognize the active item.
Then, in Step 31 of FIG. 10, the control part 4 determines whether or not the ‘fix key’ on the main operation part 25 has been operated. When the result shows that it has been operated, the control part 4 starts the function corresponding to the item (active item) currently located at the front end (coordinate P1) in Step S32. As a result, the displayed image on the main LCD 21 changes in its state as shown in FIGS. 13, (c) to (d). Further, the control part 4 determines whether or not the ‘end key’ on the operation part 25 has been pressed by the user after operation by the above-mentioned function is finished. When the end key has been operated, the menu display on the main LCD 21 is finished.
Then, in Step S31 of FIG. 10 the same as the above, the control part 4 determines whether or not the ‘fix key’ has been pressed by the user. When it has been pressed as a result, the function corresponding to the item (active item) currently located at the front end (coordinate P1) is executed in Step S32. As a result, the display image on the main LCD 21 changes in its state as shown in FIGS. 14, (e) to (f). Further, the control part 4 determines whether or not the ‘end key’ on the operation part 25 has been pressed by the user after the operation of the above-mentioned function is finished. When the end key has been operated, the menu display on the main LCD 21 is finished.
Then, in Step S31 of FIG. 10, the control part 4 determines whether or not the ‘fix key’ has been pressed by the user. When it has been pressed as a result, the function corresponding to the item (active item) currently located at the front end (coordinate P1) is executed in Step S32. As a result, the display image on the main LCD 21 changes in its state as shown in FIGS. 15, (e) to (f). Further, the control part 4 determines whether or not the ‘end key’ on the operation part 25 has been pressed by the user after the operation of the above-mentioned function is finished. When the end key has been operated, the menu display on the main LCD 21 is finished.
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