MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL AND METHOD THEREFOR

Abstract

An input method for a mobile communication apparatus, and such a mobile communication apparatus, which comprises a processor and a touch sensitive display, is disclosed. The invention particularly comprises displaying a touch keypad comprising a set of keys, detecting an object over one key of said set of keys, and displaying, upon detection of said object, a first sub-set of keys adjacent to said one key, wherein said sub-set of keys is associated with a first set of sub-functions of said one key.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: provide for display of a touch keypad on a touch sensitive display, comprising an original set of keys, each for activating a corresponding function; receive an indication of an object detected at a first key of the set of keys, the indication indicating a force applied by the object against the display; responsive to receiving the indication of the object at the first key at a first level of force, activate a function corresponding to the first key; responsive to receiving the indication of the object detected at the first key at a second level of force, provide for display of a first sub-set of keys associated with a first set of sub-functions of the first key, wherein the first sub-set of keys is arranged adjacent to the first key so that one or more of the first sub-set of keys is nearer to the first key and nearer to at least one other of the first sub-set of keys than to any other key in the original set of keys, and includes a second key that was not included in the original set of keys; and responsive to receiving an indication of an object detected at the second key, activate a sub-function corresponding to the second key; wherein, while the first sub-set of keys is displayed, each of the original set of keys is displayed and can activate its corresponding function.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first level of force corresponds to a press of the object against the display at the first key, and the second level of force corresponds to at most a light touch of the object against the display at the first key.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second level of force corresponds to the object hovering over the display at the first key.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the display of the first sub-set of keys is provided responsive to the receiving of the indication of the object detected at the first key at a second level of force for at least a predetermined time.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first set of sub-functions comprises a first group of sub-functions related to a first application of the apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first sub-set of keys is displayed between the first key and one or more neighboring keys in the original set of keys.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: provide for display of the first sub-set of keys by moving at least one neighboring key of the original set of keys relative to at least one of the other of the original set of keys on the touch sensitive display, while maintaining the first key in its previously displayed position; wherein the first sub-set of keys is displayed between the first key and the moved neighboring key.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to provide for display of the first sub-set of keys by: resizing at least one neighboring key of the original set of keys relative to at least one of the other of the original set of keys on the touch sensitive display to display the neighboring key at a smaller size; wherein the first sub-set of keys is displayed between the first key and the resized neighboring key.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to provide for display of the first sub-set of keys by: maintaining the display of the first sub-set of keys for a predetermined time after the indication of an object detected at the first key has ceased.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sub-functions comprise alphanumeric input, media player input, short-cuts to applications, functions or contacts, or browser input, or any combination thereof.

11. A method comprising: causing a touch keypad to be displayed on a touch sensitive display comprising an original set of keys, each for activating a corresponding function; detecting an object at a first key of the original set of keys and determining a force of the detected object against the display at the first key; responsive to the detected object at the first key being at a first level of force, activating a function corresponding to the first key; responsive to the detected object at the first key being at a second level of force, causing a first sub-set of keys to be displayed adjacent to the first key, wherein the first sub-set of keys is associated with a first set of sub-functions of the first key so that one or more of the first sub-set of keys is nearer to the first key and nearer to at least one other of the first sub-set of keys than to any other key in the original set of keys, and includes a second key that was not included in the original set of keys; and responsive to receiving an indication of an object detected at the second key, activating a sub-function corresponding to the second key; wherein, while the first sub-set of keys is displayed, each of the original set of keys is displayed and can activate its corresponding function.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first level of force corresponds to a press of the object against the display at the first key, and the second level of force corresponds to at most a light touch of the object against the display at the first key.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second level of force corresponds to the object hovering over the display at the first key.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the display of the first sub-set of keys is caused responsive to the receiving of the indication of the object detected at the first key at a second level of force for at least a predetermined time.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first set of sub-functions comprises a first group of sub-functions related to a first application of the apparatus.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the first sub-set of keys is displayed between the first key and one or more neighboring keys in the original set of keys.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of causing the first sub-set of keys to be displayed comprises: moving at least one neighboring key of the original set of keys relative to at least one of the other of the original set of keys on the touch sensitive display, while maintaining the first key in its previously displayed position; wherein the first sub-set of keys is displayed between the first key and the moved neighboring key.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of causing the first sub-set of keys to be displayed comprises: resizing at least one neighboring key of the original set of keys relative to at least one of the other of the original set of keys on the touch sensitive display to display the neighboring key at a smaller size; wherein the first sub-set of keys is displayed between the first key and the resized neighboring key.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of causing the first sub-set of keys to be displayed comprises: maintaining the display of the first sub-set of keys for a predetermined time after the indication of the object detected at the first key has ceased.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein the sub-functions comprise alphanumeric input, media player input, short-cuts to applications, functions or contacts, or browser input, or any combination thereof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] The above, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, with reference to the appended drawings, where the same reference numerals will be used for similar elements, wherein:

[0044] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of functional blocks of the present invention;

[0045] FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7 and 8 illustrate examples according to different embodiments of the present invention;

[0046] FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating the process according to an embodiment of the method according to the present invention; and

[0047] FIGS. 10 and 11 are flow charts illustrating sub-processes according to embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0048] FIG. 1 schematically shows a mobile communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that parts not contributing to the core of the invention are left out not to obscure the features of the present invention. The mobile communication apparatus comprises a processor 102, a user interface (UI) 104, and a memory 106. The memory 106 holds, among other things, program code for operation of applications of the mobile communication apparatus. The memory 106 also holds data used by the applications. Here, the memory 106 is depicted as a single unit.

[0049] However, the memory can be two or more units, and/or divided in partitions. The processor 102 is arranged to control functions of the mobile communication apparatus 100 via connections between elements 104, 106, and 108 the control of the elements, which connections also depict signal transfer and information exchange. The mobile communication apparatus 100 can further comprise a transceiver (not shown) connected to the processor 102 which is arranged to receive and transmit radio signals through an antenna (not shown). The mobile communication apparatus can further comprise a rotating dial, a microphone, a speaker, and a buzzer. These elements are not shown in FIG. 1 not to obscure the core of the present invention. Further miscellaneous electronics, such as means for infrared data association, Bluetooth, wireless local area network, etc. can also be comprised. In particular, embodiments of the present invention relate to the special features of the UI 104, which comprises a touch sensitive display 108 which is arranged to display information which is controlled and provided by the processor 102, and to detect and provide input information to the processor 102. The touch sensitive display 108 is arranged to detect both if a part of the display 108 is pressed, e.g. by a user's finger, and if an object, e.g. said finger, is held over a part of the display 108. The detection of the state where the object is held over a part of the display can be performed in one or more ways, e.g. capacitively detecting the object close to, i.e. hoovering over, the display, light touch of the screen, which can be performed by determining the force from the object against the display, etc. The detection of pressing the part of the display is performed as conventional for touch sensitive displays.

[0050] The display 108 is arranged to display a touch keypad, i.e. a displayed image of a keypad where the areas of the display 108 where the keys of the displayed image of the keypad is mapped to, with aid of the ability of the touch sensitive display 108 to detect actuation by touching and/or pressing of the display 108, which is used to operate the mobile communication apparatus 100.

[0051] The features and function of the UI 104 are illustrated by a number of examples and embodiments with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8. However, it should be noted that, due to the large number of possible use cases within the scope of the present invention, that alternatives to and combinations of the presented examples and embodiments are equally possible.

[0052] FIG. 2a illustrates a mobile communication apparatus 200 comprising a speaker 202, a microphone 204, and a touch sensitive display 206. The mobile communication apparatus 200 can also comprise a large number of elements that are commonly used in mobile communication apparatuses, as discussed with reference to FIG. 1, but these are not depicted in FIG. 2a, as well as in the below discussed figures, not to obsure the essence of the present invention. The touch sensitive display 206 displays an image of a keypad 208 comprising a set of keys 210. When the touch sensitive display 206 detects an object, which can be a finger, a stylus, or a digitizer pen, over e.g. key 212 having the main function of input of the digit 5, which normally also comprise the letters j, k, and l, or other symbols or strokes for languages not using latin characters, a sub-set of keys 214 are displayed, as depicted in FIG. 2b, adjacent to the key 212. In this example, the input functions of the letters j, k, and l can be associated with the keys 215, 216, 217, respectively, of the sub-set of keys 214. Alternatively, the keys can comprise symbols related to functions of other applications, e.g. <<, and >> for fast reverse, play, pause, and fast forward, respecively, for a media player. Other examples, such as , , and for back, forward, and home for a browser application, , , , and for send, delete, save, and map for a messaging application, etc. are possible. The user can then press the one of the keys 215, 216, 217 to activate the desired function.

[0053] FIG. 3a illustrates a mobile communication apparatus 300 where an object, e.g. a finger, a stylus, or a digitizer pen, has been detected over a key 302, whereby a sub-set of keys 304 has been displayed adjacent to the key 302. The keys 306 of the sub-set of keys 304 can, as illustrated by the symbols <<, >, and >> which commonly on at least consumer products mean backward, forward, and fast forward, respectively, be associated with a media player, an FM radio, a browser, or any other application where forward and backward navigation are provided, e.g. controlling listening to a voice mail. These applications can sometimes provide more features than only backward, forward, and fast forward, e.g. search functions, step to next or previous track/album/frequency band/etc. Therefore, as depicted in the example of FIG. 3b, by detecting the object over key 308 of the sub-set of keys 304, a second sub-set of keys 310 is displayed adjacent to the key 308 of the first sub-set of keys 304, comprising keys 312 with, as illustrated by the symbols <<, and <, which can mean search/step backward, and (play) backward, respectively.

[0054] In the examples discussed herein, one or two levels of sub-sets of keys and associated sets of sub-functions have been illustrated. However, the number of levels according to the present invention is not limited. On the other hand, the number of levels are in practice limited, since the user interface and its display, and the need for a large number of levels are limited, and the usability of the mobile communication apparatus has to be considered.

[0055] To cope with limited space on the display of the mobile communication apparatus, neighbouring keys to the actual key, i.e. the key over which the object has been detected, can be moved and/or resized to make room for the additional sub-sets of keys. This is possible, since the keypad is an image provided on the touch sensitive display, and thus can a new image of an adapted keypad be provided, and the mapping of the positions of the keys on the display and the areas related to the touch sensitive function of the display are re-mapped to the new image. Examples of this are depicted in FIGS. 4 to 8.

[0056] In FIG. 4, an object, e.g. a finger, a stylus, or a digitizer pen, has been detected over a key 400, whereby a sub-set of keys 402 has been displayed adjacent to the key 400. To make room for the sub-set of keys 402, a neighbouring key 404 has been scaled down in size.

[0057] In FIG. 5, an object, e.g. a finger, a stylus, or a digitizer pen, has been detected over a key 500, whereby a sub-set of keys 502 has been displayed adjacent to the key 500. To make room for the sub-set of keys 502, a neighbouring key 504 has been moved. In this case the neighbouring key 504 has been moved upwards, away from the sub-set of keys 502.

[0058] In a preferred embodiment, the actual key, i.e. the key over which the object has been detected, always remain in the same position, such that the user experience the position of the object as the static point around which the surroundings change. This is to avoid that the key under the object, e.g. the finger, moves away, which would degrade usability.

[0059] Thus, the actual key remains the same, while neighbouring keys can change positions and sizes. It is also possible to entirely remove one or more neighbouring keys, if that is considered to improve the user interface.

[0060] In FIG. 6a, an object, e.g. a finger, a stylus, or a digitizer pen, has been detected over a key 600, whereby a sub-set of keys 602 has been displayed adjacent to the key 600. To make room for the sub-set of keys 602, a neighbouring key 604 has been both scaled down in size and moved. In this example, the sub-functions of the sub-set of keys 602 are associated to contacts, e.g. in a phone book. Here, the three first names in the phone book for each of the letters j, k, and l, present on the key 600 are presented as keys 604 of the sub-set of keys. In this context, first names could be construed to be either in alphabetical order, in a user defined order, or an order based on statistics, i.e. calling history. Here, the user can either press one of the keys 604 to access the contact, e.g. call or send a message to the contact, or hold the object over one key 606 of the keys 604 to get a second sub-set of keys 608, as depicted in FIG. 6b. In FIG. 6b, it can also be noted that the keys 604 of the first sub-set of keys 602 except the key 606 also are included in the neighbouring keys discussed with reference to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6a above. It can also be noted that a plurality of keys 610-614 has been moved and/or scaled down in size. In FIG. 7, an object, e.g. a finger, a stylus, or a digitizer pen, has been detected over a key 700, whereby a sub-set of keys 702 has been displayed adjacent to the key 700. To make room for the sub-set of keys 702, a neighbouring key 704 has been scaled down in size.

[0061] The sub-set of keys 702 comprises two groups 706, 708 of keys, each group 706, 708 being associated to separate types of inputs, where the first group 706, as illustrated by the symbols <<, >, and >> which commonly on at least consumer products mean backward, forward, and fast forward, respectively, is associated with a media player, an FM radio, a browser, or any other application where forward and backward navigation are provided, e.g. controlling listening to a voice mail, and the second group 708 is associated with the letters j, k, and l, which could be any other symbols or strokes for languages not using latin characters, and functions and applications related to them, as discussed above with reference to FIGS. 2 and 6. By providing multiple groups 706, 708, with different associations, within a sub-set on a level of sub-sets, the user can directly access a larger number of functions and/or applications.

[0062] FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating the method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Some steps can be performed in a different order than depicted, and some steps can be performed in parallel, as is common in real time systems. It should be noted that the features of the illustrated method are not essential for the invention unless explicitly stated. The depicted method should be considered as a most refined improvement from the essence of the invention. However, a touch keypad have to be displayed in a touch keypad displaying step 900, a finger have to be detected over a key of the touch keypad in a detection step 902, and upon detection, a first sub-set of keys has to be displayed in a first sub-set of keys displaying step 904. The touch keypad displaying step 900 comprises displaying a touch keypad, i.e. a displayed image of a keypad where the areas of the display where the keys of the displayed image of the keypad is mapped to, with aid of the ability of the touch sensitive display to detect actuation by touching and/or pressing of the display, which is used to operate the mobile communication apparatus. The detection step 902 comprises detecting an object, which can be a finger, a stylus, or a digitizer pen, over a key of a set of keys provided on the displayed touch keypad. The first sub-set of keys displaying step 904 comprises displaying a first sub-set of keys on the touch sensitive display, adjacent to the key in question in the detection step 902.

[0063] As discussed above with reference to the examples depicted in FIGS. 2 to 8, there can be provided multiple levels of sub-steps. Therefore, the method can comprise at least one step 906 for detecting the object over one of the keys of the sub-set, wherein, upon detection, a further sub-set of keys is displayed adjacent to the key in question in step 906 in a display step 908. Similar steps (not shown) are provided for each level of sub-set of keys.

[0064] Embodiments of the present invention radically improve usability of a mobile communication apparatus, and the usability is further improved by requiring that the object is detected during a predetermined time to avoid annoying and unintentional keys to show up. This is performed in a waiting step 903, where the sub-set does not show up until the object is detected for the predetermined time. Otherwise, the method returns to the detection step 902. The similar approach applies to the detection of the object over the keys of the sub-set of keys in step 906, where a similar waiting step 907 is inserted before the displaying step 908.

[0065] Similarly, it is preferable that the keys of the sub sets of keys are displayed for a certain time, not too short, not too long, before the keys are removed from the display if they are not pressed. Therefore, the displaying steps 904, 908 for the sub-sets of keys can be adapted to only show the sub-sets of keys for predetermined times, respectively.

[0066] FIG. 10 is a flow chart of a sub-process, preferably running in parallel to the process described with reference to FIG. 9, which copes with the available and many times limited display space. In general, the process checks if there is need for more space as the touch keypad is extended by sub-sets of keys. Therefore, the process can comprise a step for checking need for scaling the size of neighbouring keys to the key in question, as in the detection steps 902, 906 discussed above with reference to FIG. 9, as depicted by scaling check step 1000. If scaling is determined to be needed, this is performed in a neighbouring key scaling step 1002, where one or more neighbouring keys are scaled down in size. The process can also/alternatively comprise a step for checking need for moving neighbouring keys to the key in question. This is performed in a moving check step 1004, and if moving of neighbouring keys is needed, this is performed in a neighbouring key moving step 1006. The scaling and positions of the keys are preferably restored when there is no longer a need.

[0067] FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating the process of checking if any key is pressed and if it is, activating an associated function. This is performed in a conventional way and comprises a step of checking if and what key is pressed in a key press checking step 1100, and an associated function activating step 1102, and needs no further explanation.

[0068] FIG. 8 illustrates a mobile communication apparatus 800 where all of the features discussed with reference to FIGS. 2-7 are combined, and particularly that multiple of groups is used on one sub-set level, from which next level of sub-set, here associated with the key 802 with j, being a number of contacts with names starting with the letter. J. On the other hand, FIG. 8 could also illustrate the mobile communication apparatus 800, but where the next sub-set level associated with j, and the names Jane, Jens, John, and Juha are names on artists, albums, songs, images, or any other media content, and thereby illustrating a further improved input method for these types of applications, where the two groups of keys of the first sub-set of keys just are different inputs to the same application. It should therefore be clear that the approach presented by the present invention can be combined in a multitude of ways. Thus, the invention has mainly been described above with reference to a few embodiments. However, as is readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, other embodiments than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended patent claims.