Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at same station – Radiotelephone equipment detail
Reexamination Certificate
1997-04-28
2001-01-23
Tsang, Fan (Department: 2746)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at same station
Radiotelephone equipment detail
C455S575100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06178338
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a cellular telephone and, more particularly, to communication terminal apparatus and method for selecting options using a dial shuttle.
Cellular telephones, personal communication (e.g., PCS) devices and other similar products are being utilized in greater numbers each day. Currently, there has been much effort to reduce the size of such portable devices (hereinafter, simply referred to as “cellular telephones”). Several techniques for reducing the size of cellular telephones include utilizing smaller batteries, reducing the size of internal circuitry, reducing the size of the display, and utilizing pull-out antennas in place of fixed antennas. Other techniques include reducing the size of the input keys and reducing the distance (i.e., spaces) between those input keys. However, as input keys get smaller in size, or even just closer together, the utilization of those keys and thus cellular telephones becomes increasingly more difficult.
Another technique for reducing the size of cellular telephones while maintaining suitably-sized input keys is to reduce the number of necessary input keys. One known technique for doing this is to assign multiple functions to the same input key (e.g., the “2” key) wherein one action occurs when the user depresses a particular key in a particular mode of the cellular telephone, and another action occurs when that key is depressed in another operating mode. For example, cellular telephones having alphanumeric displays generally allow a user to enter an identifying name that includes letters, numbers, special characters or any combination thereof using, for example, input keys
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in one or more modes of operation, but those same input keys are used to input a telephone number (i.e., numbers only) in another operating mode. As another example, the “*” and “#” keys are used both for entering “*” and “#” characters (representing, e.g., a pause) in a telephone number and for scrolling through various lists including a previously stored telephone number list. While the “assigning” of multiple functions to the same input key has led to the reduction in the required number of input keys on the face of the cellular telephone, thus leading to a possible reduction in the size of the cellular telephone itself, there still is great demand to further reduce the size of the cellular telephone or, at least, the number of necessary input keys thereof without increasing the difficulty in utilizing the device.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide communication terminal apparatus and method for selecting options using a dial shuttle which overcome the shortcomings of the above-described devices.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a communication terminal apparatus which includes a dial shuttle for selecting options and which utilizes relatively few input keys, but which also is relatively simple to use.
Various other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, communication terminal apparatus and method are provided for entering an appropriate input (e.g., depressing) by a user an input device or switch (e.g., a dial shuttle) during a current operating mode of the communication terminal apparatus, retrieving option list data corresponding to one of a plurality of option groups that is associated with the current operating mode of the communication terminal apparatus, wherein each of the stored option groups is associated with a respective operating mode of the communication terminal apparatus, and each of the option groups includes one or more functions for selection by a user during the respective operating mode, and displaying, when the input switch is switched by the user, at least a portion of the retrieved option group that includes the functions for selection by the user during the current operating mode.
As one aspect of the present invention, each of the option groups that is associated with a respective operating mode includes only those functions that are utilized during the respective operating mode.
As another aspect of the present invention, the current operating mode is determined from both the user-entered data and whether the apparatus is operating in call mode or in standby mode.
As yet a further aspect of the present invention, the identified function in the displayed option group is performed when the input switch is switched a second time.
As yet another aspect of the present invention, the most frequently selected function of the displayed option group is initially selected when the list is initially displayed.
As a feature of this aspect, the two functions adjacent to the most frequently selected function of the displayed option group represent second and third-most frequently selected functions such that scrolling up or scrolling down the option group once would select either the second-most or third-most frequently selected function.
Still yet a further aspect of the present invention, the option list data that corresponds to some or all of the option groups are generated.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5396264 (1995-03-01), Falcone et al.
patent: 5436954 (1995-07-01), Nishiyama et al.
patent: 5479476 (1995-12-01), Finke-Anlauff
patent: 5761610 (1998-06-01), Sorensen et al.
patent: 5905964 (1999-05-01), Sudo
patent: 5915228 (1999-06-01), Kunihiro et al.
patent: 0 726 668 A1 (1996-08-01), None
Kenagy Jason
Yamagishi Harumi
Frommer William S.
Frommer Lawrence & Haug LLP.
Savit Glenn F.
Sobutka Philip J.
Sony Corporation
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