Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02591465 2007-06-13
ON-SCREEN DIAGONAL CURSOR
NAVIGATION ON A HANDHELD COMMUNICATION DEVICE
FIELD
The present disclosure is directed toward a wireless handheld
communication device, and more particularly, to the navigation among menu and
icon items displayed on a screen of such a device.
BACKGROUND
With the advent of more robust wireless communications systems,
compatible handheld communication devices are becoming more prevalent, as well
as advanced. In a broader sense, these devices are referred to as handheld
electronic
devices, which include devices without communication functions. Where in the
past such handheld communication devices typically accommodated either voice
(cell phones) or text transmission (pagers and PDAs), today's consumer often
demands a combination device capable of performing both types of
transmissions,
including sending and receiving e-mail. The suppliers of such mobile
communication devices and underlying service providers are anxious to meet
these
demands, but the combination of voice and textual messaging, as well as other
functionalities such as those found in PDAs, have caused designers to have to
improve the means by which information is input into the devices by the user,
as
well as provide better facilitation for the user to navigate within the menus
and icon
presentations necessary for efficient user interface with these more
complicated
devices.
For many reasons, screen icons are often utilized in such handheld
communication devices as a way to allow users to make feature and/or function
selections. Among other reasons, users are accustomed to such icon
representations
for function selection. A prime example is the personal computer "desktop"
presented by Microsoft's Windows operating system. Because of the penetration
of such programs into the user markets, most electronics users are familiar
with
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what has basically become a convention of icon-based functionality selections.
Even with many icons presented on a personal computer's "desktop", however,
user
navigation and selection among the different icons is easily accomplished
utilizing
a conventional mouse and employing the point-and-click methodology. The
absence of such a mouse from these handheld wireless communication devices,
however, has caused a different protocol to develop for icon navigation and
selection.
As depicted in FIG. 1, the icons (squares 1, 2, 3 and 4) displayed on the
screen of the device are typically presented in an array of uniform rows and
columns. As an example, a home screen might present icons for telephone, e-
mail,
calendar and contact functions. Because there is no "mouse," other auxiliary
navigational tools are typically provided for user manipulation in affecting
movement between the different icons on a handheld device. Such navigational
tools have included rotatable thumb wheels, joysticks, touchpads, four-way
cursors
and the like. In the present description, a trackball is also disclosed as a
navigational tool for enabling a user to move about displayed icons. The
navigational tool is a type of auxiliary input device and hereinbelow the
navigational tool maybe described more generally as an auxiliary user input.
In the trackball instance, current technology calls for the utilization of
paired
sensors located about the trackball for sensing rotational motion of the
trackball
which is representative of the desired direction the user would like the
cursor to
move on the screen, including a highlighting cursor that moves discretely
amongst
screen-displayed icons. The trackball itself is capable of free rotation
within its
receiving socket which gives the user an impression that he or she can direct
cursor
motion on the screen (be it an icon highlighting cursor or a more traditional
cursor
such as a floating arrowhead) in any direction desired within the area of the
display
screen.
A constraint of the sensor configuration has been that even though the
trackball enjoys free rotation, its rotational movement must be resolved into
X and
Y components via the motion sensors. Therefore, until now, movement between
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icons has been limited to up, down and sideways motion. More specifically,
diagonal movement between icons has not been previously facilitated. As an
example, and returning again to FIG. 1, if the user desired to move from icon
"1" to
icon "4", execution would have to be either over to icon "2" and down to icon
"4"
or down to icon "3" and over to icon "4". A similar situation exists when
navigating
across such applications as spreadsheets composed of a grid of cells where
diagonal
cell-to-cell movement can be desirable, but until now, undesirable zigzag
cursor
motion has been required.
Since these limitations are counterintuitive given the fact the trackball
enjoys free rotation but the user cannot move diagonally from icon to icon in
a
single step, frustration and product dissatisfaction are likely. Therefore, a
primary
aspect of the presently disclosed solution is the enablement of such direct
diagonal
movement between icons, even when the signals developed using the navigational
tool are X and Y direction limited.
It should be appreciated that the examples of icon and spreadsheet
navigation present a special problem typically not encountered when navigating
across continuous screen fields such as, for example, when cursor-traversing a
map
that is presented on the screen. In the instance of at least trackball
navigation, the
individual X and Y signal components will normally be fine (small) enough to
even
be executed on a pixel-by-pixel basis. As a result, in most cases, the user
will not
be able to visually detect that he or she is getting X-Y stepped movement of
the
cursor; to the eye, the steps are so small (pixel-by-pixel) that the cursor
appears to
be moving on a diagonal or smooth curve when accordingly directed. It should
be
appreciated, however, that there are certain configurations in which the X-Y
limited
movement is not sufficiently fine and the user perceives an undesirable zig-
zag
motion of the cursor. Therefore the presently presented solutions focus on
enabling
a user to diagonally navigate a cursor on a screen of a handheld electronic
device
by "blending" X and Y direction signals into diagonal signals for affecting
diagonal
cursor movement, and particularly in environments such as icon fields and
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spreadsheet matrices, and especially without experiencing undue delay or lag
between the input of the instruction and the cursor's actual movement.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Exemplary methods and arrangements conducted and configured according
to the advantageous solutions presented herein are depicted in the
accompanying
drawings where in:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a handheld communication device cradled in
a user's hand and displaying an array of four icons (1, 2, 3 and 4) on a
screen
thereof;
FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of an auxiliary user input in the form of
a trackball;
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary wireless handheld
electronic device incorporating a trackball assembly as at the auxiliary user
input;
FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for affecting
diagonal movement between icons on a display screen of a wireless handheld
electronic device;
FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary QWERTY keyboard layout;
FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary QWERTZ keyboard layout;
FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary AZERTY keyboard layout;
FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary Dvorak keyboard layout;
FIG. 9 illustrates a QWERTY keyboard layout paired with a traditional ten-
key keyboard;
FIG. 10 illustrates ten digits comprising the numerals 0-9 arranged as on a
telephone keypad, including the * and # astride the zero;
FIG. 11 illustrates a numeric phone key arrangement according to the ITU
Standard E. 161 including both numerals and letters;
FIG. 12 is a front view of an exemplary handheld electronic device
including a full QWERTY keyboard;
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FIG. 13 is a front view of another exemplary handheld electronic device
including a full QWERTY keyboard;
FIG. 14 is a front view of an exemplary handheld electronic device
including a reduced QWERTY keyboard;
FIG. 15 is an elevational view of the front face of another exemplary
handheld electronic device including a reduced QWERTY keyboard;
FIG. 16 is a detail view of the reduced QWERTY keyboard of device of
FIG. 15;
FIG. 17 is a detail view of an alternative reduced QWERTY keyboard; and
FIG. 18 is a block diagram representing a wireless handheld communication
device interacting in a communication network.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As intimated hereinabove, one of the more important aspects of the handheld
electronic device to which this disclosure is directed is its size. While some
users
will grasp the device in both hands, it is intended that a predominance of
users will
cradle the device in one hand in such a manner that input and control over the
device can be affected using the thumb of the same hand in which the device is
held. Therefore the size of the device must be kept relatively small; of its
dimensions, limiting the width of the device is most important with respect to
assuring cradleability in a user's hand. Moreover, it is preferred that the
width of the
device be maintained at less than ten centimeters (approximately four inches).
Keeping the device within these dimensional limits provides a hand cradleable
unit
that users prefer for its useability and portability. Limitations with respect
to the
height (length) of the device are less stringent with importance placed on
maintaining device hand-cradleablability. Therefore, in order to gain greater
size,
the device can be advantageously configured so that its height is greater than
its
width, but still remain easily supported and operated in one hand.
A potential problem is presented by the small size of the device in that there
is limited exterior surface area for the inclusion of user input and device
output
CA 02591465 2007-06-13
features. This is especially true for the "prime real estate" of the front
face of the
device where it is most advantageous to include a display screen that outputs
information to the user and which is preferably above a keyboard utilized for
data
entry into the device by the user. If the screen is provided below the
keyboard, a
problem occurs in being able to see the screen while inputting data. Therefore
it is
preferred that the display screen be above the input area, thereby solving the
problem by assuring that the hands and fingers do not block the view of the
screen
during data entry periods.
To facilitate textual data entry, an alphabetic keyboard is provided. In one
version, a full alphabetic keyboard is utilized in which there is one key per
letter.
This is preferred by some users because it can be arranged to resemble a
standard
keyboard with which they are most familiar. In this regard, the associated
letters
can be advantageously organized in QWERTY, QWERTZ or AZERTY layouts,
among others, thereby capitalizing on certain users' familiarity with these
special
letter orders. In order to stay within the bounds of a limited front surface
area,
however, each of the keys must be commensurately small when, for example,
twenty-six keys must be provided in the instance of the English language. An
alternative configuration is to provide a reduced keyboard in which at least
some of
the keys have more than one letter associated therewith. This means that fewer
keys
can be included which makes it possible for those fewer keys to each be larger
than
in the instance when a full keyboard is provided on a similarly dimensioned
device.
Some users will prefer the solution of the larger keys over the smaller ones,
but it is
necessary that software or hardware solutions be provided in order to
discriminate
which of the several associated letters the user intends based on a particular
key
actuation; a problem the full keyboard avoids. Preferably, this character
discrimination is accomplished utilizing disambiguation software accommodated
within the device. As with the other software programs embodied within the
device,
a memory and microprocessor are provided within the body of the handheld unit
for receiving, storing, processing, and outputting data during use. Therefore,
the
problem of needing a textual data input means is solved by the provision of
either a
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full or reduced alphabetic keyboard on the presently disclosed handheld
electronic
device.
Keys, typically of a push-button or push-pad nature, perform well as data
entry devices but present problems to the user when they must also be used to
affect navigational control over a screen-cursor. In order to solve this
problem the
present handheld electronic device preferably includes an auxiliary input that
acts
as a cursor navigational tool and which is also exteriorly located upon the
front face
of the device. Its front face location is particularly advantageous because it
makes
the tool easily thumb-actuable like the keys of the keyboard. A particularly
usable
embodiment provides the navigational tool in the form of a trackball which is
easily
utilized to instruct two-dimensional screen cursor movement in substantially
any
direction, as well as act as an actuator when the ball of the trackball is
depressible
like a button. The placement of the trackball is preferably above the keyboard
and
below the display screen; here, it avoids interference during keyboarding and
does
not block the user's view of the display screen during use.
In some configurations, the handheld electronic device may be standalone in
that it is not connectable to the "outside world." One example would be a PDA
that
stores such things as calendars and contact information, but is not capable of
synchronizing or communicating with other devices. In most situations such
isolation will be detrimentally viewed in that at least synchronization is a
highly
desired characteristic of handheld devices today. Moreover, the utility of the
device
is significantly enhanced when connectable within a system, and particularly
when
connectable on a wireless basis in a system in which both voice and text
messaging
are accommodated.
As intimated hereinabove, the present solutions are directed to methods and
arrangements for facilitating diagonal cursor movement in such environments as
icon arrays 170 and spreadsheet grids on a display screen 322 of a relatively
small,
wireless handheld communication device 300, variously configured as described
above, such as that depicted in FIG. 1. One exemplary embodiment takes the
form
of a method for affecting diagonal movement of a cursor 171 on the display
screen
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322 of a handheld communication device 300. The method includes sensing
movement at an auxiliary user input 328 of the handheld communication device
300 indicative of the user's desire to affect diagonal movement of the cursor
171 on
the display screen 322 of the handheld communication device 300. X-direction
signals and Y-direction signals are produced based on the sensed movement at
the
auxiliary user input 328. During that time while the necessary signals are
being
collected and processed, the cursor 171 is held steady on the display screen
322
until a predetermined criterion is met for discriminating whether the user has
indicated x-direction cursor movement, y-direction cursor movement or diagonal
cursor movement. In that the processing is typically conducted by a processor
338
according to a resident computer program, the predetermined criterion is
either a
preset condition or a user definable condition, examples of which are
discussed in
greater detail hereinbelow. Finally, diagonal cursor movement is affected on
the
display screen 322 of the handheld communication device 300 when diagonal
cursor movement is discriminated to have been user indicated.
As depicted in FIG. 18, the handheld communication device 300 transmits
data to, and receives data from a communication network 319 utilizing radio
frequency signals, the details of which are discussed more fully hereinbelow.
Preferably, the data transmitted between the handheld communication device 300
and the communication network 319 supports voice and textual messaging, though
it is contemplated that the method for affecting diagonal cursor movement is
equally applicable to single mode devices; i.e. voice-only devices and text-
only
devices.
As may be appreciated from FIG. 1, the handheld communication device
300 comprises a lighted display 322 located above a keyboard 332 suitable for
accommodating textual input to the handheld communication device 300 when in
an operable configuration. As shown, the device 300 is of unibody
construction, but
it is also contemplated that the device may be of an alternative construction
such as
that commonly known as "clamshell" or "flip-phone" style. Regardless, in the
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operable configuration for the device 300, the auxiliary user input 328 is
located
essentially between the display 322 and the keyboard 332.
In one embodiment, the keyboard 332 comprises a plurality of keys with
which alphabetic letters are associated on a one letter per key basis. It is
contemplated that the keys may be directly marked with the letters, or the
letters
may be presented adjacent, but clearly in association with a particular key.
This
one-to-one pairing between the letters and keys is depicted in FIGS. 12 and 13
and
is described in greater detail below in association therewith. In order to
facilitate
user input, the alphabetic letters are preferably configured in a familiar
QWERTY,
QWERTZ, AZERTY, or Dvorak layout, each of which is also discussed in greater
detail hereinbelow.
In the alternative embodiment of FIG. 1, the keyboard 332 comprises a
plurality of keys with which alphabetic letters are also associated, but at
least a
portion of the individual keys have multiple letters associated therewith.
This type
of configuration is referred to as a reduced keyboard (in comparison to the
full
keyboard described immediately above) and can, among others, come in
QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY and Dvorak layouts.
As depicted in FIG. 1, the auxiliary user input is a trackball 150. Motion of
the trackball 150 is assessed using a plurality of sensors 160, 162, 164, 166
that
quantify rotational motion of the trackball 150 about an intersecting x-axis
152 and
an intersecting y-axis 154 of the trackball (see FIG. 2).
In one embodiment, the plurality of sensors 160, 162 number two. One of
the two sensors 162 outputs signals indicative of x-component rolling motion
of the
trackball 150 relative to the handheld communication device 300 and about the
intersecting y-axis 154 of the trackball (see the rotational arrows about the
y-axis in
FIG. 2). The other of the two sensors 160 outputs signals indicative of y-
component
rolling motion of the trackball 150 relative to the handheld communication
device
300 and about the intersecting x-axis 152 of the trackball (see the rotational
arrows
about the x-axis in FIG. 2). In this configuration, the two sensors 160, 162
are
oriented radially about the trackball 150 with approximately ninety degree
spacing
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therebetween. In one embodiment, each of the sensors is a hall effect sensor
located
proximate the trackball.
In another embodiment, the plurality of sensors 160, 162, 164, 166 number
four. A first pair of opposed sensors 162, 166 outputs signals indicative of x-
component rolling motion of the trackball 150 relative to the handheld
communication device 300 and about the intersecting y-axis 154. A second pair
of
opposed sensors 160, 164 outputs signals indicative of a y-component rolling
motion of the trackball 150 relative to the handheld communication device 300
and
about the intersecting x-axis 152. The four sensors 160, 162, 164, 166 are
oriented
radially about the trackball 150 with approximately ninety degree spacing
between
consecutive sensors as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2.
Each produced x-direction signal represents a discrete amount of x-
component (incremental x-direction) rolling motion of the trackball 150
relative to
the handheld communication device 300 while each produced y-direction signal
represents a discrete amount of y-component (incremental y-direction) rolling
motion of the trackball 150 relative to the handheld communication device 300.
In a preferred embodiment, the predetermined criterion for discriminating
user indicated x-direction cursor movement is identification of a threshold
number
of x-direction signals in a predetermined signal sample. For example, out of a
moving-window sample of 10 consecutive signals, six or more must be x-signals
in
order to be indicative of desired x-direction cursor movement. Likewise, the
predetermined criterion for discriminating user indicated y-direction cursor
movement is identification of a threshold number of y-direction signals in a
predetermined signal sample. The same sampling example holds, but applied to y-
signals instead of x-signals. In a similar respect, the predetermined
criterion for
discriminating user indicated diagonal cursor movement is identification of a
threshold number of x-direction signals and a threshold number of y-direction
signals in a predetermined signal sample. For instance, out of a moving-window
sample of 10 consecutive signals, four or more must be x-signals and four or
more
must be y-signals in order to be indicative of desired diagonal cursor
movement.
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In a more generic sense, it is pattern recognition software that is utilized
to
identify user indicated diagonal cursor movement based on analysis of a
predetermined signal sample.
Alternatively, a method is disclosed for affecting diagonal movement of a
highlighting cursor 171 amongst an array of icons 170 on a display screen 322
of a
handheld communication device 300, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Movement at an
auxiliary user input 328 of the handheld communication device 300 is sensed
and
which is indicative of the user's desire to affect diagonal movement of the
highlighting cursor 171 from a currently highlighted icon 172 on the display
screen
322 to a diagonally located icon 174 on the display screen 322 of the handheld
communication device 300 (block 410). The movement is described as being "at"
the auxiliary user input 328 to cover such situations as when the input is a
touchpad
or similar device since no portion of that type of input device actually
moves, but
the user's finger indicatively moves relative thereto (across the touchpad).
As in the previously described method, x-direction signals and y-direction
signals are produced based on the sensed movement at the auxiliary user input
328.
Again, the highlighting cursor 171 is held steady on a presently highlighted
icon
172 on the display screen 322 while processing the x-direction signals and y-
direction signals until a predetermined criterion is met for discriminating
whether
the user has indicated movement to an icon left or right of the presently
highlighted
icon 172, above or below the presently highlighted icon 172, or diagonally
positioned relative to the presently highlighted icon 172 (block 420).
Diagonal
movement of the highlighting cursor 172 is then affected between diagonally
positioned icons on the display screen 322 of the handheld communication
device
300 when diagonal cursor movement is discriminated to have been user indicated
(block 430). In other respects, this embodiment is similar to that which has
been
earlier described.
In yet another embodiment, the apparatus of a handheld communication
device 300 is disclosed that is capable of affecting diagonal movement of a
highlighting cursor 171 amongst an array of icons 170 on a display screen 322
of
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the handheld communication device 300. The display screen 322 is located above
a
keyboard 332 suitable for accommodating textual input to the handheld
communication device 300 and an auxiliary user input 328 is located
essentially
between the display 322 and keyboard 332. Sensors 160, 162 (164, 166) are
provided that are capable of sensing movement at the auxiliary user input 328
indicative of the user's desire to affect diagonal movement of the
highlighting
cursor 171 from a currently highlighted icon number 172 on the display screen
322
to a diagonally located icon 174 on the display screen 322 of the handheld
communication device 300. The sensors produce x-direction signals and y-
direction
signals based on the sensed movement at the auxiliary user input 328. A
processor
338 is included that is capable of analyzing the produced x-direction signals
and y-
direction signals and outputting a cursor control signal that holds the
highlighting
cursor 171 steady on a presently highlighted icon 172 on the display screen
322
during the processing and until a predetermined criterion is met for
discriminating
whether the user has indicated movement to an icon left or right of the
presently
highlighted icon, above or below the presently highlighted icon 172, or
diagonally
positioned relative to the presently highlighted icon numeral and 72 and then
affecting diagonal movement of the highlighting cursor number 171 between
diagonally positioned icons on the display screen of the handheld
communication
device 300 when diagonal cursor movement is discriminated to have been user
indicated.
As mentioned hereinabove, there are situations in which the user will not
want the X and Y signals to be converted into diagonal movement generating
signals. For example, when navigating a map scene or other type of image, the
finest directional movement possible from the navigation tool will be most
desired;
otherwise the "collection" of X and Y signals produces undesirable "jerky"
cursor
movement. Therefore, in at least one embodiment, the diagonal movement feature
can be turned on and off by the user, or is automatically set in dependence
upon the
application that is being cursor-traversed.
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The handheld communication device 300 comprises a radio transmitter 318
capable of transmitting data to a communication network 319 utilizing radio
frequency signals and a radio receiver 312 capable of receiving data from the
communication network 319 utilizing radio frequency signals.
Further aspects of the environments, devices and methods of employment
described hereinabove are expanded upon in the following details. An exemplary
embodiment of the handheld electronic device as shown in FIG. 1 is cradleable
in
the palm of a user's hand. The size of the device is such that a user is
capable of
operating the device using the same hand that is holding the device. In a
preferred
embodiment, the user is capable of actuating all features of the device using
the
thumb of the cradling hand. While in other embodiments, features may require
the
use of more than just the thumb of the cradling hand. The preferred embodiment
of
the handheld device features a keyboard on the face of the device, which is
actuable
by the thumb of the hand cradling the device. The user may also hold the
device in
such a manner to enable two thumb typing on the device. Furthermore, the user
may use fingers rather than thumbs to actuate the keys on the device. In order
to
accommodate palm-cradling of the device by the average person, it is longer
(height as shown in FIG. 1) than it is wide, and the width is preferably
between
approximately fifty and seventy-six millimeters (two and three inches), but by
no
means limited to such dimensions.
The handheld electronic device includes an input portion and an output
display portion. The output display portion can be a display screen, such as
an LCD
or other similar display device.
The input portion includes a plurality of keys that can be of a physical
nature
such as actuable buttons or they can be of a software nature, typically
constituted
by virtual representations of physical key on a display screen (referred to
herein as
"software keys"). It is also contemplated that the user input can be provided
as a
combination of the two types of keys. Each key of the plurality of keys has at
least
one actuable action which can be the input of a character, a command or a
function.
In this context, "characters" are contemplated to exemplarily include
alphabetic
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letters, language symbols, numbers, punctuation, insignias, icons, pictures,
and
even a blank space. Input commands and functions can include such things as
delete, backspace, moving a cursor up, down, left or right, initiating an
arithmetic
function or command, initiating a command or function specific to an
application
program or feature in use, initiating a command or function programmed by the
user and other such commands and functions that are well known to those
persons
skilled in the art. Specific keys or other types of input devices can be used
to
navigate through the various applications and features thereof. Further,
depending
on the application or feature in use, specific keys can be enabled or
disabled.
In the case of physical keys, all or a portion of the plurality of keys have
one
or more indicia displayed at their top surface and/or on the surface of the
area
adjacent the respective key, the particular indicia representing the
character(s),
command(s) and/or function(s) typically associated with that key. In the
instance
where the indicia of a key's function is provided adjacent the key, it is
understood
that this may be a permanent insignia that is, for instance, printed on the
device
cover beside the key, or in the instance of keys located adjacent the display
screen,
a current indicia for the key may be temporarily shown nearby the key on the
screen.
In the case of software keys, the indicia for the respective keys are shown on
the display screen, which in one embodiment is enabled by touching the display
screen, for example, with a stylus to generate the character or activate the
indicated
command or function. Such display screens may include one or more touch
interfaces, including a touchscreen. A non-exhaustive list of touchscreens
includes,
for example, resistive touchscreens, capacitive touchscreens, projected
capacitive
touchscreens, infrared touchscreens and surface acoustic wave (SAW)
touchscreens.
Physical and software keys can be combined in many different ways as
appreciated by those skilled in the art. In one embodiment, physical and
software
keys are combined such that the plurality of enabled keys for a particular
application or feature of the handheld electronic device is shown on the
display
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screen in the same configuration as the physical keys. Thus, the desired
character,
command or function is obtained by depressing the physical key corresponding
to
the character, command or function displayed at a corresponding position on
the
display screen, rather than touching the display screen. To aid the user,
indicia for
the characters, commands and/or functions most frequently used are preferably
positioned on the physical keys and/or on the area around or between the
physical
keys. In this manner, the user can more readily associate the correct physical
key
with the character, command or function displayed on the display screen.
The various characters, commands and functions associated with keyboard
typing in general are traditionally arranged using various conventions. The
most
common of these in the United States, for instance, is the QWERTY keyboard
layout. Others include the QWERTZ, AZERTY, and Dvorak keyboard
configurations of the English-language alphabet.
The QWERTY keyboard layout is the standard English-language alphabetic
key arrangement 44 (see FIG. 5). In this configuration, Q, W, E, R, T and Y
are the
letters on the top left, alphabetic row. It was designed by Christopher
Sholes, who
invented the typewriter. The keyboard layout was organized by him to prevent
people from typing too fast and jamming the keys. The QWERTY layout was
included in the drawing for Sholes' patent application in 1878, US Patent
207,559.
The QWERTZ keyboard layout is normally used in German-speaking
regions. This alphabetic key arrangement 44 is shown in FIG. 6. In this
configuration, Q, W, E, R, T and Z are the letters on the top left, alphabetic
row. It
differs from the QWERTY keyboard layout by exchanging the "Y" with a "Z". This
is because "Z" is a much more common letter than "Y" in German and the letters
"T" and "Z" often appear next to each other in the German language.
The AZERTY keyboard layout is normally used in French-speaking regions.
This alphabetic key arrangement 44 is shown in FIG. 7. In this conf guration,
A, Z,
E, R, T and Y are the letters on the top left, alphabetic row. It is similar
to the
QWERTY layout, except that the letters Q and A are swapped, the letters Z and
W
are swapped, and the letter M is in the middle row instead of the bottom one.
CA 02591465 2007-06-13
The Dvorak keyboard layout was designed in the 1930s by August Dvorak
and William Dealey. This alphabetic key arrangement 44 is shown in FIG. 8. It
was
developed to allow a typist to type faster. About 70% of words are typed on
the
home row compared to about 32% with a QWERTY keyboard layout, and more
words are typed using both hands. It is said that in eight hours, fingers of a
QWERTY typist travel about 16 miles, but only about 1 mile for the Dvorak
typist.
Alphabetic key arrangements in full keyboards and typewriters are often
presented along with numeric key arrangements. An exemplary numeric key
arrangement is shown in FIGS. 5-8 where the numbers 1-9 and 0 are positioned
above the alphabetic keys. In another known numeric key arrangement, numbers
share keys with the alphabetic characters, such as the top row of the QWERTY
keyboard. Yet another exemplary numeric key arrangement is shown in FIG. 9,
where a numeric keypad 46 is spaced from the alphabetic/numeric key
arrangement. The numeric keypad 46 includes the numbers "7", "8", "9" arranged
in a top row, "4", "5", "6" arranged in a second row, "1", "2", "3" arranged
in a third
row, and "0" in a bottom row, consistent with what may be found on a known
"ten-
key" computer keyboard keypad. Additionally, a numeric phone key arrangement
42 is also known, as shown in FIG. 10.
As shown in FIG. 10, the numeric phone key arrangement 42 may also
utilize a surface treatment on the surface of the center "5" key. This surface
treatment is such that the surface of the key is distinctive from the surface
of other
keys. Preferably the surface treatment is in the form of a raised bump or
recessed
dimple 43. This bump or dimple 43 is typically standard on telephones and is
used
to identify the "5" key through touch alone. Once the user has identified the
"5"
key, it is possible to identify the remainder of the phone keys through touch
alone
because of their standard placement. The bump or dimple 43 preferably has a
shape
and size that is readily evident to a user through touch. An example bump or
dimple
43 may be round, rectangular, or have another shape if desired. Alternatively,
raised bumps may be positioned on the housing around the "5" key and do not
necessarily have to be positioned directly on the key.
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CA 02591465 2007-06-13
It is desirable for handheld electronic devices 300 to include a combined
text-entry keyboard and a telephony keyboard. Examples of such mobile
communication devices include mobile stations, cellular telephones, wireless
personal digital assistants (PDAs), two-way paging devices, and others.
Various
keyboards are used with such devices depending in part on the physical size of
the
handheld electronic device. Some of these are termed full keyboard, reduced
keyboard, and phone key pads.
In embodiments of a handheld electronic device having a full keyboard, only
one alphabetic character is associated with each one of a plurality of
physical keys.
Thus, with an English-language keyboard, there are at least 26 keys in the
plurality,
one for each letter of the English alphabet. In such embodiments using the
English-
language alphabet, one of the keyboard layouts described above is usually
employed, and with the QWERTY keyboard layout being the most common.
One device that uses a full keyboard for alphabetic characters and
incorporates a combined numeric keyboard is shown in FIG. 12. In this device,
numeric characters share keys with alphabetic characters on the top row of the
QWERTY keyboard. Another device that incorporates a combined
alphabetic/numeric keyboard is shown in FIG. 13. This device utilizes numeric
characters in a numeric phone key arrangement consistent with the ITU Standard
E.161, as shown in FIG. 10. The numeric characters share keys with alphabetic
characters on the left side of the keyboard.
In order to further reduce the size of a handheld electronic device without
making the physical keys or software keys too small, some handheld electronic
devices use a reduced keyboard, where more than one character/command/function
is associated with each of at least a portion of the plurality of keys. This
results in
certain keys being ambiguous since more than one character is represented by
or
associated with the key, even though only one of those characters is typically
intended by the user when activating the key.
Thus, certain software usually runs on the processor of these types handheld
electronic device to determine or predict what letter or word has been
intended by
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the user. Predictive text technologies can also automatically correct common
spelling errors. Predictive text methodologies often include a disambiguation
engine and/or a predictive editor application. This helps facilitate easy
spelling and
composition, since the software is preferably intuitive software with a large
word
list and the ability to increase that list based on the frequency of word
usage.
The software preferably also has the ability to recognize character letter
sequences that are common to the particular language, such as, in the case of
English, words ending in "ing." Such systems can also "learn" the typing style
of
the user making note of frequently used words to increase the predictive
aspect of
the software. With predictive editor applications, the display of the device
depicts
possible character sequences corresponding to the keystrokes that were
entered.
Typically, the most commonly used word is displayed first. The user may select
other, less common words manually, or otherwise. Other types of predictive
text
computer programs may be utilized with the keyboard arrangement and keyboard
described herein, without limitation.
The multi-tap method of character selection has been in use a number of
years for permitting users to enter text using a touch screen device or a
conventional telephone key pad such as specified under ITU E 1.161, among
other
devices. Multi-tap requires a user to press a key a varying number of times,
generally within a limited period of time, to input a specific letter, thereby
spelling
the desired words of the message. A related method is the long tap method,
where a
user depresses the key until the desired character appears on the display out
of a
rotating series of letters.
A "text on nine keys" type system uses predictive letter patterns to allow a
user to ideally press each key representing a letter only once to enter text.
Unlike
multi-tap which requires a user to indicate a desired character by a precise
number
of presses of a key, or keystrokes, the "text-on-nine-keys" system uses a
predictive
text dictionary and established letter patterns for a language to
intelligently guess
which one of many characters represented by a key that the user intended to
enter.
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The predictive text dictionary is primarily a list of words, acronyms,
abbreviations
and the like that can be used in the composition of text.
Generally, all possible character string permutations represented by a
number of keystrokes entered by a user are compared to the words in the
predictive
text dictionary and a subset of the permutations is shown to the user to allow
selection of the intended character string. The permutations are generally
sorted by
likelihood of occurrence which is determined from the number of words matched
in
the predictive text dictionary and various metrics maintained for these words.
Where the possible character string permutations do not match any words in the
predictive text dictionary, the set of established letter patterns for a
selected
language can be applied to suggest the most likely character string
permutations,
and then require the user to input a number of additional keystrokes in order
to
enter the desired word.
The keys of reduced keyboards are laid out with various arrangements of
characters, commands and functions associated therewith. In regards to
alphabetic
characters, the different keyboard layouts identified above are selectively
used
based on a user's preference and familiarity; for example, the QWERTY keyboard
layout is most often used by English speakers who have become accustomed to
the
key arrangement.
FIG. 14 shows a handheld electronic device 300 that carries an example of a
reduced keyboard using the QWERTY keyboard layout on a physical keyboard
array of twenty keys comprising five columns and four rows. Fourteen keys are
used for alphabetic characters and ten keys are used for numbers. Nine of the
ten
numbers share a key with alphabetic characters. The "space" key and the number
"0" share the same key, which is centered on the device and centered below the
remainder of the numbers on the keyboard 14. The four rows include a first row
50,
a second row 52, a third row 54, and a fourth row 56. The five columns include
a
first column 60, a second column 62, a third column 64, a fourth column 66,
and a
fifth column 68. Each of the keys in the first row 50, second row 52, and
third row
54 is uniformly sized while the keys in the fourth, bottom row 56 have
different
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CA 02591465 2007-06-13
sizes relative to one another and to the keys in the first three rows 50, 52,
54. The
rows and columns are straight, although the keys in the fourth row 56 do not
align
completely with the columns because of their differing sizes. The columns
substantially align with the longitudinal axis x-x of the device 300.
FIG. 15 shows a handheld electronic device 300 that has an example
physical keyboard array of 20 keys, with five columns and four rows. An
exploded
view of the keyboard is presented in FIG. 16. Fourteen keys on the keyboard 14
are
associated with alphabetic characters and ten keys are associated with
numbers.
The four rows include a first row 50, a second row 52, a third row 54, and a
fourth
row 56. The five columns include a first column 60, a second column 62, a
third
colunm 64, a fourth column 66, and a fifth column 68. Many of the keys have
different sizes than the other keys, and the rows are non-linear. In
particular, the
rows are V-shaped, with the middle key in the third colunm 64 representing the
point of the V. The columns are generally straight, but the outer two columns
60,
62, 66, 68 angle inwardly toward the middle column 64. To readily identify the
phone user interface (the second user interface), the numeric phone keys 0-9
include a color scheme that is different from that of the remaining keys
associated
with the QWERTY key arrangement.
In this example, the color scheme of the numeric phone keys has a two tone
appearance, with the upper portion of the numeric keys being a first color and
the
lower portion of the numeric keys being a second color. In the example, the
upper
portion of the keys is white with blue letters and the lower portion of the
keys is
blue with white letters. Most of the remaining keys associated with the QWERTY
key arrangement are predominantly the second, blue color with white lettering.
The
first color may be lighter than the second color, or darker than the second
color. In
addition, the keyboard 14 includes a "send" key 6 and an "end" key 8. The
"send"
key 6 is positioned in the upper left corner of the keyboard 14 and the "end"
key 8
is positioned in the upper right corner. The "send" key 6 and "end" key 8 may
have
different color schemes than the remainder of the keys in order to distinguish
them
from other keys. In addition, the "send" and "end" keys 6, 8 may have
different
CA 02591465 2007-06-13
colors from one another. In the example shown, the "send" key 6 is green and
the
"end" key 8 is red. Different colors may be utilized, if desired.
FIG. 17 shows a similar format for the reduced QWERTY arrangement of
alphabetic characters 44 as presented in FIG. 14, but the numeric phone key
arrangement 42 is positioned in the first 60, second 62, and third 64 columns
instead of being centered on the keyboard 14. The first row 50 of keys
includes in
order the following key combinations for the text entry and telephony mode:
"QW/1 ", "ER/2", "TY/3", "UI", and "OP". The second row 52 includes the
following key combinations in order: "AS/4", "DF/5", "GH/6", "JK", and "L/."
The
third row 54 includes the following key combinations in order: "ZX/7", "CV/8",
"BN/9", "M/sym" and "backspace/delete". The fourth row 56 includes the
following key combinations in order: "next/*", "space/O", "shift/#", "alt" and
"return/enter". The keys in each of the rows are of uniform size and the rows
and
columns are straight.
Another embodiment of a reduced alphabetic keyboard is found on a
standard phone keypad. Most handheld electronic devices having a phone key pad
also typically include alphabetic key arrangements overlaying or coinciding
with
the numeric keys as shown in FIG. 11. Such alphanumeric phone keypads are used
in many, if not most, traditional handheld telephony mobile communication
devices
such as cellular handsets.
As described above, the International Telecommunications Union ("ITU")
has established phone standards for the arrangement of alphanumeric keys. The
standard phone numeric key arrangement shown in FIGS. 10 (no alphabetic
letters)
and 11 (with alphabetic letters) corresponds to ITU Standard E.161, entitled
"Arrangement of Digits, Letters, and Symbols on Telephones and Other Devices
That Can Be Used for Gaining Access to a Telephone Network." This standard is
also known as ANSI TI.703-1995/1999 and ISO/IEC 9995-8:1994. Regarding the
numeric arrangement, it can be aptly described as a top-to-bottom ascending
order
three-by-three-over-zero pattern.
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The table below identifies the alphabetic characters associated with each
number for some other phone keypad conventions.
Number on ITU E. 161 Australia Mobile Phone Keypad
Key #1 #11 #111
(Europe) (Europe)
1 QZ ABC ABC
2 ABC ABC ABC DEF DEF
3 DEF DEF DEF GHI GHI
4 GHI GHI GHI JKL JKL
JKL JKL JKL MNO MNO
6 MNO MNO MN PQR PQR
7 PQRS PRS PRS STU STU
8 TUV TUV TUV UVW VWX
9 WXYZ WXY WXY XYZ YZ
0 OQZ
It should also be appreciated that other alphabetic character and number
combinations can be used beyond those identified above when deemed useful to a
particular application.
As noted earlier, multi-tap software has been in use for a number of years
permitting users to enter text using a conventional telephone key pad such as
specified under ITU E 1.161 or on a touch screen display, among other devices.
Multi-tap requires a user to press a key a varying number of times, generally
within
a limited period of time, to input a specific letter associated with the
particular key,
thereby spelling the desired words of the message. A related method is the
long tap
method, where a user depresses the key until the desired character appears on
the
display.
An exemplary handheld electronic device is shown in the assembly drawing
of FIG. 3 and its cooperation in a wireless network is exemplified in the
block
diagram of FIG. 18. These figures are exemplary only, and those persons
skilled in
22
CA 02591465 2007-06-13
the art will appreciate the additional elements and modifications necessary to
make
the device work in particular network environments.
FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing some of the typical components found
in the assembly of the handheld electronic device. The construction of the
device
benefits from various manufacturing simplifications. The internal components
are
constructed on a single PCB (printed circuit board) 102. The keyboard 332 is
constructed from a single piece of material, and in a preferred embodiment is
made
from plastic. The keyboard 332 sits over dome switches (not shown) located on
the
PCB 102 in a preferred embodiment. One switch is provided for every key on the
keyboard in the preferred embodiment, but in other embodiments more than one
switch or less than one switch per key are possible configurations. The
support
frame 101 holds the keyboard 332 and navigation tool 328 in place above the
PCB
102. The support frame 101 also provides an attachment point for the display
(not
shown). A lens 103 covers the display to prevent damage. When assembled, the
support frame 101 and the PCB 102 are fixably attached to each other and the
display is positioned between the PCB 102 and support frame 101.
The navigation tool 328 is frictionally engaged with the support frame 101,
but in a preferred embodiment the navigation tool 328 is removable when the
device is assembled. This allows for replacement of the navigation too1328
if/when
it becomes damaged or the user desires replacement with a different type of
navigation tool 328. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, the navigation
tool
328 is a ball 121 based device. Other navigation tools 328 such as joysticks,
four-
way cursors, or touch pads are also considered to be within the scope of this
disclosure. When the navigation tool 328 has a ball 121, the ball 121 itself
can be
removed without removal of the navigation too1328. The removal of the ball 121
is
enabled through the use of an outer removable ring 123 and an inner removable
ring 122. These rings 122, 123 ensure that the navigation tool 328 and the
ball 121
are properly held in place against the support frame 101.
A serial port (preferably a Universal Serial Bus port) 330 and an earphone
jack 140 are fixably attached to the PCB 102 and further held in place by
right side
23
CA 02591465 2007-06-13
element 105. Buttons 130-133 are attached to switches (not shown), which are
connected to the PCB 102.
Final assembly involves placing the top piece 107 and bottom piece 108 in
contact with support frame 101. Furthermore, the assembly interconnects right
side
element 105 and left side element 106 with the support frame 101, PCB 102, and
lens 103. These side elements 106, 105 provide additional protection and
strength
to the support structure of the device 300. In a preferred embodiment,
backplate
104 is removably attached to the other elements of the device.
The block diagram of FIG. 18 representing the communication device 300
interacting in the communication network 319 shows the device's 300 inclusion
of a
microprocessor 338 which controls the operation of the device 300. The
communication subsystem 311 performs all communication transmission and
reception with the wireless network 319. The microprocessor 338 further
connects
with an auxiliary input/output (I/O) subsystem 328, a serial port (preferably
a
Universal Serial Bus port) 330, a display 322, a keyboard 332, a speaker 334,
a
microphone 336, random access memory (RAM) 326, and flash memory 324.
Other communications subsystems 340 and other device subsystems 342 are
generally indicated as connected to the microprocessor 338 as well. An example
of
a communication subsystem 340 is that of a short range communication subsystem
such as BLUETOOTH communication module or an infrared device and
associated circuits and components. Additionally, the microprocessor 338 is
able to
perform operating system functions and preferably enables execution of
software
applications on the communication device 300.
The above described auxiliary I/O subsystem 328 can take a variety of
different subsystems including the above described navigation tool 328. As
previously mentioned, the navigation tool 328 is preferably a trackball based
device, but it can be any one of the other above described tools. Other
auxiliary I/O
devices can include external display devices and externally connected
keyboards
(not shown). While the above examples have been provided in relation to the
auxiliary I/O subsystem, other subsystems capable of providing input or
receiving
24
CA 02591465 2007-06-13
output from the handheld electronic device 300b are considered within the
scope of
this disclosure.
In a preferred embodiment, the communication device 300 is designed to
wirelessly connect with a communication network 319. Some communication
networks that the communication device 300 may be designed to operate on
require
a subscriber identity module (SIM) or removable user identity module (RUIM).
Thus, a device 300 intended to operate on such a system will include SIM/RUIM
interface 344 into which the SIM/RUIM card (not shown) may be placed. The
SIM/RUIM interface 344 can be one in which the SIM/RUIM card is inserted and
ejected.
In an exemplary embodiment, the flash memory 324 is enabled to provide a
storage location for the operating system, device programs, and data. While
the
operating system in a preferred embodiment is stored in flash memory 324, the
operating system in other embodiments is stored in read-only memory (ROM) or
similar storage element (not shown). As those skilled in the art will
appreciate, the
operating system, device application or parts thereof may be loaded in RAM 326
or
other volatile memory.
In a preferred embodiment, the flash memory 324 contains
programs/applications 358 for execution on the device 300 including an address
book 352, a personal information manager (PIM) 354, and the device state 350.
Furthermore, programs 358 and data 356 can be segregated upon storage in the
flash memory 324 of the device 300. However, another embodiment of the flash
memory 324 utilizes a storage allocation method such that a program 358 is
allocated additional space in order to store data associated with such
program.
Other known allocation methods exist in the art and those persons skilled in
the art
will appreciate additional ways to allocate the memory of the device 300.
In a preferred embodiment, the device 300 is pre-loaded with a limited set of
programs that enable it to operate on the communication network 319. Another
program that can be preloaded is a PIM 354 application that has the ability to
organize and manage data items including but not limited to email, calendar
events,
CA 02591465 2007-06-13
voice messages, appointments and task items. In order to operate efficiently,
memory 324 is allocated for use by the PIM 354 for the storage of associated
data.
In a preferred embodiment, the information that PIM 354 manages is seamlessly
integrated, synchronized and updated through the communication network 319
with
a user's corresponding information on a remote computer (not shown). The
synchronization, in another embodiment, can also be performed through the
serial
port 330 or other short range communication subsystem 340. Other applications
may be installed through connection with the wireless network 319, serial port
330
or via other short range communication subsystems 340.
When the device 300 is enabled for two-way communication within the
wireless communication network 319, it can send and receive signals from a
mobile
communication service. Examples of communication systems enabled for two-way
communication include, but are not limited to, the GPRS (General Packet Radio
Service) network, the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication Service)
network, the EDGE (Enhanced Data for Global Evolution) network, and the
CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) network and those networks generally
described as packet-switched, narrowband, data-only technologies mainly used
for
short burst wireless data transfer.
For the systems listed above, the communication device 300 must be
properly enabled to transmit and receive signals from the communication
network
319. Other systems may not require such identifying information. A GPRS, UMTS,
and EDGE require the use of a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) in order to
allow
communication with the communication network 319. Likewise, most CDMA
systems require the use of a RUIM (Removable Identity Module) in order to
communicate with the CDMA network. The RUIM and SIM card can be used in
multiple different communication devices 300. The communication device 300 may
be able to operate some features without a SIM/RUIM card, but it will not be
able
to communicate with the network 319. In some locations, the communication
device 300 will be enabled to work with special services, such as "911"
emergency,
without a SIM/RUIM or with a non-functioning SIM/RUIM card. A SIM/RUIM
26
CA 02591465 2007-06-13
interface 344 located within the device allows for removal or insertion of a
SIM/RUIM card (not shown). This interface 344 can be configured like that of a
disk drive or a PCMCIA slot or other known attachment mechanism in the art.
The
SIM/RUIM card features memory and holds key configurations 351, and other
information 353 such as identification and subscriber related information.
Furthermore, a SIM/RUIM card can be enabled to store information about the
user
including identification, carrier and address book information. With a
properly
enabled communication device 300, two-way communication between the
communication device 300 and communication network 319 is possible.
If the communication device 300 is enabled as described above or the
communication network 319 does not require such enablement, the two-way
communication enabled device 300 is able to both transmit and receive
information
from the communication network 319. The transfer of communication can be from
the device 300 or to the device 300. In order to communicate with the
communication network 319, the device 300 in a preferred embodiment is
equipped
with an integral or internal antenna 318 for transmitting signals to the
communication network 319. Likewise the communication device 300 in the
preferred embodiment is equipped with another antenna 316 for receiving
communication from the communication network 319. These antennae (316, 318)
in another preferred embodiment are combined into a single antenna (not
shown).
As one skilled in the art would appreciate, the antenna or antennae (316, 318)
in
another embodiment are externally mounted on the device 300.
When equipped for two-way communication, the communication device 300
features a communication subsystem 311. As is well known in the art, this
communication subsystem 311 is modified so that it can support the operational
needs of the device 300. The subsystem 311 includes a transmitter 314 and
receiver
312 including the associated antenna or antennae (316, 318) as described
above,
local oscillators (LOs) 313, and a processing module 320 which in a preferred
embodiment is a digital signal processor (DSP) 320.
27
CA 02591465 2007-06-13
A signal received by the communication device 300 is first received by the
antenna 316 and then input into a receiver 312, which in a preferred
embodiment is
capable of performing common receiver functions including signal
amplification,
frequency down conversion, filtering, channel selection and the like, and
analog to
digital (A/D) conversion. The A/D conversion allows the DSP 320 to perform
more
complex communication functions such as demodulation and decoding on the
signals that are received by DSP 320 from the receiver 312. The DSP 320 is
also
capable of issuing control commands to the receiver 312. An example of a
control
command that the DSP 320 is capable of sending to the receiver 312 is gain
control,
which is implemented in automatic gain control algorithms implemented in the
DSP 320. Likewise, the communication device 300 is capable of transmitting
signals to the communication network 319. The DSP 320 communicates the signals
to be sent to the transmitter 314 and further communicates control functions,
such
as the above described gain control. The signal is emitted by the device 300
through an antenna 318 connected to the transmitter 314.
It is contemplated that communication by the device 300 with the wireless
network 319 can be any type of communication that both the wireless network
319
and device 300 are enabled to transmit, receive and process. In general, these
can
be classified as voice and data. Voice communication is communication in which
signals for audible sounds are transmitted by the device 300 through the
communication network 319. Data is all other types of communication that the
device 300 is capable of performing within the constraints of the wireless
network
319.
In the instance of voice communications, voice transmissions that originate
from the communication device 300 enter the device 300 though a microphone
336.
The microphone 336 communicates the signals to the microprocessor 338 for
further conditioning and processing. The microprocessor 338 sends the signals
to
the DSP 320 which controls the transmitter 314 and provides the correct
signals to
the transmitter 314. Then, the transmitter 314 sends the signals to the
antenna 318,
which emits the signals to be detected by a communication network 319.
Likewise,
28
CA 02591465 2007-06-13
when the receiver 312 obtains a signal from the receiving antenna 316 that is
a
voice signal, it is transmitted to the DSP 320 which further sends the signal
to the
microprocessor 338. Then, the microprocessor 338 provides a signal to the
speaker
334 of the device 300 and the user can hear the voice communication that has
been
received. The device 300 in a preferred embodiment is enabled to allow for
full
duplex voice transmission.
In another embodiment, the voice transmission may be received by the
communication device 300 and translated as text to be shown on the display
screen
322 of the communication device 300. The communication device 300 is also
capable of retrieving messages from a voice messaging service operated by the
communication network operator. In a preferred embodiment, the device 300
displays information in relation to the voice message, such as the number of
voice
messages or an indication that a new voice message is present on the operating
system.
In a preferred embodiment, the display 322 of the communication device
300 provides an indication about the identity of an incoming call, duration of
the
voice communication, telephone number of the communication device, call
history,
and other related information. It should be appreciated that the above
described
embodiments are given as examples only and one skilled in the art may effect
alterations, modifications and variations to the particular embodiments
without
departing from the scope of the application.
As stated above, the communication device 300 and communication network
319 can be enabled to transmit, receive and process data. Several different
types of
data exist and some of these types of data will be described in further
detail. One
type of data communication that occurs over the communication network 319
includes electronic mail (email) messages. Typically an email is text based,
but can
also include other types of data such as picture files, attachments and html.
While
these are given as examples, other types of messages are considered within the
scope of this disclosure as well.
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CA 02591465 2007-06-13
When the email originates from a source outside of the device and is
communicated to the device 300, it is first received by the receiving antenna
316
and then transmitted to the receiver 312. From the receiver 312, the email
message
is further processed by the DSP 320, and it then reaches the microprocessor
338.
The microprocessor 338 executes instructions as indicated from the relevant
programming instructions to display, store or process the email message as
directed
by the program. In a similar manner, once an email message has been properly
processed by the microprocessor 338 for transmission to the communication
network 319, it is first sent to the DSP 320, which further transmits the
email
message to the transmitter 314. The transmitter 314 processes the email
message
and transmits it to the transmission antenna 318, which broadcasts a signal to
be
received by a communication network 319. While the above has been described
generally, those skilled in this art will appreciate those modifications which
are
necessary to enable the communication device 300 to properly transmit the
email
message over a given communication network 319.
Furthermore, the email message may instead be transmitted from the device
300 via a serial port 330, another communication port 340, or other wireless
communication ports 340. The user of the device 300 can generate a message to
be
sent using the keyboard 332 and/or auxiliary I/O 328, and the associated
application to generate the email message. Once the email message is
generated,
the user may execute a send command which directs the email message from the
communication device 300 to the communication network 319. In an exemplary
embodiment, a keyboard 332, preferably an alphanumeric keyboard, is used to
compose the email message. In a preferred embodiment, an auxiliary I/O device
328 is used in addition to the keyboard 332.
While the above has been described in relation to email messages, one
skilled in the art could easily modify the procedure to function with other
types of
data such as SMS text messages, internet websites, videos, instant messages,
programs and ringtones. Once the data is received by the microprocessor 338,
the
data is placed appropriately within the operating system of the device 300.
This
CA 02591465 2007-06-13
might involve presenting a message on the display 322 which indicates the data
has
been received or storing it in the appropriate memory 324 on the device 300.
For
example, a downloaded application such as a game will be placed into a
suitable
place in the flash memory 324 of the device 300. The operating system of the
device 300 will also allow for appropriate access to the new application as
downloaded.
Exemplary embodiments have been described hereinabove regarding both
wireless handheld electronic devices, as well as the communication networks
within which they cooperate. It should be appreciated, however, that a focus
of the
present disclosure is the enablement of a user of such wireless handheld
electronic
devices to navigate diagonally across screen icon arrays and such things as
spreadsheet cell matrices.
31
