Portable electronic apparatus

Abstract

A portable electronic apparatus includes guide areas associated one-to-one with preselected keys arranged on a key input section and displays, in each of consecutive operation steps, a guidance information representative of items which can be selected by the user in the above guide areas. This successfully guides the user of the apparatus to an adequate operating method without resorting to key names heretofore displayed to show correspondence between operation items and keys. The apparatus is therefore practicable with a minimum display size.

1 - 10 . (canceled)  
   
   
       11 . A portable electronic device, comprising: 
 a memory which stores at least two functions and at least two items hierarchically assigned to each function;    a display which displays a function, and    an item indicator which denotes the status of the at least two items hierarchically assigned to the displayed function.    
   
   
       12 . The portable electronic device according to  claim 11 , wherein the portable electronic device comprises a handy phone.  
   
   
       13 . The portable electronic device according to  claim 11 , wherein the display displays each of the at least two items.  
   
   
       14 . The portable electronic device according to  claim 13 , wherein the item indicator is an item display which highlights the item corresponding to the current status of the displayed function.  
   
   
       15 . The portable electronic device according to  claim 13 , wherein the at least two items comprise character sequences.  
   
   
       16 . A portable electronic device, comprising: 
 means for storing at least two functions and at least two items hierarchically assigned to each function;    means for displaying a function, and    means for denoting the status of the at least two items hierarchically assigned to the displayed function.    
   
   
       17 . The portable electronic device according to  claim 16 , wherein the portable electronic device comprises a handy phone.  
   
   
       18 . The portable electronic device according to  claim 16 , wherein the means for displaying displays each of the at least two items.  
   
   
       19 . The portable electronic device according to  claim 18 , wherein the means for denoting is an item display which highlights the item corresponding to the current status of the displayed function.  
   
   
       20 . The portable electronic device according to  claim 18 , wherein the at least two items comprise character sequences.