Device interface

Abstract

The present invention relates to a small computing device with an improved interface. The interface comprises a display screen which extends the majority of length of the face of the housing, and a plurality of multi-function buttons extending on either side of the display screen.

1 . A mobile telephone, including a housing, a display screen extending along a face of the housing, a single row of a first plurality of keys positioned on or adjacent a side of the housing and adjacent one side of the screen, a single row of a second plurality of keys positioned on or adjacent an opposite side of the housing and adjacent of the opposite side of the screen such that each key is on or adjacent a side of the housing and adjacent the screen, the face of the housing having a major, longitudinal dimensions and a minor, width dimension, the rows of keys extending in substantially the same direction as the longitudinal dimension of the face of the housing, and a control means responsive to operation of the keys to implement at least a telephone number dialing function, the telephone not including a conventional telephone-type key layout.  
     
     
         2 - 5 . (canceled)  
     
     
         6 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 1 , the control means being arranged to control the mobile telephone to operate in a plurality of operating modes wherein at least a plurality of the keys operate as multi-function keys, the particular function of the key in a particular operating mode being designated by indicia appearing on the display screen.  
     
     
         7 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein the control means is arranged to control the mobile telephone so that the particular function of a key in a particular operating mode is designated by indicia appearing on the display screen adjacent the key.  
     
     
         8 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of keys comprises three or more keys and the second plurality of keys comprises three or more keys.  
     
     
         9 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the first plurality of keys comprises between four and ten keys inclusive and the second plurality of keys comprises four and ten keys inclusive.  
     
     
         10 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the first plurality of keys comprises between six and eight keys inclusive and the second plurality of keys comprises between six and eight keys inclusive.  
     
     
         11 . A small mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein one of the plurality of operating modes, at least a plurality of keys are associated with numerals, operation of the plurality of keys resulting in the input of numerals.  
     
     
         12 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the first plurality of keys comprises at least 5 keys and the second plurality of keys comprises at least 5 keys, and at least 5 keys of each of the first and second plurality of keys are associated in one operating mode with each of the ten digits of the decimal numeral system appearing as indicia on the display screen.  
     
     
         13 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein the control means is arranged to control the mobile telephone in a hard key operating mode, and where at least a plurality of the keys are associated with hard labels which indicate function of the keys in the hard key operating mode.  
     
     
         14 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein the hard labels are arranged on the keys.  
     
     
         15 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein the hard labels include numerics and in the hard key operating mode the control means controls the at least plurality of keys to input numerics corresponding to the hard labels.  
     
     
         16 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein the hard key operating mode the control means is arranged to operate the at least plurality of the keys to input the character from the Arabic alphabet, and the hard labels include Arabic characters.  
     
     
         17 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein one of the plurality of operating modes a plurality of the keys operate to provide a scrolling function, instructing the information on the display screen to be scrolled.  
     
     
         18 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 6 , in a menu operating mode the control means being arranged to cause the display screen to display a plurality of menu options, each menu option being designated by an associated one of the plurality of keys, whereby one of the plurality of menu options may be selected by actuating the appropriate one of the plurality of keys.  
     
     
         19 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 18 , the control means being arranged, on actuation in the menu operating mode of one of the plurality of keys to select a menu option, to control the display to present a plurality of menu item for the particular menu option selected, each menu items being associated with one of the plurality of keys, whereby operation of a key results in selection of the associated menu item.  
     
     
         20 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 19 , the telephone being arranged so that the menu options include a number of menu items which are less than or equal to the number of the first and second plurality of keys, whereby selection of a menu item is a two key step process, comprising, firstly, selection of the menu option and, secondly, selection of the menu item within the menu option.  
     
     
         21 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein in one of the plurality of the operating modes the control means being arranged to control the display screen to present a plurality of items for selection, each of the items being associated with one of the first or second plurality of keys, selection of the associated item being carried out on actuation of the associated key, the control means being arranged to enable that more than one of the displayed items can be selected.  
     
     
         22 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein in one of the plurality of the operating modes the control means is arranged to control the display screen to present a plurality of items for selection, each one of the items being associated with one of the first or second plurality of keys, selection of the associated item being carried out on selection of the associated key, the control means being arranged to enable only one of the displayed items to be selected.  
     
     
         23 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein one operating mode, the control means is arranged to control the telephone so that selection of alpha-numerics may occur by operation of the keys, to enable entry of text to the telephone, and wherein the telephone is provided with text sense means arranged to provide a suggestion of characters to be entered by a user of the device, and the control means controlling the display so that the text sense suggestion appears on the display screen associated with one of the plurality of the keys and may be selected by actuation of the associated key.  
     
     
         24 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 23 , wherein the text sense means is arranged to provide a suggestion of characters which may include one or more characters but does not provide a complete word but only a start or continuation of a word.  
     
     
         25 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 23 , wherein the text sense means is arranged to provide a suggestion of one or more of characters to complete the word.  
     
     
         26 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 1 , and further comprising “yes” and “no” keys positioned below the screen.  
     
     
         27 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 1 , and further comprising one or more “direction” keys positioned below the display screen.  
     
     
         28 - 31 . (canceled)  
     
     
         32 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the telephone is pre-configured so that at least a plurality of the keys have dedicated, single function operation.  
     
     
         33 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 32 , wherein at least a plurality of the keys have pre-configured dedicated single function operation, at least one of the functions instructing the communication circuitry to connect to a predetermined telephone number.  
     
     
         34 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 32 , the telephone being configurable so that at least a plurality of the keys may be allocated a dedicated single function and locked so that they can be operated to provide that single function.  
     
     
         35 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 34 , wherein the single function effects an instruction to the communications circuitry to dial a predetermined telephone number.  
     
     
         36 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a speaker positioned on the face of the display screen.  
     
     
         37 . A mobile telephone in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the display screen is arranged to be touch sensitive and the control means is arranged to control the telephone so that the data may be input by touching the screen.  
     
     
         38 - 51 . (canceled)