Menu navigation and operation feature for a handheld computer

Abstract

A handheld computer is provided having a housing, a display and a processor. The processor is configured to detect an input corresponding to a menu request, to active a first menu on the display in response to the menu request, process navigation input that causes a menu bar of the active menu to become selectable, and to process selection input for selecting the menu bar when it is selectable. The processor is configured to cancel activation of the menu in response to the menu bar being selected.

1 . A handheld computer comprising:
 a housing;   a display accessible on a panel of the housing; and   a processor coupled to the display, the processor being configured to:
 detect an input corresponding to a menu request; 
 activate a first menu on the display in response to the menu request, the activated first menu displaying a menu bar and one or more menu items; 
 process navigation input to navigate to the menu bar of the active first menu, including navigation input to cause the menu bar of the active first menu to be selectable; 
 process selection input when the menu bar is selectable; and 
 cancel activation of the first menu from the display in response to the menu bar of that menu being selected by selection input. 
   
     
     
         2 . The handheld computer of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to process navigation input to navigate vertically to the menu bar from one of the one or more menu items in the active first menu. 
     
     
         3 . The handheld computer of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute an application that makes only the first menu available while a corresponding page of the application is being displayed on the display, and to process a lateral navigation input while the first menu is active in order to cancel the first menu from being active. 
     
     
         4 . The handheld computer of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to process navigation input to navigate laterally from the first menu to a second menu in order to make the second menu active instead of the first menu, and wherein the processor is configured to automatically make a menu bar of the second menu selectable in response to the second menu being activated by the lateral navigation input. 
     
     
         5 . The handheld computer of  claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to process navigation input to cause the menu bar of the second menu item to be selectable immediately upon the second menu being made active in response to the lateral navigation input, and wherein the processor is configured to cancel activation of the second menu from the display in response to the menu bar of the second menu being selected by the selection input. 
     
     
         6 . The handheld computer of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to process the navigation input to make the menu bar highlighted for selection by the selection input. 
     
     
         7 . The handheld computer of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to process navigation input to navigate from one of the one or more menu items of the first menu to the menu bar in order to make the menu bar selectable. 
     
     
         8 . The handheld computer of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more user-interactive features on the first panel of the housing, each of the user-interactive features being actuatable to cause the selection input to be entered. 
     
     
         9 . The handheld computer of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more user-interactive features on the first panel of the housing, each of the user-interactive features being actuatable to cause the navigation input to be entered. 
     
     
         10 . The handheld computer of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to process navigation input from actuation of one or more user-interactive features, the navigation input being processed by the processor to navigate to and make the menu bar selectable, wherein the processor is configured to navigate laterally from the first menu to a second menu in response to the actuation of the one or more user-interactive features corresponding to a lateral navigation input, and to make the menu bar of the active second menu bar selectable upon navigating to the second menu. 
     
     
         11 . The handheld computer of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to process selection input when the menu bar of the second menu is made selectable in order to select that menu bar and cause cancellation of the second menu being active. 
     
     
         12 . The handheld computer of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more user-interactive features on the first panel of the housing, wherein actuation of the one or more user-interactive features causes discrete inputs to be processed by the processor, wherein the processor is configured to process navigation input corresponding to actuation of one or more of the plurality of user-interactive features to navigate to the menu bar vertically from one of the menu items in the first menu in response to receiving a series of one or more discrete inputs from operations of the one or more user-interactive features. 
     
     
         13 . The handheld computer of  claim 12 , wherein the series of discrete inputs correspond to a series of button presses. 
     
     
         14 . The handheld computer of  claim 12 , wherein the series of discrete inputs correspond to a series of button presses from a multi-directional button mechanism. 
     
     
         15 . The handheld computer of  claim 1 , wherein the processor navigates to the menu bar by highlighting the menu bar. 
     
     
         16 . The handheld computer of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more user-interactive features on the first panel of the housing, the one or more user-interactive features being actuatable to cause navigation input to be processed by the processor, wherein a direction in which the processor navigates the menu bar is determined by a user selectively actuating the one or more user-interactive features. 
     
     
         17 . The handheld computer of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to perform an action in response to one of the menu items of the first menu being selected. 
     
     
         18 . The handheld computer of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more user-interactive features on the first panel of the housing, the one or more user-interactive features being actuatable to cause navigation input to be processed by the processor, and wherein the one or more user-interactive features includes a multi-directional mechanical feature. 
     
     
         19 . The handheld computer of  claim 18 , wherein the multi-directional mechanical feature is selected from a group of user-interactive features consisting of a joy stick, a joy pad, and a set of scroll buttons. 
     
     
         20 . The handheld computer of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of user-interactive features include a set of application buttons.