Navigating through a menu of a handheld computer using a keyboard
View Patent ↗A technique to navigate through one or more menus of a handheld computer is disclosed. In one embodiment, the technique uses a handheld device having a first button to cause a cursor to navigate through a plurality of menu items and to highlight a desired menu item. The device also has a second button to cause the cursor to navigate through a plurality of menus when the cursor is highlighting one of the menus or a first menu item, and to cause the cursor to highlight a previous menu item when the cursor is highlighting a menu item other than the first menu item.
1. A handheld device for navigating among a plurality of menus and within individual menus, each menu comprising at least one menu item, the device comprising:
a first button to cause a cursor to navigate within a menu when no selection command has been received for the menu and to highlight a desired menu item within the menu; and
a second button, wherein:
when the cursor is highlighting one of the menus or a first menu item in a menu of the plurality of menus, the second button causes the cursor to navigate from one menu to another; and
when the cursor is highlighting a menu item other than the first menu item in a menu of the plurality of menus, and no selection command has been received for the menu, the second button causes the cursor to navigate within the menu.
2. The device of claim 1 further comprising:
a third button to cause the device to display the plurality of menus.
3. The device of claim 1 further comprising:
an execute button to execute the highlighted item.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the highlighted item is a telephone number.
5. The device of claim 4 further comprising:
a button to dial the telephone number.
6. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein the first button is a scroll-up button.
7. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein the second button is a scroll-down button.
8. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein the first button is right arrow button.
9. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein the second button is a left arrow button.
10. A handheld device for navigating among a plurality of menus and within individual menus, each menu comprising at least one menu item, the device comprising:
first means for causing a cursor to navigate within a menu when no selection command has been received for the menu and to highlight a desired menu item within the menu; and
second means for causing the cursor to navigate from one menu to another when the cursor is highlighting one of the menus or a first menu item in a menu of the plurality of menus and for causing the cursor to navigate within the menu when the cursor is highlighting a menu item other than the first menu item in a menu of the plurality of menus and no selection command has been received from the menu.
11. The device of claim 10 further comprising:
third means for causing the device to display the plurality of menus.
12. The device of claim 10 further comprising:
execute means for executing the highlighted item.
13. The device of claim 10 wherein the highlighted item is a telephone number.
14. The device of claim 13 further comprising:
means for dialing the telephone number.
15. A method performed by a handheld device for navigating among a plurality of menus and within individual menus, each menu comprising at least one menu item, the method comprising:
using a first button to cause a cursor to navigate within a menu when no selection command has been received for the menu and to highlight a desired menu item within the menu; and
using a second button to cause the cursor to navigate from one menu to another when the cursor is highlighting one of the menus or a first menu item in a menu of the plurality of menus and for causing the cursor to navigate within the menu when the cursor is highlighting a menu item other than the first menu item in a menu of the plurality of menus and no selection command has been received from the menu.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
using a third button to display the plurality of menus.
17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
using an execute button to execute the highlighted item.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein the highlighted item is a telephone number.
19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:
using a button to dial the telephone number.
20. An apparatus for navigating among a plurality of menus, the apparatus comprising:
a menu bar including a plurality of menus;
a set of items associated with each menu of the plurality of menus;
a display button to cause the menu bar including the plurality of menus to be displayed;
a first scroll button to cause a cursor to navigate within a menu when no selection command has been received for the menu and to highlight a desired menu item within the menu; and
a second scroll button, wherein:
when the cursor is highlighting one of the menus or a first menu item in a menu of the plurality of menus, the second button causes the cursor to navigate from one menu to another; and
when the cursor is highlighting a menu item other than the first menu item in a menu of the plurality of menus, and no selection command has been received for the menu, the second button causes the cursor to navigate within the menu.
21. A handheld device for navigating among a plurality of menus and within individual menus, each menu comprising at least one menu item, the device comprising:
a first button to cause a cursor to navigate within a menu when no selection command has been received for the menu and to highlight a desired menu item within the menu; and
a second button, wherein:
when the cursor is highlighting one of the menus or a last menu item in a menu of the plurality of menus, the second button causes the cursor to navigate from one menu to another; and
when the cursor is highlighting a menu item other than the first menu item in a menu of the plurality of menus and no selection command has been received for the menu, the second button causes the cursor to navigate within the menu.
22. The handheld device of claim 21 , wherein the first button is a scroll-up button.
23. The handheld device of claim 21 , wherein the second button is a scroll-down button.
24. The handheld device of claim 21 , wherein the first button is right arrow button.
25. The handheld device of claim 21 , wherein the second button is a left arrow button.
26. A handheld device for navigating among a plurality of menus and within individual menus, each menu comprising at least one menu item, the device comprising:
a first button, wherein:
when the cursor is highlighting one of the menus or a last menu item in a menu, the first button causes the cursor to navigate from one menu to another; and
when the cursor is highlighting a menu item other than the first menu item in a menu of the plurality of menus and no selection command has been received for the menu, the first button causes the cursor to navigate within the menu; and
a second button, wherein:
when the cursor is highlighting one of the menus or a first menu item in a menu of the plurality of menus, the second button causes the cursor to navigate from one menu to another; and
when the cursor is highlighting a menu item other than the first menu item in a menu of the plurality of menus, and no selection command has been received for the menu, the second button causes the cursor to navigate within the menu.
27. The handheld device of claim 26 , wherein the first button is a scroll-up button.
28. The handheld device of claim 26 , wherein the second button is a scroll-down button.
29. The handheld device of claim 26 , wherein the first button is right arrow button.
30. The handheld device of claim 26 , wherein the second button is a left arrow button.