Mobile communication terminal having a context sensitive keypad and method thereof
View Patent ↗A mobile communication apparatus comprising a numeric keypad is disclosed, wherein a number of functions are associated with keys of said keypad. The functions are related to a context of a present application running on said mobile communication apparatus, and associated with one or more further applications, wherein actuation of any of said keys results in activation of any of said one or more further functions to perform said related function by said associated applications.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to at least perform the following:
receiving input from keys of a numeric keypad with the input indicative of a respective function, wherein a number of functions are associated with keys of said keypad, wherein at least one of the functions is related to a context of a present application running on said apparatus, said apparatus being a component of a communications device and at least one of the functions being communications functions, and associated with one or more further applications wherein receiving input resulting from actuation of any of said keys results in activation of any of said functions to perform said related function by said one or more further associated applications;
providing for displaying an association view, wherein the association view displays the context-related functions in a positional relationship with the keys of the keypad such that each function is displayed at a location that positionally corresponds to the associated key of the keypad; and
providing for displaying said association view only after user interaction that includes selecting the association view.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said processor is configured to provide for displaying said associations view after a pre-determined time after said context has been present.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said displayed associations view comprises an image with identifications of said functions on an image of said numeric keypad.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said relations of said functions to said context are user configurable.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said associations of said functions to said applications are user configurable.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a softkey configured such that the actuation of the softkey causes the functions to be associated with the keys of said keypad.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein providing for displaying comprises providing for displaying a representation of a key including both the function associated with the key and a numerical designation associated with the key.
8. A method, comprising:
determining a present context of an application running on a mobile communication apparatus;
determining functions related to said context, wherein at least one of said functions is a communications function and is associated to one or more applications, and wherein said functions are associated with keys of a keypad of the mobile communication apparatus;
providing for displaying an association view, wherein the association view displays the context-related functions in a positional relationship of the keys of the keypad such that each function is displayed at a location that positionally corresponds to the associated key of the keypad;
determining a user interaction;
only after user interaction including selection of the association view, providing for the displaying of the association view;
detecting actuation of one key of said keys; and
activating a function related to said one key by said associated applications.
9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said mobile communication apparatus comprises a display, the method further comprising providing for displaying representations of said functions after a pre-determined time after determining said present context, wherein said displaying indicates associations to keys of said numeric keypad.
10. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising configuring said association between said functions and said keys, respectively.
11. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising configuring said association between said functions and said applications, respectively.
12. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising actuating a softkey to cause the function to be associated with the keys of the keypad.
13. The method according to claim 8 wherein providing for displaying comprises providing for displaying a representation of a key including both the function associated with the key and a numerical designation associated with the key.