Granted Patent B2

US 8,205,170 · App. 11/424,042 · Granted Jun 19, 2012

Abstract

Claims (60)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a user interface configured to allow for user operation of a plurality of functions; and

a user slideable cover configured to extend across a rear face of the apparatus and configured to be slideable between a first position and a second position, the first position being associated with a first functional mode of the apparatus and the second position being associated with a second functional mode of the apparatus, wherein

when the user slideable cover is in the first position, the user slideable cover is configured to cover a first region of the user interface not associated with the first functional mode and to reveal a second region of the user interface associated with the first functional mode, and

when the user slideable cover is in the second position, the user slideable cover is configured to cover at least a portion of the second region not associated with the second functional mode and to reveal at least a portion of the first region associated with the second functional mode, and wherein

the user slideable cover comprises at least one user input element, and the apparatus is configured, when the user slideable cover is in the first position, to respond to user input at the at least one user input element by providing a shortcut to a first menu location, and the apparatus is configured, when the user slideable cover is in the second position, to respond to user input at the at least one user input element by providing a shortcut to a second menu location, different to the first menu location;

wherein the apparatus is configured to respond to movement of the user slideable cover from the first position to the second position by changing the menu location associated with the at least one user input element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cover is configured to be slideable in a plane parallel to a front face of the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the user slideable cover comprises one or more user output elements.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein an output of the one or more user output elements depends upon whether the apparatus is in the first functional mode or the second functional mode.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one user input element comprises at least one touch sensitive display.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cover extends across more than one face of the apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the user slideable cover is configured to cover at least a portion of a front face of the apparatus, and at least a portion of a lateral wall of the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the lateral wall of the apparatus comprises at least one user input element that is coverable by the user slideable cover.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises at least one sensor configured to detect when the user slideable cover is in the first position, and when the user slideable cover is in the second position.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a hand-held portable electronic apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises a third region that is not coverable by the user slideable cover.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the third region comprises a display.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first region of the user interface comprises at least a portion of a display, and the apparatus is configured to place the portion of the display in an idle state when the apparatus is in the first functional mode.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first region of the user interface comprises a first plurality of user input elements, the second region of the user interface comprises a second plurality of user input elements, and wherein when the user slideable cover is in the first position, the first plurality of user input elements are covered and the second plurality of user input elements are revealed, and when the user slideable cover is in the second position, at least a portion of the first plurality of user input elements are revealed and at least a portion of the second plurality of user input elements are covered.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to respond to movement of the user slideable cover from the second position to the first position by placing the apparatus into the first functional mode.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to respond to movement of the user slideable cover from the first position to the second position by configuring the at least one user input element to perform, in response to user input, the second function.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the apparatus is configured to respond to movement of the user slideable cover from the second position to the first position by configuring the at least one user input element to perform, in response to user input, the first function.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first region comprises a QWERTY keypad and the second region comprises a display, such that when the apparatus is in the first position, the QWERTY keypad is hidden and the display is revealed, and when the apparatus is in the second position, a portion of the display is hidden and the QWERTY keypad is revealed.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one user input element is configured to perform a scrolling operation.

20. A user interface comprising:

a user interface configured to allow for user operation of a plurality of functions of an apparatus; and

a user slideable cover configured to extend across a rear face of the apparatus and configured to be slideable between a first position and a second position, the first position being associated with a first functional mode of the apparatus and the second position being associated with a second functional mode of the apparatus, wherein

when the user slideable cover is in the first position, the user slideable cover is configured to cover a first region of the user interface not associated with the first functional mode and to reveal a second region of the user interface associated with the first functional mode, and

when the user slideable cover is in the second position, the user slideable cover is configured to cover at least a portion of the second region not associated with the second functional mode and to reveal at least a portion of the first region associated with the second functional mode, and wherein

the user slideable cover comprises at least one user input element for causing the apparatus to provide a shortcut to a first menu location when the user slideable cover is in the first position and for causing the apparatus to provide a shortcut to a second menu location, different to the first menu location, when the user slideable cover is in the second position;

wherein the apparatus is configured to respond to movement of the user slideable cover from the first position to the second position by changing the menu location associated with the at least one user input element.

21. A computer readable memory stored with code which, when executed by a processor, causes an apparatus to:

associate a first functional mode with a first position of a user slideable cover and a second functional mode with a second position of a user slideable cover which is configured to extend across a rear face of the apparatus, wherein

when the user slideable cover is in the first position, the user slideable cover is configured to cover a first region of a user interface not associated with the first functional mode and to reveal a second region of the user interface associated with the first functional mode, and when the user slideable cover is in the second position, the user slideable cover is configured to cover at least a portion of the second region not associated with the second functional mode and to reveal at least a portion of the first region associated with the second functional mode;

respond to user input at an input element of the user slideable cover, when the user slideable cover is in the first position, by providing a shortcut to a first menu location;

respond to user input at the input element of the user slideable cover, when the when the user slideable cover is in the second position, by providing a shortcut to a second menu location, different to the first menu location; and

respond to movement of the user slideable cover from the first position to the second position by changing the menu location associated with the at least one user input element.

22. The computer readable memory of claim 21 , wherein the code causes the apparatus to respond to movement of the user slideable cover from the second position to the first position by placing the apparatus into the first functional mode.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a user interface;

a user slideable cover slideable between a first position and a second position and configured to extend across a rear face of the apparatus, the first position being associated with a first functional mode of the apparatus and the second position being associated with a second functional mode of the apparatus;

means for associating a first functional mode with the first position of the user slideable cover and a second functional mode with the second position of the user slideable cover, wherein

when the user slideable cover is in the first position, the user slideable cover is configured to cover a first region of a user interface not associated with the first functional mode and to reveal a second region of the user interface associated with the first functional mode, and when the user slideable cover is in the second position, the user slideable cover is configured to cover at least a portion of the second region not associated with the second functional mode and to reveal at least a portion of the first region associated with the second functional mode;

means for responding to user input at an input element of the user slideable cover, when the user slideable cover is in the first position, by providing a shortcut to a first menu location;

means for responding to user input at the input element of the user slideable cover, when the when the user slideable cover is in the second position, by providing a shortcut to a second menu location, different to the first menu location; and

means for responding to movement of the user slideable cover from the first position to the second position by changing the menu location associated with the at least one user input element.

24. A method comprising:

associating a first functional mode with a first position of a user slideable cover and a second functional mode with a second position of a user slideable cover which is configured to extend across a rear face of the apparatus, wherein

when the user slideable cover is in the first position, the user slideable cover is configured to cover a first region of a user interface not associated with the first functional mode and to reveal a second region of the user interface associated with the first functional mode, and when the user slideable cover is in the second position, the user slideable cover is configured to cover at least a portion of the second region not associated with the second functional mode and to reveal at least a portion of the first region associated with the second functional mode;

responding to user input at an input element of the user slideable cover, when the user slideable cover is in the first position, by providing a shortcut to a first menu location;

responding to user input at the input element of the user slideable cover, when the when the user slideable cover is in the second position, by providing a shortcut to a second menu location, different to the first menu location; and

responding to movement of the user slideable cover from the first position to the second position by changing the menu location associated with the at least one user input element.

25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising: responding to movement of the user slideable cover from the second position to the first position by placing the apparatus into the first functional mode.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

memory including software, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform:

respond to user input at least one user input element of a user slidable cover which is configured to extend across a rear face of the apparatus when the user slidable cover is in a first position that covers a first region of a user interface and reveals a second region of the user interface by providing a shortcut to a first menu location, and

respond to user input at the at least one user input element when the user slidable cover is in a second position that covers a second region of the user interface and reveals the first region of the user interface by providing a shortcut to a second menu location, different to the first menu location; and

respond to movement of the user slideable cover from the first position to the second position by changing the menu location associated with the at least one user input element, wherein the user interface allows for user operation of a plurality of functions, the first position is associated with a first functional mode of the apparatus wherein the slidable cover covers a first region of the user interface not associated with the first functional mode and reveals a second region of the user interface associated with the first functional mode, the second position is associated with a second functional mode of the apparatus wherein the slidable cover is configured to cover at least a portion of the second region not associated with a second functional mode and to reveal at least a portion of the first region associated with the second functional mode.

Assignments (11)