Mobile telephone with improved man machine interface
The present invention envisages a GSM mobile telephone in which a line of icons is displayed on a display. As a user navigates through the displayed line of icons, the positions of the icons alter so that the selectable icon moves to the head of the line. This approach makes it very clear (i) which icon is selectable at any time and (ii) where that icon sits in relation to other icons at the same functional level (e.g. only first level icons will be present in one line). First level icons typically relate to the following functions: phonebook; messages; call register; counters; call diversion; telephone settings; network details; voice mail and IrDA activation.
1. A mobile telephone comprising:
a memory, the memory storing data representing a plurality of icons, wherein each icon corresponds to an operation or set of operations that can be performed on the mobile telephone;
a display that displays one or more of the plurality of icons;
a graphical user interface controlling the display based upon signals received from a navigational tool on the mobile telephone; and
a volume control on the mobile telephone,
wherein the navigational tool is operable to select one of the plurality of icons displayed on the display, and wherein when the navigational tool has been used to select one of the plurality of icons shown on the display, the volume control is operable to increase or decrease the size of the selected icon.
2. The mobile telephone of claim 1 , wherein the navigational tool is one of a joystick and a rocker switch.
3. The mobile telephone of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores data representing textual images associated with the plurality of icons, wherein the display displays the textual images, and wherein the volume control is operable to increase or decrease the size of textual images shown on the display.
4. The mobile telephone of claim 1 , wherein the selected icon is animated upon selection.
5. The mobile telephone of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores data representing textual images associated with the plurality of icons, wherein the display displays the textual images, wherein the navigational tool can be used to select a textual image displayed on the display, and wherein when the navigational tool has been used to select a textual image shown on the display, the volume control is operable to increase or decrease the size of the selected textual image.
6. The mobile telephone of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores data representing textual images associated with the plurality of icons, wherein the display displays the textual images, and wherein the display shows a plurality of overlapping textual images.
7. The mobile telephone of claim 1 , wherein the size of the selected icon increases or decreases at increments that are dependent upon the selected icon.
8. The mobile telephone of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores data representing textual images associated with the plurality of icons, wherein the display displays the textual images, and wherein the textual images comprise explanatory text.
9. A method for operating a mobile telephone comprising:
displaying a plurality of selectable icons on a display of the mobile telephone;
receiving a selection of one of the plurality of icons through a navigational tool on the mobile telephone; and
changing the size of the selected icon in response to input received through a volume control on the mobile telephone,
wherein each icon represents an operation or set of operations that can be performed on the mobile telephone.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein data corresponding to each icon are stored in a memory, and wherein each icon has an explanatory textual image associated with the each icon.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the display shows the explanatory textual image associated with the selected icon.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the display does not show textual images associated with non-selected icons.
13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising changing the size of the explanatory textual image in response to input received through the volume control.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the navigational tool is one of a joystick and a rocker switch.
15. A method for operating a mobile telephone comprising:
storing data representing textual images in a memory of the mobile telephone;
displaying one or more of the textual images on a display of the mobile telephone;
receiving a selection of a textual image of the one or more textual images through a navigational tool on the mobile telephone; and
changing the size of the selected textual image in response to input received through a volume control on the mobile telephone,
wherein each textual image represents an operation or set of operations that can be performed on the mobile telephone.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising storing data representing icons in a memory and displaying icons representing operations or sets of operations on the display.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising receiving a selection of an icon of the displayed icons through the navigational tool, wherein a textual image associated with the selected icon is displayed on the display and textual images associated with the remaining displayed icons are not displayed on the display.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising animating the selected icon upon selection.
19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising optimizing the function of changing the size of the textual image according to the operation or set of operations represented by the textual image.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the navigational tool is one of a joystick and a rocker switch.