Hierarchical menu screen interface for displaying and accessing telephone terminal features

US5774540A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES INC. · US

Inventors

• Joanne W. Davidson · Keansburg, US
• William F. Dudley, Jr. · Jackson, US
• David A. Fishman · San Fernando, US
• David M. Gresham · Grand Rapids, US
• Kenneth L. Kasiske · Jackson, US
• Michael L. Moroze · New Egypt, US
• Elizabeth Bauer-Nilsen Sanders · Columbus, US
• Alessandro A. Subrizi · San Francisco, US
• Susan L. Tuttle · Plainsboro, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 15, 1995
• Grant date: Jun 30, 1998
• Expiry date: Nov 15, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S345/902
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A user of a telephone terminal with an interactive display is provided complete access to all feature choices in a hierarchical menu through a minimum number of menu keys. These menu keys include a "Next" key, a "Back" key, a "Select" key and a "Home" key. These menu keys occupy minimal space on the housing of the telephone terminal, yet enable the user of the terminal to easily scroll to and select every feature in the interactive display. The user is able to quickly develop a mental model of the feature choices and easily navigate through these menu selections. Context-sensitive functionality also is provided for using the interactive display. As a user completes a command function, the feature choice presented to the user for this function is the one most likely to be accessed by the user, thus advantageously avoiding the necessity of having a dedicated key for allowing the user to select this feature choice.