GB2219422A

GB2219422A - Pager display control

Info

Publication number: GB2219422A
Application number: GB8813009A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sean Richard Flood
Original assignee: Multitone Electronics PLC
Current assignee: Multitone Electronics PLC
Priority date: 1988-06-02
Filing date: 1988-06-02
Publication date: 1989-12-06
Also published as: GB8813009D0; GB2219422B

Abstract

A pager provided with a display 82 also includes a joystick-type control button 28. The button 28 provides control of the display (or of display-related functions) such as message and line selection. For example, leftward or rightward tilting of the button 28 can be used to select one of a number of different messages, and upward or downward tilting can be used to scan (scroll) through different lines of the selected message. The button can also be used for menu selection, changing field values (e.g. day/time), or entering a P.I.N. <IMAGE>

Description

PACER DISPLAY CONTROL This invention relates to pager display control which is applicable to paging receivers provided with a display, such as for alpha-and/or numeric text.

Paging receivers (pagers) can be provided with a facility for receiving messages in alpha-and/or numeric form, and in this case, a display is provided for the messages. It is usual for a relatively limited display facility to be provided, typically allowing two lines of characters to be displayed; however, the message storage capacity of such pagers generally greatly exceeds the display capacity.

Furthermore, different operational modes and the like of the pager can often be selected from a menu on the display. This puts a further demand on use of the display. Thus, it is known to provide a number of keys to enable selection of display features, such as to select one of a number of stored messages, to display desired parts of the selected message, to display a menu, or similar. Provision of a number of keys for these purposes restricts miniaturisation of the pager; also, operation can be cumbersome, if a number of different keys have to be operated in a particular sequence.

According to the present invention there is provided a paging receiver provided with a display, the receiver comprising a control means for controlling the operation of the display, and a joystick (as herein defined) for entering instructions concerning the display or a display-related function to the control means.

By 'joystick' is meant a switch operable in more than one direction whereby a plurality of switching functions can be provided, each switching function being dependent on the direction of operation of the switch. For example, the joystick may be in the form of a circular key whose surface is substantially parallel to the mounting surface of the pager. The key can be rocked or tilted in any of four directions to provide four different switching functions.

The invention will now be further described, by way of illustrative and non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic circuit block diagram of a pager according to a preferred embodiment of this invention; Figure 2 shows part of the pager of Figure 1, with schematic details of message reading; Figures 3A and 3B are two parts of a flow chart illustrating the message reading operation of the Figure 2 arrangement; Figure 4 shows part of the pager of Figure 1, with schematic details of the menu layout; Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating the menu operation of the Figure 4 arrangement; Figure 6 shows part of the pager of Figure 1, with schematic details of field change operation; Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating the field change operation of the Figure 6 arrangement; and Figure 8 is a front view of the display and key panel of a pager embodying this invention.

Referring first to Figure 1, a pager according to the preferred embodiment of the invention includes an aerial 10 connected to a receiver 12 which, in conventional manner, includes radio frequency (RF) circuitry (not shown) tuned to the transmission channel employed by the associated transmitter(s) and appropriate demodulation circuitry for detecting the received signal. The output of the receiver 12 is fed to a decoder 14 which includes an address detection facility. This is not shown but typically includes an address comparator for comparing an address portion of the received incoming signal with one or more address codes stored in one or more respective address stores. In response to a positive address comparison, the decoder 14 allows the received signal to pass to a message controller 16. A random access memory (RAM) 18 is associated with the message controller 16.Received signals processed by the message controller 16 can activate a tone generator 20 connected to a speaker 22 so as to provide a specific type of acoustic alert, and/or activate a display driver 24 to provide suitable display signals to energise a liquid crystal display (LCD) 26.

The message controller 16 is also connected to a joystick-type switch (hereinafter referred to as a joystick) 28 which acts as a means of entering message display and/or other commands to the pager.

The joystick 28 typically is in the form of a circular button free to tilt against spring bias about any axis parallel to its surface (in the rest position) whereby it is possible to provide a number of switching functions from one control button. Alternatively, the button may have a rocker action in just two axes at right angles to each other. As shown in Figure 1, the joystick 28 is marked with 'left' and 'right' horizontal actuation arrows, as well as 'up' and 'down' vertical actuation arrows. In this form, the switch part of the joystick may typically include four fixed contacts (corresponding to points of the compass) and a central movable contact attached to the underside of the tiltable button, whereby a connection is made between the movable contact and one of the fixed contacts, depending on which side of the joystick button is depressed.The natural rest position of the switch is 'off'. Alternatively, the tiltable button may include an individual movable contact for each of the fixed contacts. The exact arrangement of the joystick 28 is not important, as long as specific signals can be provided for the message controller 16 which identify the manner in which the joystick has been operated; in the case of the Figure 1 arrangement, it is necessary for the message controller 16 to be able to distinguish in which of the four possible orientations the joystick button has been depressed.

The joystick is particularly useful for controlling display and display-related functions.

One example of a display function which can be controlled in this way is message reading. In a typical pager, it is possible to display and read two adjacent lines of a received message. More lines of the message are however stored in the pager, and some means is required to select which lines are to be displayed. The joystick is a particularly effective means for selecting the lines to be displayed.

Thus, the 'up' and 'down' positions of the joystick can be used to move the two-line display window through the message in the respective direction, effectively so as to 'scroll' the message up or down. The 'left' and 'right' positions of the joystick can then be used to move to the next message or to a previous message. Figure 2 provides details of the message reading in the context of a pager as shown in Figure 1, and Figures 3A and 3B show a flowchart of the message reading software. In Figure 2, stored messages and other data are represented by a block 18A.

Referring to Figures 3A and 3B, following a start step 300, message and line pointers are each set at '1' in a step 301. A check is made in a step 302 whether the 'right' position of the joystick has been activated. If 'no', the operation moves to a step 303. If 'yes', a step 304 checks whether the message (identified by the message pointer) is the last message or not. If 'yes', the operation moves to the step 303. If 'no', the message pointer is incremented by one in a step 305 and the line pointer is set at '1' in a step 306.

In other words, the next message is selected, and set at the first line for display. Then the operation moves to a step 307.

If there has been no message pointer incrementing (that is, if either the decision in the step 302 was 'no' or the decision in the step 304 was 'yes'), the step 303 checks whether the 'left' position of the joystick has been activated. If 'no', the operation moves to a step 308. If 'yes', the operation moves to a series of steps 309 to 311 equivalent to the respective steps 304 to 306, except that in the step 310, the message pointer is decremented by one rather than incremented as in the step 305. That is, the previous message is selected, and set at the first line for display.

In the step 308, a check is made whether the 'up' position of the joystick has been activated. If 'no', the operation moves to a step 312. If 'yes', a step 313 checks whether the line is the top line. If so, there is no change in the line pointer, and the operation moves to the step 312. However, if the line is not the top line, the line pointer is decremented by one in a step 314, so as to 'scroll' the message up by one line, and the operation progresses to the step 307.

If the step 308 decision was 'no' or if the step 313 decision was 'yes', that is if no line pointer decrementing has occurred, the step 312 checks whether the 'down' position of the joystick has been activated. Steps 315 and 316 are similar to the steps 313 and 314 except that they respectively check for the bottom line (rather than the top line) and increment the line pointer (rather than decrement it). The result of this is to 'scroll' the message down by one line.

If the step 312 finds that the 'down' position of the joystick has not been activated, the operation returns to the step 302 and the process is repeated.

After any of the steps 306, 311, 314 or 316, the operation moves to the step 307. Here, a check is made whether 'wordwrap' is to be provided or not. 'Wordwrap' is a text display reformatting mode which will be subsequently described. If 'yes', the text is reformatted into readable form in a step 308. If 'no', the step 308 is by-passed and the operation moves directly to a step 309 in which the text message pointer and the line pointer are displayed (see also the block 18A in Figure 2). As a result, the desired two lines of the desired message are displayed. After the step 309, the operation returns to the step 302 and the process is repeated.

Another example of a display control function which can be implemented by the joystick is selection of menu options or change of pager operation. An example of a typical pager menu is as follows: Service 1 ON RIO 4761289 Memory FREE * 24 hr erase Y Q Overwrite N * Auto wrap Y r Compare Y As in the case of ordinary message text, only two lines of the menu will be displayed at any particular time. The 'up' and 'down' positions of the joystick can be used to move the two line window up and down the menu, and the option line (one of the lines in the twoline window) can be changed by the 'left' and 'right' action of the joystick.For example, as shown above, the option '24 hr erase' is currently Y (yes) and if the user wishes to change this, the appropriate line is first selected using the 'up' or 'down' action of the joystick, and then the 'left' or 'right' action can be used to change the Y (yes) to N (no) and back to Y (yes).

Figure 4 provides details of the stored menu layout represented by a block 18B, and Figure 5 shows a flow chart of the menu selection operation. Steps 500 to 511 are broadly similar to those shown in and previously described with reference to Figures 3A and 3B, in that the line pointer is incremented (step 509) or decremented (step 505) depending on the vertical position of the joystick so as to 'scroll' through the menu, once a check for top or bottom line has been made (steps 504 and 508). If the line is an option (step 507), the option is changed (step 511) depending on the 'left' and 'right' positions of the joystick (step 510). Thus, according to the arrangement shown in Figures 4 and 5, an option line can be selected and the option made by single finger control on just one button.This is more convenient and less prone to error than sequential activation of a number of different keys.

A further example of a display-related function which can be effected by the joystick is changing the value of fields within a line and moving to the next field, as with a line display of day of the week and time (either real time or an alarm time). Thus, when setting or re-setting is required, the control will scan through the fields to be changed in turn, the current field to be changed flashing or being otherwise visually identifiable from the remainder of the line, and when the change has been effected, the next field will flash to show that it is ready for changing, if required. Thus, with a display of day of the week, hours and minutes, the day of the week may flash to show that it is to be changed first, followed by the hours field and then by the minutes field. The day of the week may be provided by an options table which is cycled through until the required day is found.

Figure 6 provides details of the stored field options represented by a block 18C, and Figure 7 shows a flow chart of the field change operation.

Referring to Figure 7, following a start step 700, the points are initialised in a step 701, and a check is made in a step 702 whether the 'left' position of the joystick has been activated. If 'no', the operation moves to a step 703. If 'yes', the operation moves forward to the next field in a step 704 and the flashing option is updated in a step 705. In the step 703, a check is made whether the 'right' position of the joystick has been activated. If 'no', the operation moves to a step 706. If 'yes', the operation moves backward to the previous field in a step 707 and the flashing option is updated in a step 708.

In the step 706, a check is made between 'option' and 'flag'.

If 'flag', the operation moves to a step 709. If 'option', depending on 'up' or 'down' positions of the joystick (steps 710 or 712), the list of options is cycled through one step forward or backward (steps 711 or 713).

In the step 709, a check is made for 'up' or 'down' actuation of the joystick. If 'no', the operation returns to the step 702. If 'yes', the state of the flag is changed in a step 714. After any of the steps 705, 708, 711, 713 or 714, the text and option are displayed in a step 715, whereupon the operation returns to the step 702.

Thus it is possible to change the fields in a line by auation of the joystick, the field which is flashing being the one to be changed.

A still further example of a display-related function to be effected by the joystick concerns the provision of a security feature.

In order to provide a degree of security to the access of displayed information, a pager may be provided with a personal identification number (PIN). Operation of the pager to receive messages is made dependent on the correct PIN having been entered. The display on the pager may have a sequence of numbers as shown below.

Enter PIN -- 0 1 23"56789 The user selects the PIN as follows. The 'left' and 'right' positions of the joystick are used to select the first digit of the correct number, and the 'up' and 'down' actuations enter the number.

If desired, the PIN may have no duplicate numbers in it, and the numbers may need to be selected in a certain order, in a similar fashion to that in mechanical safe combination locks. In the above example, the number '4' has been selected and replaced by '' to avoid it being selected again (this replacement would not take place if duplicate numbers in the PIN were to be permitted). Also, '' is shown in the top right hand corner of the display to show that the first of the three numbers has been entered. The remaining numbers are then selected and entered in turn, in a similar manner. Only when or if the correct PIN has been entered will the pager operate to receive and display information.

In the description of Figures 3A and 3B, mention was made of 'wordwrap' text reformatting. This is a feature for improving the legibility of messages. It is common for pagers to be able to store large amounts of text and the messages can be in excess of 200 characters. At present, it is usual for the text to be distributed over the various lines without reference to the actual words, which are therefore frequently broken up and spread over two lines. In order to improve legibility, the 'wordwrap' text reformatting feature displays a word on the next line if it occurs at the end of a line without sufficient display space to fit the complete word in at the end of the line. However, if a word is more than a predetermined length, such as sixteen characters, this would be broken into two parts.

Figure 8 shows a front panel 80 of a pager embodying the invention, the pager being provided with a joystick 28 operable as previously described. The front panel 80 also includes a two-line display 82 for alphanumerics such as message text, menus and the like, and for indicators and other information such as that shown. The front panel 80 is further provided with keys 84, 86 for functions other than those which can be performed by the joystick 28.

The provision of the joystick both reduces the number of keys which would otherwise need to be provided, and also facilitates operation of the display or display-related features, by permitting single finger actuation of a variety of functions.

Claims

1. A paging receiver provided with a display, the receiver comprising a control means for controlling the operation of the display, and a joystick (as herein defined) for entering instructions concerning the display or a display-related function to the control means.

2. A paging receiver according to claim 1, wherein the control means is operable to select messages from a received message store and to select parts of the messages for display, the joystick causing the control means to perform both of these functions depending on the direction of operation of the joystick.

3. A paging receiver according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the control means is operable to select a menu of receiver functions for display, and to enter one of the functions, the joystick causing the control means to select part of a menu for display when operated in one direction, and to enter a function displayed on the selected part of the menu when operated in another direction.

4. A paging receiver according to claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the control means is operable to change fields in turn within a displayed line, the joystick causing the control means to move the displayed field which is selected in one direction or the other depending on the direction of operation of the joystick.

5. A paging receiver according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein display operation of the receiver is inhibited unless a security code is entered, entry of the security code being effected by the joystick.

6. A paging receiver substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.