PDAs can be used to provide their users with various functions. One such function is the ability to contact other users who are stored in the PDA as contacts, for example by telephone of text message. The decision as to whether or not a particular user should be contacted may be influenced by the lo
PDAs can be used to provide their users with various functions. One such function is the ability to contact other users who are stored in the PDA as contacts, for example by telephone of text message. The decision as to whether or not a particular user should be contacted may be influenced by the location of that user. For example, if a contact is nearby, then it may be more likely that the user of the PDA would want to contact them. The present invention provides a PDA on which the location of one or more contacts can be displayed. Furthermore, the location of a particular contact can be shown on a map on the screen of the PDA simply by tilting the PDA through a predetermined angle about a horizontal axis. Thus, the map can be displayed in an intuitive and straightforward manner.
대표청구항▼
1. A handheld electronic device comprising: a substantially planar screen configured to display information to a user of the handheld electronic device;a tilt sensor for use in determining the angle between the substantially planar screen and the horizontal; andprocessing circuitry configured to:ope
1. A handheld electronic device comprising: a substantially planar screen configured to display information to a user of the handheld electronic device;a tilt sensor for use in determining the angle between the substantially planar screen and the horizontal; andprocessing circuitry configured to:operate in a contacts mode for displaying contacts of the user of the handheld electronic device on the substantially planar screen,select a predefined contact in response to detection of tilting alone of the handheld electronic device to an angle where the angle between the substantially planar screen and the horizontal is in a predefined range,trigger operation of a mapping mode in response to said selecting of the predefined contact, andshow the location of the electronic device of the contact on the substantially planar screen when operating in the mapping mode. 2. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, further configured to display status information about the electronic device of said pre-defined user. 3. The handheld electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the status information comprises at least one of: (i) what function the electronic device is performing; and(ii) the power status of the electronic device. 4. The handheld electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the function includes at least one of: displaying videos;displaying photographs;taking photographs;playing music;sending emails;accessing the internet;playing games;acting as a telephone. 5. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, further configured to obtain information regarding the electronic device of said pre-defined user from a server. 6. The handheld electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the handheld electronic device is configured to obtain said information from the server as XML data forming an RSS feed. 7. The handheld electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the obtained information comprises information relating to the location of the electronic device of said pre-defined user. 8. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: a receiver unit configured to receive information regarding said pre-defined users of other electronic devices. 9. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: locating means for determining its own location, wherein the locating means optionally uses a triangulation method. 10. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: a transmitter unit configured to transmit information from the handheld electronic device, wherein the transmitter unit is optionally configured to transmit information in the form of an RSS feed. 11. The handheld electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the transmitter unit is configured to transmit information regarding at least one of: (i) the location of the handheld electronic device; and(ii) the status of the handheld electronic device. 12. The handheld electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the status information comprises at least one of: (i) what function the handheld electronic device is performing; and(ii) the power status of the handheld electronic device. 13. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the function includes at least one of: displaying videos;displaying photographs;taking photographs;playing music;sending emails;accessing the interne;acting as a telephone. 14. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the tilt sensor is arranged to measure the angle between the substantially planar screen and the horizontal directly. 15. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the tilt sensor comprises a gyroscope. 16. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the handheld electronic device is configured to provide one or more of the following functions: displaying videos;displaying photographs;taking photographs;playing music;sending emails;accessing the interne;providing a telephone function;acting as a navigation device;playing games;acting as an electronic diary. 17. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the pre-defined user, whose electronic device location is displayed when the handheld electronic device is in mapping mode, is a user who is currently indicated as selected on the substantially planar screen at the time the handheld electronic device enters the mapping mode. 18. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the handheld electronic device is configured such that, in mapping mode, the location of the electronic devices of more than one of the pre-defined users can be displayed. 19. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the handheld electronic device is configured such that, in mapping mode, the location of a predetermined number of geographically closest contacts can be displayed. 20. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the substantially planar screen is rigidly mounted in the handheld electronic device, such that the angle between the substantially planar screen and the horizontal is the same as the angle between the handheld electronic device and the horizontal. 21. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the predefined range is between one of 0 degrees and ±45 degrees, 0 degrees and ±30 degrees, 0 degrees and ±15 degrees, 0 degrees and ±10 degrees, and 0 degrees and ±5 degrees. 22. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the handheld electronic device is configured to operate in the mapping mode when the angle between the substantially planar screen and the horizontal is substantially zero degrees. 23. A method of viewing on a substantially planar screen of a handheld electronic device, the location of an electronic device belonging to at least one pre-defined user, the method comprising: selecting, by a user of the electronic device, a pre-defined contact whose electronic device location is to be displayed;tilting the substantially planar screen so that its angle to the horizontal is within a predefined range;selecting the predefined contact in response to detection of said tilting alone when said angle is within said pre-defined range; andautomatically triggering display of a map showing the location of the electronic device of the predefined contact on the substantially planar screen in response to said selecting of the predefined contact. 24. The method of viewing the location of an electronic device according to claim 23, wherein the tilting the substantially planar screen comprises tilting the handheld electronic device itself. 25. The method of viewing the location of an electronic device according to claim 24, wherein the tilting comprises rotating the handheld electronic device about an axis that lies substantially horizontal and substantially parallel to the plane of the planar screen. 26. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the tilting of the handheld electronic device to the angle is an only user input at a moment of triggering of the operation of the mapping mode.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (4)
Lambert, Paul Aerick; Chang, Lu, Active phone book enhancements.
Dicke, Ronald Anthony; Wilson, Nicholas Bryson; Boudreau, Jesse Joseph, Methods and apparatus for associating mapping functionality and information in contact lists of mobile communication devices.
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