Method and apparatus for providing recent categories on a hand-held device

Patent 6901559 Issued on May 31, 2005. Estimated Expiration Date:

April 27, 2020. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

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Inventors

Assignee

Microsoft Corporation

Application

No. 09559695 filed on 04/27/2000

US Classes:

715/811, Based on usage or user profile (e.g., frequency of use)715/739, Selecting from a resource list (e.g., address book)715/825, Dynamically generated menu items715/841Sub-menu structure

Examiners

Primary: Huynh, Ba

Attorney, Agent or Firm

International Class

G09G005/00

Abstract

The present invention adds a new category of contacts and tasks to hand-held devices. This new category provides a list of the most recent contacts or tasks that the user has accessed. Under most embodiments, the contacts and tasks shown in the RECENT list may be manipulated by the user in the same manner in which contacts and tasks are manipulated in other lists on the hand-held device. Thus, the user is shown the actual contacts or tasks entries and not just a link to those entries. Under most embodiments, the user is able to display a list of recent contacts and tasks by accessing a “RECENT” entry in a categories list provided on many hand-held devices.