Alternate key options for launching applications in mobile communication devices

Abstract

A system and a method are disclosed for using an application button on a hand-held computing device to launch a plurality of applications including a primary application and an alternate application. A primary application is associated with an application button and an alternate application is associable with the application button. Responsive to a received input requesting launching the alternate application, the primary application is temporarily disassociated with the application button and the alternate application is temporarily associated with the application button. This causes the alternate application to be launched when the application button is activated. Multiple alternate applications may be associable with an application button so that different inputs including the application button activate different applications.

1 . A method for launching a plurality of applications, the method comprising: 
 associating a first application with an application button and having a second application associable with the application button;    receiving input from a first key or the application button to temporarily disassociate the first application with the application button and temporarily associate the second application with the application button; and    receiving input from depressing the application button; and    launching the second application associated with the application button.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 disassociating the second application with the application button; and    reassociating the first application with the application button.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving input from a first key or the application button comprises: 
 receiving input from a first key indicative of the second application; and    receiving input from the application button.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first key indicative of the second application comprises an option key.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving input from the first key or the application button comprises pressing and holding the application button for longer than an immediate release of the application button.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 receiving a configuration command from a user, the configuration command assigning the second application associable with the application button to an input including the application button.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 receiving a first configuration command from a user, the first configuration command assigning the second application associable with the application button to a first input including the application button; and    receiving a second configuration command from a user, the second configuration command assigning a third application associable with the application button to a second input including the application button.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second application associable with the application button comprises a system-level application.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the system-level application comprises an application selected from a group consisting of: a power management application, a keyguard application and a display manager application.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second application associable with the application button comprises a general application.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the general application comprises an application selected from a group consisting of: a calendar, a contact database, a text editor, an email editor, a calculator, an interactive map, a web browser, a file manager, an image capture application and a messaging application.  
     
     
         12 . A mobile computing device having telephone functionality for launching a plurality of applications comprising: 
 an option key;    an application button; and    a computer program product stored in a memory for launching the plurality of applications using the application button, wherein the computer program product comprises instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to: 
 associate a first application with the application button and have a second application associable with the application button;  
 receive input from the option key or the application button to temporarily disassociate the first application with the application button and temporarily associate the second application with the application button;  
 receive input from depressing the application button; and  
 launch the second application associated with the application button.  
   
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the input from the option key or the application button comprises: 
 pressing and releasing the option key and thereafter pressing and immediately releasing the application button.    
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the input from the option key or the application button comprises: 
 pressing and holding the application button for longer than an immediate release of the application button.    
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of application buttons; and    a computer program product stored in the memory for launching the plurality of applications using the plurality of application buttons, wherein the computer program product comprises instructions that when executed cause the processor to:    associate a first application with each of the plurality of application buttons and have at least a second application associable with a combination of at least one of the plurality of application buttons and the option key.    
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the second application associable with the application button comprises a system-level application.  
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the system-level application comprises an application selected from a group consisting of: a power management application, a keyguard application and a display manager application.  
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the second application associable with the application button comprises a general application.  
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 18 , wherein the general application comprises an application selected from a group consisting of: a calendar, a contact database, a text editor, an email editor, a calculator, an interactive map, a web browser, a file manager, an image capture application and a messaging application.  
     
     
         20 . A computer readable medium configured to store instructions, the instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to: 
 associate a first application with the application button and have a second application associable with the application button;    receive input from the option key or the application button to temporarily disassociate the first application with the application button and temporarily associate the second application with the application button;    receive input from depressing the application button; and    launch the second application associated with the application button.    
     
     
         21 . The computer readable medium of  claim 20 , wherein receiving input from the option key or the application button comprises: 
 receiving input from a first key indicative of the second application; and    receiving input from the application button.    
     
     
         22 . The computer readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the first key indicative of the second application comprises an option key.  
     
     
         23 . The computer readable medium of  claim 20 , further comprising instructions when executed by the processor cause the processor to: 
 receive a configuration command from a user, the configuration command assigning the second application associable with the application button to an input including the application button.    
     
     
         24 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , further comprising instructions when executed by the processor cause the processor to: 
 receive a second configuration command from a user, the configuration command assigning a third application associable with the application button to a second input including the application button.    
     
     
         25 . The computer readable medium of  claim 20 , wherein the second application associable with the application button comprises a system-level application.  
     
     
         26 . The computer readable medium of  claim 20 , wherein the second application associable with the application button comprises a general application.