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Mobile Phone Patent Abstract
Telephone numbers along with alphanumerical identifications representing
them are stored in a memory of a mobile phone. The number is selected
with quick dialing so that the user first scrolls the identification
corresponding to the required number on the display (11), after
which the call is initiated by pressing the activation key. In the
method of this invention the display is a touch-sensitive display,
and a field (24) representing an identification on the display is
divided into two or more sections (25, 26, 27) each of which corresponds
to a different telephone number, e.g. to work (21), home (22) or
to mobile phone (23). The required number is selected by pressing
the column corresponding to the required section.
Mobile Phone Patent Claims
I claim:
1. A method for quickly initiating a telecommunication connection
from a communication apparatus (10), in which method telephone numbers
and corresponding identifications are stored in a memory of said
communication apparatus (10) prior to making a call and where the
number to be called is selected with a quick dialing method wherein
the user first searches an identification on a display (11) corresponding
to the required stored number by using keys (11, 12, 13), characterized
in that thereafter a call to the selected number is initiated by
a single touching of a predetermined area (25, 26, 27) of said display;
and
in that at least two identifications (24a, 24b, 24c) are shown
on the display at the same time whereby the required number is selected
by first scrolling the required identification onto a pre-defined
line (24b) of said display and by then touching a column (21, 22,
23) corresponding to a required section (25, 26, 27).
2. A method for quickly initiating a telecommunication connection
from a communication apparatus (10), in which method telephone numbers
and corresponding identifications are stored in a memory of said
communication apparatus (10) prior to making a call and where the
number to be called is selected with a quick dialing method wherein
the user first searches an identification on a display (11) corresponding
to the required stored number by using keys (11, 12, 13), characterized
in that thereafter a call to the selected number is initiated by
a single touching of a predetermined area (25, 26, 27) of said display;
and
in that at least one of said identifications (24) has at least
two alternative telephone numbers associated thereto and stored
in the memory of said communication apparatus (10), wherein when
said at least one identification (24) is displayed on said display
(11) a different and equally selectable sub-area (25, 26, 27) of
said display corresponds to each one of said at least two alternative
telephone numbers, and the user selects the number to be called
by touching the corresponding sub-area of said display.
3. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that at least
two identifications (24a, 24b, 24c) are shown on the display at
the same time whereby the required number is selected by touching
a column (21, 22, 23) corresponding to a required section (25, 26,
27) on a line of the selected identification (24a, 24b, 24c).
4. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the identification
is a person's name or an alphanumerical string standing for it.
5. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that marking
designating sub-areas (21, 22, 23) are indicated as fields of the
display.
6. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized
in that the user initiates a call to the selected number by touching
a sub-area corresponding to the selected number at least two subsequent
times.
7. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the keys
are pressed with a pen.
8. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the keys
are pressed with a finger.
9. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that as a functional
alternative of the selection of the required telephone number by
touching a sub-area of said display (11 ), the user selects the
required telephone number by a key command.
10. A personal communicator comprising a display (11) for displaying
information, a plurality of keys (12, 13, 14) for entering information
and memory means for storing telephone numbers and corresponding
identifications, at least one of said keys being arranged to produce
representatives of said identifications to said display when actuated,
characterized in that said display (11 ) is a touch-sensitive display
with a plurality of equally selectable touch-sensitive sub-areas
(25, 26, 27) corresponding to the telephone numbers associated with
the identification (24) shown on said display (11); and
in that the touching of a predetermined selectable sub-area of
said touch-sensitive sub-areas (25, 26, 27) of said display (28)
will initiate a call to the corresponding telephone number.
11. A personal communicator according to claim 10, characterized
in that at least some of said keys (12, 13, 14) are included in
the area of said touch-sensitive display (28).
12. A personal communicator according to claim 10, characterized
in that said sub-areas are arranged as columns (25, 26, 27) of said
touch-sensitive display (28).
13. A personal communicator according to claim 10, characterized
in that sub-areas are arranged as intersections of columns (25,
26, 27) and lines (24a, 24b, 24c) of said display (28).
14. A personal communicator according to claim 10, characterized
in that it comprises markings outside said display (28)indicating
said sub-areas.
15. A personal communicator according to claim 10, characterized
in that it comprises markings in said display (28) indicating said
sub-areas.
Mobile Phone Patent Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a quick-dialing method in which a telephone
number is dialed in a simple and effective way in a mobile phone.
The invention also relates to a mobile communicator that applies
this dialing method. In this connection the term `mobile phone`
is understood in the widest meaning, i.e. it can refer to a mobile
phone, such as a NMT or GSM phone, or some other portable Personal
Communicator, for instance a pocket-size phone, that uses quick
dialing. Likewise, the term `telephone number` must be understood
in a wider sense, also referring to a subscriber number of a terminal
in public switched telephone network, an extension number at a private
branch exchange, the number of another mobile phone or some other
corresponding number.
2. Background Art
To begin with we look as an example at existing mobile phones the
user interface of which may correspond to the one shown in FIG.
1. Mobile phone 10 is equipped with an alphanumerical display 11,
feature keys 13, and digit/character keys 14 and a scrolling key
12. A device of this type is equipped with a microprocessor and
memory in which various parameters related to its use can be stored
with keys 12, 13, and 14. From the user's point of view it is practical
that also telephone numbers can be stored in the memory. Depending
on the mobile phone, the number of memory locations may amount to
100 or even more, and in addition to the telephone number also a
name or other alphanumeric identification relating to the number
can he stored in those locations. When the user would like to make
a call to a number previously stored, he/she will access the number
or the related identification on the display by using the keys 12,
13, and 14 in a suitable sequence. After checking the number or
the identification the user can initiate the call by pressing a
pre-defined feature key 13. The required number can be brought to
the display by using the address of the memory location or even
more easily by first selecting e.g. the first letter of a name and
then scrolling the names that start with this letter on the display.
Naturally, the contents of the memory can also be scrolled according
to the sequential order of the memory location order with the scrolling
key 12. This feature, the so-called quick dialing method is a factor
enhancing user-friendliness but also means improved safety, especially
if the phone is used while driving a car.
The operating pattern of quick dialing described above is quite
logical and usable in most cases. However, if the same person has
several alternative telephone numbers which the mobile phone user
wants to store in the memory of the phone, the user must consequently
make sure that the correct number option is selected beside checking
the name. In this case it may concern a person's telephone number
to work, home or a mobile phone, etc. Scrolling will take more time
and become slower, and at the same time, the risk of dialing a wrong
number increases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of this invention is to find a solution capable of correcting
the above mentioned shortcomings and disadvantages of prior dialing
methods. This is implemented by a method for quickly initiating
a telecommunication connection from a communication apparatus in
which method telephone numbers and corresponding identifications
are stored in the memory of the communication apparatus prior to
making a call and where the number to be called is selected with
a quick dialing method wherein the user first searches an identification
on a display corresponding to the required stored number by using
keys such that thereafter a call to the selected number is initiated
by a single touching of a predetermined area of the display. This
means that the same person has several telephone numbers assigned
to the same identification of which the required number is selected
by pressing the section or column of the touch-sensitive display
that corresponds to the desired number.
A phone applying the method introduced in this invention a display
for displaying information, a plurality of keys for entering information
and a memory unit for storing telephone numbers and corresponding
identifications, at least one of the keys being arranged to produce
representatives of the identifications to the display when actuated.
The display may be a touch-sensitive display with a plurality of
equally selectable touch-sensitive sub-areas corresponding to the
telephone numbers associated with the identification shown on the
display. In a phone according to the invention the touch-sensitive
display can be implemented with some method already known per se,
e.g. an inductive or capacitive display.
This invention can be well applied to mobile phones, for instance
to NMT, GSM, JDC, PCN, DAMPS or other equivalent mobile phones.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other preferred embodiments of this invention have been presented
in dependent claims. In the following, the invention is described
in further detail with reference to the enclosed drawings where
FIG. 1 illustrates the essential parts with respect to the invention
of a mobile phone, even if previously known per se;
FIG. 2 shows the touch-sensitive display of the communicator that
according to this invention has been divided into sections or columns,
which is in the drawing indicated by vertical dotted lines whereas
the boxes marked with dotted lines show the data fields and
FIG. 3 illustrates the touch-sensitive display in a manner similar
to that of FIG. 2, but in this embodiment, however, the display
shows several identifications at the same time.
A more detailed description of the invention is given in the following
with the help of examples, and for simplicity the starting point
is considered to be the NMT phone already presented in FIG. 1 whereby
a simplified diagram of the parts of the Nokia 101 phone (Nokia
Mobile Phones, Finland) that are essential to this description is
shown in FIG. 1. The user controls the operation of the device with
button or key groups 12, 13, and 14. The device provides information
to the user on the display 11. In particular the user can select
the required numbers to be shown on the display 11 for quick dialing
with a specific feature key. In this case the numbers must have
been stored with some previously known method, as mentioned before.
A name or some alphanumerical identification is preferably combined
with the phone number, because it is easier for the user to remember
a name, for instance.
In accordance with the invention several numbers related to the
same identification are stored to the phone's memory which in the
examples given in FIG. 2 and 3 correspond to headers `work` 21,
`home` 22 and `mobile phone` 23. Naturally, the user does not have
to adhere to this division, but can store for instance telephone
numbers to summer cottages under a certain header, if desired, so
that e.g. some identifications under the header `mobile` would correspond
to a mobile phone number whereas some identifications under the
same header would refer to a telephone number to a summer cottage.
FIG. 2 illustrates how the display 11 is divided into sections,
i.e. columns 25, 26, and 27, that have corresponding headers 21,
22, and 23. The headers can be arranged either on the display or
naturally also outside the display area (in FIG. 3, reference numbers
21, 22, and 23). In case the headers are shown on the display, a
symbol can be displayed at the same time, indicating to the user
that this mode enables quick dialing.
When the required number has been brought to the field 24 of the
display 28 with the scrolling key 12, the user can select the required
number by pressing the corresponding column 25, 26, or 27. The selection
can be made by pressing with a finger or e.g. with a pen whereby
the phone immediately makes a call to the chosen number. Alternatively,
the selection can be thought to be activated by double-pressing,
i.e. pressing the required column quickly two subsequent times.
According to the size of the field 28 of the display 11 at the
disposal it is possible to bring several identifications 24a, 24b,
and 24c simultaneously to the display with the scrolling key 12,
as shown in FIG. 3. In this case there are two methods of selecting
the required number. Firstly, the required number can be scrolled
with the scrolling key 12 to a specific row, e.g. to the uppermost
field 24a whereby the selection is made by pressing the column under
the required header 21-23. In this case the area of the whole column
is available from the display's uppermost edge to the lowest edge.
Another possibility is to divide the display into several identification
lines, whereby selection is made by pressing the required column
25-27 at the required line 24a-24c. The selection method mentioned
last requires a display large enough to enable using a finger for
making the choice. With a pen or with some other rather sharp pointed
object it is naturally possible to indicate the selection unambiguously
even at a smaller junction point of a line and a column.
The quick dialing function can be made clearer with a display arranged
according to the invention. As the display is divided into selection
columns, no separate corresponding, large enough push buttons or
keys are needed, which naturally saves the area of the phone's front
panel. The method specified in the invention also provides the user
with a clear quick dialing method since several different phone
numbers can be stored under the same identification, depending on
the number of columns on the display. When all numbers are stored
according to the same principle, quick dialing will become faster.
Naturally, memory space required for storing the quick dialing numbers
can be saved as several phone numbers can be stored under the same
identification and there is no need to reserve memory space for
storing a separate identification for each number, too. As the number
of telephone numbers in the memory increases, also the savings can
be considerable.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the user is also given
the option of more conventional quick dialing. This means that the
keys 12-14 are used to first bring a list of available quick dialing
names and/or numbers to the display and then to scroll a selection
indicator (for example, a certain character next to the list) up
and down the list, until the intended recipient is found. There
may be as many dedicated selection keys as there are possible telephone
numbers associated with one name, or a separate column scrolling
key may be used to scroll through the work, home, mobile and other
telephone numbers of the recipient. When the selection corresponds
to the required number, pressing the off-hook-key or other functionally
similar key activates the calling function. This feature is useful
if the user finds the touch-sensitive display inconvenient for some
reason.
When required, the display 11 can be made large enough to accommodate
both the display and all the keys 12-14 shown in the figure which
would in this case correspond to the area indicated with number
15 in the figure. This arrangement does not as such affect the selection
of identifications and columns.
Naturally a person skilled in the art will on the basis of the
above description find many applications and modifications to the
method and device applying this invention.
As a consequence, the arrangement of the display and keys shown
in FIG. 1 is not restrictive, but the display could as well be placed
to another location on the front panel of the device. Further, the
size of the display does not limit the use of the invention, since
the same idea can be applied to display units where 1 to n fields
24 are shown whereby n is specified according to the size and resolution
of the display.
The principle of this invention can be applied to mobile phones
and other corresponding devices in which there is a need for simplifying
the quick dialing function.
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