Automatic call initiation in response to selecting tags in electronic documents and applications

• US 10,356,133 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sylvain, Dany
• Primary Examiner(s): Chu, Wutchung
• Application Number:
  US15/700,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20180069904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/247 Telephone sets including user guidance or feature selection means facilitating their use user interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

The present invention provides a telecom control function in a communication terminal. The telecom control function is configured to receive call indicia when a call tag in a software entity, such as an application or electronic document, is selected by a user of the communication terminal. The call indicia provides information associated with a remote party with which a call is being requested by the user. The telecom control function may use the call indicia along with user indicia obtained from the user and indirectly establish a call with the remote party using a telephony terminal other than the communication terminal. If the communication terminal includes a telecommunication client capable of supporting a call, the telecom control function may instruct the telecommunication client to directly initiate the call with the remote party using the call indicia.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a first electronic device with a display apparatus and one or more input devices;

displaying, via the display apparatus, a user interface that includes information about a respective type of operation, wherein the user interface includes controls that provide an option to initiate a first operation of the respective type of operation;

while displaying, via the display apparatus, the user interface that includes information about the respective type of operation, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a first request to display information about other devices that are available to handle the respective type of operation;

in response to receiving the first request, displaying, via the display apparatus, information identifying a second electronic device that is available to handle the respective type of operation, wherein the information identifying the second electronic device is displayed concurrently with at least a portion of the user interface that includes information about the respective type of operation;

while displaying the information identifying the second electronic device concurrently with the portion of the user interface that includes information about the respective type of operation, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a second request to transfer the first operation initiated by the first electronic device to the second electronic device, wherein the first operation is the respective type of operation; and

in response to receiving the second request to transfer the first operation, transferring the first operation to the second electronic device, wherein the first operation is initiated by the first electronic device before it is transferred to the second electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operation comprises a communication session.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operation comprises a phone call.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the second device identifies a plurality of device that are available to handle the respective type of operation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second electronic device comprises a mobile phone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first electronic device comprises a personal computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a handheld device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating the first operation;

wherein the information about the respective type of operation comprises information about the first operation, wherein the information identifying the second device to handle the respective type of operation comprises information identifying the second device to handle the first operation.

9. A first device, comprising:

a display;

one or more inputs; and

one or more processors coupled to the display and the one or more inputs, wherein the one or more processors are configured to;

display, via the display, a user interface that includes information about a first operation of a first type;

initiate the first operation;

while displaying, via the display, the user interface that includes information about the first operation, receive, via the one or more inputs, a first request to display information identifying one or more devices that are available to handle operations of the first type;

in response to receiving the first request, display, via the display, the information identifying the one or more devices that are available to handle operations of the first type, wherein the information identifies a second device, and wherein the information identifying the one or more devices is displayed concurrently with at least a portion of the user interface that includes information about the first operation;

while displaying the information identifying the one or more devices concurrently with the portion of the user interface that includes information about the first operation, receive, via the one or more inputs, a second request to transfer the first operation initiated by the first device to the second device; and

in response to receiving the second request to transfer the first operation, transfer the first operation to the second device.

10. The first device of claim 9, wherein the first operation comprises a communication session.

11. The first device of claim 9, wherein the first operation comprises a phone call.

12. The first device of claim 9, wherein the information identifying the one or more devices identifies a plurality of device that are available to handle operations of the first type.

13. The first device of claim 9, wherein the second device comprises a mobile phone.

14. The first device of claim 9, wherein the first device comprises a personal computer.

15. The first device of claim 9, wherein the first device comprises a personal digital device.

16. A non-transitory computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions executable by a processor of a first device to:

display, via a display coupled to the first device, a user interface that includes information about a first operation;

initiate the first operation;

while displaying, via the display, the user interface that includes information about the first operation, receive, via one or more input devices of the first device, a first request regarding devices that are available to handle the first operation;

in response to receiving the first request, display information identifying a second device that is available to handle the first operation, and wherein the information identifying the second device is displayed concurrently with at least a portion of the user interface that includes information about the first operation;

while displaying the information identifying the second device concurrently with the portion of the user interface that includes information about the first operation, receive, via the one or more input devices of the first device, a second request to transfer the first operation initiated by the first device to the second device; and

in response to receiving the second request to transfer the first operation, transfer the first operation to the second device.

17. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 16, wherein the first operation comprises a phone call.

18. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 16, wherein the information identifying the second device identifies a plurality of device that are available to handle the first operation.

19. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 16, wherein the second device comprises a mobile phone.

20. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 16, wherein the first device comprises a personal computer.