Graffiti entry in phone dialer

• US 20020090077A1
• Filed: 01/10/2001
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Burke, Christine Park, Sprigg, Stephen A.
• Application Number:
  US09/758,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20020090077A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/353
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/26 Devices for calling a subscriber H04M1/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set

Abstract

A graphical user interface (GUI) (202) converts stylus strokes (106) into characters (204), which are applied to a dialer (206) in a telephone. The dialer converts the characters into dial signals (108), such as tone combinations or (in older machines) pulse strings, which dial the indicated phone number.

Claims

1. A telephone, wherein:

(a) the telephone includes a dialer, and

(b) the dialer is characterized in that it is constructed to;

(1) receive graphical information; and

(2) convert the graphical information into a dial signal.

2. The telephone of claim 1, wherein the dialer includes a touch-screen and a stylus.

3. A telephone, wherein:

(a) the telephone includes a dialer, and

(b) the telephone is characterized in that;

(1) the telephone further includes a graphic-to-character converter; and

(2) the dialer is constructed to;

(A) receive a sequence of characters from the graphic-to-character converter; and

(B) convert each character to a dial signal.

4. The telephone of claim 3, characterized in that it further includes means for, if the character is an alpha character:

(a) converting the alpha character into an associated numeric character; and

(b) converting the numeric character into the dial signal.

5. The telephone of claim 3, characterized in that it further includes means for, if the character is an alpha character, converting the alpha character into a dial signal associated with a numeric character which is associated with the alpha character.

6. The telephone of claim 3, characterized in that it further includes means for, if the character is a pause character, converting the pause character into a pause dial signal.

7. A method for dialing a telephone, wherein:

(a) the method includes a sequence of steps of producing a dial signal; and

(b) the method is characterized in that each step of producing a dial signal includes the steps of;

(1) entering graphical information;

(2) converting the graphical information to the dial signal.

8. The method of claim 7, characterized in that the step of entering graphical information includes the step of applying a stylus to a touch-screen.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of converting the graphical information to the dial signal is characterized in that it includes the steps of:

(a) converting the graphical information into a character; and

(b) converting the character into the dial signal.

10. The method of claim 9, characterized in that it further includes the steps of, if the character is an alpha character:

(a) converting the alpha character into an associated numeric character; and

(b) converting the numeric character into the dial signal.

11. The method of claim 9, characterized in that it further includes the step of, if the character is an alpha character, converting the alpha character into a dial signal associated with a numeric character which is associated with the alpha character.

12. The method of claim 9, characterized in that it further includes the step of, if the character is a pause character, converting the pause character into a pause dial signal.