One hand quick dialer for communications devices

• US 20040119755A1
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Guibourge, Nicolas
• Application Number:
  US10/322,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20040119755A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/827
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27457 Management thereof, e.g. manual editing of data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

Quick dialing methods and systems for use with communications devices are described. Such communications devices are often characterized by a limited keypad to enter contact numbers. The quick dialing technique reduces the number of keys used to dial a number, and thus a device using the technique may be operated blindly or with one hand. Exemplary methods relate the keypad and other user interfaces of the communications device with an exemplary data structure for a database of contact records. Related subject matter also facilitates quick recognition of contacts when dialing or receiving an incoming call.

Claims

1. A method of relating a database structure to keys of a keypad, comprising:

placing identifiers of records in the database structure into lists;

assigning a key of the keypad to each list; and

assigning a key of the keypad to each record within each list, wherein a first actuation of the key of the keypad assigned to a given list selects the given list and a subsequent actuation of a key of the keypad selects a record within the given list.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising filtering the records in the database structure to reduce a number of the identifiers of records to be placed into the lists.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising establishing a menu keypad state in which the keys of the keypad access the lists.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising establishing a list keypad state in which a key assigned to a record in a given list enables access to the record after the given list has been accessed from the menu keypad state.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising assigning at least one key of the keypad to traverse from a first list to a second list.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising assigning at least one key of the keypad to traverse between keypad states.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising assigning an attribute to a list, wherein the attribute is one of a text font, a text color, a background color, a graphic, an icon, a photo, a bitmap, a picture, a sound, a ring tone, and a method of sorting the identifiers of records in the list.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising assigning the key to the list according to an order of the list relative to other lists, wherein the order is obtained by sorting the list and the other lists according to one of an alphanumeric order, an order of most recent use, an order of most frequent use, and a key order.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising assigning the key to the record according to an order of the record among other records, wherein the order is obtained by sorting the record and the other records according to one of an alphanumeric order, an order of most recent use, an order of most frequent use, and a key order.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each key of the keypad is a hard key actuated by depressing the hard key.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each key of the keypad is a soft key actuated by one of tapping an image and dragging an image.

12. A method of accessing a database structure using the keys of a dialer, wherein contacts stored in the database structure are placed into lists and a contact can be accessed after the list containing the contact has been accessed, comprising:

selecting a list by actuating a key of the dialer; and

dialing a contact within the list by actuating a key of the dialer.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein selecting the list further comprises moving through a menu of lists using a key of the dialer to pre-select a list and selecting the list by actuating a key of the dialer.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein selecting the contact further comprises moving through contacts in the list using a key of the dialer to pre-select a contact and selecting the contact by actuating a key of the dialer.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising assigning an attribute to the list, wherein the attribute is one of a text font, a text color, a background color, a graphic, an icon, a photo, a bitmap, a picture, a sound, ring tone, and a method of sorting the contacts in the list.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising playing the sound attribute assigned to the list when the list is one of pre-selected and/or selected.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the sound attribute is a recording of a name of the list.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the sound attribute is a name of the list recited by a text to speech engine.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising displaying one of the text font, the text color, the background color, the icon, the photo, the bitmap, and the picture assigned when the list is one of pre-selected and/or selected.

20. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

receiving an incoming communication from a contact in the list; and

accessing a contact record of the contact to determine a list containing the contact record and to determine attributes associated with the list.

21. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising playing the ring tone attribute assigned to the list when an incoming communication from a contact in the list is received.

22. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising displaying one of the text font, the text color, the background color, the icon, the photo, the bitmap, and the picture assigned to the list when an incoming communication from a contact in the list is received.

23. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising assigning an attribute to the contact, wherein the attribute is one of a text font, a text color, a background color, a graphic, an icon, a photo, a bitmap, a picture, a sound, and a ring tone.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising playing the sound attribute assigned to the contact when the contact is one of pre-selected and/or selected.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the sound attribute is a recording of a name of the contact.

26. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the sound attribute is a name of the contact recited by a text to speech engine.

27. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising displaying one of the text font, the text color, the background color, the graphic, the icon, the photo, the bitmap, and the picture assigned to the contact when the contact is one of pre-selected and/or selected.

28. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

receiving an incoming communication from a contact; and

accessing a contact record of the contact to determine the identity of the contact and to determine attributes associated with the contact.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising playing the ring tone attribute assigned to the contact when an incoming communication from the contact record is received.

30. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising displaying one of the text font, the text color, the background color, the graphic, the icon, the photo, the bitmap, and the picture assigned to the contact record when an incoming communication from the contact is received.

31. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein each key of the dialer is a hard key actuated by depressing the hard key.

32. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein each key of the dialer is a soft key actuated by one of tapping an image and dragging an image.

33. A method of using a communications device, comprising:

performing a first key actuation on the keypad of the communications device to select a list from a menu of lists, wherein the list comprises a set of contact records; and

performing a second key actuation on the keypad of the communications device to select a contact record in the list, wherein the contact record cannot be selected until the list containing the contact record is selected.

34. The method as recited in claim 33 further comprising performing, if necessary, a third key actuation on the keypad of the communications device to select a phone number from multiple phone numbers associated with the selected contact record, wherein the phone number cannot be selected until the contact record containing the multiple phone numbers is selected

35. The method as recited in claim 33, further comprising automatically dialing a phone number stored in the contact record after the contact record is selected.

36. The method as recited in claim 33, further comprising actuating a key of the keypad to change from a normal mode of keypad operation, wherein the keys of the keypad represent alphanumeric digits to a quick dial mode of keypad operation, wherein the keys of the keypad access a menu of lists and contact records in each list.

37. The method as recited in claim 33 wherein each key of the keypad is a hard key actuated by depressing the hard key.

38. The method as recited in claim 33, wherein each key of the keypad is a soft key actuated by one of tapping an image and dragging an image.

39. A communications device, comprising:

a keypad having keys;

a database of lists addressable by the keys, wherein each list comprises a set of contact records; and

a quick dial module to allow a user to access a list by actuating a key of the keypad and to access a contact record in the list by actuating a key of the keypad, wherein a key cannot access the contact record until a key accesses the list containing the contact record.

40. The communications device as recited in claim 39, further comprising an assigner to link an attribute with a list, wherein the attribute is one of a text font, a text color, a background color, a graphic, an icon, a photo, a bitmap, a picture, a sound, a ring tone, and a method of sorting the set of contact records in the list.

41. The communications device as recited in claim 40, further comprising a camera to create the graphic, icon, photo, bitmap, and/or picture.

42. The communications device as recited in claim 40, further comprising a display device to display the attribute when a communication is received from a contact in the list.

43. The communications device as recited in claim 39, further comprising an assigner to link an attribute with a contact record, wherein the attribute is one of a text font, a text color, a background color, an icon, a photo, a bitmap, a picture, a sound, and a ring tone.

44. The communications device as recited in claim 43, further comprising a display device to display the attribute when a key is actuated to one of pre-select the contact record and/or select the contact record.

45. The communications device as recited in claim 43, further comprising a display device to display the attribute when a communication is received from a contact in the contact record.

46. The communications device as recited in claim 39, further comprising a filter to reduce a number of the contact records to place in each list.

47. The communications device as recited in claim 39, further comprising a record sorter to sort each list for display.

48. The communications device as recited in claim 47, wherein each list is sorted according to an assigned sorting method attribute.

49. The communications device as recited in claim 48, wherein the method of sorting is one of sorting according to alphanumeric order of a name associated with the contact record, sorting according to most recent use of contact records in the list, sorting according to most frequent use of contact records in the list, and sorting according to numerical order of keys assigned to contact records in the list.

50. The communications device as recited in claim 49, further comprising a record sorter to automatically perform background sorting of contact records to remove least frequently used contact records from a list.

51. The communications device as recited in claim 49, further comprising a record sorter to automatically perform background sorting of contact records to remove contact records that no longer exist in a database of the communications device.

52. The communications device as recited in claim 49, wherein each key of the keypad is a hard key actuated by depressing the hard key.

53. The communications device as recited in claim 49, wherein each key of the keypad is a soft key actuated by one of tapping an image and dragging an image.

54. A data structure for a directory database accessible by a phone, comprising:

a root directory containing multiple lists, wherein each list is assigned a respective key on a keypad of the phone and each list is accessible by actuating its assigned key; and

contact records in the multiple lists, wherein the contact records are assigned keys on the keypad and each contact record is accessible by pressing its assigned key, further wherein the contact record is accessible only after a list containing the contact record has been accessed.

55. The data structure as recited in claim 54, wherein each list has a list name.

56. The data structure as recited in claim 55, wherein the multiple lists are sorted according to one of an alphabetical order of their names, a most frequently used order, a most recently used order, and a numerical order of assigned key number.

57. The data structure as recited in claim 55, wherein contact records in one of the multiple lists are sorted according to one of an alphabetical order, a most frequently used order, a most recently used order, and a numerical order of assigned key number.

58. The data structure as recited in claim 55, wherein each list is assigned an attribute, including one of a text font, a text foreground color, a text background color, an icon, a photo, a bitmap, a picture, a sound, and a ring tone.

59. The data structure as recited in claim 55, wherein each contact record in a list is assigned an attribute, including one of a text font, a text foreground color, a text background color, an icon, a photo, a bitmap, a picture, a sound, and a ring tone.

60. A phone dialing system, comprising:

a dialer having keys;

a database of contact information organized into records having contacts and addressable by the keys;

a list organizer to place at least a name of each of at least some of the records into multiple lists;

a list selector to invoke one of the multiple lists by actuating one of the keys;

and

a record selector to invoke a record in the list by actuating one of the keys, wherein the record selector cannot invoke the record until the list is invoked.

61. The phone dialing system as recited in claim 60, further comprising an attribute assigner to link an attribute to the list, wherein the attribute is one of a text font, a text foreground color, a text background color, an icon, a photo, a bitmap, a picture, a sound, and a ring tone.

62. The phone dialing system as recited in claim 61, further comprising a display to show the attribute of the list when the key assigned to the list is actuated, or when the list is pre-selected by actuating one or several times the next and/or previous key.

63. The phone dialing system as recited in claim 61, further comprising a display to show the attribute of the list when a communication is received from a contact in a record at least named in the list.

64. The phone dialing system as recited in claim 60, further comprising an attribute assigner to link an attribute to the record, wherein the attribute is one of a text font, a text foreground color, a text background color, a graphic, an icon, a bitmap, a picture, a sound, and a ring tone.

65. The phone dialing system as recited in claim 64, further comprising a display to show the attribute of the record when the record is one of pre-selected by actuating a key and/or selected by actuating a key.

66. The phone dialing system as recited in claim 64, further comprising a display to show the attribute of the record when a communication is received from a contact in the record.

67. The phone dialing system as recited in claim 60, further comprising a switch to change between a normal mode of dialer operation, wherein the keys of the dialer represent alphanumeric digits, to a quick dial mode of dialer operation, wherein the keys of the dialer access the multiple lists.

68. The phone dialing system as recited in claim 60, further comprising a sorter to arrange the lists and the preferred records in one of an alphabetical order of their names, a numerical order according to key number, an order of most frequent use, and an order of most recent use.

69. The phone dialing system as recited in claim 60, wherein each key of the dialer is a hard key actuated by depressing the hard key.

70. The phone dialing system as recited in claim 60, wherein each key of the dialer is a soft key actuated by one of tapping an image and dragging an image.

71. A mobile telephone device, comprising:

a handheld dialer wherein each key of the dialer can be actuated by a part of a hand holding the handheld dialer; and

a database of contact information accessible by the handheld dialer, wherein the contact information is grouped into categories traversable by the keys of the dialer, and wherein a first actuation of one or more keys of the dialer selects a category and a subsequent actuation of one or more keys of the dialer dials a phone number from the category.

72. The mobile telephone device as recited in claim 71, further comprising an attribute assigner to link an attribute to a category, wherein the attribute is one of a text font for a category name, a text foreground color, a text background color, an icon, a photo, a bitmap, a picture, a sound, and a ring tone.

73. The mobile telephone device as recited in claim 72, further comprising a display to show the attribute of the category when the category is one of pre-selected and selected.

74. The mobile telephone device as recited in claim 71, wherein each key of the dialer is a hard key actuated by depressing the hard key.

75. The mobile telephone device as recited in claim 71, wherein each key of the dialer is a soft key actuated by one of tapping an image and dragging an image.

76. One or more computer readable media containing instructions that are executable by a computer to perform actions comprising:

selecting preferred contact records from a database of contact records to be accessed by the dialer of a communications device;

placing names of the preferred contact records into categories;

accessing a category by actuating a key of the dialer; and

accessing a preferred contact record in a category by actuating a key of the dialer, wherein the preferred contact record cannot be accessed until a category containing the preferred contact record is accessed.

77. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 76, the actions further comprising assigning one of a color attribute, a text font attribute, a graphic attribute, an icon attribute, a photo attribute, a bitmap attribute, an image attribute, a sound attribute, and a ring tone attribute to each category.

78. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 77, the actions further comprising playing the sound attribute assigned to a category when the category is one of pre-selected and selected.

79. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 77, the actions further comprising displaying one of the color attribute, the text font attribute, the icon attribute, the photo attribute, the bitmap attribute, and the image assigned to a category when the category is one of pre-selected and selected.

80. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 77, the actions further comprising playing the ring tone attribute assigned to a category when an incoming communication is received from a contact in a preferred contact record in the category.

81. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 77, the actions further comprising displaying one of the color attribute, the text font attribute, the icon attribute, the photo attribute, and the image attribute assigned to a category when an incoming communication is received from a contact in a preferred contact record in the category.

82. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 77, the actions further comprising sorting preferred contact records in a first category by a different sort method than the preferred contact records in a second category, wherein the sort methods are selected from a group of sort methods consisting of sorting the preferred contact records alphabetically by name, sorting the preferred contact records numerically according to assigned key numbers, sorting the preferred contact records by frequency of use, and sorting the preferred contact records according to most recent use.