Displaying telephone numbers as active objects

• US 20040236441A1
• Filed: 07/03/2003
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: QTECH SYSTEMS, LLC
• Original Assignee: Jambotech, LLC
• Inventors: Melideo, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,434,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

There are disclosed methods and apparatus for displaying telephone numbers. Before displaying data units, the data units are scanned for telephone numbers. The telephone numbers are automatically identified within the data units. When the telephone numbers are displayed as part of displays of the data units, the telephone numbers are caused to have a display attribute which renders the telephone numbers conspicuous to a user.

Claims

1. A method of displaying telephone numbers by a client computer, the method performed within the client computer and comprising, before displaying data units:

scanning the data units for telephone numbers

automatically identifying the telephone numbers within the data units

when the telephone numbers are displayed as part of displays of the data units, causing the telephone numbers to have a display attribute which renders the telephone numbers conspicuous to a user.

2. The method of displaying telephone numbers of claim 1 wherein the method is performed as a consequence an instruction to display the data units.

3. The method of displaying telephone numbers of claim 1 wherein at least one of the data unit is part of a file, wherein only a portion of the file is displayable.

4. The method of displaying telephone numbers of claim 1 wherein at least one of the data unit includes displayable text intermixed with non-displayable data.

5. The method of displaying telephone numbers of claim 1 further comprising detecting an activation instruction by the user of a displayed telephone number causing a telephone call to be initiated using the displayed telephone number.

6. The method of displaying telephone numbers of claim 1 wherein the display attribute comprises a distinctive color.

7. The method of rendering telephone numbers as objects of claim 1 wherein the display attribute comprises underlining.

8. The method of displaying telephone numbers of claim 1 wherein the display attribute comprises a distinctive font.

9. The method of rendering telephone numbers as objects of claim 1 wherein the display attribute comprises highlighting on mouse roll-over.

10. The method of rendering telephone numbers as objects of claim 1 wherein the display attribute comprises a right-click menu.

11. The method of rendering telephone numbers as objects of claim 1 further comprising embedding objects in the data units, the objects including hooks for allowing initiation of telephone calls using the telephone numbers.

12. A client computer for displaying telephone numbers, the client computer comprising:

a user input device

a display device

a processor

a memory

wherein the processor and the memory comprise circuits and software for

scanning data units for telephone numbers before displaying the data units

automatically identifying the telephone numbers within the data units

when the telephone numbers are displayed as part of displays of the data units, causing the telephone numbers to have a display attribute which renders the telephone numbers conspicuous to a user.

13. The client computer for displaying telephone numbers of claim 12 further comprising circuits and software for scanning the data units as a consequence of an instruction to display the data units.

14. The client computer for displaying telephone numbers of claim 12, wherein at least one of the data units is part of a file, wherein only a portion of the file is displayable.

15. The client computer for displaying telephone numbers of claim 12 wherein at least one of the data units includes displayable text intermixed with non-displayable data.

16. The client computer for displaying telephone numbers of claim 12 further comprising circuits and software for

detecting an activation instruction by the user of a displayed telephone number

causing a telephone call to be initiated using the displayed telephone number.

17. The client computer for displaying telephone numbers of claim 12, wherein the display attribute comprises a distinctive color.

18. The client computer for displaying telephone numbers of claim 12, wherein the display attribute comprises underlining.

19. The client computer for displaying telephone numbers of claim 12, wherein the display attribute comprises a distinctive font.

20. The client computer for displaying telephone numbers of claim 12, wherein the display attribute comprises highlighting on mouse roll-over.

21. The client computer for displaying telephone numbers of claim 12, wherein the display attribute comprises a right-click menu.

22. The client computer for displaying telephone numbers of claim 12 further comprising circuits and software for embedding objects in the data units, the objects including hooks for allowing initiation of telephone calls using the telephone numbers.

23. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein operable in a processor for conspicuously displaying telephone numbers, the computer program comprising computer readable code for causing the processor to:

scan the data units for telephone numbers

automatically identify the telephone numbers within the data units

when the telephone numbers are displayed as part of displays of the data units, cause the telephone numbers to have a display attribute which renders the telephone numbers conspicuous to a user.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising computer readable code for causing the processor to scan the data units as a consequence of an instruction to display the data units.

25. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein at least one of the data units is part of a file, wherein only a portion of the file is displayable.

26. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein at least one of the data units includes displayable text intermixed with non-displayable data.

27. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising computer readable code for causing the processor to

detect an activation instruction by the user of a displayed telephone number

cause a telephone call to be initiated using the displayed telephone number.

28. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the display attribute comprises a distinctive color.

29. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the display attribute comprises underlining.

30. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the display attribute comprises a distinctive font.

31. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the display attribute comprises highlighting on mouse roll-over.

32. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the display attribute comprises a right-click menu.

33. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising computer readable code for causing the processor to embed objects in the data units, the objects including hooks for allowing initiation of telephone calls using the telephone numbers.