Telephone functions for computers

• US 20050117737A1
• Filed: 01/03/2005
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael D. Stanford, Ronald Scott Langham
• Original Assignee: Michael D. Stanford, Ronald Scott Langham
• Inventors: Stanford, Michael D., Langham, Ronald Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,720,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/387.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• 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 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80

Abstract

An enhanced telephone emulation computer system including a minidialer program for controlling a computer to add telephony functions which can be invoked from whatever active program is currently controlling the computer. The minidialer program controls the computer to alter its processing depending upon the context existing at the time when a mouse click or hot key combination event is detected indicating the user wishes to invoke a telephony function. The minidialer program determines whether the user has highlighted any text or numbers in the active window of the application currently controlling the computer and whether the highlighted material is a name or a phone number, and if a name, whether the name is stored with a phone number in a phone book or file maintained on the computer. Processing and telephony menu options displayed as available also depend upon whether the user is or is not on the phone at the time the mouse click or hot key event occurs. In some embodiments, if the user has highlighted a URL, a browser will be launched and the web page corresponding to the URL will be opened.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A method comprising:

adding an icon to a window of an application program that is active on a computer; and

displaying a menu of telephony functions when a click on the icon is detected.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said adding the icon to the window comprises adding the icon to a title bar of the window.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said adding the icon to the window comprises:

registering the icon with an operating system; and

cooperating with the operating system to display the icon on the window.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said adding the icon to the window comprises adding the icon to the window of an application program selected from a word processor and a database program, and wherein said displaying the menu of telephony functions comprises displaying three or more telephony functions selected from the group consisting of dial, conference, transfer, hold, park, drop, look up, and pop.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said displaying the menu of telephony functions comprises displaying a context sensitive menu of telephony functions.

24. An article comprising a storage having instructions that if executed cause a computer to:

add an icon to a window of an application program that is active on a computer; and

display a menu of telephony functions when a click on the icon is detected.

25. The article of claim 24, wherein the instructions to add the icon to the window further comprise instructions that if executed cause the computer to:

add the icon to a title bar of the window.

26. The article of claim 24, wherein the instructions to add the icon to the window further comprise instructions that if executed cause the computer to:

register the icon with an operating system; and

cooperate with the operating system to display the icon on the window.

27. The article of claim 24, wherein the instructions to add the icon to the window further comprise instructions that if executed cause the computer to:

add the icon to the window of an application program selected from the group consisting of a word processor, a database program, and a web browser.

28. The article of claim 24, wherein the instructions to display the menu of telephony functions further comprise instructions that if executed cause the computer to:

display one or more functions selected from dial, conference, transfer, hold, park, drop, look up, and pop.

29. The article of claim 24, wherein the instructions to display the menu of telephony functions further comprise instructions that if executed cause the computer to:

display three or more functions selected from dial, conference, transfer, hold, park, drop, look up, and pop.

30. The article of claim 24, wherein the instructions to display the menu of telephony functions further comprise instructions that if executed cause the computer to:

display a context sensitive menu of telephony functions.

31. The article of claim 30, wherein the instructions to display the context sensitive menu of telephony functions further comprise instructions that if executed cause the computer to:

display the context sensitive menu of telephony functions based on whether a telephony device is engaged in a phone conversation.

32. The article of claim 31, wherein the instructions to display the context sensitive menu of telephony functions further comprise instructions that if executed cause the computer to:

display the context sensitive menu of telephony functions based on whether characters are selected in the window of the application program.

33. The article of claim 32, wherein the instructions to display the context sensitive menu of telephony functions further comprise instructions that if executed cause the computer to:

display the context sensitive menu of telephony functions based on whether characters selected in the window of the application program comprise a phone number or matche a name in a file having names and phone numbers.

34. A method comprising:

selecting characters in a window of an application program that is active on a computer;

clicking on an icon in the window of the application program; and

selecting a telephony function from a menu of telephony functions that is displayed as a result of the clicking on the icon.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said clicking on the icon in the window comprises clicking on an icon in a title bar of the window.

36. A method comprising:

detecting a predetermined manipulation of an input device of a computer; and

displaying a context sensitive menu of telephony functions on the computer when the predetermined manipulation is detected, wherein the context sensitive menu of telephony functions is based on whether a telephony device is currently being used in a phone conversation.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein displaying the context sensitive menu of telephony functions comprises displaying the context sensitive menu of telephony functions based on whether characters are selected in a window of an active application.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein displaying the context sensitive menu of telephony functions comprises displaying the context sensitive menu of telephony functions based on whether characters selected in the window of the active application comprise a phone number or match a name in a file having names and phone numbers.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein detecting the predetermined manipulation comprises detecting a click on an icon in a window of an active application program.

40. A disk having stored thereon instructions that when executed cause a computer to:

detect a predetermined manipulation of an input device of a computer; and

display a context sensitive menu of telephony functions on the computer when the predetermined manipulation is detected, wherein the context sensitive menu of telephony functions is based on whether a telephony device is currently on-hook or off-hook.

41. The disk of claim 40, wherein the instructions to display the context sensitive menu of telephony functions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the computer to:

display the context sensitive menu of telephony functions based on whether characters are selected in a window of an active application.

42. The disk of claim 41, wherein the instructions to display the context sensitive menu of telephony functions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the computer to:

display the context sensitive menu of telephony functions based on whether characters selected in the window of the active application comprise a phone number or match a name in a file having names and phone numbers.

43. The disk of claim 40, wherein the instructions to display the context sensitive menu of telephony functions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the computer to:

display available menu options in contrasting color to menu options which are not available.

44. The disk of claim 40, wherein the instructions to detect the predetermined manipulation further comprise instructions that when executed cause the computer to:

detect a click on an icon in a window of an active application program.

45. The disk of claim 40, wherein the instructions to detect the predetermined manipulation further comprise instructions that when executed cause the computer to:

detect a click on an icon in a system tray.

46. The disk of claim 40, wherein the instructions to detect the predetermined manipulation further comprise instructions that when executed cause the computer to:

detect a click on an icon on the desktop, or detect a click on an icon in a task bar, or detect a click on an icon on a title bar of an overall display, or detect a hot key combination.

47. An article comprising a storage having instructions that if executed cause a computer to:

add one or more telephony functions to a menu that is displayed when a right button of a mouse is clicked on a window of an application program that is active on a computer; and

implement a telephony function that is selected from the menu.

48. The article of claim 47, wherein the instructions to add the one or more telephony functions to the menu further comprise instructions that if executed cause the computer to add one or more telephony functions selected from the group consisting of dial, conference, transfer, hold, park, drop, look up, and pop to the menu.

49. The article of claim 48, wherein the instructions to add the one or more telephony functions to the menu further comprise instructions that if executed cause the computer to add three or more telephony functions selected from the group consisting of dial, conference, transfer, hold, park, drop, look up, and pop to the menu.