Using emoticons, such as for wireless devices

• US 20060015812A1
• Filed: 03/28/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyster-Yale Group Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Christopher, Cunningham, Ivy
• Granted Patent: US 7,669,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/263
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages

Abstract

A method and system for generating a displayable icon or emoticon form that indicates the mood or emotion of a user of the mobile station. A user of a device, such as a mobile phone, is provided with a dedicated key or shared dedicated key option that the user may select to insert an emoticon onto a display or other medium. The selection of the key or shared dedicated key may result in the insertion of the emoticon, or may also result in the display of a collection of emoticons that the user may then select from using, for example, a key mapping or navigation technique.

Claims

1. At a mobile device, a method for generating a displayable icon that indicates the mood or emotion of a user of the mobile station, the method comprising:

providing an emoticon key that is to be selected by a user of the mobile station in generating the displayable icon, wherein the emoticon key is provided on a physical keypad of the mobile device, and wherein the emoticon key is labeled with a known emoticon;

in response to the emoticon key being selected, displaying a collection of graphical displayable icons that the user may select from, wherein at least some of the graphical displayable icons from the collection of graphical displayable icons indicates a mood or emotion; and

in response to a selection of one of the graphical displayable icons from the collection of graphical displayable icons, generating the one of the displayable icons for display on a display component of the mobile station, wherein the selection of the one of the graphical displayable icons is made using one or more navigation keys and selection keys on the physical keypad, and wherein the one of the graphical displayable icons is displayed in association with a textual message to be sent by the user using the mobile station.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the textual message to be sent by the user using the mobile station is an instant message in association with an instant messaging application running on the mobile station.

3. At an electronic device, a method for generating a displayable icon that indicates the mood or emotion of a user of the electronic device, the method comprising:

providing a single-stroke keypad option that is to be selected to generate the displayable icon that indicates the mood or emotion, wherein the single-stroke keypad option includes a key having the displayable icon depicted thereon; and

in response to the single-stroke keypad option being selected, generating the displayable icon for display on a display component of the electronic device, wherein the displayable icon is displayed in association with a message to be sent using the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the single-stroke keypad option is a key on a virtual keypad displayed on a touch-sensitive display component of the electronic device, and wherein the selecting of the single-stroke keypad option includes the user of the electronic device touching the virtual keypad display in a location corresponding to the displayable icon.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the single-stroke keypad option is a physical key on a physical keypad of the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the displayable icon is a textual character.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the displayable icon is a textual icon used in association with an instant message.

8. At a mobile station, a method for generating a displayable icon that indicates the mood or emotion of a user of the mobile station, the method comprising:

providing a single key option that is to be selected by a user of the mobile station in generating the displayable icon, wherein the single key option is provided on a physical keypad of the mobile device;

in response to the single key option being selected, displaying a collection of displayable icons that the user may select from, wherein at least some of the displayable icons from the collection of displayable icons indicates a mood or emotion; and

in response to a selection of one of the displayable icons from the collection of displayable icons, generating the one of the displayable icons for display on a display component of the mobile station.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the user selects a displayable icon from the list of displayable icons via a navigation keypad option.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the collection of displayable icons that the user may select from is displayed as each icon being a keypad on a virtual keyboard presented on the display component of the mobile device, wherein each of the keys in the virtual keyboard option maps to a key on the physical keypad on the mobile device, and wherein selection of a corresponding key on the physical keypad displays the mapped key on the virtual keyboard.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein each of the displayable icons from the collection of displayable icons comprises a graphical image.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting an indication of the displayable icon from the mobile station, wherein the indication of the displayable icon is sent in the form of a text data, and wherein upon receipt by a receiving station, the displayable icon is displayed as either a textual icon or a graphical icon, depending on capabilities associated with the receiving station.

13. A computer-readable medium whose contents perform a method to cause a portable device to provide enhanced communication capabilities, the method comprising:

providing at least one set of graphics to represent various human emotions or events, wherein the set of graphics includes at least one emoticon;

providing, as default and without prior user input, a mapping between a single user-selectable key on the portable device and the set of graphics;

in response to user-selection of the user-selectable key, displaying the set of graphics; and

in response to user input selecting one of the graphics in the set of graphics, inserting the selected graphic into a text message.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the portable device permits instant messaging communication with at least first and second instant messaging communities, wherein providing at least one set of graphics includes providing first and second differing sets of graphics for the first and second communities, respectively, and wherein the method includes mapping similar graphics between the first and second sets of graphics to identical multiple user-selectable keys on the portable device.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the portable device permits text-based messaging communication with at least first and second domains of users, and wherein providing at least one set of graphics includes providing first and second different sets of graphics for the first and second domains of users.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising downloading from a web page additional graphics or sets of graphics for use by the portable device.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the computer-readable medium is semiconductor memory.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the computer-readable medium represents a logical node in a computer network receiving the contents.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the computer-readable medium is a computer-readable disk.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the computer-readable medium is a data transmission medium carrying a generated data signal containing the contents.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the computer-readable medium is a removable memory element.

22. An apparatus for use in a wireless network by a user, the apparatus comprising:

wireless transceiver means for enabling wireless communications;

user input means for receiving user input;

display means for displaying information to a user;

memory means for storing data and instructions; and

processor means coupled to the wireless transceiver means, user input means, display means and memory means;

wherein the processor means, executing at least some instructions in the memory, permits the user to compose a text-based message; and

wherein the user input means includes a button or button combination that, when actuated by the user, permits the user to include at least one emoticon in the text-based message, wherein the user actuation of the button or button combination is not a selection of a series of punctuation or alphanumeric characters, or a user-defined mapping of a button or button combination to an emoticon.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the user input means includes a touch-sensitive portion of the display means, wherein user actuation of the button causes an array of emoticons to be displayed on the display means, wherein the user may actuate the user input means to select one of the emoticons in the array to include in the text-based message.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to receive from an external source additional emoticons, and wherein the processor means and memory means are configured to permit the user to include at least one of the additional emoticons into the text-based message.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein, after the user agrees to a predetermined payment, the apparatus receives from an external source at least one additional emoticon, and wherein the processor means and memory means are configured to permit the user to include the at least one additional emoticon into the text-based message.

26. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the user input means and processor means include a voice interface, wherein the user may provide vocal commands to the apparatus to select the at least one emoticon to include in the text-based message.

27. An apparatus for providing communications from a user to an external network, the apparatus comprising:

a memory;

at least one processor or controller coupled to the memory for permitting communication with the external network;

a housing configured to carry the memory and processor or controller; and

a user interface carried by the housing and coupled to the processor or controller, wherein the user interface includes at least one dedicated button having a primary configuration to permit the user to select at least one of multiple emoticons when actuated by the user.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the button is a physical button carried by and at least partially accessible to the user through a portion of the housing.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the user interface includes a touch-sensitive screen and the button is a default software switch controlled by the processor or controller.

30. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the user interface includes a microphone carried by the housing, and wherein the processor or controller is configured to receive verbal commands from the user to aurally select the at least one emoticon.

31. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the user interface includes a microphone carried by the housing, and wherein the processor or controller is configured to receive verbal commands from the user to aurally select the at least one emoticon.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:

at least one antenna;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the antenna;

a portable power supply; and

an audio subsystem for exchanging voice signals with a user; and

wherein the housing is sized to be held in a user'"'"'s hand and is further configured to carry the antenna, wireless transceiver, and portable power supply.

33. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the user interface includes another button and a display device, and wherein user-actuation of the button causes the display device to display a palette of emoticons, and actuation of the another button causes selection of one of the emoticons in the palette.

34. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the housing is sized to be held in a user'"'"'s hand, wherein the external network solicits user feedback, and wherein the user interface includes at least three buttons to permit the user to choose among at least three different emotional responses as user feedback to the external network.

35. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the housing is sized to simultaneously accommodate both hands of the user, and wherein the user interface includes multiple buttons, including the dedicated button.