Method for establishing a PoC connection in a terminal device with a touch-screen display, an application used in the method and a terminal device

• US 20060252442A1
• Filed: 05/04/2005
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Nurmi, Mikko
• Application Number:
  US11/122,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20060252442A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for establishing a PoC connection (Push to talk over Cellular) from a terminal device with a touch-screen display to the terminal device of a receiving target. The identifier of the receiving target is selected from among the identifiers saved in the memory of the transmitting terminal device. In the method according to the invention, the identifiers of the targets are shown on the touch-screen display of the terminal device. The user selects from the identifiers shown on the display the one to which he/she wants to establish a connection. After this, the user opens a PoC connection to the receiving terminal device by touching the selected identifier with a pointing means, such as a stylus. Preferably, only the identifiers of the targets which use a terminal device supporting the PoC service are shown on the touch-screen of the terminal device. The PoC connection can be opened to one terminal device or to a group of terminal devices. The group of the receiving terminal devices is formed by indicating the identifiers belonging to the group from the identifiers shown on the touch-screen display. The group is preferably formed by drawing on the touch-screen display with the pointing means a closed circle, which encircles the identifiers belonging to the group. A common visual marking is attached to the identifiers belonging to the group, whereby the marking becomes a part of the group identifier. The visual marking is preferably a common background colour. The method according to the invention is implemented by an application program loaded in the memory of the terminal device.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a PoC (Push to talk over Cellular) connection from a terminal device with a touch-screen display to the terminal device of a receiving target, in which method the identifier of the receiving target is selected from among the identifiers saved in the memory of the transmitting terminal device, and in which method

the identifiers of the targets are shown on the touch-screen display of the terminal device,

the identifier of the receiving target is selected from the identifiers shown on the touch-screen display, and

the PoC connection is opened to the terminal device of the receiving target by touching the selected identifier with a pointing means.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which only the identifiers of the targets which use a terminal device supporting the PoC service are shown on the touch-screen display.

3. A method according to claim 1, in which the PoC connection is opened by touching the identifier with the pointing means for the first time and closed by touching the identifier with the pointing means for the second time, whereby the connection is activated during the time between the first and the second touch.

4. A method according to claim 1, in which the PoC connection is opened by touching the identifier with the pointing means, whereby the connection is activated for as long as the identifier is being touched.

5. A method according to claim 1, in which the PoC connection is opened to a target comprising one receiving terminal device.

6. A method according to claim 1, in which the PoC connection is opened to a target comprising a group of receiving terminal devices.

7. A method according to claim 6, in which a group of receiving terminal devices is formed by indicating the identifiers belonging to the group from the identifiers shown on the touch-screen display.

8. A method according to claim 7, in which the group of receiving terminal devices is indicated by drawing on the touch-screen display with a pointing means a closed circle encircling the identifiers belonging to the group.

9. A method according to claim 7, in which the group of receiving terminal devices is indicated by drawing on the touch-screen display with a pointing means a plurality of closed circles encircling at least one identifier belonging to the group and by connecting the closed circles with a line.

10. A method according to claim 7, in which a common visual marking is attached to the identifiers belonging to the group, whereby the marking becomes a part of the identifier of the group.

11. A method according to claim 10, in which said visual marking is a common background colour.

12. A method according to claim 7, in which the group of receiving terminal devices is given a group identifier of its own and the group is saved in the memory of the terminal device.

13. A method according to claim 12, in which the group identifier is formed of single identifiers of the targets.

14. An application program for establishing a PoC connection (Push to talk over Cellular) in a terminal device with a touch-screen display, which terminal device has identifiers of the targets receiving the message loaded in its memory, which said application program comprises means for showing the identifiers of the targets on the touch-screen display of the terminal device, and means for opening a PoC connection to the terminal device of the receiving target when the identifier of the target is touched.

15. An application program according to claim 14, which is arranged to show on the touch-screen display only the identifiers of the targets which use a terminal device supporting the PoC service.

16. An application program according to claim 14, which is arranged to open the PoC connection when the identifier is touched for the first time, and to close the PoC connection when the identifier is touched for the second time.

17. An application program according to claim 14, which is arranged to keep the PoC connection activated for as long as the identifier is being touched.

18. An application program according to claim 14, which has means for forming a group of receiving terminal devices from the identifiers shown on the touch-screen display.

19. A terminal device with a touch-screen display, operating in a cellular network, which terminal device has identifiers of the targets receiving the message and an application program for establishing a PoC connection (Push to talk over Cellular) loaded in its memory, which said application program comprises means for showing the identifiers of the targets on the touch-screen display of the terminal device, and means for opening a PoC connection to the terminal device of the receiving target when the identifier of the target is touched.

20. A terminal device according to claim 19, in which said application program comprises means for forming a group of receiving terminal devices from the identifiers shown on the touch-screen display.

21. A computer program on a storage or data transfer means for loading an application program into the memory of a terminal device with a touch-screen display for establishing a PoC connection (Push to talk over Cellular), which said application program comprises means for showing the identifiers of the targets on the touch-screen display of the terminal device, and means for opening a PoC connection to the terminal device of the receiving target when the identifier of the target is touched.

22. A computer program according to claim 21, in which said application program comprises means for forming a group of receiving terminal devices from the identifiers shown on the touch-screen display.