METHOD AND DEVICE FOR COMMUNICATION CHANNEL SELECTION

• US 20070121614A1
• Filed: 11/28/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Willstedt, Lotta, Sandell, Philip
• Granted Patent: US 7,599,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27463 Predictive input, predictive dialling by comparing the dialled sequence with the content of a telephone directory
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

A communication terminal and a method for initiating a communication link from a communication terminal to a remote party, where the method includes sensing input of an address number for the remote party. Upon sensing the input of an address number a plurality of selectable items, representing different communication channels usable for setting up a communication link from the terminal, are presented on a display of the terminal. A navigation tool can be used to change selected communication channel, such as from voice call to messaging, after which setting up of a communication link using the selected communication channel can proceed.

Claims

1. A method for initiating a communication link from a first communication terminal to a second communication terminal, comprising the steps of:

sensing input of an address number in the first communication terminal, representing a communication address for the second communication terminal;

presenting, on a display of the first communication terminal, a plurality of selectable items representing different communication channels, responsive to sensing input of an address number.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of:

setting up a communication link to the second communication terminal through a selected one of the plurality of communication channels.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of:

sensing input of a command, selecting one of the communication channels.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of:

presenting the plurality of selectable items as separate icons.

5. The method according to claim 3, comprising the step of:

sensing the input of a command by detecting operation of a navigation tool of a user input interface of the first communication terminal.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

presenting an initiate communication option on the display;

setting up the communication link responsive to sensing activation of the initiate communication option.

7. The method according to claim 6, comprising the step of

presenting the initiate communication option in a format adapted to the selected communication channel.

8. The method according to claim 6, comprising the steps of

presenting the initiate communication option adjacent to a soft key of a user input interface of the first communication terminal;

setting up the communication link responsive to activation of the soft key.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of:

indicating the selected communication channel by highlighting the corresponding presented selectable item.

10. The method according to claim 3, comprising the step of:

indicating the selected communication channel by presenting only the corresponding selectable item of the plurality of selectable items, responsive to sensing the input of a command selecting that communication channel.

11. The method according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

retrieving information about a preset default communication channel;

indicating the default communication channel by initially highlighting the corresponding presented selectable item.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the different communication channels include any two types within the group of:

voice call, video call, text messaging, picture messaging and email.

13. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of:

presenting, when the selected communication channel is a text messaging channel, a text input field on the display.

14. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of:

presenting, when the selected communication channel is a messaging channel, a get data option selectable to retrieve data from a memory of the first communication terminal and to include the retrieved data in a message addressed to the second communication terminal.

15. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of:

presenting an add recipient option, selectable to add a communication address for a further communication terminal to which a communication link is to be set up.

16. The method according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

retrieving information associated with the communication address of the second communication terminal;

presenting the retrieved information on the display.

17. The method according to claim 16, comprising the steps of:

retrieving information related to selectable communication channels usable for communicating with the second communication terminal;

presenting selectable items only for the usable communication channels.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the retrieved information includes identity data of a user of the second communication terminal.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the retrieved information includes a picture of a user of the second communication terminal.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input address number is the communication address.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input address number is a speed dial number stored for the communication address.

22. The method according to claim 21, comprising the steps of:

retrieving the communication address from a memory using the input speed dial number;

presenting the communication address on the display.

23. A communication terminal comprising:

a communication controller including a transceiver device for transmitting signals over a communication link;

a user interface including a display and an input interface;

an input detection device configured to sense input of an address number representing a communication address for a second communication terminal;

a display control device configured to present, on the display, a plurality of selectable items representing different communication channels, responsive to sensing of input of an address number.

24. The communication terminal according to claim 23, wherein the communication controller is configured to set up a communication link to the second communication terminal through a selected one of the plurality of communication channels.

25. The communication terminal according to claim 23, wherein the input detection device is configured to sense input of a command, selecting one of the communication channels.

26. The communication terminal according to claim 23, wherein the display control device is configured to present the plurality of selectable items as separate icons.

27. The communication terminal according to claim 25, wherein the input interface comprises a navigation tool, and the input detection device is configured to sense the input of a command by detecting operation of the navigation tool.

28. The communication terminal according to claim 23, wherein the display control device is configured to present an initiate communication option on the display, selectable be means of the input interface, wherein the communication setup device is arranged to be triggered to set up a communication link responsive to the input detection device sensing activation of the initiate communication option.

29. The communication terminal according to claim 28, wherein the display control device is configured to present the initiate communication option in a format adapted to the selected communication channel.

30. The communication terminal according to claim 28, wherein the display control device is configured to present the initiate communication option adjacent to a soft key of the user input interface, and wherein the communication setup device is arranged to be triggered to set up a communication link responsive to activation of the soft key.

31. The communication terminal according to claim 23, wherein the display control device is configured to indicate the selected communication channel by highlighting the corresponding presented selectable item on the display.

32. The communication terminal according to claim 25, wherein the display control device is configured to indicate the selected communication channel by presenting only the corresponding selectable item of the plurality of selectable items, responsive to the input detection device sensing the input of a command selecting that communication channel.

33. The communication terminal according to claim 23, comprising

a settings memory, and

a data retrieving mechanism operable to retrieve information stored in the settings memory about a preset default communication channel, wherein the display control device is configured to indicate the default communication by highlighting the corresponding presented selectable item on the display responsive to the input detection device sensing input of an address number.

34. The communication terminal according to claim 23, wherein the different communication channels include any two types within the group of:

voice call, video call, text messaging, picture messaging and email.

35. The communication terminal according to claim 23, wherein the display control device is configured to present a text input field on the display, when the selected communication channel is a text messaging channel.

36. The communication terminal according to claim 23, comprising

a message data memory, and

a data retrieving mechanism, wherein the display control device is configured to present a get data option when the selected communication channel is a messaging channel, and wherein the data retrieving mechanism is operable, responsive to the input detection device sensing activation of the get data option, to initiate browsing of the message data memory to include data in a message addressed to the second communication terminal.

37. The communication terminal according to claim 23, comprising

a communication address memory, and

a data retrieving mechanism, wherein the display control device is configured to present an add recipient option, and wherein the data retrieving mechanism is operable, responsive to the input detection device sensing activation of the add recipient option, to initiate browsing of the communication address memory to add a communication address for a further communication terminal to which a communication link is to be set up.

38. The communication terminal according to claim 23, comprising

a communication address memory, and

a data retrieving mechanism, configured to retrieve information associated with the communication address of the second communication terminal and connected to the display control device for presenting the retrieved information on the display.

39. The communication terminal according to claim 38, wherein the data retrieving mechanism is configured to retrieve information related to selectable communication channels usable for communicating with the second communication terminal, and wherein the display control device is configured to present selectable items only for the usable communication channels.

40. The communication terminal according to claim 38, wherein the retrieved information includes identity data of a user of the second communication terminal.

41. The communication terminal according to claim 38, wherein the retrieved information includes a picture of a user of the second communication terminal.

42. The communication terminal according to claim 23, wherein the input address number is the communication address.

43. The communication terminal according to claim 23, comprising

a speed dial number memory, and

a data retrieving mechanism, configured to retrieve a communication address linked to a speed dial number responsive to input of an address number in the form of that speed dial number.

44. The communication terminal according to claim 43, wherein the display control device is configured to present the communication address linked to the speed dial number on the display.