Telephone Interface for a Portable Communication Device

• US 20070155434A1
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Matos, Mike, Chaudhri, Imran, Christie, Greg, Ording, Bas, Van Os, Marcel, Forstall, Scott, Anzures, Freddy, Jobs, Steven, Lemay, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,860,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/565
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A method of using a portable communications device includes displaying a first image of a rotary dial in a display of the portable communications device in response to a first contact by a user with a click wheel. The first image of the rotary dial includes a plurality of icons arranged proximate to a periphery of the rotary dial. The plurality of icons include numbers.

Claims

1. A method, comprising displaying a first image of a rotary dial in a display of a portable communications device in response to a first contact by a user with a click wheel, wherein the first image of the rotary dial includes a plurality of icons arranged proximate to a periphery of the rotary dial, and wherein the plurality of icons include numbers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising scrolling around at least a portion of the first image of the rotary dial in response to one or more navigation commands received from the click wheel, wherein the one or more navigation commands correspond to the user moving the first contact around at least a portion of the click wheel.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising highlighting a respective icon in the plurality of icons corresponding to a current position on the first image of the rotary dial.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more letters corresponding to a respective icon in the plurality of icons are displayed along a radial direction of the first image of the rotary dial.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more letters corresponding to a respective icon in the plurality of icons are displayed in a central region of the first image of the rotary dial.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user command using the click wheel, wherein the user command corresponds to a selection of a respective icon in the plurality of icons, and wherein the user command includes pushing down on the click wheel.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a sequence of one or more selected icons in the display.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a second image of the rotary dial in the display of the device in response to the user breaking the first contact with the click wheel, wherein the second image of the rotary dial has a different shading pattern than the first image of the rotary dial.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first image of the rotary dial is faded out and the second image of the rotary dial is faded in over a pre-determined time interval.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second image of the rotary dial is displayed if the user breaks the first contact for a time interval greater than a pre-determined value.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first image of the rotary dial corresponds to a character entry mode of operation and the second image of the rotary dial corresponds to a character correction mode of operation.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising removing one or more previously selected icons in response to receiving a user command using the click wheel, wherein the user command includes pressing on a delete symbol on the click wheel.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second image of the rotary dial includes an icon corresponding to the delete symbol on the click wheel.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising dialing a telephone number corresponding to a sequence of selected icons in response to receiving a first user command, wherein the first user command includes pressing a button at the center of the click wheel.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising modifying the first image of the rotary dial in accordance with an animation sequence during the dialing.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising playing a portion of a music file during the dialing.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising disconnecting from the dialed telephone number in response to receiving a second user command, wherein the second user command includes pressing the button at the center of the click wheel.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising adjusting volume during a telephone call in response to motion of a second contact by the user with the click wheel around at least a portion of the click wheel.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying explanations of one or more functions corresponding to one or more symbols on the click wheel in the display.

20. A graphical user interface, comprising a first image of a rotary dial on a device, wherein the first image of the rotary dial is displayed in response to a first contact by a user with a click wheel, the first image of the rotary dial includes a plurality of icons arranged proximate to a periphery of the rotary dial, and wherein the plurality of icons include numbers.

21. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a portable communications device, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising instructions for displaying a first image of a rotary dial in a display of the device in response to a first contact by a user with a click wheel, wherein the first image of the rotary dial includes a plurality of icons arranged proximate to a periphery of the rotary dial, and wherein the plurality of icons include numbers.

22. A portable communications device, comprising:

a display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

a program, wherein the program is stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the program including;

instructions for displaying a first image of a rotary dial in the display of the device in response to a first contact by a user with a click wheel, wherein the first image of the rotary dial includes a plurality of icons arranged proximate to a periphery of the rotary dial, and wherein the plurality of icons include numbers.

23. A portable communications device, comprising:

display means;

one or more processor means;

memory means; and

a program mechanism, wherein the program mechanism is stored in the memory means and configured to be executed by the one or more processors means, the program mechanism including;

instructions for displaying a first image of a rotary dial in the display means of the device in response to a first contact by a user with a click wheel, wherein the first image of the rotary dial includes a plurality of icons arranged proximate to a periphery of the rotary dial, and wherein the plurality of icons include numbers.