METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INITIATING A COMMUNICATION FROM AN ARBITRARY DOCUMENT

• US 20080081662A1
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Strandell, Toni, Tammi, Tuomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,860,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/257 remote control of substation user interface for telephonic services, e.g. by ISDN stimulus, ADSI, wireless telephony application WTA, MExE or BREW
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

A document is requested using a browser of a computing device. The document is parsed, prior to rendering the document, for any contact data. Each contact data on the document is replaced with an activatable link that will allow a user to activate the link on the computing device to automatically initiate a communication, from a mobile device in communication with the computing device, to a contact associated with the contact data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

requesting a document using a browser of a computing device;

parsing the document, prior to rendering the document to the computing device, for any information comprising contact data;

replacing each item of contact data with a link configured to be activated and allow the computing device to automatically initiate a communication using the contact data from a mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

rendering the document to the computing device; and

activating the link representing a contact to initiate the communication to the contact from the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein activating the link comprises a browser of the computing device sending a command to a server running on the mobile device that causes the mobile device to initiate the communication to the contact.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the document is a Web page.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact data is a phone number, a screen name or an email address.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the communication is a phone call.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the communication is short message service.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the contact information in a contacts application of the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

extracting the contact data from the document;

comparing the extracted contact data with a contacts application of the mobile device;

identifying any additional contact information corresponding to the contact data; and

presenting the additional contact information of a user interface of the computing device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the link comprises an icon on a user interface of the computing device.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising, converting the communication link into a communication disconnect link, that when activated will end the communication.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating the link to initiate the communication;

selecting a message function of the computing device;

displaying a text input field on the document for the user to input text comprising a message;

displaying a character calculating component that advises the user of a number of remaining characters.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing device and the mobile device are separate devices.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

activating a tool bar on a user interface of the computing device, the tool bar being linked to the mobile device; and

retrieving communication information from the mobile device to the computing device via the tool bar.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

activating a control on the tool bar to reply to a message retrieved from the mobile device; and

preparing a reply on the computing device and transferring the reply to the mobile device for delivery to a recipient.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

selecting an action from the tool bar;

sending a request from the tool bar to a server running in the mobile device for a web page; and

calling the page and causing the web server to execute a program on the mobile device to carry out the selected action in the mobile device.

17. A method comprising:

selecting an action from a link on a user interface of a computing device, the action being a request for action from a mobile device;

calling a document from a program communicating with the mobile device;

automatically executing another program in the mobile device in response to the document call, the executing program performing the requested action.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the request for action is a request to search a database of the mobile device for contact information, view received SMS in the mobile device, review a call log of the mobile device, reply to a SMS or reply to a call in the call log.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the link is a phone number of a contact and activation of the link is a request to establish a communication line with the contact.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the link is formed by:

extracting at least one phone number from a web page requested by a browser application of the computing device in response to a web page call request; and

converting the at least one phone number into an activatable link prior to rendering the web page to the browser application of the computing device.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising activating the link in order to establish a voice call via the at least one phone number.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising preparing a message on the computing device to be transmitted to a recipient via the at least one phone number, and activating the link in order to send the message to the mobile device for transmission to the recipient via the at least one phone number.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising automatically storing the at least one phone number in a contacts application of the mobile device when the link is activated via the computing device.

24. A user interface comprising:

a browser configured to extract at least one contact data from a document;

at least one activatable link displayed on a display of the user interface corresponding to the at least one contact data;

a connection pathway from the user interface to a mobile device; and

an activation device to activate the at least one activatable link to establish a communication connection with a contact associated with the at least one contact data via the mobile device.

25. The user interface of claim 24, further comprising a text input field on the display of the user interface, the text input field configured for receiving character inputs corresponding to a message to be sent to the contact via the mobile device.

26. The user interface of claim 24 further comprising a tool bar that is configured to provide action requests to the mobile device.

27. An apparatus comprising:

means for extracting contact information from a document;

means for converting the extracted contact information into activatable action links;

means for displaying the activatable links to a user;

means for selecting one of the activatable action links; and

means for establishing a communication connection with a contact associated with the selected activatable action link.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 further comprising means for establishing a message to be sent to the contact and means for transmitting the message from a computing device to a mobile device for transmission to the contact.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 further comprising:

means for comparing contact information of the selected link with contact details stored in a contacts application;

means for extracting additional contact information if a match with the stored contact details is found;

means for presenting one or more additional activatable links corresponding to the extracted additional contact information; and

means for activating one of the one or more additional activatable links to establish a communication connection with the contact using the additional contact information.

30. The apparatus of claim 27 further comprising means for storing the extracted contact information in a contacts application.

31. A computer program product comprising:

a computer useable medium having computer readable code means embodied therein for causing a computer to establish a communication connection with a contact via a mobile device, the computer readable code means in the computer program product comprising;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to request a document using a browser of a computing device;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to parse the document, prior to rendering the document to the computing device, for any information comprising contact data;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to replace each item of contact data with a link configured to be activated and allow the computing device to automatically initiate a communication using the contact data from a mobile device.

32. The computer program product of claim 31 further comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to render the document to the computing device, and computer readable program code means for causing a computer to activate the link to establish the communication with the contact from the mobile device.

33. The computer program product of claim 31 further comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to send a command to a server running on the mobile device to cause the mobile device to initiate the communication with the contact.

34. The computer program product of claim 31 further comprising:

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to extract the contact data from the document;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to compare the extracted contact data with a contacts application of the mobile device;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to identify any additional contact information corresponding to the contact data; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to present the additional contact information of a user interface of the computing device.

35. The computer program product of claim 31 further comprising:

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to activate the link to initiate the communication;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to select a message function of the computing device;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to display a text input field on the document for the user to input text comprising a message; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to display a character calculating component that advises the user of a number of remaining characters.