PORTABLE MULTIFUNCTION DEVICE, METHOD, AND GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE FOR CONFERENCE CALLING

• US 20170085716A1
• Filed: 04/25/2016
• Published: 03/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Forstall, Scott, Chaudhri, Imran, Matas, Michael J., van Os, Marcel, Lemay, Stephen O., Coffman, Patrick L., Cranfill, Elizabeth Caroline Furches, CHRISTIE, Greg N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,706,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6008 in the transmitter circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone 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 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• 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 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• 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: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 : Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/564 : whereby the feature is a sub-conference

Abstract

In some embodiments, a portable multifunction device with a touch screen display performs a method that includes: displaying a phone call user interface on the touch screen display, wherein the phone call user interface includes: a first informational item associated with an active phone call between a user of the device and a first party, a second informational item associated with a suspended phone call between the user and a second party, and a merge call icon; upon detecting a user selection of the merge call icon, merging the active phone call and the suspended phone call into a conference call between the user, the first party, and the second party, and replacing the phone call user interface with a conference call user interface. The conference call user interface includes: a third informational item associated with the conference call, and a conference call management icon.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch screen display;

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

displaying, on the touch screen display, a first phone call user interface on the touch screen display for an active phone call between a user of the device and a first party, wherein the first phone call user interface includes an add call icon;

upon detecting a user selection of the add call icon, displaying, on the touch screen display, an interface for initiating an outgoing phone call;

initiating, based on user input, an outgoing phone call to a second party;

upon initiating the outgoing phone call to the second party;

suspending the phone call between the user of the device and the first party; and

displaying, on the touch screen display, a second phone call user interface including first information identifying the first party, second information identifying the second party, and a merge call icon; and

upon detecting user selection of the merge call icon, merging the outgoing phone call between the user of the device and the second party and the suspended phone call between the user of the device and the first party into a conference call between the user of the device, the first party, and the second party.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the second phone call user interface comprises a first call status indicator of the suspended phone call and a second call status indicator of the outgoing phone call.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the first call status indicator includes a call status and the second call status indicator includes a call duration.

5. The electronic device of claim 2, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in response to initiating the outgoing call to the second party, ceasing to display, on the touch screen display, the first phone call user interface.

6. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein displaying the interface for initiating an outgoing call user interface on the touch screen display comprises replacing display of the first phone call user interface with display of an outgoing phone call user interface including a dial pad, a select contact icon, and a make phone call icon.

7. The electronic device of claim 2, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

further upon detecting the user selection of the merge call icon;

replacing, on the touch screen display, the second phone call user interface with a conference call user interface, wherein replacing the second phone call user interface with the conference call user interface includes;

ceasing to display the first information and the second information;

displaying third information associated with the conference call, and

displaying a conference call management icon for redisplaying the first information and the second information.

8. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the outgoing call user interface includes an end current phone call icon, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in response to detecting a user selection of the end current phone call icon;

terminating the active phone call between user of the device and the second party,

activating the suspended phone call between the user of the device and the first party, and

displaying, on the touch screen display, the first phone call user interface.

9. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the second phone call user interface includes a swap call icon, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in response to detecting a user selection of the swap call icon while displaying the second phone call user interface;

suspending the active phone call between the user of the device and the second party,

activating the suspended phone call between the user of the device and the first party, and

displaying, on the touch screen display, a fourth phone call user interface including the first information identifying the first party and the second information identifying the second party.

10. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the second phone call user interface includes an end call icon, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in response to detecting a user selection of the end call icon while displaying the second phone call user interface;

terminating the active phone call between the user of the device and the second party,

activating the suspended phone call between the user of the device and the first party, and

displaying, on the touch screen display, the first phone call user interface.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of an electronic device with a touch screen display, the one or more programs including instructions for:

displaying, on the touch screen display, a first phone call user interface on the touch screen display for an active phone call between a user of the device and a first party, wherein the first phone call user interface includes an add call icon;

upon detecting a user selection of the add call icon, displaying, on the touch screen display, an interface for initiating an outgoing phone call;

initiating, based on user input, an outgoing phone call to a second party;

upon initiating the outgoing phone call to the second party;

suspending the phone call between the user of the device and the first party; and

displaying, on the touch screen display, a second phone call user interface including first information identifying the first party, second information identifying the second party, and a merge can icon; and

upon detecting user selection of the merge call icon, merging the outgoing phone call between the user of the device and the second party and the suspended phone call between the user of the device and the first party into a conference call between the user of the device, the first party, and the second party.

12. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a portable multifunction device with a touch screen display;

displaying, on the touch screen display, a first phone call user interface on the touch screen display for an active phone call between a user of the device and a first party, wherein the first phone call user interface includes an add call icon;

upon detecting a user selection of the add call icon, displaying, on the touch screen display, an interface for initiating an outgoing phone call;

initiating, based on user input, an outgoing phone call to a second party;

upon initiating the outgoing phone call to the second party;

suspending the phone call between the user of the device and the first party; and

displaying, on the touch screen display, a second phone call user interface including first information identifying the first party, second information identifying the second party, and a merge call icon; and

upon detecting user selection of the merge call icon, merging the outgoing phone call between the user of the device and the second party and the suspended phone call between the user of the device and the first party into a conference call between the user of the device, the first party, and the second party.