Photo screen scroll graphic user interface

• US 5,889,852 A
• Filed: 02/10/1997
• Issued: 03/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ironworks Patents LLC
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Rosecrans, Michael W., Simon, Mitchell
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HSIEH, SHIH WEN
• Application Number:
  US08/798,521
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.23, 379/93.17, 379/93.19, 379/204, 379/205, 379/206, 379/355, 379/354, 379/356, 379/357, 379/142, 348/14-19
• US Class Current: 379/355.05
• 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 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages

Abstract

A Graphic User Interface, for use with electronic phonebooks, links graphic information, e.g., a graphic identifier such as a logo or picture, to a phone number that may be called using the graphic identifier. The Interface, incorporated in a telephone, enables users to send stored graphical information, tied to selected phone numbers, to other users'"'"' phones for use or storage, by scrolling through stored graphics, displayed by the Interface on the phone, to locate a graphic associated with a person or place to be called, and then, by pressing the SEND, the particular phone number or numbers linked to the selected graphic are activated and the call or calls are made. When a connection is established with a receiving number, a set of stored graphics with tied numbers may be downloaded from the memory of the sending phone to the memory of the receiving phone for similar use. The Interface can be utilized, e.g., by Advertisers to send logos/graphics and numbers to phones that are turned ON in a particular area to receive the graphical information and create area specific databases of their own in memory including the graphic associated numbers of persons and places that a receiving phone may use to call in the same manner. General advertising information may also be transmitted with graphics and tied phone numbers for viewing and response.

Claims

1. A graphic user interface for use with an electronic phonebook in a telephone, comprising:

means for tying phone numbers in said phonebook to respective graphic identifiers;

means for displaying said graphic identifiers on a display screen of said telephone;

means for selecting a graphic identifier on said displaying means;

means, responsive to the selecting of a graphic identifier on said displaying means, for activating said telephone to call said respective tied phone number;

means for storing and tying additional graphical information to said phone numbers in said phonebook along with said respective graphic identifiers; and

means, responsive to the completion of a call to said respective tied phone number, for sending said additional graphical information and tied phone numbers to the telephone at said respective tied phone number.

2. An interface as in claim 1 further comprising:

means for scrolling said respective graphic identifiers for successive display on said displaying means.

3. An interface as in claim 2 herein said selecting means comprises:

means, connected to said phonebook, for accessing tied phone numbers therein;

SEND means for pressing by a phone user when a respective graphic identifier to be selected is displayed and producing a signal in response to being pressed; and

means, connected to said accessing means and said activating means and responsive to said signal produced by said SEND means, for communicating the phone number tied to said selected respective graphic identifier to said activating means when said SEND means is pressed.

4. An interface as in claim 1 wherein said tying means comprises:

a database with fields for storing pixel information of said graphic identifiers, and with fields for storing said respective tied phone numbers, and having indices for accessing said fields; and

means for accessing both said graphic identifiers and said respective tied phone numbers by the same index into said database.

5. An interface as in claim 1 wherein said tying means comprises a database record holding both a graphic identifier and its respective tied phone number.

6. A telephone comprising:

an electronic phonebook for storing a plurality of phone numbers tied to respective graphic identifiers and additional information tied to respective graphic identifiers;

calling means for activating said telephone to call at least one of said plurality of phone numbers;

a display screen for displaying said graphic identifiers;

means for producing a scroll signal for scrolling said graphic identifiers on said display screen;

means for producing a select signal for selecting a graphic identifier displayed on said display screen;

interface means for controlling the providing of said graphic identifiers from said phonebook to said display screen in response to said scroll signal produced by said scrolling means, said interface means comprising;

means, responsive to the producing of a select signal selecting a graphic identifier on said display screen, for activating said calling means to call said respective phone number tied to the graphic identifier displayed on said display screens;

and wherein,

said calling means further comprises means for sensing when a call has been completed and sending a connect signal, indicating a phone is available for receiving at the phone number called, to said interface means; and

said interface means further comprises means, responsive to said connect signal, for sending said additional information tied to said graphic identifier displayed on said display screen to said available phone.

7. A telephone as in claim 6 wherein said activating means comprises a microprocessor.

8. A telephone as in claim 6 wherein said interface means further comprises means for storing said graphic identifiers.

9. A method of using a graphic identifier with an electronic phonebook in a telephone, to activate a phone call to a tied phone number, comprising the steps of:

tying phone numbers in said phonebook to respective graphic identifiers;

displaying said graphic identifiers on a display screen of said cellular phone;

selecting a graphic identifier on said display screen;

while the selected graphic identifier is being displayed on said display screen, activating said phone to call said respective tied phone number;

storing and tying additional graphical information to said phone numbers in said phonebook along with said respective graphic identifiers; and

in response to the completion of a call to said respective tied phone number, sending said additional graphical information and tied phone numbers to the phone at said respective tied phone number.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein additional graphical information comprises advertising material.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of selecting comprises:

pressing a phone element when a respective graphic identifier to be selected is displayed and producing a signal in response to said phone element being pressed;

accessing tied phone numbers from said phonebook; and

in response to a signal produced by said phone element being pressed, communicating the phone number tied to said selected respective graphic identifier for activating said phone to call said respective tied phone number.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said phonebook comprises a database with fields for storing pixel information of said graphic identifiers, and with fields for storing said respective tied phone numbers, and having indices for accessing said fields, and wherein both said graphic identifiers and said respective tied phone numbers are accessed by the same index into said database.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said phonebook comprises a database record holding both a graphic identifier and its respective tied phone number.

14. The method of claim 9 comprising the further step of:

scrolling said respective graphic identifiers for successive display on said display screen.