Method of and apparatus for hiding numbers inputted by a user from being displayed on the LCD screen of a digital telephone

• US 6,219,410 B1
• Filed: 08/02/1999
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Sun, You-Jeong
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Stella
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tieu, Binh K.
• Application Number:
  US09/366,330
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 379/156, 379/157, 379/161, 379/164, 379/188, 379/189, 379/199, 379/200, 379/352, 379/354, 379/399, 379/93.7, 379/93.23, 379/142, 455/410, 455/411, 455/566
• US Class Current: 379/156
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges

Abstract

A method of displaying the numbers inputted by a user on a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen provided in a telephone connected through an extension with a telephone switching system, comprises the steps of setting the telephone to the hide key mode to hide the numbers in response to the input of a hide key, and hiding the numbers by replacing the numbers with obscuring symbols displayed on the liquid crystal display (LCD) screen.

Claims

1. A method of displaying numbers inputted by a user on a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen provided in a telephone connected through an extension with a telephone switching system, comprising the steps of:

setting selectively said telephone to a hide key mode to hide numbers inputted by said user in response to the input by said user of a hide key of said telephone; and

inputting said numbers by said user to said telephone; and

hiding said numbers inputted by said user by replacing said numbers with obscuring symbols displayed on said liquid crystal display (LCD) screen of said telephone in said hide key mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether said numbers inputted by said user correspond with valid keys of said telephone.

3. A method of displaying numbers inputted by a user on a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen provided in a telephone connected through an extension with a telephone switching system, comprising the steps of:

shifting selectively said telephone between a hide key mode to hide numbers received from said user and a normal key mode to display the numbers received from said user in response to input of a hide key of said telephone;

receiving said numbers by said telephone;

determining whether said telephone is set to one of said hide key mode and said normal key mode;

hiding said numbers received by replacing said numbers received with obscuring symbols displayed on said liquid crystal display (LCD) of said telephone when said telephone is in said hide key mode; and

displaying said numbers received on said liquid crystal display (LCD) screen of said telephone when said telephone is in said normal key mode.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of determining whether said numbers received correspond with valid keys of said telephone.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of determining whether said information received corresponds with valid keys of said telephone.

5. A method of displaying information inputted by a user on an liquid crystal display (LCD) screen provided in a telephone connected through an extension with a telephone switching system, comprising the steps of:

setting selectively said telephone to a hide key mode to hide information inputted by said user to in response to the input by said user of a hide key of said telephone; and

inputting said information by said user to said telephone; and

hiding said information inputted by said user by replacing said information with obscuring symbols displayed on said liquid crystal display (LCD) screen of said telephone in said hide key mode.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of determining whether said information inputted by said user corresponds with valid keys of said telephone.

7. A method of displaying information inputted by a user on a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen provided in a telephone connected through an extension with a telephone switching system, comprising the steps of:

shifting selectively said telephone between a hide key mode to hide information received from said user and a normal key mode to display the information received from said user in response to input of a hide key of said telephone;

receiving said information by said telephone;

determining whether said telephone is set to one of said hide key mode and said normal key mode;

hiding said information received by replacing said information received with obscuring symbols displayed on said liquid crystal display (LCD) of said telephone when said telephone is in said hide key mode; and

displaying said information received on said liquid crystal display (LCD) screen of said telephone when said telephone is in said normal key mode.

9. An apparatus for displaying numbers inputted by a user in a telephone connected through an extension with a telephone switching system, comprising:

means for inputting numbers by a user to said telephone;

a hide key of said telephone for selectively setting said telephone in a hide key mode to hide said numbers input by said user; and

means for hiding said numbers input by said user by replacing said numbers with obscuring symbols for display on a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen of said telephone.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising means for determining whether said numbers inputted by said user correspond with valid keys of said telephone.

11. An apparatus for displaying numbers inputted by a user in a telephone connected through an extension with a telephone switching system, comprising:

means for receiving numbers by said telephone;

a hide key for selectively setting said telephone in a hide key mode to hide said numbers received and a normal key mode for displaying said numbers received; and

means for hiding said numbers received by replacing said numbers received with obscuring symbols for display on a liquid crystal display (LCD) of said telephone when said telephone is in said hide key mode, and for selectively displaying said numbers received on said liquid crystal display (LCD) screen of said telephone when said telephone is in said normal key mode.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising means for determining whether said numbers received correspond with valid keys of said telephone.

13. An apparatus for displaying information inputted by a user in a telephone connected through an extension with a telephone switching system, comprising:

means for inputting information by a user to said telephone;

a hide key of said telephone for selectively setting said telephone in a hide key mode to hide said information input by said user; and

means for hiding said information inputted by said user in said hide key mode by replacing said information with obscuring symbols for display on a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen of said telephone.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising means for determining whether said information inputted by said user corresponds with valid keys of said telephone.

15. An apparatus for displaying information input by a user in a telephone connected through an extension with a telephone switching system, comprising:

means for receiving information by said telephone;

a hide key for selectively setting said telephone in a hide key mode to hide said information received and a normal key mode for displaying said information received; and

means for hiding said information received by replacing said information received with obscuring symbols for display on a liquid crystal display (LCD) of said telephone when said telephone is in said hide key mode, and for selectively displaying said information received on said liquid crystal display (LCD) screen of said telephone when said telephone is in said normal key mode.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising means for determining whether said information received corresponds with valid keys of said telephone.

17. A telephone for use with a telephone switching system, comprising:

a display for said telephone;

a plurality of keys for inputting information by a user to said telephone; and

a hide key for selectively setting said telephone in a hide key mode for hiding said information input so as to be displayed with obscuring symbols on said display and for selectively setting said telephone in a normal key mode so as to display said information input on said display.

18. The telephone of claim 17, further comprised of said display comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen.

19. The telephone of claim 18, the further comprised of said information comprising numbers.

20. The telephone of claim 17, further comprised of said information comprising numbers.