Selectable assignment of default call address

• US 6,360,110 B1
• Filed: 07/27/1999
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Paul E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US09/361,747
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 455/564, 455/565, 455/552, 455/553, 379/355.01, 379/355.02, 379/355.03, 379/355.05, 379/355.06, 379/355.07, 379/355.09, 379/355.1, 379/356.01
• US Class Current: 455/564
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/677 Preventing the dialling or sending of predetermined telephone numbers or selected types of telephone numbers, e.g. long distance numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A simplified method of assigning a call address to a PTT key for speed dialing in radio mode. The existing call addresses stored in memory are reviewed by the user and one of the call addresses is chosen as the default call address. This default call address is associated with a particular hot key, such as the PTT key. Thereafter, when the hot key is pressed to initiate a call without another call address currently pending, the default call address is used to initiate the call in radio mode. In preferred embodiments, the user may assign the call address to be the default without having to move the call address information from one memory location to another. Likewise, the user may change the call address assigned to be the default without having to move the call address information from one memory location to another. Thus, the present invention provides a simpler and less error prone procedure.

Claims

1. A method of initiating a radio mode call in a wireless communications device having a first control key and a microphone and operative in at least a radio mode wherein said first control key has an enabling and a disabling state and wherein said first control key disabling state prevents sound received at said microphone from being transmitted to a remote location, the method comprising:

entering a plurality of call addresses into respective memory locations of a plurality of memory locations local to said wireless communications device;

selecting one of said plurality of call addresses as a first default call address;

associating said first default call address with said first control key;

allowing entry of a pending call address by a user prior to initiating a corresponding call by said wireless communications device;

thereafter, depending on whether an alternate call address is pending, responding to said first control key being activated when said wireless communications device is not currently active in a communications session by either;

a) automatically initiating a call in radio mode from said wireless communications device to said first default call address if an alternate call address is not pending;

or

b) automatically initiating a call in radio mode from said wireless communications device to said pending call address if an alternate call address is pending.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of memory locations includes at least first and second sets of memory locations and wherein said first default call address is selected from call addresses stored in said first set of memory locations.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said first set of memory locations includes more than 10 locations.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said first set of memory locations includes more than 10 but less than 26 memory locations.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of memory locations includes at least first and second sets of memory locations and wherein said selecting said first default call address includes scrolling through said first set of memory locations until a desired call address is reached.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein memory locations in said first set of memory locations not containing call addresses are skipped during said scrolling.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said wireless communications device is a cellular phone.

8. The method of claim 1 further including revising said default call address to a second call address stored at a different memory location without changing the memory location of said first call address.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said activation of said first control key includes pressing said first control key.

10. The method of claim 1 further including:

a) selecting another one of said call addresses as a second default call address without changing the memory location of said first default call address;

b) associating said second default call address with said first key and breaking the association of said first default call address to said first key; and

c) thereafter, automatically initiating a call in radio mode from said wireless communications device to said second default call address in response to said key being activated if both

i) an alternate call address is not pending; and

ii) said wireless communications device is not currently active in a communications session.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said call address is a group call address and wherein said call initiated in response to said first control key being pressed is a conference call.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said associating said first default call address with said first control key includes setting a pointer in memory associated with said wireless communications device.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said wireless communications device is further operative in at least a phone mode.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said first default call address is different from the immediately previous call address to which the wireless communications device attempted to initiate a call.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said selecting one of said call addresses as a first default call address occurs prior to said wireless communications device attempting to initiate a call to said immediately previous call address.

16. A wireless communications device, comprising:

a) communications electronics including memory, said memory having stored therein at least two call addresses;

b) a default call address selected from among said call addresses stored in memory;

c) at least one microphone in communication with said communications electronics;

d) a control key moveable between a listen position and a speak position;

e) wherein, in radio mode, sound received at said microphone is blocked from being transmitted to a remote location by said communications electronics when said control key is in said listen position;

f) wherein said device responds to said control key assuming said speak position when said device is not currently active in a communications session by, depending on whether an alternate call address is pending, either;

i) automatically initiating a call in radio mode from said device to said default call address if an alternate call address is not pending;

or

ii) automatically initiating a call in radio mode from said device to said pending call address if an alternate call address is pending.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein, during a radio mode call session, sound received at said microphone may be transmitted by said communications electronics to a remote location when said control key is in said speak position.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein said memory includes at least first and second sets of memory locations and wherein said default call address is selected from call addresses stored in said first set of memory locations.

19. The device of claim 16 further including means for revising said default call address to a different call address without changing the memory location of the immediately previous call address.