Wireless telephone with virtual dialer

• US 6,519,480 B1
• Filed: 03/17/1997
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ironworks Patents LLC, Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wicks, James E., Hasegawa, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): TROST IV, WILLIAM GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US08/827,107
• Time in Patent Office: 2,157 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/550, 455/89, 455/90, 455/575, 455/564, 379/433, 379/434, 379/142, 379/426, 379/428, 329/433.01, 329/433.04, 329/428.01, 329/433.07
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A virtual dialer allows a wireless telephone unit to dispense with a numeric keypad, thereby allowing additional room for an enhanced display without sacrificing the compactness of the unit. The virtual dialer includes a short joystick and an image of a telephone numeric keypad displayed on a display. The joystick is used to move a cursor around on the image of the numeric keypad. The joystick or a selection button is pressed when the cursor highlights the image of the numeric key representing the digit to be entered. In this way, a phone number to be called is dialled without the presence of an actual numeric keypad.

Claims

1. A wireless telephone unit having a virtual dialer comprising:

a display;

an image of a numeric keypad displayed on said display, said image comprising a plurality of digit keys, each digit key representing a digit;

a cursor and a cursor controller comprising a joystick, wherein said cursor moves on said display among said digit keys in response to said cursor controller, said cursor highlighting one of said digit keys at a time, wherein a top portion of said joystick is indented to better accommodate manipulation of said joystick with a human thumb or finger; and

a digit selection key which, when pressed, indicates selection of one of said digit keys highlighted by said cursor, wherein said digit selection key is located underneath said cursor controller and is actuated by downward pressure on said cursor controller.

2. A wireless telephone unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an antenna, wherein said antenna moves between a first extended position and a second retracted position.

3. A wireless telephone unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein said antenna comprises a clip when in said second retracted position.

4. A wireless telephone unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein a digit represented by a selected digit key is displayed on said display.

5. A method of placing a wireless telephone call using a wireless telephone unit having a virtual dialer comprising:

displaying an image of a numeric keypad on a display, said image comprising a plurality of digit keys with keys for digits 1 to 9 being arranged in a 3×

3 array;

moving a cursor on said display with a joystick, said cursor moving among said digit keys in response to movement of said joystick to successively highlight a series of said digit keys; and

repeatedly pressing a digit selection key to indicate individual selection of said digit keys highlighted by said cursor to enter a series of digits which corresponds to a phone number to be called;

wherein said image also comprises a zero digit key located below said 3×

3 array, said method comprising moving said joystick downward twice in succession to highlight said zero digit key.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising manipulating said joystick with an indented portion at an end of said joystick.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said pressing a digit selection key is accomplished by applying downward pressure on said joystick.

8. A method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising moving an antenna between a first extended position and a second retracted position.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising using said antenna as a clip when said antenna is in said second retracted position.

10. A method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising displaying a digit represented by a selected digit key on said display.