System and method of a personal computer device providing telephone capability

• US 7,533,342 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Palmsource Incorporated (Access Company Limited)
• Inventors: Robertson, Ryan, Maes, Stephane, Vialle, Benoit, Twerdahl, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US09/675,406
• Time in Patent Office: 3,147 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/169, 345/173, 345/701, 345/702, 345/717, 345/718, 345/727, 345/835, 345/839, 345/840, 345/846, 345/864, 379/90.01, 379/93.01, 379/93.05, 379/93.19, 379/93.23, 379/93.15, 455/344, 455/403, 455/414, 455/422, 455/422.11, 715/156, 715/169, 715/173, 715/701, 715/702, 715/717, 715/718, 715/727, 715/835, 715/839, 715/840, 715/846, 715/864
• US Class Current: 715/717
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• 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 system and method is described for managing phone calls initiated from a phone device of a personal digital assistant. In one example, a system for managing a phone call is described. The system comprises, among other things, a personal digital assistant. The personal digital assistant includes the following: a display device; a phone device; a call device configured to control the phone device and to display a selectable interface on the display device; a hard button configured to initiate the call device; and a selection mechanism configured to receive user selections from the selectable interface.

Claims

1. A method of managing phone calls initiated from a portable computing device incorporating, telephone capability and a call initiation button, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a dial signal initiated by a user a touching the call initiation button of the portable computing device to initiate a phone call, thereby suspending non-phone functions of the portable computing device;

determining the presence of digits received prior to receiving the dial signal

selectively initiating the phone call to a last called phone number if digits were not received from the computing device before the dial signal was received and, placing a call to a phone number corresponding to received digits when digits were received from the computing device before the dial signal was received.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

searching a memory of the computing device for a name associated with the received digits.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of:

initiating a timer on the initiation of a call configured to clock a duration of the call with the other phone device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising a steps of:

receiving an ended connection signal; and

initiating a lapse time routine in response to receiving the ended connection signal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a steps of:

receiving a save signal to save received digits; and

initiating an address entry application in response to receiving the save signal.

6. A portable computing device for integrating phone functions comprising:

telephone communication capability for wireless communication;

a display device including a selectable interface capable of being configured to display a call initiation button and substantially emulate a dial pad;

a selection mechanism including a processor configured to receive user selection data from the selectable interface, wherein;

when activated the selectable interface initiates a phone call to a last called phone number when digits were not received from the selectable interface before the call initiation button is activated initiates a phone call to a phone number corresponding to digits received from the selectable interface when the digits are received before the call initiation button is activated, said processor suspending non-phone functions in response to said user selecting said call initiation button, the selectable interface further including a mute button to deactivate the telephone communication capability for received signals during a phone call, and when the mute button is selected during a phone call, a speak button replaces the mute button.

7. The portable computing device of claim 6, further configured to control phone calls placed and received by the computing device according to the user selections.

8. The portable computing device of claim 6, wherein the display is a touch-sensitive screen, and wherein the selection mechanism includes a tap recognizer configured to identify a tap input from a user.

9. The portable computing device of claim 8, wherein the tap recognizer is further configured to initiate a phone call in response to identifying the tap input.

10. The portable computing device of claim 8, wherein the tap recognizer is further configured to initiate an address entry application in response to identifying the tap input.

11. The portable computing device of claim 8, wherein the telephone communication capability is connected to the processor and is configured to receive audio input from a user of the portable processor computing device, wherein the tap recognizer is further configured to deactivate the telephone communication capability for received telephone signals in response to identifying the tap input.

12. The portable computing device of claim 6, wherein activation of the call initiation suspends a current application.

13. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for managing a phone call initiated from a portable computing device with a mute button and telephone capability for integrating phone functions, to sequence instructions including instructions which, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform a process comprising the steps of:

displaying a selectable interface in response to a call signal;

receiving a dial signal in response to a selection by a user, of a call initiation button on the selectable interface to initiate a phone call, said portable computing device suspending non-phone functions in response to said user selecting said call initiation button;

determining whether digits were received from the selectable interface before the dial signal was received in response to the user selecting the call initiation button on the selectable interface; and

initiating the phone call in response to the dial signal wherein,

the phone call is placed to a last called phone number if digits were not received from the selectable interface before the dial signal was received in response to the user selecting the call initiation button of the selectable interface,

the phone call is placed to a phone number corresponding to received digits when the digits are received from the selectable interface before the dial signal were received in response to the user selecting the call initiation button of the selectable interface, deactivating the telephone communication capability for incoming voice in response to selecting of a mute button during the phone call; and

replacing the mute button with a speak button in response to selecting of the mute button during the phone call.

14. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the call signal is received from a hard button of the computing device.

15. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the call initiation button is a talk button icon.

16. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to suspend a current application, wherein the current application is not a calling application.

17. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the processor

search a memory of the computing device for a name associated with received digits.

18. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform:

initiate a timer configured to clock the duration of the connection with the other phone device.

19. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive an ended connection signal; and

initiating a lapse time routine in response to receiving the ended connection signal.

20. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive a save signal to save the received digits; and

initiating an address entry application in response to receiving the save signal.