Telephone functions for computers

• US 7,720,207 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2005
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Stanford, Michael D., Langham, Ronald Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Jamal; Alexander
• Application Number:
  US11/028,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20050117737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,961 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.07, 379/142.05, 379/354
• US Class Current: 379/142.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80

Abstract

An enhanced telephone emulation computer system including a minidialer program for controlling a computer to add telephony functions which can be invoked from whatever active program is currently controlling the computer. The minidialer program controls the computer to alter its processing depending upon the context existing at the time when a mouse click or hot key combination event is detected indicating the user wishes to invoke a telephony function. The minidialer program determines whether the user has highlighted any text or numbers in the active window of the application currently controlling the computer and whether the highlighted material is a name or a phone number, and if a name, whether the name is stored with a phone number in a phone book or file maintained on the computer. Processing and telephony menu options displayed as available also depend upon whether the user is or is not on the phone at the time the mouse click or hot key event occurs. In some embodiments, if the user has highlighted a URL, a browser will be launched and the web page corresponding to the URL will be opened.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

adding an icon associated with a plurality of telephony functions near a title bar of a window of at least one application program that is active on a computer, the application program lacking telephony functions, the plurality of telephony functions include dial, transfer, hold and drop; and

upon activation of said icon, displaying a context sensitive menu based on whether characters selected in the window of the application program match a name associated with a phone number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the context menu displayed is dependent upon whether a user is or is not currently engaged in a telephone conversation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying all available telephony function options in a menu when a pointing device click on a dialer icon is detected.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the available options for the particular context are displayed in contrasting color to options which are not available.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said adding the icon to the window comprises:

registering the icon with an operating system; and

cooperating with the operating system to display the icon on the window.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said adding the icon to the window comprises adding the icon to the window of said at least one application program selected from a word processor and a database program.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein names and telephone numbers are stored in a file stored in memory or on a hard disk of the computer.

8. An article comprising a storage having instructions that if executed cause a computer to:

add an icon associated with a plurality of telephony functions near a title bar of a window of at least one application program that is active on a computer, the application program lacking telephony functions, the plurality of telephony functions include dial, transfer, hold and drop; and

upon activation of said icon, display a context sensitive menu based on whether characters selected in the window of the application program match a name associated with a phone number.

9. The article of claim 8, wherein the context menu displayed is dependent upon whether a user is or is not currently engaged in a telephone conversation.

10. The article of claim 8, further comprising:

display all available telephony function options in a menu when a pointing device click on a dialer icon is detected.

11. The article of claim 10, wherein the available options for the particular context are displayed in contrasting color to options which are not available.

12. The article of claim 8, wherein said adding the icon to the window comprises:

registering the icon with an operating system; and

cooperating with the operating system to display the icon on the window.

13. The article of claim 8, wherein add the icon to the window comprises add the icon to the window of said at least one application program selected from a word processor and a database program.

14. The article of claim 8, wherein names and telephone numbers are stored in a file stored in memory or on a hard disk of the computer.

15. A computer comprising:

a video display; and

a computer coupled to the video display, the computer to add an icon associated with a plurality of telephony functions near a title bar of a window of at least one application program that is active on the computer, the icon displayed on the video display, the application program lacking telephony functions, the plurality of telephony functions include dial, transfer, hold and drop, upon activation of said icon, the video display to display a context sensitive menu based on whether characters selected in the window of the application program match a name associated with a phone number.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the context menu displayed on the video display is dependent upon whether a user is or is not currently engaged in a telephone conversation.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying all available telephony function options in a menu on the video display when a pointing device click on a dialer icon is detected.