Telephone with enhanced function display and selection ability

• US 7,720,218 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Abramson, Sandra R., Farber, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tuan D
• Application Number:
  US11/694,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20080240416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 37942801-42803, 379/419, 379/433.01, 379/433.04, 379/433.06
• US Class Current: 379/428.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2477 for selecting a function from a menu display H04M1/2474 takes precedence

Abstract

A user interface, telephony device, and method for managing user control settings associated with a telephony device is described. The user interface displays a label array on a display device of the telephony device. The label array includes at least one row of labels, each representing a discrete function or feature associated with the telephony device. A button array is provided in the vicinity of the display device. The button array includes a corresponding row or rows of buttons, each button representing a discrete function or feature for the telephony device and corresponding to a label within the label array. One or more buttons in the button array are selectively illuminated to indicate a status of one or more functions or features associated with one or more labels in the label array.

Claims

1. A user interface for a telephony device, comprising:

a display device configured to display a label array, the label array including labels each representing a discrete function or feature associated with the telephony device; and

a button array in the vicinity of the display device, the button array including buttons, each button configured to control a discrete function or feature for the telephony device and corresponding to a respective label within the label array, wherein one or more of the buttons are configured to be selectively and dynamically illuminated to indicate a first operational state of the respective feature or function and to be non-illuminated to indicate a second operational state of the respective feature or function.

2. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein the display device is configured to display a first set of labels and an alternative, second set of labels, the labels being arranged in at least two rows and two columns and the button array includes at least two rows and two columns of buttons.

3. The user interface according to claim 2, wherein the one or more buttons are configured to selectively illuminate to indicate operational states of corresponding labels in each of the first set of labels and the second set of labels depending upon which set of labels is displayed in the label array.

4. The user interface according to claim 3, wherein the display device is configured to dynamically update a representation of a label in the label array depending upon the first operational state of the respective function or feature and in response to an input received at a corresponding button in the button array.

5. The user interface according to claim 4, wherein the one or more buttons comprise softkeys.

6. The user interface according to claim 1, further comprising an alphanumeric, telephony keypad separate from the button array.

7. The user interface according to claim 6, wherein the alphanumeric telephony keypad is an ISO (International Standards Organization) standard alphanumeric telephony keypad.

8. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein the button array comprises softkeys.

9. The user interface according to claim 1, further comprising an alphanumeric, telephony keypad, wherein the button array is part of the alphanumeric keypad.

10. The user interface according to claim 9, wherein the alphanumeric telephony keypad is an ISO (International Standards Organization) standard alphanumeric telephony keypad.

11. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein the button array comprises eight softkeys.

12. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein the display device is configured to display eight labels in the label array at a time.

13. The user interface according to claim 1, wherein the display device is configured to display multiple sets of labels, one set of labels at a time, and a number of labels in each set of labels equals a number of buttons in the button array.

14. The user interface according to claim 12, wherein the button array comprises softkeys, each softkey being associated with a corresponding label in the label array.

15. The user interface according to claim 13, wherein the button array consists of eight softkeys and each set of labels consists of eight labels.

16. A telephony device, comprising:

a user interface having a display device and a button array arranged in the vicinity of the display device,

the display device being configured to display a label array, the label array including labels each representing a discrete function or feature associated with the telephony device; and

the button array including buttons each being configured to control a discrete function or feature for the telephony device and corresponding to a respective label within the label array, wherein one or more of the buttons are configured to be selectively and dynamically illuminated to indicate a first operational state of the respective feature or function and to be non-illuminated to indicate a second operational state of the respective feature or function.

17. The telephony device according to claim 16, wherein the display device is configured to display a first set of labels and an alternative, second set of labels, the labels being arranged in at least two rows and two columns and the button array includes at least two rows and two columns of buttons.

18. The telephony device according to claim 17, wherein the one or more buttons are configured to selectively illuminate to indicate operational states of corresponding labels in each of the first set of labels and the second set of labels depending upon which set of labels is displayed in the label array.

19. The telephony device according to claim 16, wherein the one or more buttons comprise softkeys.

20. The telephony device according to claim 16, further comprising an alphanumeric, telephony keypad separate from the button array.

21. The telephony device according to claim 20, wherein the alphanumeric telephony keypad is an ISO (International Standards Organization) standard alphanumeric telephony keypad.

22. The telephony device according to claim 16, wherein the button array comprises softkeys.

23. The telephony device according to claim 16, further comprising an alphanumeric, telephony keypad, wherein the button array is part of the alphanumeric keypad.

24. The telephony device according to claim 23, wherein the alphanumeric telephony keypad is an ISO (International Standards Organization) standard alphanumeric telephony keypad.

25. The telephony device according to claim 16, wherein the button array comprises eight softkeys.

26. The telephony device according to claim 16, wherein the display device is configured to display eight labels in the label array at a time.

27. The telephony device according to claim 16, wherein the display device is configured to display multiple sets of labels, one set of labels at a time, and a number of labels in each set of labels equals a number of buttons in the button array.

28. The telephony device according to claim 16, wherein the button array comprises softkeys, each softkey being associated with a corresponding label in the label array.

29. The telephony device according to claim 28, wherein the button array consists of eight softkeys and each set of labels consists of eight labels.

30. The telephony device according to claim 16, wherein the telephony device is a deskphone, cellular phone, or PDA.

31. A method for managing user control settings associated with a telephony device, comprising:

displaying a label array on a display device of the telephony device, the label array including labels each representing a discrete function or feature associated with the telephony device;

selectively or dynamically illuminating one or more buttons on a button array of the telephony device to indicate a first operational state of a respective feature or function for the telephony device, wherein each button is configured to control a discrete function or feature for the telephony device and corresponds to a respective label within the label array; and

selectively and dynamically turning off an illumination feature of one or more buttons on the button array to indicate a second operational state of the respective feature or function for the telephony device.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the label array includes labels arranged in rows and columns and the button array includes softkeys arranged in rows and columns, wherein a layout of the labels in the label array substantially corresponds to a layout of the softkeys in the button array.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising dynamically updating a representation of a label in the label array depending upon the first operational state of the respective function or feature.

34. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions contained therein for a method for managing user control settings associated with a telephony device, the method comprising:

displaying a label array on a display device of the telephony device, the label array including labels each representing a discrete function or feature associated with the telephony device;

selectively and dynamically illuminating one or more buttons on a button array of the telephony device to indicate a first operational state of a respective feature or function for the telephony device, wherein each button is configured to control a discrete function or feature for the telephony device and corresponds to a respective label within the label array; and

selectively and dynamically turning off an illumination feature of one or more buttons on the button array to indicate a second operational state of the respective feature or function for the telephony device.