Method and mobile device for facilitating contact from within a telephone application

• US 8,000,748 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Lee, Matthew Richard, Marui, Keizo, Kuhl, Lawrence Edward, Scott, Sherryl Lee Lorraine
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar; Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MONG-THUY THI
• Application Number:
  US11/690,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20080234006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/566, 455/466, 455418-420, 455/415, 455/564, 345/156, 345/168, 345/173
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

The described embodiments involve use of a mobile communication device in the context of facilitating contact from within a telephone application. The described embodiments are primarily concerned with enabling quick and efficient access to contact methods other than by telephone from within the telephone application. This is done by generating a contact list, which may have one or more contacts, using an integrated dialing field provided by the telephone application and then displaying all available contact types or methods available for contacting a particular contact selected from the list.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating contact using a mobile communication device comprising a navigation component, the method comprising:

generating a list of contacts in a telephone application of the mobile communication device;

receiving navigation input corresponding to manipulation of the navigation component, the navigation input being received in relation to the list of contacts;

receiving first selection input corresponding to actuation of the navigation component in relation to a selected one of the contacts in the list of contacts;

determining multiple contact types available for contacting the selected contact based on stored contact information for the selected contact, wherein at least one of the contact types is associated with a contact method other than telephone;

displaying in a display of the mobile communication device the multiple contact types as a menu of selectable contact type options;

receiving second selection input from the menu, wherein the second selection input identifies one of the contact types associated with the contact method other than telephone; and

the telephone application launching a second application while a telephone application window remains displayed, to support contact via the contact method with which the contact type identified by the second selection input is associated, wherein the telephone application window is configured to receive a user selection or input of a telephone number for initiating a wireless telephone call.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the receiving second selection input:

determining whether the stored contact information comprises multiple entries for the contact type identified by the second selection input;

if the stored contact information comprises multiple entries for the contact type identified by the second selection input, displaying a second menu comprising a selectable contact option for each of the multiple entries; and

receiving third selection input from the second menu, wherein the third selection input identifies one entry for the contact type identified by the second selection input;

wherein the second application supports contact via the entry identified by the third selection input.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the display of the selectable contact option for each of the multiple entries is performed within a separate display window.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the display of the selectable contact option for each of the multiple entries is performed within the menu of selectable contact type options.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises accessing the stored contact information using an address book application executing on the mobile communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating is performed in response to alphanumeric input received in relation to a dialing field of the telephone application, wherein the alphanumeric input is one of ambiguous and unambiguous.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the generating further comprises accessing the stored contact information using an address book application executing on the mobile communication device based on the alphanumeric input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving navigation input comprises receiving scrolling input in relation to the list of contacts, highlighting one contact in the list based on the scrolling input and displaying all telephone numbers stored in the stored contact information for the highlighted contact.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein all telephone numbers stored for the highlighted contact are displayed on the display in a drop-down list below the highlighted contact.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the displaying of all telephone numbers is performed after a predetermined delay.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple contact types are selected from the group consisting of:

an electronic mail contact type, a telephone contact type, a short messaging contact type and a multimedia messaging contact type.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising quitting the telephone application.

13. A mobile device comprising:

a processor;

a display responsive to the processor;

a navigation component coupled to the processor for providing navigation input to the processor, the navigation component being usable to effect a selection;

a keyboard component coupled to the processor for providing keyed input to the processor;

a memory accessible to the processor and storing program code executable by the processor for executing a telephone application;

wherein the telephone application is configured;

to generate a list of contacts to be displayed on the display based on received keyed input in response to actuation of the navigation component, to receive first selection input identifying one contact in the list of contacts, to determine multiple contact types available for contacting the contact based on stored contact information for the contact, wherein at least one of the contact types is associated with a contact method other than telephone, to cause the display to display the multiple contact types as a menu of selectable contact type options, to receive second selection input from the menu, wherein the second selection input identifies one of the contact types associated with the contact method other than telephone, and to launch a second application while a telephone application window remains displayed, to support contact via the contact method with which the contact type identified by the second selection input is associated, wherein the telephone application window is configured to receive a user selection or input of a telephone number for initiating a wireless telephone call.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the memory further stores contact information for multiple contacts and stores program code executable by the processor for executing an address book application, the address book application being configured to access the contact information and to cooperate with the telephone application to enable generation of the list of contacts and determination of the multiple contact types.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the telephone application is configured to make a function call to the address book application to receive the list of contacts, wherein the function call includes a parameter based on the keyed input.

16. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the memory further stores program code executable by the processor for executing a user interface application, wherein the telephone application is configured to cooperate with the user interface application to display the menu of selectable contact type options.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the telephone application is further configured to cooperate with the address book application and the user interface application to:

after receiving second selection input from the menu, determine whether the stored contact information comprises multiple entries for the contact type identified by the second selection input, if the stored contact information comprises multiple entries for the contact type identified by the second selection input, display a second menu comprising a selectable contact option for each of the multiple contact entries, and receive third selection input from the second menu, wherein the third selection input identifies one entry for the contact type identified by the second selection input;

wherein the second application supports contact via the entry identified by the third selection input.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the selectable contact options are displayed within a separate display window.

19. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the selectable contact options are displayed within the menu of selectable contact type options.

20. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the multiple contact types are selected from the group consisting of:

an electronic mail contact type, a telephone contact type, a short messaging contact type and a multimedia messaging contact type.

21. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the navigation component is manipulatable to navigate the list of contacts and the menu of selectable contact type options.

22. The mobile device of claim 21, wherein the navigation component is a two-dimensional navigation component selected from the group consisting of:

a track ball, a directional pad and a joystick.

23. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the keyed input is ambiguous.

24. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the keyed input is unambiguous.