Control mechanisms for mobile devices

• US 8,064,886 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hawkins, Jeffrey Charles, Haitani, Robert Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): HUANG, WEN WU
• Application Number:
  US11/354,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20060205432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,107 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426.1, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/567, 455/575.1, 455/413, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/413
• 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 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• 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 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57

Abstract

A control mechanism for a mobile communication device includes a first mode element, a second mode element and a third mode element. Each mode element corresponds to a distinct operational mode associated with a particular function of the mobile communication device. A physical switch mechanism, which has a first physical positional state corresponding to the first mode element, a second physical positional state corresponding to the second mode element, and a third physical positional state corresponding to the third mode element, is movable between each physical positional state to select an operational mode and to enable the mode element corresponding to the selected operational mode.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a voicemail system through a mobile computing device with wireless telephone functionality and configured to control a first voicemail system, comprising:

configuring the mobile computing device to associate one or more graphical representations with control functions for controlling a second voicemail system remotely located from the mobile computing device in response to receiving a first user input;

displaying the one or more graphical representations associated with the control functions on the mobile computing device;

receiving a second user input selecting one of the graphical representations; and

transmitting a control signal to the second voicemail system via wireless communication responsive to receiving the second user input, the control signal generated based on association between the selected graphical representation and the control functions of the second voicemail system as configured by the first user input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representations comprising at least one of:

an icon corresponding to accessing a previous voicemail message received at the second voicemail system before a current voicemail message; and

an icon corresponding to accessing a next voicemail message received at the second voicemail system after the current voicemail message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representations comprise an icon corresponding to forwarding the voicemail to a recipient.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a view on the screen including a graphical representation for accessing the second voicemail system;

logging into the second voicemail system by the wireless communication responsive to receiving selection of the graphical representation for accessing the second voicemail system; and

displaying the graphical representations associated with the control functions responsive to logging into the second voicemail system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the view further comprises a graphical representation for accessing a third voicemail system.

6. A mobile computing device with wireless telephonic functionality and configured to control a first voicemail system, comprising:

a telephone component configured to communicate wirelessly with a second voicemail system;

a processor coupled with the telephone component; and

a computer readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

configure the mobile computing device to associate one or more graphical representations with control functions for controlling the second voicemail system remotely located from the mobile computing device in response to receiving a first user input;

display the one or more graphical representations associated with the control functions on the mobile computing device;

receive a second user input selecting one of the graphical representations; and

transmit a control signal to the second voicemail system via wireless communication responsive to receiving the second user input, the control signal generated based on association between the selected graphical representation and the control functions of the second voicemail system as configured by the first user input.

7. The mobile computing device of claim 6, the graphical representations comprising at least one of:

an icon corresponding to accessing a previous voicemail message received at the second voicemail system before a current voicemail message; and

an icon corresponding to accessing a next voicemail message received at the second voicemail system after the current voicemail message.

8. The mobile computing device of claim 6, wherein the graphical representations comprise an icon corresponding to forwarding the voicemail to a recipient.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 6, wherein the computer readable storage medium further stores instructions to:

display a view on the screen including a graphical representation for accessing the second voicemail system;

log into the second voicemail system by the wireless communication responsive to receiving selection of the graphical representation for accessing the second voicemail system; and

display the graphical representations associated with the control functions responsive to logging into the second voicemail system.

10. The mobile computing device of claim 9, wherein the view further comprises a graphical representation for accessing a third voicemail system.

11. A computer readable storage medium in a mobile computing device with wireless telephonic functionality and configured to control a first voicemail system, the computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor in the computing device cause the processor to:

configure the mobile computing device to associate one or more graphical representations with control functions for controlling a second voicemail system remotely located from the mobile computing device in response to receiving a first user input;

display the one or more graphical representations associated with the control functions on the mobile computing device;

receive a second user input selecting one of the graphical representations; and

transmit a control signal to the second voicemail system via wireless communication responsive to receiving the second user input, the control signal generated based on association between the selected graphical representation and the control functions of the second voicemail system as configured by the first user input.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the graphical representations comprising at least one of:

an icon corresponding to accessing a previous voicemail message received at the second voicemail system before a current voicemail message; and

an icon corresponding to accessing a next voicemail message received at the second voicemail system after the current voicemail message.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the graphical representations comprise an icon corresponding to forwarding the voicemail to a recipient.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying a view on the screen including a graphical representation for accessing the second voicemail system;

logging into the second voicemail system by the wireless communication responsive to receiving selection of the graphical representation for accessing the second voicemail system; and

displaying the graphical representations associated with the control functions responsive to logging into the second voicemail system.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the view further comprises a graphical representation for accessing another voicemail.