System and method for displaying the geographic location associated with a phone call received on a phone-equipped mobile device

• US 8,081,992 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Book, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Agosta, Steve D
• Application Number:
  US12/024,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20090197621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/415, 455/418, 455456-457, 455/550.1, 455566-567, 370/310.2, 370/328, 379/142.01, 379/142.1, 379/201.01, 379/201.06, 379/201.07, 379/201.08
• US Class Current: 455/457
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party

Abstract

Embodiments of a system and method for displaying a geographic location associated with an incoming call being received on a mobile device are provided. The mobile device has a user interface that provides a call screen to the user for identifying a phone number associated with the incoming call, and for displaying data including the geographic location associated with the incoming call. The geographic location is resolved by identifying a geographic location associated with a contact entry in the address book of the mobile device, or by comparing the area code of the phone number of the incoming call in a list of area codes and associated geographic location to find a match corresponding to the area code of the incoming call.

Claims

1. A method of providing a user interface for managing incoming calls received at a mobile device, the mobile device providing access to at least a first communication line configured to receive incoming calls, the mobile device providing send and end keys, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a phone number associated with the incoming call;

determining a geographic location associated with the incoming call; and

displaying an incoming call screen on a display of the mobile device, the incoming call screen comprising (i) a caller identification data field displaying data including the geographic location associated with the incoming call, the geographic location plotted on a map on the display and (ii) at least one key label field in which first and second labels for the send key and end key respectively are displayed;

wherein when the incoming call is received at the mobile device while the mobile device is receiving a different call, a third label is displayed in the at least one key label field at the displaying step, the third label comprising an options menu identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying an options menu on the incoming call screen.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying an options menu on the incoming call screen only if a direction to display the options menu is received after the incoming call is first received at the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting when one of the send and end keys are selected, and processing the incoming call in accordance with the selected key.

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

detecting when the direction to display the options menu is received, displaying the options menu, detecting when an option from the options menu is selected, and processing the incoming call in accordance with the selected option.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one item of data associated with the incoming call is displayed in an area of the caller identification data field, the at least one item of data being the geographic location associated with the incoming call.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the geographic location associated with the incoming call further comprises:

determining a contact entry associated with the incoming call on the mobile device by matching the phone number associated with the incoming call to a data item in the contact entry, and displaying at least one item from the contact entry in the caller identification data field.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one item from the contact entry displayed in the caller identification data field comprises a geographic location associated with contact entry.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the contact entry associated with the incoming call is stored in an address book on the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the geographic location associated with the incoming call further comprises:

comparing the area code of the incoming call with entries in a list including geographic area codes and associated geographic locations, and mapping the area code of the incoming call to corresponding geographic location in the list.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device provides access to a plurality of communication lines configured to receive calls, and wherein data identifying the communication line on which the incoming call is received is displayed in the caller identification data field at the displaying step.

12. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable on a processor of the mobile device for implementing the method of claim 1.

13. A system for providing a user interface for managing calls received at a mobile device, the mobile device providing access to at least a first communication line configured to receive the calls, the mobile device providing send and end keys, the mobile device comprising a processor, a display, and at least one input device, wherein the system is configured to execute an application programmed to perform the steps of the method as claimed in claim 1.

14. A mobile device on which a user interface for managing calls received at the mobile device is provided, the mobile device providing access to at least a first communication line configured to receive the calls, the mobile device providing send and end keys, the mobile device comprising a processor, a display, and at least one input device, wherein the mobile device is configured to perform the steps of:

identifying a phone number associated with the incoming call;

determining the geographic location associated with the incoming call; and

displaying an incoming call screen on a display of the mobile device, the incoming call screen comprising (i) a caller identification data field displaying data including the geographic location associated with the incoming call, the geographic location plotted on a map on the display and (ii) at least one key label field in which first and second labels for the send key and end key respectively are displayed,

wherein when the incoming call is received at the mobile device while the mobile device is receiving a different call, a third label is displayed in the at least one key label field at the displaying step, the third label comprising an options menu identifier.

15. A mobile device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the mobile device is configured to determine the geographic location associated with the incoming call by comparing an area code of the incoming call with entries in a list including geographic area codes and associated geographic areas.

16. A mobile device as set forth in claim 15, wherein the list is stored or updated on the mobile device by a home network operator using an over-the-air programming mechanism.

17. A mobile device as set forth in claim 15, wherein the list is located in a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) of the mobile device.

18. A mobile device as set forth in claim 15, wherein the list is located in a flash memory of the mobile device.

19. A mobile device as set forth in claim 15, wherein the list is located in a Random Access Memory (RAM) of the mobile device.

20. A mobile device as set forth in claim 15, wherein the list is located in a database in communication with a wireless network communicating with the mobile device.