Pager with a touch-sensitive display screen and method for transmitting a message therefrom

• US 8,564,406 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2012
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walsh, Patrick Jay, Myers, Theodore James
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US13/489,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20120244890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 340/7.21, 340/7.55, 340/7.56, 340/8.1, 340/573.1, 455/419, 455/458, 455/460, 128/903, 235/383, 235/472.01
• US Class Current: 340/7.21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/171 by use of digital ink
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

An improved pager with a touch-sensitive display screen and method for transmitting a message therefrom is provided. Inputting a message onto the touch-sensitive display screen greatly facilitates sending a message from the pager and is more versatile than using navigation or soft keys to transmit built-in messages or using a small keyboard to type in messages. The pager of the preferred embodiments is operative to convert the inputted symbols into a text message and transmit the text message to a paging network. Because the pager transmits the content represented by the inputted symbols, the pager of the preferred embodiments is more versatile than pagers using ink-based systems, which merely transmit the image of the inputted symbol. If the pager is equipped with a browser application, the message from the pager can take the form of a request to a server located in a telecommunication network.

Claims

1. A pager comprising:

a communication module operative to connect with a network and to receive from the network an instruction to display a page, the page including at least one display region associated with a request;

a touch-sensitive display screen in communication with the communication module and operative to display the page of information including the at least one display region associated with the request, the touch-sensitive screen including an input detector operative to identify a selected area of the touch-sensitive display screen;

an input-to-text converter in communication with the input detector and operative to define at least one text character representative of one or more symbols hand-written on the touch-sensitive display screen;

an application module in communication with the input detector, the input-to-text converter, and the communication module, the application module including a messaging application operative to receive the at least one text character from the input-to-text converter;

wherein the messaging application is further operative to place the at least one text character into a text message;

wherein the messaging application is further operative to transmit the text message to the network;

wherein the application module further includes a browser application operative to display a web page in response to the identification of the selected area;

wherein the web page is of a stock quoting service;

wherein the browser application is further operative to receive the at least one text character from the input-to-text converter,

place the at least one text character into a stock quote request in response to the identification of the selected area associated with the request for the stock quote,

transmit, over the network, the stock quote request, and

display a received stock quote on the touch-sensitive display screen.

2. The pager of claim 1, wherein the browser application comprises a web browser.

3. The pager of claim 1, further comprising a screen driver in communication with the touch-sensitive display screen and operative to generate the display region associated with the request on the touch-sensitive display screen.

4. The pager of claim 1, wherein the selected area of the touch-sensitive display screen is identified by depression from a stylus.

5. A method comprising:

receiving a communication from a network;

displaying a page including a display region on a touch-sensitive display screen, the display region being associated with a request;

displaying a message on the touch-sensitive display screen based on the received communication;

identifying a selected area of the touch-sensitive display screen as a handwritten symbol;

converting the handwritten symbol into at least one text character;

placing the at least one text character into a text message;

transmitting the text message to the network;

displaying a web page upon converting the at least one text character;

wherein the web page is of a stock quoting service;

placing the at least one text character into a stock quote request;

transmitting the stock quote request to the network; and

displaying a received stock quote on the touch-sensitive display screen.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the identification of the selected area of the touch-sensitive display screen is by depression from a stylus.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying the at least one text character on the touch-sensitive display screen when the at least one text character is converted.

8. A computer-usable medium storing computer readable program code that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a communication from the network;

displaying a page including a display region on a touch-sensitive display screen, the display region being associated with a request;

displaying a message on the touch-sensitive display screen based on the received communication;

identifying a selected area of the touch-sensitive display screen as a handwritten symbol;

converting the handwritten symbol into at least one text character;

placing the at least one text character into a text message;

transmitting the text message to the network;

displaying a web page upon converting the at least one text character;

placing the at least one text character into a stock quote request;

transmitting the stock quote request to the network; and

displaying a received stock quote on the touch-sensitive display screen.