Method and apparatus for abstracting telephony functions

• US 8,942,363 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2006
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2006
• 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: Walter, Edward, Pearson, Larry B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Intavong, Jirapon
• Application Number:
  US11/533,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20080072148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,051 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 455/418, 715/700
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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 7/0015 First party call control architectures

Abstract

A method and apparatus for abstracting telephony functions is disclosed. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a terminal device having a User Interface (UI) element that presents a plurality of Graphical User Interface (GUI) elements that abstract a corresponding plurality of telephony functions, and a telephony element that initiates a telephony process in response to a selection by an end user of the terminal device of two or more of the plurality of GUI elements to form a combined telephony function. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the executable instructions facilitate performance of operations comprising;

presenting, via a touch-sensitive display, a user interface element comprising a plurality of graphical user interface elements that abstract a corresponding plurality of telephony functions, wherein the graphical user interface elements are presented without telephony information;

receiving, responsive to a first touch-sensitive stimuli generated by the touch-sensitive display, a first selection of a first graphical user interface element of the plurality graphical user interface elements, wherein the first graphical user interface element is associated with a first telephony function;

receiving, responsive to a second touch-sensitive stimuli generated by the touch-sensitive display, a second selection of a second graphical user interface element of the plurality graphical user interface elements, wherein the second graphical user interface element is associated with a second telephony function, wherein one of the first selection of the first graphical user interface element or the second selection of the second graphical user interface element corresponds to a selection of a sub-graphical user interface element of a plurality of sub-graphical user interface elements;

generating a combined graphical user interface element, wherein the combined graphical user interface element comprises a combined telephony function, wherein the combined telephony function comprises the first telephony function and the second telephony function, wherein the combined graphical user interface element comprises descriptive text that is generated without user input, and wherein the combined graphical user interface element is presented simultaneously with the first graphical user interface element and the second graphical user interface element without presenting telephony information;

receiving, responsive to a third touch-sensitive stimuli generated by the touch-sensitive display, a third selection of the combined graphical user interface element; and

initiating a telephony process associated with the combined telephony function in response to the third selection of the combined graphical user interface element.

2. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of telephony functions comprise one of speed dialing functions, call waiting functions, call forwarding functions, caller ID functions, automatic call back functions, repeat dialing functions, call screening functions, anonymous call rejection functions, call trace functions, call transfer functions, three-way call functions, Flash hook functions, voicemail functions, contact book functions, or any combinations thereof.

3. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the initiating of the telephony process comprises a sequence of an Internet Protocol signaling pattern.

4. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the first and second graphical user interface elements comprise one of descriptive text, pictorial imagery, or a combination thereof.

5. The terminal device of claim 4, wherein the pictorial imagery comprises one of an animated character, a human picture, or a combination thereof.

6. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the executable instructions, performs operations comprising presenting at the user interface element an entry from a contact book with a portion of the plurality of graphical user interface elements.

7. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the sub-graphical user interface element comprises one of a home speed dial graphical user interface element for speed dialing a home telephony identifier, a business speed dial graphical user interface element for speed dialing a business telephony identifier, or a mobile phone speed dial graphical user interface element for speed dialing a mobile telephony identifier.

8. The terminal device of claim 7, wherein each of the home, business and mobile telephony identifiers conforms to one of a Public Switched Telephone Network standard, or an Electronic Number Mapping standard.

9. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the executable instructions, performs operations comprising presenting at the user interface element the combined graphical user interface element simultaneously with the first graphical user interface element and the second graphical user interface element without presenting telephony information.

10. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the user interface element comprises a navigation element that navigates through the plurality of graphical user interface elements.

11. The terminal device of claim 10, wherein a portion of the plurality of graphical user interface elements is hidden and thereby not presented by the user interface element, and wherein the navigation element is directed by user input for exposing one graphical user interface element from the portion of the plurality of graphical user interface elements.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising:

presenting, via a touch-sensitive display,—

a plurality of graphical user interface elements that abstract a corresponding plurality of telephony functions, wherein the graphical user interface elements are presented without telephony information;

receiving, responsive to a first touch-sensitive stimuli generated by the touch-sensitive display, a first selection of a first graphical user interface element of the plurality graphical user interface elements, wherein the first graphical user interface element is associated with a first telephony function;

receiving, responsive to a second touch-sensitive stimuli generated by the touch-sensitive display, a second selection of a second graphical user interface element of the plurality graphical user interface elements, wherein the second graphical user interface element is associated with a second telephony function, wherein one of the first selection of the first graphical user interface element or the second selection of the second graphical user interface element corresponds to a selection of a sub-graphical user interface element of a plurality of sub-graphical user interface elements;

generating a combined graphical user interface element, wherein the combined graphical user interface element comprises a combined telephony function, wherein the combined telephony function comprises the first telephony function and the second telephony function, wherein the combined graphical user interface element comprises descriptive text that is generated without user input, and wherein the combined graphical user interface element is presented simultaneously with the first graphical user interface element and the second graphical user interface element without presenting telephony information;

receiving, responsive to a third touch-sensitive stimuli generated by the touch-sensitive display, a third selection of the combined graphical user interface element;

initiating a telephony process associated with the combined graphical user interface in response to the third selection of the combined graphical user interface element; and

directing a transceiver element that accesses a communication system by way of wireless bidirectional communications according to the telephony process.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the plurality of telephony functions comprise one of speed dialing functions, call waiting functions, call forwarding functions, caller ID functions, automatic call back functions, repeat dialing functions, call screening functions, anonymous call rejection functions, call trace functions, call transfer functions, three-way call functions, Flash hook functions, voicemail functions, contact book functions, or any combinations thereof.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the directing comprises submitting to the communication system by way of the transceiver element the combined telephony function for execution according to an Internet Protocol signaling pattern.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise defining a plurality of graphical user interface elements from a plurality of telephony functions.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise presenting the combined graphical user interface element simultaneously with the first graphical user interface element and the second graphical user interface element without presenting telephony information.

17. A method, comprising:

presenting, by a terminal device comprising a processor, a plurality of graphical user interface elements that each abstract a corresponding plurality of telephone functions, and wherein the graphical user interface elements are presented without telephony-information;

receiving, by the terminal device, a first selection of a first graphical user interface element of the plurality graphical user interface elements, wherein the first graphical user interface element is associated with a first telephony function;

receiving, by the terminal device, a second selection of a second graphical user interface element of the plurality graphical user interface elements, wherein the second graphical user interface element is associated with a second telephony function, wherein one of the first selection of the first graphical user interface element or the second selection of the second graphical user interface element corresponds to a selection of a sub-graphical user interface element of a plurality of sub-graphical user interface elements;

generating, by the terminal device, a combined graphical user interface element, wherein the combined graphical user interface element comprises a combined telephony function, wherein the combined telephony function comprises the first telephony function and the second telephony function, wherein the combined graphical user interface element comprises descriptive text that is generated without user input, and wherein the combined graphical user interface element is presented simultaneously with the first graphical user interface element and the second graphical user interface element without presenting telephony information; and

receiving, by the terminal device, a third selection of the combined graphical user interface element; and

initiating, by the terminal device, a communication session according to the combined graphical user interface in response to the third selection of the combined graphical user interface element.