Method and apparatus for operating call function of portable terminal

• US 9,014,728 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2011
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Sung, Jung Sic, Kim, Young Jip
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhattacharya, Sam
• Application Number:
  US13/223,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20120052915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 455/464, 455/415, 455417-419, 370/352, 370/310, 370/356, 370/465
• US Class Current: 455/464
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72484 wherein functions are triggered by incoming communication events
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A method for operating a call function of a portable terminal that may simply execute a call function while operating various applications, and intuitively provide a call relation interface, and an apparatus thereof, are provided. The method for operating a call function, includes displaying a call interface in which a phone number is automatically input when interaction is input to the call item, and executing a call function using the phone number when a call transmission interaction is input from the call interface.

Claims

1. A method for operating a call function, the method comprising:

displaying an execution screen of an application and a call item provided on one region of the execution screen;

displaying a call interface in which a phone number is automatically input when an interaction is input to the call item; and

executing a call function using the phone number when a call transmission interaction is input from the call interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the call interface comprises:

extracting contact information registered with respect to a contact selected from a list view region of the execution screen when the interaction is input to the call item;

displaying the contact information on an object region of the call interface; and

automatically inputting and displaying a phone number of the contact information on a dialer region of the call interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the call interface comprises:

extracting a phone number with respect to a contact selected from a list view region of the execution screen and contact information from detail information of the contact displayed on a detail view region of the execution screen when the interaction is input to the call item;

displaying the contact information on an object region of the call interface; and

automatically inputting and displaying the phone number on a dialer region of the call interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the call interface comprises:

extracting a phone number with respect to a designated contact from the execution screen when the interaction is input to the call item;

displaying a screen of a list view region or a detail view region of the execution screen on an object region of the call interface; and

automatically inputting and displaying the phone number on a dialer region of the call interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing of the call function comprises:

determining a display scheme of a call screen when the call transmission interaction is input; and

displaying the call screen in a full screen scheme or a division screen scheme according to the determined display scheme.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the displaying of the call screen comprises simultaneously displaying a call screen and an object screen through a divided region when the display scheme is the division screen scheme, and displaying a call screen as a full screen form when the display scheme is a full screen display scheme.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing a conversion item for converting a screen to the execution screen of the application previously executed when the call screen is displayed.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the conversion item is provided in one of a separately provided physical key, a soft key of an icon form, and buttons allotted on a touch pad.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a screen conversion scheme when a screen conversion interaction by the conversion item is input in a displayed state of the call screen; and

displaying the execution screen in a full screen form or a division screen form according to the determined conversion scheme.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the displaying of the execution screen comprises simultaneously displaying a call screen and an application execution screen in a division screen form when the display scheme is a division display scheme, and displaying the execution screen of the application in a full screen form when the display scheme is a full screen scheme.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the displaying of the execution screen comprises applying and displaying an effect indicating that a call function is being executed to a call item provided on the one region of the execution screen when providing the execution screen.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

checking a call type of an executed call function when the screen conversion interaction is input;

displaying the execution screen in a division screen form when the call type is an image call type; and

determining the screen conversion scheme when the call type is a speech call type.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the call interface comprises:

determining whether a contact designated in a list view region of the execution screen includes a phone number;

firstly displaying a call interface in which a corresponding phone number is automatically input when the contact includes the phone number; and

secondly displaying a blank call interface in which the phone number is not input when the contact does not include the phone number.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

inputting and displaying a phone number corresponding to a user input when the contact does not include the phone number; and

registering the phone number as contact information of the contact when a call function is executed based on a phone number according to the user input.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising inputting and displaying a corresponding phone number on a dialer region of a call interface when a certain phone number displayed on an object region of the call interface is selected after displaying a call interface according to the firstly displaying of the call interface or the secondly displaying of the blank call interface.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising executing an application corresponding to contact information and displaying a corresponding screen when contact information displayed on an object region of the call interface is selected after displaying a call interface according to the firstly displaying of the call interface or the secondly displaying of the blank call interface.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the call item comprises:

determining whether a contact designated in a list view region of the execution screen includes a phone number;

activating and displaying the call item when the contact includes the phone number; and

inactivating and displaying the call item when the contact does not include the phone number.

18. A portable terminal comprising:

a display unit for displaying an execution screen of an application, a call interface screen for executing a call function, and a call screen according to execution of the call function; and

a controller for constructing and controlling to display the call interface screen based on contact information extracted from the execution screen when a screen is converted to the call interface screen during an operation of the execution screen, and for constructing and controlling to display the call screen based on setting information when executing a call function on the call interface screen.

19. The portable terminal of claim 18, wherein the controller controls to display a call item for executing the call function on the execution screen, controls to display the extracted contact information when detecting call interaction by the call item on an object region of the call interface screen, and automatically inputs and controls to display a phone number of the contact information on a dialer region of the call interface screen.

20. The portable terminal of claim 18, wherein the controller determines a display scheme of the call interface screen or a call screen upon providing the call interface screen or the call screen, and controls a configuration of screen using at least two regions by dividing the call interface screen or the call screen, or a configuration of screen of a full screen form through total regions.