Handheld electronic device including cross application use of phone related inputs, and associated method

• US 9,160,839 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2011
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Bocking, Andrew D., Vander Veen, Raymond P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): YI, ALEXANDER J.
• Application Number:
  US13/300,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20120064876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/418, 455/412.1, 455/413, 455/414.1, 455/415, 455/466, 455/411, 455/412.2, 455/417, 455/403, 455/445, 455/555, 455/560, 455/422, 455/553.1, 455/90.1, 455/556.2, 455/575, 455/550, 455/66, 455/556.1, 455/457, 455/552.1, 455/90.2, 455/90.3, 455/303, 707/6, 707/3, 707/104.1, 707/513, 709/217, 709/204, 709/206, 345/173, 345/179, 345/156, 345/174, 345/180, 345/175, 345/176, 345/177, 345/178, 345/158, 345/157, 345/168, 345/169, 345/810, 345/32, 178/18, 178/19, 379/96, 379/368, 379/93.17, 379/93.24, 379/67.1, 379/88.13, 379/100.01, 379/100.08, 379/142.06, 379/201.01, 379/88.12, 379/88.11, 379/88.21, 379/88.22, 379/93.08, 379/114.2, 379/93.1, 379/93.05, 379/93.2, 379/142, 379/127, 379/196, 341/22, 341/33, 341/34, 359/803
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27463 Predictive input, predictive dialling by comparing the dialled sequence with the content of a telephone directory
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2753 providing data content
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method provide added convenience for the user by enabling the user to quickly and easily initiate telephone related functions from applications other than the device'"'"'s phone and address book applications using a dedicated phone related key. The device includes a plurality of use states and each one of the use states has an associated function that is to be initiated upon depression of the phone related key. When the phone related key is depressed, the current use state is determined and the function that is associated with the current use state is executed.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a processor of a mobile electronic device, having an address book application and a phone application, the method comprising:

displaying an information portion in another application, the other application being an application other than the phone application and the address book application;

determining a pressing of a call-initiation key that is presented independently of a display of the information portion at a time when the information portion is selected by a user, the call-initiation key having a common fixed location relative to a display presented by multiple applications;

determining, responsive to determining the pressing of the call-initiation key, without opening or displaying the address book application, but by accessing contact information stored within the address book application, that the information portion does not include a telephone number but includes information associated with a contact entry stored by the address book application; and

determining, responsive to determining that the information portion does not include a telephone number but includes information associated with the contact entry, that the associated contact entry includes a plurality of telephone numbers;

based on determining the associated contact entry includes a plurality of telephone numbers, prompting a user to select one telephone number of the plurality of telephone numbers; and

placing a call to the selected one telephone number;

wherein pressing of the call-initiation key activates the phone application to place a call to the telephone number while the other application is still active and in use, and the call-initiation key has another defined function for the other application, a function that is not activating the phone application to place a call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information portion comprises a contact name.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the call-initiation key is a <

SEND>

key.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the other application comprises one of a messaging application, a browser application, a memo application, a calendar application, and a task application.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an error state if the associated contact entry stored by the address book application does not include a telephone number.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a notification indicating that a telephone call cannot be placed when the associated contact entry stored by the address book application does not include a telephone number.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein the messaging application comprises one of an email, SMS, and MMS application, and wherein the email address appears in the body of an email, SMS message, or MMS message.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the call-initiation key is a key that is also selectable outside the other application.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the call-initiation key is a key that is selectable in each of the address book application, the phone application, and the other application.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating at least one respective function with each use state within a plurality of use states for a device displaying the information,

wherein each respective use state is defined based on a respective currently active application and respective currently selected information within the respective currently active application, and

wherein a currently active use state is a use state defined by the currently active application being the other application and the selected information comprising the information portion selected by the user is associated with a function comprising;

the determining the associated contact entry; and

the placing the call.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining the selected information comprises contact information, and

wherein the currently active use state is a use state defined by the currently active application being the other application and the selected information comprising contact information is associated with a function comprising;

determining, via the address book application, a respective telephone number associated with the contact information; and

placing a call to the respective telephone number.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the contact information comprises at least one of a name and an e-mail address.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the currently active use state is defined by the currently active application being one of an e-mail client, an SMS application, or an MMS application.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the currently active use state is defined by the currently active application being one of a calendar application or a task application.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor of a mobile electronic device having an address book application and a phone application, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, implement a method comprising:

displaying an information portion in an other application, the other application being an application other than the phone application and the address book application;

determining a pressing of a call-initiation key that is presented independently of a display of the information portion at a time when the information portion is selected by a user, the call-initiation key having a common fixed location relative to a display presented by multiple applications; and

determining, responsive to determining the pressing of the call-initiation key, without opening or displaying the address book application, but by accessing contact information stored within the address book application, that the information portion does not include a telephone number but includes information associated with a contact entry stored by the address book application; and

determining, responsive to determining that the information portion does not include a telephone number but includes information associated with the contact entry, that the associated contact entry includes a plurality of telephone numbers;

based on determining the associated contact entry includes a plurality of telephone numbers, prompting a user to select one telephone number of the plurality of telephone numbers; and

placing a call to the selected one telephone number;

wherein pressing of the call-initiation key activates the phone application to place a call to the telephone number while the other application is still active and in use, and the call-initiation key has another defined function for the other application, a function that is not activating the phone application to place a call.

8. A mobile electronic device, comprising:

a memory having stored thereon an address book application, a phone application, and another application, the other application being an application other than the phone application and the address book application;

a display configured to display an information portion when the other application is active;

an input apparatus including a call-initiation key that is presented independently of a display of the information portion and that has a common fixed location relative to a display presented by multiple applications;

a processor configured to;

execute the applications stored on the memory, detect pressing of the call-initiation key at a time when the information portion is selected, and if so, determine, responsive to a detection of the pressing of the call-initiation key, without opening or displaying the address book application, but by accessing contact information stored within the address book application, that the information portion does not include a telephone number but includes information associated with a contact entry stored by the address book application; and

determine, responsive to determining that the information portion does not include a telephone number but includes information associated with the contact entry, that the associated contact entry includes a plurality of telephone numbers;

based on determining the associated contact entry includes a plurality of telephone numbers, prompting a user to select one telephone number of the plurality of telephone numbers; and

place a call to the selected one telephone number;

wherein pressing of the call-initiation key activates the phone application to place a call to the telephone number while the other application is still active and in use, and the call-initiation key has another defined function for the other application, a function that is not activating the phone application to place a call.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the call-initiation key comprises a <

SEND>

key.

10. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the input apparatus comprises a keyboard separate from the display, and the call-initiation key is a <

SEND>

key on the keyboard.

11. The mobile device of claim 8, further comprising means for performing data communication and voice communication.

12. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the other application comprises one of a messaging application, a browser application, a memo application, a calendar application, and a task application.