Quick directory search system on a touch screen device and methods thereof

• US 9,317,625 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2011
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Couse, Peter Francis, Fera, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, DAVID J
• Application Number:
  US13/068,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20120287052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90339 by using parallel associative memories or content-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90344 by using string matching techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a directory search system. Searching can be provided in a very intuitive manner through a graphical user interface that is part of a search application provided on an electronic device. The search system can employ a first letter of a first name combined with a first letter of a last name to quickly find contacts to dial without the use of a keyboard. Each letter can be associated with a pointer that is slidable along alphabet identifiers. By filtering contacts within the directory using the first letter of the first name and first letter of the last names, the user can retrieve a short list of potential contacts that the user wishes to retrieve information about. With thousands of possible entries, filtering using the first letter of the first name and the first letter of the last name often returns a short list of matches.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a touch display;

at least one processor; and

a memory operatively coupled to said processor, said memory storing program instructions that when executed by said processor, causes said processor to;

display a graphical user interface on said touch display;

display an alphabet on said graphical user interface;

simultaneously provide a first pointer associated only with a first name of a plurality of contacts and a second pointer associated only with a last name of said plurality of contacts on said graphical user interface each actuated through said touch display to point to a letter within said alphabet, said first pointer comprising a first tag displayed on said graphical user interface, said first tag comprising a first indication that said first pointer is associated with said first name, and said second pointer comprising a second tag displayed on said graphical user interface, said second tag comprising a second indication that said second pointer is associated with said last name;

receive a first letter of said first name when said first pointer is actuated through said touch display to point to a letter within said alphabet on said graphical user interface;

receive a first letter of said last name when said second pointer is actuated through said touch display to point to a letter within said alphabet on said graphical user interface;

determine contacts from said plurality of contacts having said first letter of said first name and said first letter of said last name; and

display said contacts on said graphical user interface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein displaying said alphabet on said graphical user interface comprises listing only letters corresponding to said first letter of said first name and said first letter of said last name that have contacts.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining said contacts having said first letter of said first name and said first letter of said last name comprises searching through a corporate directory.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining said contacts having said first letter of said first name and said first letter of said last name comprises searching through linked profiles in a social network.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said memory storing program instructions, when executed by said processor, causes said processor to:

provide a third pointer associated with said first name or said last name of said plurality of contacts on said graphical user interface simultaneously with said first and second pointers and actuated through said touch display to point to a letter within said alphabet;

receive a second letter of said first name or said last name when said third pointer is actuated through said touch display to point to a letter within said alphabet on said graphical user interface;

determine contacts from said plurality of contacts having said first letter of said first name and said first letter of said last name, and said second letter of said first name or said last name; and

display said contacts on said graphical user interface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein displaying said contacts on said graphical user interface comprises presenting said contacts on said graphical user interface alphabetically by said first name.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein displaying said contacts on said graphical user interface comprises presenting said contacts on said graphical user interface alphabetically by said last name.

8. A method for narrowing down a plurality of contacts through a touch display displaying a graphical user interface, said method comprising:

displaying an alphabet on said graphical user interface;

simultaneously displaying a first pointer associated only with a first name of said plurality of contacts and a second pointer associated only with a last name of said plurality of contacts on said graphical user interface each actuated through said touch display to point to a letter within said alphabet, said first pointer comprising a first tag and said second pointer comprising a second tag, said first tag comprising a first indication that said first pointer is associated with said first name, and said second tag comprising a second indication that said second pointer is associated with said last name;

receiving a first letter of said first name based on a position of said first pointer along said alphabet displayed on said graphical user interface actuated through said touch display;

receiving a first letter of said last name based on a position of said second pointer along said alphabet displayed on said graphical user interface actuated through said touch display;

determining contacts from said plurality of contacts having said first letter of said first name and said first letter of said last name; and

displaying said contacts on said graphical user interface.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising removing accents from said first letter of said first name and said first letter of said last name for determining said contacts from said plurality of contacts having said first letter of said first name and said first letter of said last name.

10. The method of claim 8, comprising opening a new window on said graphical user interface displaying information for a contact within said contacts.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising calling said contact.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving said first letter of said first name and said first letter of said last name comprises timing out after a predetermined period of time.

13. The method of claim 8, comprising receiving a second letter of said first name or said last name and determining contacts within said plurality of contacts having said first letter of said first name, said first letter of said last name and said second letter of said first name or said last name.