Method for performing functions using telephone number searched for in mobile terminal

• US 20050266838A1
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jin, Jeong-Gyu, Kwon, Hae-Moon
• Granted Patent: US 7,515,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• 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 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging

Abstract

Disclosed is method for searching for a telephone number and performing a function using the detected telephone number on a mobile terminal, which includes checking whether an input by a user in a standby mode is a number of consecutive digits, searching a telephone number database (DB) in the mobile terminal to detect and display telephone numbers having the inputted number of consecutive digits, searching the telephone number DB when the input by the user is a character or characters to detect and display telephone numbers of people having names corresponding to the inputted character or characters, displaying a menu of functions available using any of the displayed telephone numbers. The user can input a keyword for a telephone number in an idle state of the mobile terminal; without the need to select a separate menu for telephone number search.

Claims

1. A method for searching for a telephone number and performing a function using the detected telephone number on a mobile terminal, which comprises:

a) checking whether an entry by a user in a standby mode is a number of consecutive digits;

b) searching a telephone number database (DB) in the mobile terminal to detect and display at least one telephone number having the entered number of consecutive digits if the input is a numeric character;

c) searching the telephone number DB when the entry by the user is at least one character to detect and display at least one telephone number of having names corresponding to the at least one entered character; and

d) displaying a menu of functions available using a displayed telephone number.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said functions include a call function.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said functions available include a text message function.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said functions available includes a multimedia message function for sending mail with at least one of an image or a photo attached.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said functions available include a function to edit telephone numbers.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein step b) includes:

searching the telephone number DB to detect at least one telephone number having the same digit and displaying detected telephone numbers, when a first digit is entered by the user;

receiving a second digit which is entered by the user, detecting telephone numbers having the same second digit from the previously detected telephone numbers and displaying the newly detected telephone numbers when two or more telephone numbers are detected; and

repeating the receiving, detecting and displaying step.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein step c) includes:

searching the telephone number DB to detect names according to a first entry by the user and displaying the detected names and their corresponding telephone numbers, when said entry by the user is a character; and

detecting names according to a second entry from the previously detected names and displaying the newly detected names and their corresponding telephone numbers.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein step d) includes:

displaying a telephone number selected by the user from the detected telephone numbers;

displaying a menu of one or more functions that can be implemented using the selected telephone number; and

performing a function selected by the user to the selected telephone number.