Mobile terminal and method for associating photos with telephone numbers in a mobile terminal

• US 20060148455A1
• Filed: 10/20/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jong-Hwan
• Granted Patent: US 7,783,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality

Abstract

A mobile terminal is described, along with a method for associating photos with contact information in a mobile terminal by using a reference field, which facilitates convenient searching of photos and contact information stored in a mobile terminal. According to the method, a person'"'"'s photos can be immediately viewed while the user is browsing a contact list. Additionally, when a user wishes to contact a person whose photo he is viewing, the user can immediately contact the person with the mobile terminal without having to search for the person'"'"'s contact information.

Claims

1. A method for accessing photos in a mobile terminal, comprising:

selecting a person from a contact list stored in the mobile terminal;

selecting a photo viewing option; and

displaying at least one photo corresponding to the selected person from photos stored in a memory.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the photos stored in the memory is associated with a reference ID value, the mobile terminal including a contact list database that includes personal information for at least one person associated with a contact list database ID value.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the reference ID value identifies a contact list database ID value associated with a person when the photo associated with the reference ID value is set to represent the person.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the reference ID value is set by designating a photo as a representative photo for a person.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein designating a representative photo for a person comprises:

inputting personal information by using a function for adding or editing personal information;

selecting a photo as a representative photo; and

setting the reference ID value associated with the representative photo to the contact list database ID value associated with the person .

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one photo corresponding to the selected person consists of photos associated with a reference ID value corresponding to a contact list database ID value associated with the selected person.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising indicating that a photo corresponding to the selected person does not exist when a photo corresponding to the selected person does not exist.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein indicating that a photo corresponding to the selected person does not exist comprises outputting at least one of a text message and a sound.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the contact list comprises one of a phone book and an address book.

10. A method for contacting a person using a mobile terminal, comprising:

displaying a photo;

selecting a contact operation while the photo is displayed;

determining whether contact information corresponds to the displayed photo; and

contacting the person using contact information corresponding to the displayed photo if it is determined that corresponding contact information exists.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein determining whether contact information corresponds to the displayed photo comprises determining whether the displayed photo is associated with a reference ID value.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein a reference ID value is associated with the displayed photo by designating the displayed photo as a representative photo for a person.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein designating the displayed photo as a representative photo comprises:

inputting personal information by using a function for adding or editing personal information;

selecting a photo as a representative photo;

updating a representative photo field associated with the selected representative photo; and

setting the reference ID value associated with the representative photo to a contact list database ID value associated with the personal information.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein determining whether the displayed photo is associated with a reference ID value comprises determining the value of a representative photo field associated with the displayed photo.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the reference ID value does not exist when the representative photo field value is 0.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the reference ID value exists when the representative photo field value is 1.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein a reference ID value is associated with the displayed photo by designating the displayed photo as a representative photo for a person.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein designating the displayed photo as a representative photo comprises:

inputting personal information by using a function for adding or editing contact information;

selecting a photo as a representative photo;

updating the representative photo field associated with the selected representative photo; and

setting the reference ID value associated with the representative photo to a contact list database ID value associated with the contact information.

19. The method according to claim 10, wherein the person corresponding to the displayed photo is associated with a contact list database ID value, the contact list database ID value corresponding to a reference ID value associated with the displayed photo.

20. The method according to claim 10, wherein selecting a contact operation comprises one of pressing a key corresponding to a calling or messaging function and selecting a contact operation from a menu.

21. The method according to claim 10, wherein selecting a contact operation comprises selecting to call a phone number, and contacting the person comprises automatically calling a phone number associated with the person.

22. The method according to claim 10, wherein selecting a contact operation comprises selecting to send one of a text message and an email message, and contacting the person comprises automatically creating a message addressed to one of a text message address and an email address of the person, and completing and sending the text message or email message.

23. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a contact list database that stores personal information associated with at least one person; and

a photo database that includes information that associates at least one photo stored in a memory of the mobile terminal with a person whose personal information is stored in the contact list database.

24. The mobile terminal according to claim 23, wherein the photo database stores at least one data entry associated with a photo, which includes a reference ID field configured to designate a data entry stored in the contact list database.

25. The mobile terminal according to claim 24, wherein the contact list database stores at least one data entry associated with a person, which includes a contact list database ID field.

26. The mobile terminal according to claim 25, wherein each reference ID field is configured to store the value of a contact list database ID field.

27. The mobile terminal according to claim 25, wherein each data entry stored in the contact list database comprises personal information including at least one of a phone number and an email address.

28. The mobile terminal according to claim 24, wherein each data entry stored in the photo database comprises a representative photo value that indicates whether the photo associated with the data entry is associated with a person.

29. The mobile terminal according to claim 23, wherein the mobile terminal is configured to display a list of photos corresponding to a person selected from the contact list database by accessing the contact list database and the photo database.

30. The mobile terminal according to claim 23, wherein the mobile terminal is configured to contact a person associated with a photo displayed on the mobile terminal by accessing the contact list database and the photo database.