System and method of displaying incoming communication alerts at a wireless device

• US 20070202925A1
• Filed: 02/24/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Beith, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,175,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation

Abstract

A method of providing an alert of an incoming communication is disclosed and includes receiving an incoming communication at a wireless device and determining whether the wireless device has access to a photograph that is associated with an identified source of the incoming communication. Further, the method includes displaying the photograph and an alert message that is associated with the incoming communication.

Claims

1. A method of providing an alert of an incoming communication, comprising:

receiving an incoming communication at a wireless device;

determining whether the wireless device has access to a photograph associated with an identified source of the incoming communication; and

displaying the photograph and an alert message associated with the incoming communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a default idle screen background is replaced with the photograph and the alert message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert message is displayed over at least a portion of the photograph.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert message indicates that the incoming communication is received.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert message indicates that the incoming communication has been missed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the incoming communication includes at least one of the following:

a telephone call, a text message, an email message, a picture message, or a video message.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying at least one soft button associated with the alert message.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the soft button is displayed over the photograph.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the soft button is substantially transparent.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one soft button is:

a yes soft button, a no soft button, a send soft button, a cancel soft button, an exit soft button, a call soft button, a call home soft button, a call cell soft button, or a call work soft button.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining whether the alert message is acknowledged.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert message is acknowledged by answering the incoming communication.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert message is acknowledged by viewing the incoming communication.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert message is acknowledged by viewing information associated with a missed incoming communication.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

clearing the alert message after the alert message is acknowledged;

clearing the at least one soft button; and

displaying a default idle screen background.

16. A method of establishing a telephone call, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a photograph;

replacing a default idle screen background with the photograph at a display of a wireless device;

displaying at least one call soft button over the photograph; and

dialing a telephone number associated with the photograph when the at least one call soft button is selected.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one call soft button includes at least one of the following:

a call home soft button, a call cell soft button, and a call work soft button.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a home telephone number is associated with the call home soft button, wherein a wireless telephone number is associated with the call cell soft button, and a work telephone number is associated with the call work soft button.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining whether a call associated with the telephone number is answered; and

reverting back to the default idle screen background after the call is not answered.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising continuing to display the photograph after the call is answered.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining when the call is ended; and

reverting back to the default idle screen background after the call is ended.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising continuing to display the photograph during the call.

23. A method of text messaging, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a photograph of a person;

replacing a default idle screen background with the photograph;

displaying a text input window over the photograph;

displaying at least one text messaging soft button over the photograph; and

transmitting a text message to a device associated with the person within the photograph.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one text messaging soft button includes a send soft button.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein at least a portion of the text input window and at least a portion of the send soft button are substantially transparent.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining whether a response text message is received; and

displaying the response text message over the photograph.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising reverting back to the default idle screen background when a response to the text message is not received.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

determining when a text messaging session ends; and

reverting back to the default idle screen background when the text messaging session ends.

29. A wireless device, comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable medium accessible to the processor; and

a computer program embedded within the computer readable medium, the computer program comprising;

instructions to receive an incoming communication at a wireless device;

instructions to determine whether the wireless device has access to a photograph associated with an identified source of the incoming communication; and

instructions to display the photograph and an alert message associated with the incoming communication.

30. A wireless device, comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable medium accessible to the processor; and

a computer program embedded within the computer readable medium, the computer program comprising;

instructions to receive a selection of a photograph;

instructions to replace a default idle screen background with the photograph at a display of a wireless device;

instructions to display at least one call soft button over the photograph; and

instructions to dial a telephone number associated with the photograph when the at least one call soft button is selected.

31. A wireless device, comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable medium accessible to the processor; and

a computer program embedded within the computer readable medium, the computer program comprising;

instructions to receive a selection of a photograph of a person;

instructions to replace a default idle screen background with the photograph;

instructions to display a text input window over the photograph;

instructions to display at least one text messaging soft button over the photograph; and

instructions to transmit a text message to a device associated with the person within the photograph.

32. A computer program embedded within a computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to receive an incoming communication at a wireless device;

instructions to determine whether the wireless device has access to a photograph associated with an identified source of the incoming communication; and

instructions to display the photograph and an alert message associated with the incoming communication.

33. A computer program embedded within a computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to receive a selection of a photograph;

instructions to replace a default idle screen background with the photograph at a display of a wireless device;

instructions to display at least one call soft button over the photograph; and

instructions to dial a telephone number associated with the photograph when the at least one call soft button is selected.

34. A computer program embedded within a computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to receive a selection of a photograph of a person;

instructions to replace a default idle screen background with the photograph;

instructions to display a text input window over the photograph;

instructions to display at least one text messaging soft button over the photograph; and

instructions to transmit a text message to a device associated with the person within the photograph.

35. A wireless device, comprising:

means for receiving an incoming communication at a wireless device;

means for determining whether the wireless device has access to a photograph associated with an identified source of the incoming communication; and

means for displaying the photograph and an alert message associated with the incoming communication.

36. A wireless device, comprising:

means for receiving a selection of a photograph;

means for replacing a default idle screen background with the photograph at a display of a wireless device;

means for displaying at least one call soft button over the photograph; and

means for dialing a telephone number associated with the photograph when the at least one call soft button is selected.

37. A wireless device, comprising:

means for receiving a selection of a photograph;

means for replacing a default idle screen background with the photograph;

means for displaying a text input window over the photograph;

means for displaying at least one text messaging soft button over the photograph; and

means for transmitting a text message to a device associated with the photograph when the at least one text messaging soft button is selected.

38. A method of providing an alert of an incoming communication, comprising:

receiving an incoming communication at a wireless device;

determining whether the wireless device has access to a video associated with an identified source of the incoming communication; and

displaying the video and an alert message associated with the incoming communication.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein a default idle screen background is replaced with the video and the alert message.

40. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

playing an audio sound associated with the alert message.