Method, System, and Graphical User Interface for Making Conference Calls

• US 20080100693A1
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran, Christie, Greg, Ording, Bas, Forstall, Scott, Jobs, Steven P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,090,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A user interface for handling multiple calls includes displaying an image associated with a first party on a first call and an image associated with a second party on a second call. When one call is active and the other call is on hold, the image associated with the party that is on the active call is visually highlighted to make it more visually prominent relative to the other image. When both calls are joined into a conference call, both images are displayed adjacent to each other and neither is visually highlighted relative to the other.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

establishing a first communication link between a first party and a user in response to a first action by the user;

displaying a first image corresponding to the first party at an intensity that is greater than a threshold;

while the first communication link is ongoing, establishing a second communication link between a second party and the user in response to a second action by the user;

switching the user from the first communication link to the second communication link;

while continuing to display the first image, displaying a second image corresponding to the second party; and

visually highlighting the second image so as to facilitate visual differentiation of the first and second images.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein visually highlighting comprises displaying the second image at a greater intensity than the first image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein visually highlighting comprises displaying the second image at an intensity that is greater than the threshold, and modifying the intensity of the first image to be less than the threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

switching the user from the second communication link to the first communication link; and

displaying the first image at a greater intensity than the second image.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

switching the user from the second communication link to the first communication link;

modifying the intensity of the first image to be greater than the threshold; and

modifying the intensity of the second image to be less than the threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image includes a picture of the first party.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image includes information corresponding to the first party.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information includes one or more items selected from the group consisting of a name of the first party and a telephone number of the first party.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image includes a stream of video images of the first party.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second image includes a picture of the second party.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second image includes information corresponding to the second party.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the information includes one or more items selected from the group consisting of a name of the second party and a telephone number of the second party.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second image includes a stream of video images of the second party.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a common communication link between the first party, the second party and the user in response to a third action by the user;

displaying the first image at an intensity that is greater than the threshold; and

displaying the second image at an intensity that is greater than the threshold.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising displaying the first image adjacent to the second image.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein an edge of the first image and an edge of the second image are in contact with one another.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying an instructional image, wherein the instructional image comprises a representation of a click wheel input device and visual cues of operations corresponding to positions on the click wheel input device; and

receiving an input from the click wheel input device, wherein the input corresponds to a contact by the user on the click wheel input device at a particular position, whereby a respective operation corresponding to the particular position is activated.

18. A graphical user interface, comprising:

a first image corresponding to a first party that is communicating with a device; and

a second image corresponding to a second party that is communicating with the device,

wherein the first image has an intensity greater than a threshold and the second image has an intensity less than the threshold when a user of a device is communicating with the first party, and wherein the first image has an intensity less than the threshold and the second image has an intensity greater than the threshold when the user is communicating with the second party.

19. The graphical user interface of claim 18, wherein the first image has an intensity greater than the threshold and the second image has an intensity greater than the threshold when the user of the device is concurrently communicating with the first party and the second party.

20. The graphical user interface of claim 19, wherein the first image and the second image are adjacent to each other.

21. The graphical user interface of claim 20, wherein an edge of the first image and an edge of the second image are in contact with each other.

22. The graphical user interface of claim 18, further comprising an instructional image, the instructional image comprising a representation of a click wheel input device and visual cues of operations corresponding to positions on the click wheel input device.

23. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a portable communications device, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

instructions for establishing a first communication link between a first party and a user in response to a first action by the user;

instructions for displaying a first image corresponding to the first party at an intensity that is greater than a threshold;

instructions for establishing a second communication link, while the first communication link is ongoing, between a second party and the user in response to a second action by the user;

instructions for switching the user from the first communication link to the second communication link;

instructions for displaying a second image corresponding to the second party while continuing to display the first image; and

instructions for visually highlighting the second image so as to facilitate visual differentiation of the first and second images.

24. A portable communications device, comprising:

a display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

a program, wherein the program is stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the program including;

instructions for establishing a first communication link between a first party and a user in response to a first action by the user;

instructions for displaying a first image corresponding to the first party at an intensity that is greater than a threshold;

instructions for establishing a second communication link, while the first communication link is ongoing, between a second party and the user in response to a second action by the user;

instructions for switching the user from the first communication link to the second communication link;

instructions for displaying a second image corresponding to the second party while continuing to display the first image; and

instructions for visually highlighting the second image so as to facilitate visual differentiation of the first and second images.

25. A portable communications device, comprising:

display means;

one or more processor means;

memory means; and

a program mechanism, wherein the program mechanism is stored in the memory means and configured to be executed by the one or more processors means, the program mechanism including;

instructions for establishing a first communication link between a first party and a user in response to a first action by the user;

instructions for displaying a first image corresponding to the first party at an intensity that is greater than a threshold;

instructions for establishing a second communication link, while the first communication link is ongoing, between a second party and the user in response to a second action by the user;

instructions for switching the user from the first communication link to the second communication link;

instructions for displaying a second image corresponding to the second party while continuing to display the first image; and

instructions for visually highlighting the second image so as to facilitate visual differentiation of the first and second images.