Telephone number display apparatus listing telephone numbers by frequency of use

• US 5,903,634 A
• Filed: 03/20/1997
• Issued: 05/11/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kawasaki, Misa, Wakabayashi, Misao
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/821,612
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 379/127, 379/142, 379/354, 379/355, 379/356, 379/396, 455/403, 455/407, 455/415, 455/517, 455/566
• US Class Current: 379/127.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A telephone number display apparatus stores a plurality of telephone number information data and displays the telephone number information data on a plurality of display areas divided in correspondence with a predetermined number of telephone number information data. At least part of one display area of the plurality of display areas is displayed in a color different from that of a remaining display area.

Claims

1. A telephone number display apparatus for storing telephone number information data and displaying the telephone number information data on a plurality of display lines, each of said display lines comprising a display area divided from others of the display areas, wherein said telephone number information data includes telephone numbers and various information data associated with respective ones of the telephone numbers, and wherein the telephone numbers and at least part of the various information data are displayed on respective ones of said display areas, and wherein said telephone numbers are arranged on said plurality of display lines in an order of frequency of use, at least part of a background of a display area for displaying a telephone number corresponding to an intermediate frequency of use being displayed in a hue of one of a warm color and a light color, at least part of a background of a display area for displaying a telephone number with a high frequency of use and at least part of a background of a display area for displaying a telephone number with a low frequency of use being displayed in a hue of one of a cold color and a dark color.

2. A telephone number display apparatus for storing telephone number information data and displaying the telephone number information data on a plurality of display lines, each of said display lines comprising a display area divided from others of the display areas so as to correspond to respective ones of the telephone numbers of said telephone number information data, said apparatus comprising:

a cellular phone body;

a telephone circuit unit incorporated with said cellular phone body and including a telephone number storing unit, an arithmetic unit, a color designation unit, and a display unit; and

a keyboard including a power button, a display button, a scroll-up button, and a scroll-down button;

wherein said telephone number information data includes telephone numbers and various information data associated with respective ones of the telephone numbers and wherein at least two of the telephone numbers and at least part of the various information data are displayed on respective ones of said display areas, and further wherein said telephone number information data are displayed on said plurality of display areas in an order of frequency of use, said telephone number information data being capable of being moved bi-directionally by depressing said scroll-up button or said scroll down button, and wherein at least part of a background of at least one display area of said plurality of display areas is displayed in a color different from that of remaining ones of said display areas.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least part of a background or characters on said one display area is displayed in a color different from that of said remaining display area while changing a shade of a color.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least part of each of said plurality of display areas is displayed while sequentially or continuously changing a color of each of said display areas from a warm color to a cold color.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a display area for displaying a telephone number with a high frequency of use is displayed in a hue of one of a warm color and a light color, and a display area for displaying a telephone number with a low use frequency is displayed in a hue of one of a cold color and a dark color.