Communication terminal device, call-history memory method and call-history display method

• US 6,064,725 A
• Filed: 10/07/1997
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakanishi, Kosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC MINH
• Application Number:
  US08/946,374
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 379/120, 379/127, 379/133, 379/140, 379/142, 379/112, 379/113, 379/93.23, 379/88.19-88.4, 379/354-356
• US Class Current: 379/140
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57

Abstract

A communication terminal device which easily provides a call-history function with superior usability. a call history having the same telephone number as the telephone number call-originated has been stored. If it has been stored, the past call history is canceled and the telephone number call-originated is stored as a call history. Thereby, storing call histories from the same party can be prevented increasing the actual number of storable files as call histories.

Claims

1. A communication terminal device comprising:

call-history memory means for storing an outgoing call history including a telephone number and a date and time of an outgoing call to a called party;

operation means for entering instructions and placing said outgoing call;

display means for reading said outgoing call history from said call-history memory means and for displaying said outgoing call history when a read instruction is entered using said operation means;

determining means for determining whether said call history includes said telephone number of said outgoing call as a previously stored telephone number when storing said telephone number of said outgoing call in said outgoing call history, wherein said previously stored telephone number includes a previously stored date and time; and

control means for updating said previously stored date and time of said previously stored telephone number in said outgoing call history with said date and time when storing said telephone number of said outgoing call in said outgoing call history when it is determined by said determining means that said outgoing call history includes said telephone number.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

telephone-directory memory means for storing a name and a corresponding telephone number of said called party to form a telephone directory, wherein

said determining means determines whether said telephone number of said outgoing call history has been previously stored in said telephone directory when reading said outgoing call history from said call-history memory means for display by said display means, and

said control means reads said name of said called party corresponding to said telephone number from said telephone-directory means and displays said name on said display means when it is determined by said determining means that said telephone number of said outgoing call history has been previously stored in said telephone directory.

3. The communication terminal device according to claim 2, wherein when a call-originating instruction is entered using said operation means, said control means calls said party of said displayed outgoing call history.

4. The communication terminal device according to claim 2, wherein when a plurality of telephone numbers have been stored corresponding to said name of said called party and a telephone-number switching instruction is entered using said operation means, said control means displays said plurality of stored telephone numbers on said display means in response to said telephone-number switching instruction, and when a telephone-number selecting instruction is entered using said operation means, said control means calls a selected one of said plurality of telephone numbers.

5. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein said outgoing call history further includes a date, and

said control means controls said display means to read said outgoing call history for dates corresponding to a time period from said memory means and displays said outgoing call history corresponding to said time period on said display means when said time period is entered using said operation means.

6. A method for forming and displaying a call-history comprising the steps of:

storing an outgoing call history including a telephone number and a date and time of an outgoing call to a called party;

determining whether said call history includes said telephone number of said outgoing call as a previously stored telephone number when storing said telephone number of said outgoing call as said outgoing call history, wherein said previously stored telephone number includes a previously stored date and time;

updating said previously stored date and time of said previously stored telephone number in said outgoing call history with said date and time when storing said telephone number of said outgoing call in said outgoing call history when it is determined that said outgoing call history includes said telephone number; and

reading and displaying said outgoing call history in response to a read instruction.

7. The method for forming and displaying a call-history according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

storing a name and a corresponding telephone number of said called party to form a telephone directory;

determining whether said telephone number of said outgoing call history has been previously stored in said telephone directory when reading said outgoing call history; and

reading said name of said called party from said telephone directory and displaying said name on said display means when it is determined that said telephone number of said outgoing call history has been previously stored in said telephone directory.

8. The method for forming and displaying a call-history according to claim 6, wherein said outgoing call history further includes a date, and

further comprising the step of reading said outgoing call history for dates corresponding to a time period and displaying said outgoing call history corresponding to said time period.