Iconized name list

• US 6,084,951 A
• Filed: 04/23/1997
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Colin Donald, Beaton, Brian Finlay
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US08/842,036
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.08, 379/93.23, 379/100.01, 379/100.149, 379/93.17, 379/355, 345/348, 345/349, 455/403, 455/564
• US Class Current: 379/93.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages

Abstract

The system and method consistent with the present invention provides a directory with graphical icons representing characteristics of the entries for a communication device. The graphical icons are associated with additional information for the corresponding entry.

Claims

1. A method of presenting information in a communication device for a telephone network comprising the steps of:

storing in a memory a directory of entries each including a telephone number and associated information represented by particular fields;

associating a telephone number of a selected one of the entries with an icon representing the characteristics of that telephone number, wherein said associating further comprises modifying one of the icons, and associating the telephone number of the selected one of the entries with the modified icon;

displaying the particular fields of the entries with the associated icon, wherein a user selects the particular fields of the entries to display in the directory;

receiving a user input selecting an icon; and

selecting one of the entries corresponding to the selected icon.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of

receiving a user input selecting an information icon corresponding to one of the entries, and

displaying information of the entry corresponding to the selected information icon in the form of a business card.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing step includes the substep of

storing in the memory the directory of entries each including a plurality of telephone numbers and associated information.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the associating step includes the substep of

associating each one of the plurality of telephone numbers with the icon representing the characteristics of each one of the telephone numbers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the associating step includes the substep of

associating the telephone number of the selected one of the entries with one of a predetermined set of icons representing the characteristics of that telephone number.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the associating step includes the substeps of

receiving a user input representing a new icon, and

associating the telephone number of the selected one of the entries with the new icon.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing step further includes the substep of

storing the directory in the memory of the communication device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing step further includes the substep of

storing the directory in the memory of a central computer.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying step includes the substep of

displaying the particular field of the entries with the associated icon while a user is scrolling the directory.

10. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of

receiving a manual input from a user to call another user of the telephone network, the manual input including a telephone number, and

associating the received telephone number with the icon representing the characteristics of that telephone number.

11. The method of claim 10 further including the step of

storing in the memory the received telephone number and the associated icon.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing step includes the substep of

storing in the memory the directory of entries each including a telephone number and associated information for a GSM network.

13. A method of presenting information in a communication device for a telephone network comprising the steps of:

storing in a memory a directory of entries each including a telephone number and associated information represented by particular fields;

associating a telephone number of a selected one of the entries with an icon representing the characteristics of that telephone number, and wherein said associating further comprises modifying one of the icons, and associating the telephone number of the selected one of the entries with the modified icon;

displaying the particular fields of the entries with the associated icon, wherein a user selects the particular fields of the entries to display in the directory; and

transmitting the associated icon to a user on the telephone network.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the transmitting step further includes the substep of

receiving the icon from another user of the telephone network.

15. The method of claim 14 further including the step of

storing the received icon in the memory.

16. A system for presenting information in a communication device for a telephone network comprising:

a database for storing a directory of entries each including a telephone number and associated information represented by particular fields;

means for associating a telephone number of a selected one of the entries with an icon representing the characteristics of that telephone number, wherein said means for associating further comprises means for modifying one of the icons, and means for associating the telephone number of the selected one of the entries with the modified icon;

a display for displaying the particular fields of the entries with the associated icon, wherein a user selects the particular fields of the entries to display in the directory;

means for receiving a user input selecting an icon; and

means for selecting one of the entries corresponding to the selected icon.

17. The system of claim 16 further including

means for receiving a user input selecting an information icon corresponding to one of the entries, and

means for displaying information of the entry corresponding to the selected information icon in the form of a business card.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the associating means includes

means for associating each one of the plurality of telephone numbers with the icon representing the characteristics of each one of the telephone numbers.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the database includes

means for storing the directory of entries each including a plurality of telephone numbers and associated information.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the associating means includes

means for associating the telephone number of the selected one of the entries with one of a predetermined set of icons representing the characteristics of that telephone number.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein the associating means includes

means for receiving a user input representing a new icon, and

means for associating the telephone number of the selected one of the entries with the new icon.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein the communication device has a memory, and

wherein the database resides in the memory of the communication device.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein the central computer has a memory, and

wherein the database resides in the memory of the central computer.

24. The system of claim 16 wherein the display includes

means for displaying the particular field of the entries with the associated icon while a user is scrolling the directory.

25. The system of claim 16 further including

means for receiving a manual input from a user to call another user of the telephone network, the manual input including a telephone number, and

means for associating the received telephone number with the icon representing the characteristics of that telephone number.

26. The system of claim 25 further including

means for storing the received telephone number and the associated icon.

27. The system of claim 16 wherein the database includes

means for storing the directory of entries each including a telephone number and associated information for a GSM network.

28. A system for presenting information in a communication device for a telephone network comprising:

a database for storing a directory of entries each including a telephone number and associated information represented by particular fields;

means for associating a telephone number of a selected one of the entries with an icon representing the characteristics of that telephone, wherein said means for associating further comprises means for modifying one of the icons, and means for associating the telephone number of the selected one of the entries with the modified icon;

a display for displaying the particular fields of the entries with the associated icon, wherein a user selects the particular fields of the entries to display in the directory; and

means for transmitting the associated icon to a user on the telephone network.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the transmitting means further includes

means for receiving the icon from another user of the telephone network.

30. The system of claim 29 further including

means for storing the received icon.