Handheld electronic device having improved phone call log, and associated method

• US 7,280,652 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2004
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Bocking, Andrew D., Vander Veen, Raymond P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sing; Simon
• Application Number:
  US10/939,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20060056606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 379/355.02, 379/142.01, 379/142.04, 379/142.06, 379/207.15, 455/415
• US Class Current: 379/355.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/28 with meter at substation or with calculation of charges at terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method provide an improved call log that presents information relating to logged phone calls in a collapsed manner, meaning that for each phone number having a call stored in the memory of the device, only the most recent in time call is listed on the call log. An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method also provide a call history for any phone call from the improved call log that is selected by the user. The call history includes a listing of all of the calls stored by the device that are associated with the selected call log call.

Claims

1. A method of providing a call log on a handheld electronic device having an address book application storing a plurality of entries, said method comprising:

storing in a memory call related information for a plurality of outgoing and incoming phone calls, each of said phone calls being associated with one of a plurality of phone numbers, one or more of said phone numbers not being included in any of said entries of said address book application;

compiling a list of call log phone calls, said call log phone calls being a single one of said phone calls for every one of said phone numbers for which call related information is stored in said memory, one or more of said every one of said phone numbers not being included in any of said entries of said address book application, said single one of said phone calls for said each one of said phone numbers being the most recent in time phone call associated with said one of said phone numbers;

compiling, for each of said phone numbers, a listing of every one of said phone calls having call related information stored in said memory that was placed to and received from the phone number;

displaying said list of call log phone calls; and

when a selected one of said call log phone calls is selected from said list of call log phone calls, displaying at least part of the listing that was compiled for the phone number associated with the selected one of said call log phone calls.

2. The method according to claim 1, said list including call log information for each one of said call log phone calls, said call log information for said each one of said call log phone calls including a date and time of said one of said call log phone calls.

3. The method according to claim 1, said list including call log information for each one of said call log phone calls, said call log information for said each one of said call log phone calls including the phone number associated with said one of said call log phone calls.

4. The method according to claim 1, said address book application storing a plurality of contact names, said list including call log information for each one of said call log phone calls, said call log information for said each one of said call log phone calls including at least one of the phone number associated with said one of said call log phone calls and one of said contact names.

5. The method according to claim 1, said address book application storing a plurality of contact names and associated contact phone numbers, said list including call log information for each one of said call log phone calls, said call log information said each one of said call log phone calls including:

(i) the contact name associated with the phone number associated with said one of said call log phone calls if the phone number associated with said one of said call log phone calls matches one of said contact phone numbers, and

(ii) the phone number associated with said one of said call log phone calls if the phone number associated with said one of said call log phone calls does not match one of said contact phone numbers.

6. The method according to claim 1, said list listing said call log phone calls in chronological order beginning with the most recent of said call log phone calls.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying portions of the call related information for one of the call log phone calls that is selected by a user.

8. The method according to claim 7, said portions of the call related information including the date, time and duration of and the phone number associated with the selected one of said call log phone calls.

9. The method according to claim 1, each said listing being in chronological order beginning with the most recent of said phone calls included in the listing.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, when one of said listings is displayed, providing a menu of user options for one of the phone calls on said displayed listing that is selected by said user and performing a function associated with one of said user options selected by the user.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a menu of user options for one of the call log phone calls that is selected by a user and performing a function associated with one of said user options selected by the user.

12. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

an input apparatus;

a display;

a processor; and

a memory having an address book application storing a plurality of entries, said memory storing one or more applications executable by said processor, said one or more applications being adapted to;

store call related information for a plurality of outgoing and incoming phone calls in said memory, each of said phone calls being associated with one of a plurality of phone numbers, one or more of said phone numbers not being included in any of said entries of said address book application;

compile a list of call log phone calls, said call log phone calls being a single one of said phone calls for every one of said phone numbers for which call related information is stored in said memory, said single one of said phone calls for said each one of said phone numbers being the most recent in time phone call associated with said one of phone numbers; and

compile, for each of said phone numbers, a listing of every one of said phone calls having call related information stored in said memory that was placed to and received from the phone number;

display said list of call log phone calls on said display; and

when a selected one of said call log phone calls is selected from said list of call log phone calls, display at least part of the listing that was compiled for the phone number associated with the selected one of said call log phone calls.

13. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, said list including call log information for each one of said call log phone calls, said call log information for said each one of said call log phone calls including a date and time of said one of said call log phone calls.

14. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, said list including call log information for each one of said call log phone calls, said call log information for said each one of said call log phone calls including the phone number associated with said one of said call log phone calls.

15. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, said address book application storing a plurality of contact names, said list including call log information for each one of said call log phone calls, said call log information for said each one of said call log phone calls including at least one of the phone number associated with said one of said call log phone calls and one of said contact names.

16. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, said address book application storing a plurality of contact names and associated contact phone numbers, said list including call log information for each one of said call log phone calls, said call log information for said each one of said call log phone calls including:

(i) the contact name associated with the phone number associated with said one of said call log phone calls if the phone number associated with said one of said call log phone calls matches one of said contact phone numbers, and

(ii) the phone number associated with said one of said call log phone calls if the phone number associated with said one of said call log phone calls does not match one of said contact phone numbers.

17. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, said list listing said call log phone calls in chronological order beginning with the most recent of said call log phone calls.

18. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, said one or more applications being further adapted to enable a user to select one of the call log phone calls using said input apparatus and to display on said display portions of the call related information for the selected call log phone call.

19. The handheld electronic device according to claim 18, said portions of the call related information including the date, time, and duration of and the phone number associated with the selected one of the call log phone calls.

20. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, each said listing being in chronological order beginning with the most recent of said phone calls included in said listing.

21. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, said one or more applications being further adapted to, when one of said listings is displayed, enable the user to select one of the phone calls on said displayed listing using said input apparatus, to display on said display a menu of user options for said selected one of the phone calls on said displayed listing, to enable the user to select one of the user options using said input apparatus and to perform a function associated with the selected one of the user options.

22. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, said one or more applications being further adapted to enable a user to select one of the call log phone calls using said input apparatus, to display on said display a menu of user options for the selected one of the call log phone calls, to enable the user to select one of the user options and to perform a function associated with the selected one of the user options.