Configuration mechanism for organization of addressing elements

• US 7,503,016 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2005
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Haitani, Robert Y., Lamb, Art, Hawkins, Jeffrey C.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, TING ZHOU
• Application Number:
  US11/285,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20060161858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 715/827, 715/741, 715/864, 715/835, 455/552.1, 455/413, 455/550.1, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 715/864
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• 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 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method and apparatus for organizing and accessing addressing elements is herein disclosed. An exemplary speed dialing system includes a plurality of speed dial pages which can be selected by the user for display on a touch sensitive screen. Each speed dial page has an arrangement of speed dial buttons, and each speed dial button can be assigned a label, that is displayed on or adjacent the button, and a telephone number that is dialed when the button is pressed using the touch sensitive screen. The assignment of labels and telephone numbers can be arranged among the buttons by the user to aid the user in recalling where particular telephone numbers are and so enable quick and easy access by the user. These principles are similarly applicable to Internet bookmarks, for example, and software application shortcuts.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device configured to access a telephone system, the mobile computing device comprising:

an input interface configured to receive sets of characters for a plurality of records, each record representing a destination accessible via a voice channel, at least one record associated with a first set of characters and a second set of characters for accessing the destination;

a storage configured to store the sets of characters associated with the plurality of records;

a screen configured to display representations of the plurality of the records for selection; and

a communication circuit configured to send a first signal corresponding to a first set of characters of a selected record and a second signal corresponding to a second set of characters of the selected record to the telephone system over the voice channel responsive to selecting the record, the first signal sent to establish a voice channel connection with the telephone system, the second signal sent to access the destination by navigating the telephone system after the voice channel is established with the telephone system, wherein the second signal is automatically sent to the telephone system without user intervention after sending the first signal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the input interface comprises a touch screen display.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the second signal is configured to navigate the telephone system.

4. A computing device for accessing a remote system, said device comprising:

a storage configured to store a plurality of records, at least one record associated with a first set of characters and a second set of characters for accessing a destination via a voice channel;

a screen configured to display representations of the plurality of records for selection;

a selection interface configured to receive selection of one record among the plurality of records; and

a communication circuit configured to send a first signal at a first time and a second signal at a second time subsequent to the first time to the remote system over the voice channel responsive to selecting the record, the first signal corresponding to the first set of characters of the selected record, the second set of characters corresponding to the second set of characters of the selected record, wherein the first time is before a voice channel connection is established between the computing device and the remote system, and the second time is after the voice channel connection is established between the computing device and the remote system, and wherein the second signal is automatically sent to the telephone system without user intervention after sending the first signal.

5. The computing device of claim 4, wherein the remote system comprises a private branch exchange (PBX).

6. The computing device of claim 4, wherein the remote system comprises a voicemail system, and the second signal is configured to navigate the voicemail system.

7. The computing device of claim 4, wherein each record is associated with a third set of characters representing a length of pause between the first signal and the second signal.

8. The computing device of claim 4, wherein the selection interface comprises a touch screen display.

9. The computing device of claim 4, further comprising a configuration interface configured to receive the first set of characters and the second set of characters associated with a record for storage in the storage.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the configuration interface is configured to display a configuring screen comprising a first field for inputting the first set of characters, and a second field for inputting the second set of characters.

11. The computing device of claim 4, wherein the representations comprise icons displayed on the screen.

12. A method of accessing a remote system via a computing device, comprising:

storing a plurality of records, at least one record associated with a first set of characters and a second set of characters for accessing a destination via a voice channel;

displaying representations of the plurality of records for selection;

receiving selection of one record among the plurality of records; and

sending a first signal at a first time and a second signal at a second time subsequent to the first time to the remote system over the voice channel responsive to selecting the record, the first signal corresponding to the first set of characters of the selected record, the second set of characters corresponding to the second set of characters of the selected record, wherein the first time is before a voice channel connection is established between the computing device and the remote system, and the second time is after the voice channel connection is established between the computing device and remote system, and wherein the second signal is automatically sent to the telephone system without user intervention after sending the first signal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the remote system comprises a private branch exchange (PBX).

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the remote system comprises a voicemail system, and the second signal is configured to navigate the voicemail system.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein each record is associated with a third set of characters representing a length of pause between the first signal and the second signal.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving the first set of characters and the second set of characters associated with a record for storage.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

displaying a first field for inputting the first set of characters on a configuring screen; and

displaying a second field for inputting the second set of characters on the configuring screen.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the representations comprise icons displayed on a screen.