Method, system, and graphical user interface for making conference calls

• US 8,090,087 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jobs, Steven P., Christie, Greg, Ording, Bas, Chaudhri, Imran, Forstall, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwah, Olisa
• Application Number:
  US11/553,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20080100693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.21, 379/158, 379/202.01, 379/204.01, 379/207.01, 379/93.35, 379/215.01, 455/414.1, 455/566
• US Class Current: 379/93.21
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A user interface for handling multiple calls includes displaying an image associated with a first party on a first call and an image associated with a second party on a second call. When one call is active and the other call is on hold, the image associated with the party that is on the active call is visually highlighted to make it more visually prominent relative to the other image. When both calls are joined into a conference call, both images are displayed adjacent to each other and neither is visually highlighted relative to the other.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a portable communications device;

establishing a first communication link between a first party and a user in response to a first action by the user;

displaying a first image corresponding to the first party at an intensity that is greater than a threshold;

while the first communication link is ongoing, establishing a second communication link between a second party and the user in response to a second action by the user;

switching the user from the first communication link to the second communication link;

while continuing to display the first image, displaying a second image corresponding to the second party with a visible gap between the first image and the second image;

visually highlighting the second image so as to facilitate visual differentiation of the first and second images, wherein visually highlighting comprises displaying the second image at an intensity that is greater than the threshold, and modifying the intensity of the first image to be less than the threshold; and

,

in response to a third action by the user;

establishing a common communication link between the first party, the second party and the user;

displaying the first image and the second image at a same intensity; and

reducing or eliminating the visible gap between the first image and the second image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image includes information corresponding to the first party.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image includes a stream of video images of the first party.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second image includes information corresponding to the second party.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second image includes a stream of video images of the second party.

2. A method, comprising:

at a portable communications device;

establishing a first communication link between a first party and a user in response to a first action by the user;

displaying a first image corresponding to the first party at an intensity that is greater than a threshold;

while the first communication link is ongoing, establishing a second communication link between a second party and the user in response to a second action by the user;

switching the user from the first communication link to the second communication link;

while continuing to display the first image, displaying a second image corresponding to the second party with a visible gap between the first image and the second image;

visually highlighting the second image so as to facilitate visual differentiation of the first and second images;

switching the user from the second communication link to the first communication link;

modifying the intensity of the first image to be greater than the threshold;

modifying the intensity of the second image to be less than the threshold;

in response to a third action by the user;

establishing a common communication link between the first party, the second party and the user;

displaying the first image and the second image at a same intensity; and

reducing or eliminating the visible gap between the first image and the second image.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein the first image includes information corresponding to the first party.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein the first image includes a stream of video images of the first party.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein the second image includes information corresponding to the second party.

19. The method of claim 2, wherein the second image includes a stream of video images of the second party.

7. A graphical user interface on a portable communications device with a display, a memory, and one or more processors to execute a program stored in the memory, the graphical user interface comprising:

a first image corresponding to a first party that is communicating with a device; and

a second image corresponding to a second party that is communicating with the device, with a visible gap between the first image and the second image,

wherein the first image has an intensity greater than a threshold and the second image has an intensity less than the threshold when a user of a device is communicating with the first party, wherein the first image has an intensity less than the threshold and the second image has an intensity greater than the threshold when the user is communicating with the second party, and wherein the first image has an intensity that is greater than the threshold and the second image has an intensity greater than the threshold when the user is communicating through a common link between the first party, the second party and the user;

and wherein, in response to an action by the user;

a common communication link is established between the first party, the second party, and the user;

the first image and the second image are displayed at a same intensity; and

the visible gap between first image and the second image is reduced or eliminated.

20. The graphical user interface of claim 7, wherein the first image includes information corresponding to the first party.

21. The graphical user interface of claim 7, wherein the first image includes a stream of video images of the first party.

22. The graphical user interface of claim 7, wherein the second image includes information corresponding to the second party.

23. The graphical user interface of claim 7, wherein the second image includes a stream of video images of the second party.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a portable communications device, cause the portable communications device to perform a method comprising:

establishing a first communication link between a first party and a user in response to a first action by the user;

displaying a first image corresponding to the first party at an intensity that is greater than a threshold;

establishing a second communication link, while the first communication link is ongoing, between a second party and the user in response to a second action by the user;

switching the user from the first communication link to the second communication link;

displaying a second image corresponding to the second party while continuing to display the first image with a visible gap between the first image and the second image;

visually highlighting the second image so as to facilitate visual differentiation of the first and second images, wherein visually highlighting comprises displaying the second image at an intensity that is greater than the threshold, and modifying the intensity of the first image to be less than the threshold; and

,

in response to a third action by the user;

establishing a common communication link between the first party, the second party and the user;

displaying the first image and the second image at a same intensity; and

reducing or eliminating the visible gap between the first image and the second image.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first image includes a stream of video images of the first party.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the second image includes a stream of video images of the second party.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first image includes information corresponding to the first party.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the second image includes information corresponding to the second party.

9. A portable communications device, comprising:

a display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

a program, wherein the program is stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the program including instructions for;

establishing a first communication link between a first party and a user in response to a first action by the user;

displaying a first image corresponding to the first party at an intensity that is greater than a threshold;

establishing a second communication link, while the first communication link is ongoing, between a second party and the user in response to a second action by the user;

switching the user from the first communication link to the second communication link;

displaying a second image corresponding to the second party while continuing to display the first image with a visible gap between the first image and the second image;

visually highlighting the second image so as to facilitate visual differentiation of the first and second images, wherein visually highlighting comprises displaying the second image at an intensity that is greater than the threshold, and modifying the intensity of the first image to be less than the threshold;

in response to a third action by the user;

displaying the first image and the second image at a same intensity; and

reducing or eliminating the visible gap between the first image and the second image.

12. The portable communications device of claim 9, wherein the first image includes a stream of video images of the first party.

13. The portable communications device of claim 9, wherein the second image includes a stream of video images of the second party.

26. The portable communications device of claim 9, wherein the first image includes information corresponding to the first party.

27. The portable communications device of claim 9, wherein the second image includes information corresponding to the second party.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a portable communications device, cause the portable communications device to perform a method comprising:

establishing a first communication link between a first party and a user in response to a first action by the user;

displaying a first image corresponding to the first party at an intensity that is greater than a threshold;

establishing a second communication link, while the first communication link is ongoing, between a second party and the user in response to a second action by the user;

switching the user from the first communication link to the second communication link;

displaying a second image corresponding to the second party while continuing to display the first image with a visible gap between the first image and the second image;

visually highlighting the second image so as to facilitate visual differentiation of the first and second images;

switching the user from the second communication link to the first communication link;

modifying the intensity of the first image to be greater than the threshold;

modifying the intensity of the second image to be less than the threshold;

in response to a third action by the user;

establishing a common communication link between the first party, the second party and the user;

displaying the first image and the second image at a same intensity; and

reducing or eliminating the visible gap between the first image and the second image.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the first image includes information corresponding to the first party.

29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the first image includes a stream of video images of the first party.

30. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the second image includes information corresponding to the second party.

31. non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the second image includes a stream of video images of the second party.

15. A portable communications device, comprising:

a display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

a program, wherein the program is stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the program including instructions for;

establishing a first communication link between a first party and a user in response to a first action by the user;

displaying a first image corresponding to the first party at an intensity that is greater than a threshold;

establishing a second communication link, while the first communication link is ongoing, between a second party and the user in response to a second action by the user;

switching the user from the first communication link to the second communication link;

displaying a second image corresponding to the second party while continuing to display the first image with a visible gap between the first image and the second image;

visually highlighting the second image so as to facilitate visual differentiation of the first and second images;

switching the user from the second communication link to the first communication link;

modifying the intensity of the first image to be greater than the threshold;

modifying the intensity of the second image to be less than the threshold;

in response to a third action by the user;

establishing a common communication link between the first party, the second party and the user;

displaying the first image and the second image at a same intensity; and

reducing or eliminating the visible gap between the first image and the second image.

32. The portable communications device of claim 15, wherein the first image includes information corresponding to the first party.

33. The portable communications device of claim 15, wherein the first image includes a stream of video images of the first party.

34. The portable communications device of claim 15, wherein the second image includes information corresponding to the second party.

35. The portable communications device of claim 15, wherein the second image includes a stream of video images of the second party.