Messaging with a locked communication device

• US 8,218,734 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bhupati, Dhirendra Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US11/761,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20080310602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,855 Days
• Field of Search: 235/382, 345/168, 379/39, 379/88.12, 379/102.06, 380/247, 399/405, 455/404.2, 455/410, 455/565, 455/550.1, 711/163, 715/780, 715/772, 715/863, 340/524, 340/573.1, 370/431, 713/320
• US Class Current: 379/88.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/658 Means for redirecting recorded messages to other extensions or equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A communication device supports leaving a message using a communication device input interface when the device is in a locked state. The communication device may be a network telephone having a display interface and a user input interface. The communication device may be configured to transition to a locked state, store a message based on input received at the locked communication device, and present the message to an intended recipient. The message may be presented to the intended recipient upon unlocking the device (e.g., stored locally and presented when the phone is unlocked), presented to the intended recipient in accordance with communication settings (e.g., delivered to an email account, cell phone, etc.), or otherwise delivered.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a user input interface;

a display interface; and

a device-readable storage medium encoding a set of device-executable instructions for performing a process comprising;

transitioning the communication device to a locked state;

receiving user input at the user input interface;

determining whether the received input is message input that is directed at a user of the communication device; and

when the received input is message input, storing a message based on the received message input.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the device readable storage medium includes additional device-executable instructions for performing:

indicating the presence of a message.

3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the device readable storage medium includes additional device-executable instructions for performing:

transitioning the communication device to an unlocked state; and

presenting the stored message on the display interface.

4. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the device readable storage medium includes additional device-executable instructions for performing:

storing the message locally on the communication device.

5. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the device readable storage medium includes additional device-executable instructions for performing:

transmitting the stored message to a remote communication device.

6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a computing device and the device readable storage medium encoding a set of device-executable instructions comprises a computer readable storage medium encoding a set of computer-executable instructions.

7. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises an Internet protocol telephone.

8. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the device readable storage medium includes additional device-executable instructions for performing:

disallowing an access-controlled operation while the device is in a locked state.

9. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the locked state is a state in which the communication device has a set of available operations consisting of an unlock operation, a message creation operation, an answer phone operation, and a place phone call operation.

10. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the locked state is a state in which an access contact list operation and an access call log operation are disallowed.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a lock instruction at a communication device;

receiving message input entered into a user interface located on the locked communication device;

storing the received message input as a message that is directed at a user of the communication device;

receiving an unlock instruction at the communication device; and

presenting the message on an output interface of the communication device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

disallowing an access-controlled operation on the locked communication device, wherein the access-controlled operation is allowable when the communication device is in an unlocked state.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the communication device comprises an Internet protocol telephone.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

wherein the output interface is a remote output interface.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

adjusting an output device to indicate the presence of a message.

16. A device-readable storage medium encoding a set of device-executable instructions for performing a process comprising:

receiving user input at a locked communication device;

determining whether the received user input relates to an unlock operation;

when the received user input relates to an unlock operation, determining whether the received user input includes valid unlock information;

when the received user input includes valid unlock information, unlocking the communication device;

when the received user input does not relate to an unlock operation, determining whether the received user input relates to a message input operation; and

when the received user input relates to a message input operation, storing a message that is directed to a user of the communication device based on the received user input.

17. The device-readable storage medium of claim 16, the process further comprising:

when the received user input relates to an access-controlled operation, disallowing an operation indicated by the received user input.

18. The device-readable storage medium of claim 16, the process further comprising:

when the received user input relates to accessing personal information, disallowing the operation indicated by the received user input.

19. The device-readable storage medium of claim 16, the process further comprising:

when the received user input relates to at least one member of a group of operations, the group comprising accessing a contact list and accessing a call log, disallowing the operation requested by the received user input.

20. The device-readable storage medium of claim 16, the process further comprising:

when the received user input relates to a message input operation, forwarding the message to a remote device.