Communication terminal

• US 8,565,728 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2006
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hera Wireless S.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Tottori Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okagaki, Mitsunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Georgewill, Opiribo
• Application Number:
  US11/539,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20070123198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,573 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 715/856, 715/859, 715/860
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

The control circuit 11 causes display of messages received through the communication unit 1 in the display unit 14 in list form. A cursor for making selections from the messages displayed in list form has different patterns. The control circuit 11 associates the cursor patterns with message types. In another embodiment, the control circuit 11 groups received messages into new messages not yet reproduced by a user and old messages already reproduced, causes display of the number of the new messages in a predetermined area of the display unit when the new messages are stored in RAM 13, and display of the number of the old messages in said predetermined area when the new messages are not stored in RAM 13.

Claims

1. A cellular phone comprising:

a communication unit for receiving messages and type information relating to the received messages from a station;

a display unit; and

a control means which displays the messages received by the communication unit in list form in the display unit, the control means including a cursor which makes a selection from the messages displayed in list form, the cursor having a plurality of different symbols, and the control means associating each of the plurality of cursor symbols with respective message types,

wherein messages determined to be ordinary are assigned to a first message type, and messages determined to be preferential are assigned to a second message type,

wherein the control means is further configured to enable (i) a message to be reassigned from the first message type to the second message type in response to a recipient'"'"'s single operation of a single key, and (ii) a message to be reassigned from the second message type back to the first message type in response to a recipient'"'"'s single operation of a single key,

wherein the first message type is associated with a “

>

”

cursor symbol, and wherein the second message type is associated with a “

>

>

”

cursor symbol, and

wherein at least a third message type is associated with a degree of meshing to the cursor.

4. The cellular phone of claim 1, wherein the communication means is further configured to store data relating to a date and time of reception for each received message, and when a specific message is selected, the display unit is configured to display the stored data relating to the date and time of reception for the selected message.

2. A cellular phone comprising:

a communication unit for receiving messages and type information relating to the received messages from a station;

a display unit; and

a control means which displays the messages received by the communication unit in list form in the display unit, the control means including a cursor which makes a selection from the messages displayed in list form, the cursor having a plurality of different symbols, and the control means associating each of the plurality of cursor symbols with respective message types;

wherein messages determined to be ordinary are assigned to a first message type, and messages determined to be preferential are assigned to a second message type;

wherein the control means is further configured to enable (i) a message to be reassigned from the first message type to the second message type in response to a recipient'"'"'s single operation of a single key, and (ii) the message to be reassigned from the second message type back to the first message type in response to a recipient'"'"'s single operation of the single key;

wherein at least a third message type is associated with a degree of meshing to the cursor; and

wherein when a user selects a message and presses a “

>

/>

>

”

key, the selected message is reassigned from its original message type to another message type.

3. A cellular phone comprising:

a communication unit for receiving messages and type information relating to the received messages from a station;

a display unit; and

a control means which displays the messages received by the communication unit in list form in the display unit, the control means including a cursor which makes a selection from the messages displayed in list form, the cursor having a plurality of different symbols, and the control means associating each of the plurality of cursor symbols with respective message types;

wherein messages determined to be ordinary are assigned to a first message type, and messages determined to be preferential are assigned to a second message type;

wherein the control means is further configured to enable (i) a message to be reassigned from the first message type to the second message type in response to a recipient'"'"'s single operation of a single key, and (ii) the message to be reassigned from the second message type back to the first message type in response to a recipient'"'"'s single operation of the single key;

wherein at least a third message type is associated with a degree of meshing to the cursor; and

wherein at least a third message type is associated with a third cursor symbol type.