EP0858202A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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A graphic user interface for use with a telephone directory
Assignee: Nokia Oyj
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Filing: 1998-02-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2018-02-10
Abstract
Abstract A Graphic User Interface, for use with electronic phonebooks (14), links graphic information, e.g., a graphic identifier such as a logo or picture, to a phone number that may be called using the graphic identifier. The Interface (12), incorporated in a telephone (10), enables users to send stored graphical information, tied to selected phone numbers, to other users' phones for use or storage, by scrolling through stored graphics, displayed by the Interface on the phone, to locate a graphic associated with a person or place to be called, and then, by pressing the SEND (15), the particular phone number or numbers linked to the selected graphic are activated and the call or calls are made. When a connection is established with a receiving number, a set of stored graphics with tied numbers may be downloaded from the memory of the sending phone to the memory of the receiving phone for similar use. The Interface can be utilized, e.g., by Advertisers to send logos/graphics and numbers to phones that are turned ON in a particular area to receive the graphical information and create area specific databases of their own in memory including the graphic associated numbers of persons and places that a receiving phone may use to call in the same manner. General advertising information may also be transmitted with graphics and tied phone numbers for viewing and response.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael W. Rosecrans
- 👤 Mitchell Simon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 18:23
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/42382; H04M1/00; H04M1/26; H04M1/27; H04M1/274; H04M1/2745; H04M1/27467; H04M1/27475; H04M1/72; H04M1/724; H04M2201/00; H04M2201/42; H04M3/487; H04M3/4872; H04M3/4878
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
A graphic user interface for use with an electronic phonebook in a
telephone, such as a cellular phone, comprising: means for tying phone numbers in said phonebook to respective graphic
identifiers; means for displaying said graphic identifiers on a display screen of said
telephone; means for selecting a graphic identifier on said displaying means; and means, responsive to the selecting of a graphic identifier on said displaying
means, for activating said telephone to call said respective tied phone number.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
63 words
An interface as in claim 1 further comprising: means for storing and tying additional graphical information to said phone
numbers in said phonebook along with said respective graphic identifiers; and means, responsive to the completion of a call to said respective tied phone
number, for sending said additional graphical information and tied phone
numbers to the telephone at said respective tied phone number.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
An interface as in claim 1 or 2 further comprising: means for scrolling said respective graphic identifiers for successive display on
said displaying means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
93 words
An interface as in any preceding claim wherein said selecting means
comprises: means, coupled to said phonebook, for accessing tied phone numbers therein; SEND means for actuation by a phone user when a respective graphic identifier
to be selected is displayed and producing a signal in response to being
actuated; and means, coupled to said accessing means and said activating means and
responsive to said signal produced by said SEND means, for communicating
the phone number tied to said selected respective graphic identifier to said
activating means when said SEND means is pressed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
55 words
An interface as in any preceding claim wherein said tying means comprises: a database with fields for storing pixel information of said graphic identifiers,
and with fields for storing said respective tied phone numbers; and means for accessing both said graphic identifiers and said respective tied
phone numbers by the same index into said database.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
An interface as in any of claims 1 to 4 wherein said tying means comprises a
database record holding both a graphic identifier and its respective tied phone
number.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
145 words
A telephone comprising: an electronic phonebook for storing a plurality of phone numbers tied to
respective graphic identifiers; calling means for activating said telephone to call at least one of said plurality of
phone numbers; a display screen for displaying said graphic identifiers; means for producing a scroll signal for scrolling said graphic identifiers on said
display screen; means for producing a select signal for selecting a graphic identifier displayed
on said display screen; and interface means for controlling the providing of said graphic identifiers from said
phonebook to said display screen in response to said scroll signal produced by
said scrolling means, said interface means comprising: means, responsive to the producing of a select signal selecting a graphic
identifier on said display screen, for activating said calling means to call said
respective phone number tied to the graphic identifier displayed on said display
screen.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
A telephone as in claim 7 wherein said activating means comprises a
microprocessor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A telephone as in claim 7 or 8 wherein said interface means further
comprises means for storing said graphic identifiers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
91 words
A telephone as in claim 7, 8 or 9 wherein: said electronic phonebook further comprises means for storing additional
information tied to respective graphic identifiers; said calling means further comprises means for sensing when a call has been
completed and sending a connect signal, indicating a phone is available for
receiving at the phone number called, to said interface means: and said interface means further comprises means, responsive to said connect
signal, for sending said additional information tied to said graphic identifier
displayed on said dispaly screen to said available phone.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
A telephone as in any of claims 7 to 10 wherein said electronic phonebook
comprises means for storing said graphic identifiers.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of using a graphic identifier with an electronic phonebook in a
telephone, such as a cellular phone, to activate a phone call to a tied phone number,
comprising: tying phone numbers in said phonebook to respective graphic identifiers; displaying said graphic identifiers on a display screen of said cellular phone; selecting a graphic identifier on said display screen; and while the selected graphic identifier is being displayed on said display screen,
activating said phone to call said respective tied phone number.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 12 further comprising: storing and tying additional graphical information to said phone numbers in said
phonebook along with said respective graphic identifiers; and in response to the completion of a call to said respective tied phone number,
sending said additional graphical information and tied phone numbers to the
phone at said respective tied phone number.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 13 wherein additional graphical information comprises
advertising material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
82 words
The method of claim 12, 13 or 14 wherein said step of selecting comprises: actuating a phone element when a respective graphic identifier to be selected is
displayed and producing a signal in response to said phone element being
actuated; accessing tied phone numbers from said phonebook; and in response to a signal produced by said phone element being actuated,
communicating the phone number tied to said selected respective graphic
identifier for activating said phone to call said respective tied phone number.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
56 words
The method of any of claims 12 to 15 wherein said phonebook comprises a
database with fields for storing pixel information of said graphic identifiers, and with
fields for storing said respective tied phone numbers, and wherein both said graphic
identifiers and said respective tied phone numbers are accessed by the same index
into said database.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
27 words
The method of any of claims 12 to 15 wherein said phonebook comprises
a database record holding both a graphic identifier and its respective tied phone
number.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
22 words
The method of any of claims 12 to 17 comprising: scrolling said respective graphic identifiers for successive display on said
display screen.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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