Auto-dialing Or Repertory Dialing (e.g., Using Bar Code, Etc.) Patents (Class 455/564)
  • Patent number: 8112120
    Abstract: A system for retrieving contact details using a print medium is disclosed. A sensor module senses data encoded on a surface of the print medium is sensed using. The sensed data encodes a print media identifier which uniquely identifies the print medium, and a two-dimensional position with respect to the surface of the print medium. A processor determines from the sensed data the print media identifier and the position of the sensor module relative to the surface of the print medium. The processor then retrieves contact details referenced by the print media identifier and the position of the sensor module from a database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Paul Lapstun, Michael Hollins, Colin John Pickup
  • Patent number: 8107606
    Abstract: A method and system for initiating a connection between at least a first communication device and a second communication device respective of a first party and a second party. According to the present invention initiating a connection includes obtaining a destination subscriber identifier from the first party, wherein the destination subscriber identifier is a string including at least one character different than a numeric character and is respective of the second party. Then, a resolution request that includes data indicative of the destination subscriber identifier is conveyed to a hosting information storage server respective of the destination subscriber identifier, a resolution response including a destination address respective of the second communication device wherein the second party is available is obtained, and then, the present invention includes initiating a connection between the first communication device and the second communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: NTTM Limited
    Inventors: Assi Rotbart, Yigal Jack
  • Patent number: 8108010
    Abstract: An in-vehicle handsfree apparatus performs a dialing control with a first dialing phone number, which is a phone number included in historical data of outgoing or incoming calls of a cellular phone. If the destination of the dialing with the first phone number does not answer, the handsfree apparatus performs a dialing control by using a different second phone number, if it is available from the cellular phone. The second phone number, e.g., a number of a home telephone, is registered in phone book data of the cellular phone by using the same registration name as that of the first phone number; further, the second phone number is transmitted from the cellular phone to the handsfree apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Miyake
  • Patent number: 8098800
    Abstract: The present invention provides an option to record messages that can be geared to specific audiences, using PIN-restricted access as needed. The present invention provides a method and apparatus way for subscribers to record a number (more than one) of personalized messages or greetings geared towards specific callers or audiences in a plurality of bulletin boards associated with a single telephone number. The personalized greetings comprise public messages, private messages, public comments and private comments. The method and apparatus of the present invention also ensures customer privacy and increases the level of security by providing an option to PIN-protect the content and access to the content for each of the public and private recorded messages and comments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellecutal Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Kathy Goode Piatt, Martha Karen Boyd
  • Patent number: 8095186
    Abstract: Call initiation on a device with potential for a large number of stored telephone numbers is simplified through the use of an integrated field for entry of an ambiguous filter string. As it is not clear, a priori, whether the user is manually specifying, in the integrated field, a telephone number or providing a filter string for filtering contacts, filtering is performed based on at least one filter string. Among the contacts that are part of a filtering result list, a default contact is selected for quick access.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Sherryl Lee Lorraine Scott, Lawrence Edward Kuhl, Keizo Marui, Matthew Lee
  • Patent number: 8086274
    Abstract: An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method provide added convenience for the user by enabling the user to quickly and easily initiate telephone related functions from applications other than the device's phone and address book applications using a dedicated phone related key. The device includes a plurality of use states and each one of the use states has an associated function that is to be initiated upon depression of the phone related key. When the phone related key is depressed, the current use state is determined and the function that is associated with the current use state is executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Andrew D. Bocking, Raymond P. Vander Veen
  • Patent number: 8081994
    Abstract: A method of sending a message using a print medium is disclosed. Coded data on a surface of the business card is sensed by a sensor module in a media feed path of a communications device. The coded data encodes an identifier which uniquely identifies the surface. The identifier is determined from sensed coded data, and a representation of the business card is retrieved using the identifier. The representation of the business card is displayed on display of the communications device, with the representation including fields, with one of the fields being a messaging field. Upon receiving a selection of the messaging field, a communications address is retrieved from a database where the communications address is indexed by the identifier. A message editor is opened in the communications device, with a current message being addressed to the communications address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Paul Lapstun, Kia Silverbrook, Jacqueline Anne Lapstun, Simon Robert Walmsley
  • Patent number: 8078143
    Abstract: A wireless handset configured to be remotely accessed is described. The wireless handset comprises a user interface, a handset memory, a processor, and a software module. The user interface resident on the wireless handset is configured to enable the wireless handset to be remotely controlled with a remote lock password. The handset memory stores the remote lock password. The processor is adapted to receive a remote lock message from another electronic device. The remote lock message comprises a received password and a target phone number. The software module matches the received password with the remote lock password and then proceeds to send at least one call to the target phone number. Additionally, a method for controlling usage of the wireless handset is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventor: Diego Kaplan
  • Patent number: 8064961
    Abstract: To effectively prevent information leakage from a communication node, such as a cellular phone. Not an actual communication-destination telephone number, but a telephone number code which is arbitrarily assigned corresponding to the actual communication-destination telephone number, and information required for telephone number selection are registered in an address book of a cellular phone 2. An actual telephone number of each cellular phone 2, a telephone number code of a communication destination thereof, and information of the communication destination are registered in an address book of an address management server 4 in association with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Takayuki Mishima
  • Patent number: 8050720
    Abstract: A speed dialing method for displaying contact information for use in a mobile communication device is disclosed. Plural time threshold values and information display transparencies corresponding to the time threshold values, respectively, are defined. When the mobile communication device receives a trigger signal generated by pressing a button and a time for continuously receiving the trigger signal respectively reaches the time threshold values, contact information corresponding to the pressed button is displayed with information display transparencies corresponding to the time threshold values on a screen of the mobile communication device. When the time for continuously receiving the trigger signal reaches a dial threshold value, a contact phone number assigned to the pressed button is dialed by the mobile communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: HTC Corporation
    Inventor: Yuan-Mao Tsui
  • Patent number: 8041396
    Abstract: A wireless communication device may have several contact buttons, including, for example, a Mom button, a Dad button and a Home button. The device may also have a Send button and an End button. A child may press one of the contact buttons, then dial Send, and a call will be placed to the specifically denoted contact. Accordingly, a child may easily and efficiently use the present invention to quickly wirelessly communicate with another person, without the confusion of extraneous buttons. The wireless communication device also includes a system and method for emergency dialing. Emergency dialing is effected by pressing an emergency call button and the Send button. In this manner, accidental dialing of an emergency number is avoided. The wireless device can be remotely programmed such that a parent or other person may remotely program the numbers called when the contact buttons are pressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Firefly Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald L. Deubler, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8041771
    Abstract: A method of inputting an electronic address into an address field on a communications device, the electronic address including a plurality of text characters and non-text symbol characters. The method includes: receiving a plurality of inputs for the address field through a user input interface of the device; adding text characters to the address field corresponding to the inputs; and detecting among the inputs repetitive successive inputs of a predetermined delimiter, selecting a non-text symbol character from a set of non-text symbol characters in dependence on a number of times the delimiter has been repetitively input without any intervening inputs, and adding the selected non-text symbol character to the address field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventor: William Daniel Willey
  • Patent number: 8036348
    Abstract: A method of presenting instructions to a user sending an incoming communication to a service center includes presenting a menu to the user. The menu includes a plurality of procedure descriptors to the user. The user is presented, according to a selection of one of the procedure descriptors by the user, a sequence of instructions which enable completion of a procedure described by the selected procedure descriptor. The incoming communication is transferred at a position in the sequence of instructions to a representative. The incoming communication is also transferred back to the same position in the sequence of instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: AT&T Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip Ted Kortum, Robert R. Bushey
  • Patent number: 8032186
    Abstract: A mobile communication terminal and method of connecting a call thereof are discussed. The mobile communication terminal according to an embodiment includes a wireless communication unit configured to receive a call, a display unit configured to display that the call is received and to output an image for selecting either a first item or a second item, if the call is received by the wireless communication unit, an input unit having a key for selecting either the first or second item, and a control unit configured to connect the received call if the first item is selected and to control the display unit to output an image for displaying that the call is received if the second is selected, when the upper body is closed against the lower body. Accordingly, a call is connected or a message is transceived even if the terminal is in the closed status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Ho Sung Ryu, Kyung Ik Lee
  • Publication number: 20110223973
    Abstract: Apparatus having corresponding methods, and tangible computer-readable media embodying instructions executable by a computer to perform the methods, comprise: a touch panel; a character recognition module to recognize a character drawn on the touch panel; a contact module to select a contact, from a contact list containing a plurality of the contacts, based on the character recognized by the character recognition module, automatically when the character recognition module recognizes the character drawn on the touch panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Inventors: Jisheng LI, Lei Wang
  • Patent number: 8019349
    Abstract: In a communication network including a relay apparatus and a call control apparatus, a telephone conversation resumption system includes: a reservation unit, when a judgment unit detects communication impossibility between a portable terminal and the relay apparatus, records terminal identification data that specifies the portable terminal and an other-end terminal in a recording unit; a continuation processing unit that generates a call with the other-end terminal indicated by the terminal identification data and transmits a message to the other-end terminal; and a resumption unit that, when the judgment unit detects recovery of the communication state of the portable terminal, requests the call control apparatus to resume the telephone conversation between the portable terminal and the other-end terminal using the terminal identification data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Masahide Noda, Satoshi Okuyama
  • Patent number: 8019317
    Abstract: A system and method for supporting updates of database contact information to mobile communications devices includes a system having a data entry computer for compiling database contact information for a group of mobile communications devices, a service provider computer server in signal communication with the data entry computer for uploading the database contact information into the service provider computer server and for downloading the database contact information substantially simultaneously to the group of mobile communications devices, and a mobile communications device in signal communication with the service provider computer server for receiving the database contact information and for updating its own global logical database; wherein the method for supporting updates of database contact information to mobile communications devices includes the steps of compiling database contact information for a group of mobile communications devices, uploading the database contact information to a service provid
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventor: Louis Robert Litwin
  • Patent number: 8019387
    Abstract: Voice activated dialing is described for use in a mobile telecommunications system. A voice input is received from a wireless network user. A telephone number to be dialed is determined by using speaker independent speech recognition to interpret a string of spoken digits in the voice input to determine the telephone number, or using speaker dependent speech recognition to interpret a spoken word in the voice input to determine the telephone number. A telephone call is then initiated by dialing the telephone number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard F. Bareis, Peter J. Foster, Thomas B. Schalk
  • Patent number: 8005766
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method, a computer program product, and a device that are responsive to detected mental states of a user to perform selection processes to execute a task. The method includes providing a hierarchical multi-level decision tree structure comprised of internal nodes and leaf nodes, where the decision tree structure represents a task. The method further includes navigating, using information derived from detected mental states of the user, through levels of the decision tree structure to reach a leaf node to accomplish the task. The step of navigating includes selecting, using the information derived from the detected mental states of the user, between attribute values associated with internal nodes of the decision tree structure. As non-limiting examples, the device may be a communication device, and the task may be a name dialing or a command/control task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Jilei Tian, Teemu Ahmaniemi, Péter Boda, Ákos Vétek
  • Patent number: 8000748
    Abstract: The described embodiments involve use of a mobile communication device in the context of facilitating contact from within a telephone application. The described embodiments are primarily concerned with enabling quick and efficient access to contact methods other than by telephone from within the telephone application. This is done by generating a contact list, which may have one or more contacts, using an integrated dialing field provided by the telephone application and then displaying all available contact types or methods available for contacting a particular contact selected from the list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Matthew Richard Lee, Sherryl Lee Lorraine Scott, Keizo Marui, Lawrence Edward Kuhl
  • Publication number: 20110195703
    Abstract: A portable radiotelephone can be shifted between a first condition wherein the radiotelephone does not receive or transmit voice communications by radiotelephone transmissions over radiotelephone channels and a second condition wherein the radiotelephone receives and transmits voice communications by radiotelephone transmissions over radiotelephone channels. The radiotelephone automatically calls a central voice-activated phone dialing system remote from the portable radiotelephone in response to producing the second condition in the radiotelephone. The radiotelephone includes a switch for producing the first and second conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Inventors: Gregory Clyde Griffith, Benjamin F. Holcomb
  • Patent number: 7983718
    Abstract: A wireless telephone includes one or more keys incorporating a programmable display. The display may display an image file (e.g., a photo of a parent or friend), such as a photo captured by a camera incorporated into the telephone. The image file may be displayed directly on the key or it may be cropped or downsampled as appropriate. The user interface allows the user to program the key to dial a particular telephone number. In one embodiment, during a multi-party conference call the keys display images of the conference call participants. The participant currently speaking can be displayed on a main display of the phone. When the conference call is over, the key displays revert back to their previous display state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventor: Pujan K. Roka
  • Patent number: 7974612
    Abstract: A method for transmitting a phone number stored in a first mobile communication terminal to a second mobile communication terminal is provided. The method comprises selecting a phone number stored in a database in the first mobile communication terminal, by way of interacting with a user interface of the first mobile communication terminal; creating a short text message to be transmitted to the second mobile communication terminal; inputting the selected phone number in the short text message, as a single entry, by way of interacting with the user interface of the first mobile communication terminal; and transmitting the short text message to the second mobile communication terminal, wherein a user of the second mobile communication terminal upon receipt of the short text message interacts with the second mobile communication terminal to select the phone number in the short text message, as a single entry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Hyung Jooh Nah
  • Patent number: 7974659
    Abstract: A wireless network is disclosed that provides repeat dialing to called parties that are powered off. The wireless network includes an originating MSC system, a Home Location Register (HLR) system for a called party, and a serving MSC system that serves the called party. Responsive to identifying that the called party is powered off, the calling party transmits a repeat dialing instruction to the originating MSC system. The originating MSC system then transmits a repeat dialing indicator to the HLR system for the called party. The HLR system for the called party identifies when the called party powers on. When the called party does power on, the HLR system transmits an instruction to the serving MSC system to attempt to set up a call between the called party and the calling party.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
    Inventors: Frances Mu-Fen Chin, Paul C. Mui, Alok Sharma
  • Publication number: 20110151933
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed at a method of providing extension list dialing in a mobile communication device comprising storing a plurality of extensions within a single address book entry; sensing dialing of a phone number associated with the single address book entry; sensing connection between the mobile communication device and the phone number to establish a call; and displaying a screen dialog with each of the plurality of extensions for selection of one of the plurality of extensions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventor: Mohamed Mahmoud MAAMOUN
  • Patent number: 7953441
    Abstract: A hand held mobile communication device includes a housing, a scanner disposed on one surface of the housing and a display provided on an opposed surface of the housing, whereby an image being scanned by the scanner is displayed on the display. A second housing may be provided and attached to the first housing with a hinge that enables 360 degree rotation of one housing relative to another. The device is employable for managing printed documents by scanning them with the scanner, viewing scanned documents on the display and transmitting the documents in a digital format to a remote location. A second display is also provided on an outer surface of the second housing. The device includes a camera for capturing still images and another camera for capturing video. Operating keys are employed and provide for one step operation of various features of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Inventor: Edner Lors
  • Patent number: 7953449
    Abstract: A portable radiotelephone can be shifted between a first condition wherein the radiotelephone does not receive or transmit voice communications by radiotelephone transmissions over radiotelephone channels and a second condition wherein the radiotelephone receives and transmits voice communications by radiotelephone transmissions over radiotelephone channels. The radiotelephone automatically calls a central voice-activated phone dialing system remote from the portable radiotelephone in response to producing the second condition in the radiotelephone. The radiotelephone includes a switch for producing the first and second conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Gregory Clyde Griffith, Benjamin F. Holcomb
  • Patent number: 7953448
    Abstract: A keyboard for a mobile device 400 having a processor 618 for interpreting signals comprises a plurality of keys 410-424 and corresponding indicia including keys associated with alphabetic characters corresponding to an array of letters A-Z. The keys 410-419 that are associated with alphabetic characters number fewer than twenty-six and correspond to one of a QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY, or DVORAK key arrangement. Each of the plurality of keys 410-424 have multiple input surfaces and are arranged in an array of rows and columns that include a first outer column, at least one middle column, and a last outer column. The first and last columns of keys are operable to input at least three different signals to a processor 618 of a mobile device 400 depending upon what input surface of the key 410-424 is pressed. A middle column of keys is operable to input at least five different signals to a processor 618 depending on what input surface of the key 410-424 is pressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Velimir Pletikosa, Jason T. Griffin, Norman M. Ladouceur, Robert Lowles
  • Patent number: 7949374
    Abstract: A hands-free device for a mobile communications device, and method thereof, includes a user-operable input means and means for detecting user operation of the user-operable input means. The hands-free device is head-mounted and has at least one of a speaker and a microphone. A memory stores data. Means for causing a communications device coupled with the hands free device are included, to establish a communication connection indicated by data stored in the memory in response to detection of user operation of the user-operable input means, wherein the data includes at least one of a number and an address to be called. A user may store in the memory of the hands-free device the data indicating the predetermined communications connection to be established. The memory may be programmable by the user such that the data indicating the predetermined communications connection to be established can be changed in use by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Southwing S. L.
    Inventor: Bartholomeus J. F. Huisken
  • Patent number: 7945274
    Abstract: A wireless network is disclosed that provides repeat dialing to busy called parties. The wireless network includes an originating MSC system that serves a calling party, and a terminating MSC system that serves a called party. The calling party initiates a call to the called party through the originating MSC system, and the terminating MSC system determines that the called party is busy on another call. The originating MSC system then receives a repeat dialing instruction from the calling party and transmits a repeat dialing indicator to the terminating MSC system. The terminating MSC system identifies when the called party becomes available in substantially real time. When available, the terminating MSC system attempts to set up a call between the called party and the calling party.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
    Inventors: Frances Mu-Fen Chin, Paul C. Mui, Alok Sharma
  • Publication number: 20110111806
    Abstract: A method for controlling a mobile terminal, and which includes receiving, via an input unit, a selection signal indicating a selection of a predetermined button among multiple predetermined buttons on the mobile terminal, in which the multiple predetermined buttons corresponding to different preset functions executed on the mobile terminal; capturing, via a camera included on the mobile terminal, a preview image of an object upon receiving the selection signal; recognizing, via a controller included on the mobile terminal, a character string included in the captured preview image; and performing, via the controller, a preset function using the recognized character string and that corresponds to the selection of the predetermined button.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Inventors: Yoon-Ho KIM, Hye-Jin Oh
  • Patent number: 7941146
    Abstract: In an embodiment of the method for handling subscriber input during interswitch handover of a call from a first switching station to a second switching station, DTMF digits received at the second switching station are sent in a message to the first switching station. The first switching station then performs an operation on the received digits such as playing the DTMF tones to a network or triggering a service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Zhou, Oliver Chen, Andrew Huang, Jennifer He, Seaman Chen
  • Patent number: 7937108
    Abstract: A method of generating an association between a software object and a position on a surface is disclosed. The method starts by sensing, by a sensing device placed on the position on the surface coded data at the position on the surface. The coded data at the position on the surface encodes an identity of the surface and the position of the coded data relative to the surface. The sensing device then generates indicating data using the sensed coded data. The indicating data is indicative of the identity of the surface and the position of the sensed coded data relative to the surface. Upon receiving the indicating data from the sensing device by a computer system, the computer system identifies, using the indicating data, the identity of the surface and the position of the sensed coded data relative to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Paul Lapstun, Simon Robert Walmsley
  • Patent number: 7930000
    Abstract: A two way communication system is adapted to reduce latency while the communications system is operating in a low power mode. The two way communication system includes a local host having a first primary communication channel and a secondary out of band transmitter; and customer premise equipment having a primary communication channel for communicating with the first primary communication channel of the local host and a secondary low power out of band receiver that receives out of band control signals from the out of band transmitter during low power operation of the customer premise equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas J. Quigley, Ted Rabenko
  • Patent number: 7929993
    Abstract: A mobile device includes first identification circuitry and second identification circuitry. The first identification circuitry is associated with a first network and the second identification circuitry is associated with a second network. The mobile device simultaneously registers itself with the first and second networks using the first and second identification circuitry, respectively. The first and second identification circuitry may each comprise subscriber identity modules. The mobile devices handle outgoing and incoming calls based on user preferences. The user may override the preferences for selected calls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Sudhakar Nagarajan
  • Patent number: 7925299
    Abstract: A method of sending a message using a print medium is disclosed. A tag on a surface of the print medium is sensed using a sensor module. The surface includes a plurality of tags with each tag encoding an identifier which uniquely identifies the surface and a position with respect to the surface. From the tag sensed by the sensor module the identifier and the position with respect to the surface of the tag sensed by the sensor module are determined. A communications address is obtained, using the identifier and the position, from a database where the communications address is indexed by the identifier and the position. A message editor in a communications device is then opened, with a current message being addressed to the communications address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Paul Lapstun, Kia Silverbrook, Jacqueline Anne Lapstun, Simon Robert Walmsley
  • Patent number: 7917136
    Abstract: Apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating call connection with a selected service center from a mobile node. A mobile node is provided with short dialing codes used in a network with which the mobile node is registered by SMS messages sent thereto, such as pursuant to registration procedures. Values of the short dialing codes downloaded to the mobile node are stored at a storage location, such as at a SIM card, indexed together with corresponding codes normally used by a user of the mobile nodes, such as the codes used in the home network of the mobile node. When a user places a call to a service center, the stored values are retrieved, and transposed, if needed, to ensure better that the call to the selected service center is successfully completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Adrian Buckley, Bokinakere Subbarao Sundresh
  • Patent number: 7903804
    Abstract: A method of managing multiple codes for a telephone number includes associating plural codes with the telephone number. Each code has a user recognizable name. At least the names of the codes are displayed for user selection. A signal in accordance with the code that corresponds to a user selected one of the names is transmitted to a remote location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB
    Inventor: Andreas Jonasson
  • Patent number: 7899498
    Abstract: A system and method for recognition of incoming call to a voicemail system is disclosed. A radio frequency identification (RFID) authenticates a user of a mobile communication device. The mobile communication device enables a one-button dialing of a voicemail system based on the RFID signal. The voicemail system recognizes the incoming call as the owner of the voicemail system and presents a plurality of options for accessing the voicemail system without playing the outgoing message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Maureen Bender, Paul R. McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 7894856
    Abstract: A terminal for telecommunications networks, such as a mobile telephone, has at least one storage area for storing user indicators and acting as an electronic address book and processing capacity for processing user indicators stored in the storage area. The terminal is configured for organizing the indicators in at least a first and a second configuration. The first configuration has identifiers organized with the insertion of an identification code of an operator, such as long distance operator, selected by the user of the terminal, while the second configuration has identifiers organized with the inclusion of at least one of a country prefix and a local prefix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Tim Italia S.p.A.
    Inventors: Vincenzo Di Giorgio, Domenico Francesco Puntillo
  • Patent number: 7894597
    Abstract: The present invention provides a mechanism for categorizing telephone calls and for providing special information about calls that appear on call lists maintained in a telephone. The invention provides for both providing an indication and for providing an action. When an entry on a call list is highlighted (in a conventional manner), pressing one key adds a flag to the entry on the call list to indicate that follow up action is required. Pressing a second key initiates an action such as attaching a reminder so that the user will be reminded to take action later. Pressing a third key will provide a text message balloon indicating information about the call. The flags and text messages can be added by either the called party or the calling party.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jennifer Walker, Vinod Katkam, Randall B. Baird, Cullen Jennings, Mukul Jain
  • Patent number: 7894859
    Abstract: Phonebook systems and associated methods are disclosed that provide a mechanism for protecting private information of a contact from being published in a network-based phonebook. A typical network-based phonebook service allows subscribers to set up network-based phonebooks, where each phonebook includes one or more contacts and associated contact information. Before contact information for a contact is included in a network-based phonebook for a subscriber, a phonebook system identifies privacy criteria for the contact. The privacy criteria may be predefined by the contact, predefined by the service provider, or predefined by another entity. The phonebook system then processes the privacy criteria to identify the contact information for the contact that is authorized to be included in the network-based phonebook.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
    Inventors: Yigang Cai, Shiyan Hua
  • Patent number: 7894585
    Abstract: A system may receive a telephone call request for a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) user. The telephone call request omits a name of a calling party. The system may further determine if the VoIP user has a calling party name feature enabled and obtaining, when the VoIP user has a calling party name feature enabled, the name of the calling party from a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) based repository of calling party names.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence J. Fronczak, Jeffrey R. Evans
  • Patent number: 7873356
    Abstract: The subject disclosure pertains to systems and methods for providing a user interface for mobile devices. The user interface can include a search function that utilizes user input to search multiple software applications and data sources. Content can be retrieved and presented to a user without requiring the user to navigate to the underlying application or sources supplying the content. The applications or content sources can be local to the mobile device or remotely located, such as an Internet site. One or more types of data can be retrieved and presented to a user based upon the user input. Search results can be displayed and dynamically updated as additional user input is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: David Wayne Flynt, Bryan T. Agnetta, Dane M. Howard, Lee Chuan Lin
  • Patent number: 7873391
    Abstract: A wireless phone includes a memory, a processor, and a call queue function, the call queue function to enable the configuration and storage in the memory of a call queue, the call queue comprising an ordered list of entries to dial, wherein the processor and the memory cooperate to enable the call queue function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC
    Inventors: Ted Stine, Joseph A. Speeney
  • Patent number: 7869831
    Abstract: A communication terminal having one or more one-touch-dial buttons simplifies operations needed for registration of destination data such as phone numbers or mail addresses. A communication terminal (e.g., a cellular phone) having one or more one-touch-dial buttons includes a destination-data registration unit (e.g., a phone-directory database) that allows destination data such as phone numbers or mail addresses to be registered therein, a one-touch-dial registration unit that allows destination data to be registered therein so as to be associated with the one or more one-touch-dial buttons, and a control unit that, in response to an operation of the one or more one-touch-dial buttons, determines whether destination data has been registered in the one-touch-dial registration unit or the destination-data registration unit, and that outputs a result of the determination and a query message regarding registration of the destination data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Toshikazu Houmura, Kazuhiro Yoshihara, Takako Yamaguchi, Kazuma Nagaoka
  • Patent number: 7865565
    Abstract: A method of inputting an electronic address into an address field on a communications device, the electronic address including a plurality of text characters and non-text symbol characters. The method includes: receiving a plurality of inputs for the address field through a user input interface of the device; adding text characters to the address field corresponding to the inputs; and detecting among the inputs repetitive successive inputs of a predetermined delimiter, selecting a non-text symbol character from a set of non-text symbol characters in dependence on a number of times the delimiter has been repetitively input without any intervening inputs, and adding the selected non-text symbol character to the address field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventor: William Daniel Willey
  • Patent number: 7860533
    Abstract: A mobile telecommunications device is disclosed. The mobile telecommunications device has a media feed path, a sensor module in the media feed path for sensing data encoded on a surface of a print medium, the data encoding at least a print media identifier, a print medium identifier identifying the print medium, processor for determining the print media identifier from the data, communication means for communicating a request to a remote server, the request including the print media identifier, and for receiving a security identification associated with the print media identifier from the remote server, and a printer module in the media feed path for printing the security identification on the print medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Paul Lapstun, Simon Robert Walmsley
  • Patent number: RE42831
    Abstract: Disclosed are a mobile communication terminal provided with a hands-free function and a controlling method thereof comprising the steps of: setting a hands-free function of a mobile communication terminal; certifying whether an originating call command or a calling request message are received; searching information of a calling party inputted by a user's voice or an arbitrary originating party's information from a mounted telephone directory; and guiding the searched calling party's information by voice and then connecting a calling. According to this, the user can originate or receive a calling by using a voice recognition function and the hands-free function of the terminal without his hands' using even while driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Dong-Jin Yoon
  • Patent number: RE43153
    Abstract: This invention relates to the method of doing a broadcast service of a short message in a communication system. According to the present invention, a transmission request message of a broadcast message including the name and telephone number of an information provider is received from the information provider through a message center. The transmission request message of the broadcast message processed in the message center is transmitted from the message center to a base station and therefrom to all terminals. The terminals receive the broadcast message including the information provider's name and telephone number and displays them on the display devices of the terminals. When the terminal user wants to communicate with the information provider, the terminal performs the process for communication between the information provider and the user by using the received information provider's telephone number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun Heo