Abstract:
A method for dialing a phone number in a smart phone having both PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and mobile phone functions during operation of a PDA function, comprising the steps of loading the OS (Operating System) program for dialing the phone number during operation of the PDA function, selecting a phone number, displaying a dialing icon according to an embodiment of the received signal strength indicator (RSSI), and dialing the selected phone number by selecting the dialing icon in response to the user&#39;s request of dialing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a combination of a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a mobile phone, the combination of which is hereinafter referred to as a “smart phone”, and more particularly to a method for dialing in such a smart phone during the execution of a program for the PDA function. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     When the smart phone is performing a PDA function to process data, and the user wishes to make a phone call by dialing a phone number displayed on a display of the smart phone, the user must first memorize or record the number, terminate the current PDA function, and then execute the dialing program to dial the phone number. This wastes time and can result in the loss of the phone number if the user forgets the phone number or part thereof between the time the user memorizes it and the time it is dialed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for readily dialing a selected phone number in a smart phone during the performance of a PDA function. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for readily registering a phone number in an electronic phone book of a smart phone during the performance of a PDA function. 
     According to an aspect of the present invention, a method for dialing a selected phone number in a smart phone, having both PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and mobile phone functions, during the performance of a PDA function, comprises the steps of loading an OS (Operating System) program for dialing the phone number during the performance of the PDA function, displaying a dialing icon according to a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), and dialing the selected phone number by selecting a dialing icon in response to the dialing request of the user. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ATTACHED DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of a smart phone having both PDA and mobile phone functions according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating the steps of dialing a selected phone number in a smart phone according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a display screen of a smart phone displaying phone numbers for selection during the performance of the PDA function according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of the display screen of a smart phone displaying a key matrix for dialing according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating the steps of registering a phone number selected for dialing in a phone book of a smart phone according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known functions or constructions have not been described so as not to obscure the present invention. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a smart phone consists of a mobile phone section  10  and a PDA section  20 . The mobile phone section  10  includes a first control unit  101 , first interface circuit  102 , first memory device  103 , RF circuit  104 , and sound signal processor  105 . In addition, the PDA section  20  comprises a second control unit  201 , second interface circuit  202 , second memory device  203 , display device  204 , and touch screen  205 . 
     The first control unit  101  of the mobile phone section  10  controls all of the mobile phone functions such as sending and receiving signals. The first interface circuit  102  interfaces the first control unit with the PDA section  20 . The first memory device  103  stores a plurality of programs for performing the mobile phone functions, and comprises RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. The sound signal processor  105  decodes the signals received through an antenna into the corresponding sound signals applied to a speaker, and encodes the sound signals received through a microphone into the corresponding digital signals. The RF circuit  104  modulates the digital signals with the baseband, amplifies, up-converts, and transmits them through the antenna, while demodulating the signals received through the antenna into the corresponding digital signals through down-conversion and amplifying. 
     The second control unit  201  of the PDA section  20  controls all of the PDA functions, enabling the smart phone to send a signal during the performance of the PDA function. The second memory device  203  stores a plurality of programs for performing the PDA functions, including RAM, ROM, etc. The RAM is used to load the OS (Operating System) program for driving the PDA section  20 , and to load the program for editing and dialing a phone number according to an embodiment of the present invention. The display device  204  displays graphic data including various data produced during operation of the PDA and mobile phone functions. It also displays the icon for editing and dialing a phone number. The touch screen  205  is used to enter data. The use of a touch screen is not meant to be exclusive and may be replaced by a conventional keypad along with a conventional mouse, or other similar configuration. 
     The operation of the preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to  4 . First, referring to FIG. 2, if the user enters the start data through the touch screen in step  200 , the second control unit  201  executes the OS program for operating the PDA section  20  in step  210 . Then, the first control unit  101  of the mobile phone section measures in step  220  the RSSI of the signals received through the antenna and displays the dialing icon in step  230  as shown in FIG.  3 . The dialing icon is displayed if the RSSI is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The displaying of the dialing icon depends on the periodically measured RSSI during operation of the PDA function. 
     If no phone number is selected the process continues to step  251  to continue performing the PDA function. If the user selects a phone number displayed on the display device  204  during the performance of the PDA function in step  240  (refer to FIG.  3 ), and selects the dialing icon in step  250 , the process displays a phone editor and goes to step  260  to determine if the phone can transmit the phone signals. The phone editor allows the user to edit the phone number prior to dialing. If the signals cannot be transmitted the process continues to step  261 , where an error message is displayed. If the smart phone can transmit signals, it enters a signal sending mode  270 . Of course, if the user does not select the dialing icon in step  250 , the process goes to step  251  continue performing the PDA function. The selection of the phone number may be achieved by pressing a pen of a touch screen or by the dragging of a mouse. 
     In step  270 , the second control unit  201  of the PDA section  20  sends a signal through the mobile phone section  10  to dial the selected phone number. Then in step  280  it changes the display screen into the dial pad mode, as shown in FIG. 4, by clearing any images presently displayed. Summarizing the present embodiment, when the user utilizes the PDA section  20 , the smart phone loads the OS program to enable it to send a signal along with displaying the dialing icon, so that a phone number selected by the user during operation of the PDA function may be dialed by selecting the dialing icon. 
     Describing another embodiment of the present invention in connection with FIGS. 1 and 3 to  5 , a dialing operation is accomplished by a phone program for editing and dialing a phone number loaded in the RAM during the performance of the PDA function without employing the OS program supporting the dialing operation as in the previous embodiment. 
     Referring to FIG. 5, if the PDA section  20  is utilized in step  500 , the OS system is executed in step  510 , and the phone program is loaded in step  520  so that the telephone icon is displayed on the display device  204  as shown in FIG.  3 . In step  530 , the second control unit  201  of the PDA section  20  performs a PDA function, for example, playing a game or editing a document. If no phone number is selected in step  540 , the process continues to step  551  to continue performing the PDA function. Meanwhile, if the user selects a phone number at step  540 , the process goes to step  550  to determine whether the telephone icon is selected or not. If the telephone icon is not selected the process continues to step  551  to continue performing the PDA function. If the telephone icon is selected, the PDA function is terminated to execute the phone program. The phone program determines in step  560  whether there is a request to register the selected phone number. If so, the process goes to step  570  to register the phone number in a phone book of the first memory  103  of the mobile phone section  10  or the second memory  203  of the PDA section  20  by designating a suitable address together with an identifying name. In step  570  a name is designated and registering or storing the name and phone number in memory at step  580  ends the process. If there is no request to register the number at step  560 , the process goes to step  561  to determine if the selected phone number is dialed. If the selected phone number is not dialed in step  561 , the process continues to step  551  to continue performing the PDA function. If so, the process goes to step  562  to determine whether the smart phone is enabled to send a signal. This is accomplished by measuring the RSSI and determining whether the smart phone is in the state of sending or receiving signals. If the phone can send the signal, i.e. the signal is strong enough and the smart phone is neither receiving or sending signals, the process goes to step  563  to send a signal corresponding to the phone number, and then to step  564  to change the display screen into the sending mode, as shown in FIG. 4, after terminating the PDA function. However, if the signal cannot be sent at step  562 , an error message is displayed on the display device  204  at step  565 . 
     Summarizing the operation of the second embodiment, when the PDA section  20  is utilized, the phone program for editing and dialing a phone number is loaded in the RAM, and the telephone icon is displayed on the display screen of the display device  204 . Then, if the user selects a phone number and selects the telephone icon during operation of the PDA function, the control unit executes the phone program to register the selected phone number into the phone book and/or send a signal corresponding thereto after terminating the PDA function. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments accompanied by the attached drawings, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.