Abstract:
Disclosed is a method of displaying call information in a mobile communication terminal and a mobile communication terminal adapted to display call information. The method includes the steps of checking the call information when a call occurs, updating and storing the call information according to a status of the call, and displaying the updated call information.

Description:
PRIORITY  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of a Korean Patent Application filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Apr. 6, 2005 and assigned Serial No. 2005-28570, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal method and apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for displaying call information in a mobile communication terminal.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     The recent increase in the use of portable terminals has produced an increase in volume in the amount of calls received and dialed by users. Therefore, the amount of lists comprising information according to the received and dialed calls has greatly increased. For example, when the reception and origination of calls occur by a preset number or for predetermined duration in a mobile communication terminal, only the latest information about the occurring calls is memorized in a corresponding list by sequentially deleting old information, which is previously stored, from the list. When call reception/origination occurs with respect to the same phone number, since the occurrence information about the call reception/origination is sequentially displayed, it is difficult for a user to determine the state of the call reception/origination for the phone number.  
         [0006]     Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method for allowing a user to easily determine call information according to the state of call reception/origination and the success of call connection.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     An aspect of exemplary embodiments of the present invention is to address at least the above problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of exemplary embodiments of the present invention is to provide a method of displaying call information in a mobile communication terminal, which allows a user to easily and conveniently determine call information according to the state of call reception/origination and the success of call connection.  
         [0008]     To accomplish the above object, a method is provided to display call information in a mobile communication terminal. The call information is checked when a call occurs. The call information is updated and stored according to a status of the call. The updated call information is displayed.  
         [0009]     According to another aspect an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus is provided to display call information in a mobile communication terminal. The apparatus includes a controller for checking the call information when a call occurs, a memory unit for updating and storing the call information according to a type of the call, and a display unit for displaying the updated call information.  
         [0010]     Other objects, advantages, and salient features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses exemplary embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     The above and other objects, features and advantages of certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating the structure of a mobile communication terminal according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating an operation of storing call information in a mobile communication terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are flowcharts illustrating an operation for displaying call information in a mobile communication terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0015]      FIGS. 4A  to  4 C are views showing call information displayed in a mobile communication terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
       [0016]     Throughout the drawings, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]     The matters defined in the description such as a detailed construction and elements are provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Also, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness.  
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating the structure of a mobile communication terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]     A controller  100  controls the operation of a mobile communication terminal. In particular, the controller  100  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention performs a control operation in such a manner that the number of call occurrences is stored in a call count database  120   a  of a memory module  120  by accumulating the number of the call occurrences according to the state of call reception/origination and the success of call connection. In addition, when the controller  100  receives user menu input allowing the display of a list having the accumulated number of the call occurrences, the controller  100  controls a display module  110  to display call information including the accumulated number of the call occurrences. When the controller  100  receives a user key input allowing the display of detailed items of the displayed call information, the controller  100  performs a control operation in such a manner that the list of detailed items is displayed on a corresponding window according to the state of a call occurrence. When a call occurs, the controller  100  determines if the accumulated number of call occurrences corresponding to the occurring call exceeds a preset number. If the number of call occurrences for the same call number exceeds the preset number as the determination result, the controller  100  performs a control operation so that the latest call information according to the accumulated number of call occurrences is stored and the oldest call information, which is stored, is deleted.  
         [0020]     The display module  110  displays a current state, each processing state, and each operation state according to a key input from a key input module  130 . According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the display module  110  displays information about call counterparts according to call reception/origination. In addition, the controller  100  displays the number of call reception/origination occurrences and the number of call connection success for the same phone number by determining call reception/origination or the success of call connection. When the display module  110  receives the user menu input allowing the display of the detailed items for the number of the call occurrences, the display module  110  displays information about a missed call and the number of missed calls according to the state of call occurrence (such as the state of call reception/origination and the state of a call connection success). In addition, when a user selects one of plural items from the displayed detailed items, the display module  110  displays detailed call information including the counterpart of the occurring call, the time point of the call occurrence, and the time of call connection.  
         [0021]     A memory module  120  stores programs performed in the controller  120  or temporarily stores data processed through the programs. In addition, the memory module  120  stores various ringing sounds, MP3s, and moving pictures which can be output from the mobile communication terminal. Further, the memory module  120  stores data including various types of phone books and messages. This memory module  120  includes a read only memory (ROM) storing an operating system program, an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), and a read access memory (RAM). The memory module  120  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes the call count database  12   a  storing the number of call occurrences by accumulating the number of call occurrence according to the state of the call reception/origination and the state of the call connection. When one of call origination, call reception, and call missing stored in the call count database  120   a  occurs above a preset number of call occurrences, information about the latest occurring call in the detailed information of calls according to the types of call occurrence is stored and information about the first occurring call is deleted from the call count database. The key input module  130  is used for receiving various types of data stored in the mobile communication terminal from a user. The key input module  130  is also used for receiving a signal allowing various functions of the mobile communication terminal. In particular, the key input module  130  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is used for user key input allowing call termination or call origination. The key input module  130  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is used for key input allowing the display of the detailed list having the accumulated number of call occurrences according to call occurrence.  
         [0022]     An audio processing module  140  generally includes a voice coder (VCODER) and is driven under the control of the controller  100 . The audio processing module  140  decodes coded voice data received from a wireless transceiver  160 , converts voice data into an electrical voice signal, and then outputs the converted electrical voice signal to a speaker. The speaker converts the received electrical voice signal into an audible signal to be output. The audio processing module  140  also codes an electrical voice signal received from a microphone and outputs the coded voice signal to the data processing module  150 . Additionally, the audio processing module  140  outputs various types of ringing sounds stored in the memory module  120  through a speaker when the call is received. If the wireless processing module  160  receives a signal through a wireless channel having a frequency band using an antenna under the control of the controller  100 , the wireless processing module  160  down-converts the frequency band of the received signal and outputs the down-converted signal to the controller  100  according to the types of data. The data output to the controller  100  from the wireless processing module  160  includes character data, paging signals received through a paging channel, and signaling signals.  
         [0023]     As described above, the overall structure of a mobile communication terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a memory module, a call count database, a display module, and a controller. The memory module stores information according to call reception/origination and the state of call connection success. The call count database stores the number of call occurrences based on the stored information. The display module displays the call information when a menu allowing a list having the number of call occurrences to be displayed is selected from a user. Finally, the controller controls entire functions of the components.  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating an operation of storing call information in a mobile communication terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The controller  100  of the mobile communication terminal has a waiting mode in step  200 . When a call occurs in the waiting mode, the controller  100  determines if the call occurs by receiving the call in step  205 . If it is determined that the call occurs by receiving the call in step  205 , the controller  100  determines if a key allowing the connection to the received call is input in step  210 .  
         [0025]     If the controller  100  confirms that the key allowing the connection to the received call is input as the determination result in step  210 , the controller  100  performs a communication mode in step  215 . The controller  100  determines the list of the received calls of the memory module  120  in step  220  when performing the communication mode. According to the determination result in step  220 , the controller  100  performs step  245  to determine if the number of call reception occurrences from a phone number of the received call exceeds a preset number of call reception occurrences. If the number of call reception occurrences from the phone number of the received call is less than the preset number of call reception occurrences as the determination result, the controller  100  stores the number of call reception occurrences from the phone number in the call count database  120   a,  which has the number of call reception occurrences from phone numbers stored in the memory module  120  by increasing the number of call reception occurrences by one. If the number of call reception occurrences from to a phone number of the received call exceeds the preset number of the call reception occurrences in step  245 , the controller  100  deletes the first stored call information in detailed information about the phone number from the memory module  120  and stores the latest received call information in the memory module  120 .  
         [0026]     The controller  100  rings the bell reporting call reception during a predetermined time interval in step  210 . If the controller  100  determines that it does not receive user key input allowing the connection to the received call, the controller  100  performs step  225  to display an alarm message for missed call, which reports that the connection to the received call is not achieved, on the display module  110 . Also, the controller  100  determines the list of missed calls stored in the memory module  120  in step  230 .  
         [0027]     The controller  100  performs step  245  as the determination result in step  230  to determine if the number of missed calls, which is not connected to the phone number of the received call, exceeds a preset number. If the number of missed calls is less than the preset number, the controller  100  stores the received phone number in the memory module  120  and stores the number of call reception occurrences corresponding to the phone number in the call counter database  120   a  by increasing the number of the call reception occurrences by one. In addition, if the number of the call reception occurrences corresponding to the phone number of the received call exceeds the preset number of the call reception in step  245 , the controller  100  deletes the first stored call information in detailed information about the phone number of the received call from the memory module  120  and stores the latest received call information in the memory module  120 .  
         [0028]     In step  205  a determination is made as to whether an occurring call is a received call. If the occurring call is not a received call, the controller  100  performs step  235  to determine if the occurring call is a dialed call. Accordingly, if the occurring call is the dialed call by receiving a user key input originating a call as the determination result, the controller  100  performs step  240  so as to determine a list of dialed calls stored in the memory module  120 . Consequently, the controller  100  determines the number of the dialed calls in step  245  and performs steps of deleting information about dialed calls and then storing information about dialed calls, or increasing the number of dialed calls by one as the determination result.  
         [0029]     When call information is stored in a mobile communication terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention as described above, the mobile communication terminal accumulates the number of call occurrences by determining the number of call occurrences for call types such as a dialed call, a received call, and a missed call according to call connection. Also, if the accumulated number of call occurrences exceeds the preset number, the first stored call information including information about each occurring call is deleted, and the latest occurring call information is stored.  
         [0030]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are flowcharts illustrating an operation of displaying call information in a mobile communication terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate screen images when call information is displayed in a mobile communication terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The controller  100  has a waiting mode in step  300 . If a signal reporting key input is generated in the waiting mode, the controller  100  determines if the input key allows the display of call occurrence information in step  305 . According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, whenever the key (speaking key) allowing the display of the call occurrence information is input once, the call information is displayed. Accordingly, the controller  100  determines if the input key (speaking key) is input once in step  305 . Thereafter, if the input key (speaking key) is not input as the determination result, the controller  100  performs step  310  so as to perform a function corresponding to the input key. In addition, if the controller  100  determines that the key (speaking key) is input once as the determination result, the controller  100  performs step  315 .  
         [0031]     The controller  100  displays information about all occurring calls in step  315  as shown in  FIG. 4B . The screen image (b) shown in  FIG. 4B  is formed under the assumption that calls occur as shown in  FIG. 4A . In other words, the displayed information includes information about icons or predetermined marks representing a received call, a dialed call, and a missed call. The displayed information also includes information about the number of call occurrences for each call and a counterpart of each call. The displayed number of call occurrences for all calls is obtained by analyzing information about a call counterpart stored in the memory module  120  and adding the number of received calls, dialed calls, or missed calls occurring with respect to the call counterparts according to the state of call reception/origination occurrences. The controller  100  performs step  320  so as to receive a user key input to allow the display of more detailed information according to the state of call occurrence with respect to call occurrence information about all calls. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the key allowing the display of the detailed information may be set as a left directional key “←” or a right directional key “→”. Also, the right and left directions may be set as positive and negative directions, respectively, according to the input of the directional keys. In the case of the positive direction as shown in  FIG. 4B , a sequence of displaying the detailed information according to the directional key input as shown in  FIG. 4B  is a sequence of displaying a window (b) for call occurrence information about all calls, a window (c) for information about received calls, a window (d) for information about dialed calls, and a window (e) for information about missed calls. Alternativey, if the input key is a key allowing the display of the detailed information in the negative direction, a window (b) for call occurrence information of all calls, a window (e) for information about missed calls, a window (d) for information about dialed calls, and a window (c) for information about received calls may be sequentially displayed.  
         [0032]     The controller  100  receives the input of either a left directional key “←” or a right directional key “→” from a user and then determines the direction of the input key. Accordingly, the controller  100  determines if the input key is the right directional key “→” in step  325 . If the input key is the right directional key “→” as the determination result, the controller  100  displays a call information window of a +1 detailed list. The window of the +1 detailed list shows the display sequence of the detailed list. For example, when the right directional key “→” is input in the displayed window (b) for call occurrence information about all calls in step  315 , the window (c) for information about received calls may be displayed. Then, when the right directional key “→” is input in the displayed window (c) for information received calls, the window (d) for information about dialed calls may be displayed. In other words, according to information about a directional key input from a user, the controller  100  progresses in a +1 direction in step  330  from step  325  of determining the right key “→”. Then, the controller  100  determines if the input key is the left directional key “←” in step  335  and progresses in a −1 direction in step  340  as the determination result. In addition, the controller  100  displays the windows by circulating the windows in +1 direction or −1 direction according to the input of the left key “←” or the right key “→” in step  345 .  
         [0033]     When one selected from a user among the displayed windows is displayed, the controller  100  receives the key allowing the selection of one among a plurality of displayed call items in step  350 . According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the key allowing the selection of one among a plurality of displayed call items may be an up directional key “↑” or a down directional key “↓”. Accordingly, the controller  100  determines the direction of the received key in step  355 . The controller  100  determines the key input from a user as the up directional key “↑” in step  355 . The controller  100  performs steps  355  to  370  of selecting detailed items similarly to steps  330  to  340 . When a key allowing the display of detailed items for call occurrence for ‘Hong Gil Dong’ to be displayed is input on a screen image (c) shown in  FIG. 4C , call information occurring during a predetermined interval is displayed in detail as a window (c′) shown in  FIG. 4C . Similarly, detailed information about items selected on screen images (d) and (e) shown in  FIG. 4C  are displayed in detail as screen images (d′) and (e′) shown in  FIG. 4C . The controller  100  displays the items in a +1 or −1 direction according to the input of the up directional key “↑” or the down directional key “↓” in step  375 .  
         [0034]     As described above, according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, when displaying call information in a mobile communication terminal, a key allowing the display of the call information is input from a user. Therefore, call occurrence information about all calls such as a received call, a dialed call, and a missed call and the number of call occurrences according to a call counterpart are displayed. In addition, if a user inputs a key allowing the display of a detailed list according to the state of call occurrence, a window showing detailed items of call occurrence information according to the state of the call occurrence is displayed. The detailed items, which are displayed, include information about call occurrence according to a call counterpart. In addition, if one among the displayed items is selected, call information of the call counterpart during a predetermined time interval is displayed.  
         [0035]     Although a list of detailed items according to call occurrence and one item displayed in the list are selected according to the input of a directional key in exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the item may be selected by inputting an item number according to a sequence of displaying the detailed items through a numeral key of a key input module. In addition, although description about only communication is given in exemplary embodiments of the present invention, an application may be made to the transmission/reception of a message in addition to the reception/origination of a call.  
         [0036]     While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.