Apparatus, methods, and computer program products for dialing telephone numbers using alphabetic selections

A method is provided for dialing a telephone number from a communication device that includes an alphanumeric input device. The alphanumeric input device allows selection of a plurality of alphabetic characters and selection of a plurality of numeric characters. An alphabetic character that is selected among the plurality of alphabetic characters is sensed. The sensed alphabetic character is translated into a number. A numeric character, that is selected separately from the selection of the alphabetic character, is sensed. A telephone number that includes the translated number and the sensed numeric character is dialed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to communication devices and more particularly, to apparatus and methods for dialing telephone numbers.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventional telephones include a numeric keypad for dialing telephone numbers. Individual keys on the keypad are sometimes labeled with both a number and some alphabetic letters. For example, some conventional telephone keypads include the letters “A”, “B”, and “C” on the same key that is labeled “2”, and the letters “D”, “E”, and “F” on the same key that is labeled “3”, and so on in a well-known manner. Such labeling may facilitate the dialing of a telephone number that is known by a sequence of both numeric and alphabetic characters. For example, the telephone number “1 800 FLOWERS” may be dialed by pressing the keys associated with the numbers and letters in the telephone number, which conventionally is associated with the numeric sequence “1 800 356 9377”.

The integration of telephone functionality with that of a personal information manager (PIM), personal data assistant (PDA), and/or a messaging device, has led to the need for more advanced user interfaces. Some telephones now include keyboards, such as a conventional QWERTY configured keyboard, that include both alphabetic keys and numeric keys.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to embodiments of the present invention, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provide for dialing telephone numbers using alphabetic selections. In one embodiment, a method is provided for dialing a telephone number from a communication device that includes an alphanumeric input device. The alphanumeric input device allows selection of a plurality of alphabetic characters and a separate selection of a plurality of numeric characters. An alphabetic character that is selected among the plurality of alphabetic characters is sensed. The sensed alphabetic character is translated into a number. A numeric character, that is selected separately from the selection of the alphabetic character, is sensed. A telephone number that includes the translated number and the sensed numeric character is dialed.

In other embodiments of the present invention, a correspondence may be provided between the plurality of alphabetic characters and a plurality of numbers, and the translated number may be identified as the number that corresponds to the sensed alphabetic character. More than one of the plurality of alphabetic characters may correspond to the same one of the plurality of numbers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to some embodiments of the present invention, communication devices and methods for dialing telephone numbers using alphabetic selections may be provided.FIGS. 1–3are diagrams illustrating exemplary apparatus and operations according to embodiments of the present invention. It will be understood that operations depicted in the diagrams, and combinations thereof, may be implemented using one or more electronic circuits, such as circuits included in a communication device that dials telephone numbers. It will also be appreciated that, in general, operations depicted in the diagrams, and combinations thereof, may be implemented in one or more electronic circuits, such as in one or more discrete electronic components, one or more integrated circuits (ICs) and/or one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and/or application specific circuit modules, as well as by computer program instructions which may be executed by a computer or other data processing apparatus, such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP).

The computer program instructions may also be embodied in the form of a computer program product in a computer-readable storage medium, i.e., as computer-readable program code embodied in the medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system. The computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical or other storage media, such as a magnetic or optical disk, an internet server from which a program may be downloaded, or an integrated circuit memory device. Accordingly,FIGS. 1–3support electronic circuits and other apparatus that perform the specified operations, acts for performing the specified operations, and computer program products configured to perform the specified operations.

Referring toFIG. 1, a mobile terminal10is illustrated that includes a display12, a keyboard14, and an antenna16. The keyboard14includes a plurality of keys that may be arranged in a conventional QWERTY configuration or another configuration. The keyboard14includes a plurality of alphabetic keys18, configured in three rows, and a separate plurality of numerical keys20, configured in one row. While one keyboard configuration has been shown for illustration purposes, any alphanumeric input device that enables a user to enter alphanumeric characters is included within embodiments of the present invention. Example alphanumeric input devices according to other embodiments of the present invention include, detachable or wireless keyboards, a touch sensitive display that displays alphanumeric symbols, and voice recognition circuitry that converts voice signals into alphanumeric characters. While separate alphabetic keys and numeric keys have been illustrated for the keyboard14, some of the keys may be used to enter alphabetic characters in one keyboard entry mode and the same keys may then be used to enter numeric characters in another keyboard entry mode (e.g., making a key selection after, or while, pressing a change mode key).

A user can use the plurality of numerical keys20of the keyboard14to enter a telephone number for dialing by the mobile terminal10. According to embodiments of the present invention, a user can also use the alphabetic keys18to enter a telephone number, or a portion of a telephone number, to be dialed by the mobile terminal10. For example, a user can type the sequence “1 800 FLOWERS” using the numerical keys20to type the “1 800” portion of the sequence and the alphabetic keys18to type the “FLOWERS” portion of the sequence. The mobile terminal10translates any alphabetic characters that represent at least a portion of a telephone number (e.g., “FLOWERS”) into a numeric string that can be dialed from the mobile terminal10. For example, the sequence “FLOWERS” can be translated into “3569377” and combined with the sequence “1 800” to provide a complete telephone number “1 800 356 9377”. The typed sequence, “1 800 FLOWERS”, may be shown to the user on the display12as “1 800 FLOWERS”, “1 800 356 9377”, or both.

In some embodiments of the invention, the mobile terminal10may dial the entered telephone number in response to a dialing instruction from the user that indicates that entry of the telephone number has been completed. The dialing instruction may be indicated by a user pressing a key on the keyboard14or elsewhere on the mobile terminal10, or by the passage of a threshold inactivity time, such as after the entry of a dialing sequence and before the pressing of another key. In some embodiments, the mobile terminal10may dial the entered telephone number as dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signals through a modem connected by wire to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or may transmit the telephone number through the antenna16over a wireless air interface, such over a cellular control channel or traffic channel. In other embodiments, the mobile terminal10may communicate a translated telephone number to another device, such as a computer with a wire-line modem, that dials the telephone number.

FIG. 2illustrates a block diagram of an apparatus, according to some embodiments of the present invention, that may be used to receive, translate, and dial a telephone number that is input with at least some alphabetic characters. A keyboard decoder21senses keys that are selected on the keyboard14(i.e., typed) and outputs the alphabetic or numerical characters assigned to the selected keys. A translation circuit22translates alphabetic characters from the keyboard decoder21to pre-defined corresponding numbers and assembles a telephone number that includes the translated numbers and any sensed numeric characters. The assembled telephone number may be passed to a dialing circuit24that dials the number in response to a dialing instruction or another indication that entry of the telephone number is complete. In other embodiments, the dialing circuit24may dial each translated number, or sensed numeric characters, without waiting for the assembly of a complete telephone number.

In some embodiments, the apparatus may also include a phone book26. As will be described in more detail below, an entered alphabetic character may represent a portion of a telephone number or it may provide a pointer within a telephone book to a name that may be associated with a telephone number.

FIG. 3illustrates a flowchart of the operations for sensing the selection of alphabetic characters and numeric characters that represent a telephone number, translating the sensed alphabetic characters into numbers, and dialing a telephone number that includes translated numbers and sensed numeric characters, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

At Block30, the operations enter a mode in which a user may enter a telephone number by selecting alphabetic characters and/or selecting numeric characters. At Block32, the operation waits for a character to be entered by a user. The entered character may be checked, at Block34, as to whether it is a numeric character or an alphabetic character. When the entered character is numeric, it may be assembled, at Block40, with any other known portions of the telephone number. Until entry of the telephone number is complete, the operation may return to Block32to sense the next entered character.

When the entered character is an alphabetic character, a further decision may be made, at Block36, as to whether the alphabetic character represents a portion of a telephone number, or whether it is a pointer within a telephone book to a name that may be associated with a telephone number. The decision may be responsive to the duration of the user's selection of the alphabetic character (i.e., length of the key press). In some embodiments, the time duration of a user's selection may be compared to a threshold time value, and when the duration is less than the threshold value, the entered alphabetic character may be determined to represent a portion of a telephone number. Otherwise, when the time duration is at least as large as the threshold value, the entered alphabetic character may be determined to represent a pointer within a telephone book.

When the entered alphabetic character represents a portion of a telephone number, the alphabetic character may be translated at Block38to a decimal number of other numeric representation of a number that can be dialed. In some embodiments, the translation may be performed by providing a table that maps (provides predefined associations between) each of the plurality of the alphabetic characters and a number. In some other embodiments, the translation may be performed by a mathematical conversion of the alphabetic character to a number. The mathematic conversion may, for example, include performing a mathematic operation on an ASCII number that represents an alphabetic character to form an ASCII number that represents a number.

More than one of the plurality of alphabetic characters may correspond, and be translated, to the same one of the plurality of numbers. Table 1 provides a correspondence between alphabetic characters and numbers according to some embodiments of the present invention.

The translated number may be assembled, at Block40, with any other known portions of the telephone number. When entry of the telephone number is complete, at Block42, which may be indicated by a user pressing a button on the mobile terminal10or by a threshold amount of inactivity time, the buffered telephone number may dialed at Block44. The telephone number may include a sequence of translated numbers and entered numeric characters.

In some embodiments, a entered numeric characters and/or a translated number may be dialed without waiting for the entry of a whole telephone number, for example, by skipping the operations of Blocks40and/or42. In other embodiments, entered numeric characters, entered alphabetic characters, and/or translated numbers may be displayed to a user.

In other embodiments, when an entered alphabetic character is determined, at Block36, to represent a pointer, within a telephone book, to a name that may be associated with a telephone number, the telephone book may be searched, at Block46, to identify a candidate name. The candidate name may be the first listed name that starts with the entered alphabetic character or, when no name starts with the entered character, the first listed name in alphabetical order after the entered character. For example, entry of the character “J” may cause the first name beginning with the letter “J” to be identified. When no name is found beginning with the letter “J”, then names beginning with the letter “K” are searched, and so on, until a name is found or the list is determined to be empty. The identified name and/or telephone number associated with the identified name may be retrieved from the telephone book and displayed to a user at Block48. When a user indicates, at Block50, that the retrieved name and/or telephone number is correct, the telephone number may be dialed, at Block44, from the mobile terminal10. Otherwise, when a user indicates that the retrieved name and/or telephone number is not correct and/or after a threshold inactivity time, a pointer to another name in the telephone book is formed, at Block52, and the corresponding name and/or telephone number is retrieved, at Block46, from the telephone book.

According to other embodiments of the present invention, the apparatus and operations described herein may be embodied in a communication device other than a mobile terminal, such as embodied in a modem, a wire-line telephone, a fixed wireless terminal, a satellite communication terminal, a local area network or wide area network, a computer, personal information managers, or personal data assistants.