Abstract:
Disclosed is a method for originating a call. The method for originating the call enables a user to conveniently originate a call to a phone number and a web address input from the user. To this end, the method includes the steps of displaying an image and information corresponding to the image, determining if a key allowing connection to one of a phone number and a web address included in the information is input, and connecting to one of the phone number and the web address if it is determined that the key is input.

Description:
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of a Korean Patent Application entitled “Method for Originating Call”, filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Aug. 22, 2005, and assigned Ser. No. 2005-76854, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a portable terminal, and more particularly to a method for originating a call in a portable terminal. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Recently, as portable terminals have become popular, portable terminals including various functions have been increasingly provided. In addition, users can employ portable terminals for representing their characteristics by storing personal information and various data in the portable terminals. For example, even if data including place information stored by a user comprises a phone number for the place or a web address including additional information, the user must change a mode of a portable terminal to a communication mode in order to originate a call to the phone number. In addition, the user must execute the menu of a wireless Internet allowing connection to an additional web address or use additional media in order to obtain additional information besides the previously stored place information. In a method for originating a call or connecting to a web address in order to obtain additional information as well as information stored in a portable terminal, the portable terminal must change the mode thereof to a call terminating/originating mode, or perform a wireless Internet mode. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention has been made to address the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for originating a call in a portable terminal, which enables a user to conveniently originate a call to a phone number and a web address input from the user. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for originating a call in a portable terminal, which makes it easier to determine information included in an image. 
     To accomplish the above objects, a method for originating a call in a portable terminal is provided. The method comprises displaying an image and information corresponding to the image, determining if a key for allowing connection to one of a phone number and a web address included in the information is input, and connecting to one of the phone number and the web address if it is determined that the key is input. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a flowchart illustrating an operation of originating a call in a portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 2A ,  2 B and  2 C are displays illustrating a screen image displayed when a call is originated in the portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating an operation of originating a call in a portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating an operation of originating a call in a portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals will be understood to refer to like parts, components and structures. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings In the following description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted for clarity and conciseness. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, contents including images and texts corresponding to the images are defined as directories, and a list having the directories by grouping the directories is defined as “blog”. 
       FIG. 1  is a flowchart illustrating an operation of originating a call in a portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIGS. 2A ,  2 B and  2 C are displays illustrating a screen image displayed when a call is originated in the portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. A controller (not shown) of the portable terminal has a waiting mode in step  100 . If the controller is determined that a key input signal is generated from a user in the waiting mode, the controller determines if the key input signal allows the execution of a menu of “photo-blog” among a variety of functions of the portable terminal in step  105 . If the controller determines that the key input signal does not allow the execution of the photo-blog menu, the controller executes a function corresponding to the key input signal in step  110 . In addition, if the controller determines that the input key signal allows the execution of the photo-blog menu in step  105 , the controller controls the previously stored photo-blog list so as to be displayed in step  115 . 
     The controller perform step  120  so as to receive one blog selected from a user in the displayed blog list. Thereafter, the controller displays a list of directories included in the selected blog in step  125 . The controller receives one of the directories displayed in step  125  from the user in step  130 . Thereafter, the controller displays an image in the selected directory and contents which are previously received from the user, corresponding to the image as shown in  FIG. 2A . If the controller determines that it has received a predetermined input signal from a user while displaying an image corresponding to the selected directory and contents corresponding to the image, the controller determines if the input key signal is a communication key signal for making communication in step  140 . If the controller determines that the input key signal is not a communication signal, the controller performs a function corresponding to the input key signal in step  145 . In addition, if the controller determines that the input key signal is the communication key signal, the controller performs step  150  so as to determine if there is a phone number in the image and the contents corresponding to the image displayed in step  135 . If the controller determines that there is a phone number in the displayed contents, the controller displays a message for determining if it will originate a call to the phone number as shown in  FIG. 2B . Thereafter, the controller originates a call to the phone number according to the selection of the user for the displayed message in step  155  and displays an image of the originated call on a display module as shown in  FIG. 2C . Information about a receiver displayed when the call is originated comprises a phone number of the call receiver and the name of the receiver. The name of the receiver may be set as the title of the displayed contents, or the title of the displayed image. In addition, if the controller determines that there is no phone number included in the selected directory in step  150 , the controller displays in step  160  a message reporting that there is no call information to be originated because there is no phone number included in the directory. Then, the controller displays call terminating/originating lists stored in the memory module in step  165 . 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating an operation of originating a call in a portable terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The controller has a waiting mode in step  300 . When the controller determines a key input signal in the waiting mode, the controller determines if the key input signal allows the execution of a photo-blog menu in step  305 . The controller performs a function corresponding to the input key signal in step  310 , or displays a list included in the photo-blog in step  315  according to the determination result. After step  315 , the controller displays a list of directories included in the photo-blog through the operation similar to that of the previous embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  and displays an image included in a predetermined directory selected from a user in the list of the directories and contents, which are previously received from the user, corresponding to the image in step  320  through  335 . 
     If the controller determines that it receives a predetermined key input signal from a user when an image and the contents corresponding to the image are displayed in step  335 , the controller determines if the input key signal allows communication in step  340 . The controller performs a function corresponding to the input key signal according to the determination result in step  345 , or determines if there is a phone number or a web address in the image and the contents corresponding to the image, which are displayed in step  335 , in step  350 . If the controller determines that there is a phone number or a web address in the contents corresponding to the image according to the determination result, the controller determines if the existing information is a phone number in step  355 . If the controller determines that the existing information included in the contents corresponding to the displayed image is a phone number, the controller originates a call to the phone number in step  360 . If the controller determines that the existing information included in the contents is not a phone number in step  355 , the controller determines if the included information is a web address in step  365 . Thereafter, if the included information corresponds to the web address, the controller connects to the web address by connecting to a wireless Internet in step  370 . 
     In step  375 , the controller determines if there are a plurality of phone numbers or web addresses existing in the image of the selected directory and contents corresponding to the image according to the determination result of step  350 . If the controller determines that there are both a phone number and a web address in the contents, or if the controller determines that there are a plurality of phone numbers, or web addresses, the controller performs step  380  so as to display a list of phone numbers or web addresses included in the contents. Thereafter, the controller performs step  385  so as to receive one of the displayed phone number and the displayed web address from a user. Then, the controller performs step  390  so as to originate a call to the phone number selected from the user, or connect to the selected web address by accessing a wireless Internet. 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating an operation of originating a call in a portable terminal according to still an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The controller performs steps  400  through  435  so as to receive a photo-blog menu in a waiting mode, receive one selected from directories included in received photo-blog menu, and display an image included in the selected directory and contents corresponding to the image through an operation similar to operations according to exemplary embodiments shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The controller receives a selected image included in the displayed and selected directory in step  440 . Thereafter, the controller determines if there is place information in the selected image in step  445 . The controller checks the place information by determining if place information or a place name is included in the contents corresponding to the image, which is set by the user, or if the title of the image is the name of the place. Accordingly, if the controller determines that there is no place information for the selected image, the controller displays a message reporting that there is no place information in the image in step  465 . 
     If the controller determines that there is place information in the selected image according to the determination result in step  445 , the controller performs step  450  so as to connect to a wireless Internet through a radio processing part. If it is determined that connection to the wireless Internet is achieved, the controller downloads map information corresponding to the place for the image in step  455  by specifying the place information as a search word. Although the map information is downloaded in step  455 , traffic information and information in addition to the map information may be included in the detailed information about the place. Thereafter, the controller performs step  460  so as to display the downloaded information and the map on the display module. In addition, the downloaded information may be stored in the memory module according to the setting of the user. 
     While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred 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. Consequently, the scope of the invention should not be limited to the exemplary embodiments, but should be defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.