Patent Publication Number: US-2003236104-A1

Title: Method and device for quickly storing a telephone book in a mobile device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] In progress with the increasing of a technical level, there are various mobile devices on market. For convenience, most of mobile devices are provided with a phone book for quickly searching a phone number to dial. However, when a new phone list is to be added in the mobile device provided with a phone book, the phone list must be input through a keyboard by various key-in manners such as English and other language words key-ins. Such hand key-in type not only takes time but also is troublesome.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] An object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device. Scanning letters or image characterizes the method through a scanner, transforming the scanned letters or image into a format, and then storing the format in a phone book of the mobile device, thereby a phone list storing is completed easily and quickly.  
       [0003] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device. The method is characterized by scanning letters and image through an optical reader module and transforming the scanned letters and image into a format by using an identifier module to increase accuracy. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0004]FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing a device for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0005]FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a method for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0006]FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing steps from a scanning start to a scanning processing according to a method for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0007]FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing steps from a scanning processing to a scanning stop according to a method for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device of a preferred embodiment of the present invention during the period of from starting the scanning to stop the scanning;  
     [0008]FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing steps for a continuous scanning according to a method for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0009]FIG. 6 shows a series of pictures appeared on a screen of a mobile device when a method for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device of the present invention is proceeding; wherein  
     [0010]FIG. 6( a ) is a picture showing that a mobile device is turned on. FIG. 6( b ) shows a state that a user presses a scanning key and selects to activate a scanning function. FIG. 6( c ) is a picture on a screen showing that no vacancy in the memory of the phone book is provided. FIG. 6( d ) is a picture on a screen showing that a phone book is allowed to fill in. FIG. 6( e ) is a picture on a screen showing that a user is now pressing and holding a scanning key to read and to input data. FIG. 6( f ) is a picture on a screen showing that the scanning key is released. FIG. 6( g ) is a picture on a screen showing that the user is pressing and holding the scanning key again to read and to input next data. FIG. 6( h ) is a picture on a screen showing that a user presses a storing function key to store the scanned data. And, FIG. 6( i ) is a picture on a screen showing that a user presses a canceling function key to cancel a data storing action.  
     [0011]FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a device for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device of one preferred embodiment of the present invention; and  
     [0012]FIG. 8 is a graph showing the states through movements of a functional key.  
    
    
     DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0013] The method for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device of the present invention mainly comprises the steps of: pressing a scanning key on a mobile device to start a scanning function; taking an image by using an optical reader module provided on the mobile device; operating the taken image with a format transforming by using an identifier module; driving an appointed program to edit the information corresponding with the image; showing the edited information on a screen; and determining whether the information shown on the screen is being stored.  
     [0014] More particularly, the method for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device of the present invention comprises the steps of: pressing a scanning key on a mobile device to start a scanning function; taking an image by using an optical reader module provided on the mobile device; operating the taken image with a format transforming through a memory, a central processing unit (CPU) and an identifier module; driving an appointed program to edit the information corresponding with the image; showing the edited information on a screen; and determining whether the information shown on the screen is being stored.  
     [0015] The present invention also relates to a device for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device, which comprises an optical reader module for scanning letters or image; a scanning key provided on a keyboard of the mobile device for starting the optical reader module; and an identifier module for operating the image with a format transformation and for driving an appointed program to edit information involved in the corresponding image and displaying it on a screen; thereby a quickly storing phone book in the mobile device is achieved.  
     [0016] In a device for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device of the present invention, a scanning key can be set in three states of pressing, pressing and holding, and releasing.  
     [0017] In a device for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device of the present invention, if the scanning key is pressed, the mobile device is activated scanning. If the scanning key is pressed and held, the mobile device proceeds scanning. And, if the scanning key is released, the mobile device stops scanning.  
     [0018] The mobile device can be a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), digital dictionary, and electronic watch and etc.  
     [0019] The present invention will be illustrated by reference to the accompanied drawings. However, those embodiments are only to illustrate the present invention without limiting the scope of the present invention. It is well known that various modification, alternation, and change can be made without departing the scope and spirit of the present invention.  
     [0020] Now refer to FIG. 1, it shows one embodiment of the method and the device for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device of the present invention. First, the mobile device is turned on. A scanning key  4  on a keyboard  3  is pressed and a signal is transmitted to a central processing unit  14  through a user interface applied program  16  and then a optical reader module  12  is driven to start scanning an article  11  to form an image therein. The scanned image is stored in a memory  13  and then transmitted to the central processing unit  14 . In there, the scanned image is subjected to an image format transformation by using an optical identifier module  15  and then an user interface applied program  16  is used to edit an image information. The edited information is displayed on a screen  5  of the mobile device through the central processing unit  14  and the user interface applied program  16 .  
     [0021] Now refer to FIGS.  2  to  6  illustrating flow charts for carrying out the method for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, when a mobile device is turned on (its corresponding picture is shown as FIG. 6( a ), step  21 ), a user presses a scanning key (its corresponding picture is shown as FIG. 6( b ), step  22 ). The user selects starting a scanning function, the screen displays whether there still has a vacancy in a memory for storing (step  23 ). If so, the screen displays whether the scanning function is activated (step  24 ). If so, a scanning function is starting (step  25 ). If not, go back to the step  21 . If the screen shows that there is no vacancy for storing, the screen displays that the memory should be partly cleared if new information is to be input (its corresponding picture is shown in FIG. 6( c ), step  26 ). If not, go back to step  21 .  
     [0022] As a scanning function is started (step  25  in the FIG. 2), then refer to FIG. 3. First, the mobile device is at a state that the scanning function is activated and the screen shows adding a new list in phone book (as shown in FIG. 6( d ), step  31 ). The user presses and keeps holding the scanning key (step  32 ) to proceed the scanning (step  33 ).  
     [0023] Next refer to FIG. 4, proceed the scanning (step  33 ), read in a new data (step  41 ). The scanned image is sent to an identifier module (step  42 ) to proceed a format transforming and shown on the screen of the mobile device (as shown in FIG. 6( f ), step  43 ). If the scanning key is released after completing the scanning (step  44 ), the scanning action is stopped (step  45 ). If the scanning key is still pushed down, the mobile device is back to step  41  to continue the scanning (step  41 ) and repeat the scanning.  
     [0024] Further, as shown in FIG. 5, after the scanning function is stopped (step  45 ), if the user presses and keeps holding the scanning key again(step  51 ), a cursor moves to the next column (as shown in FIG. 6( g ), step  52 ) and a scanning is then proceeding (step  53 ). If the user releases the scanning key, the scanning function is stopped (step  45 ), then the screen displays whether the user decides to store the scanned data in the mobile device (step  54 ). If so, the scanned information is stored in the mobile device (as shown in FIG. 6( h ), step  55 ) and then the mobile device is back to step  21 . If the user decides not to store the scanned data in step  54 , the screen displays whether exit scanning (as shown in FIG. 6( i ), step  56 ). If yes, the mobile device is back to step  21 . If not, the mobile device is back to step  45 .  
     [0025] A device for carrying out the method of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 7. The device comprises a mobile device  1 , an optical reader module  2  installed in the mobile device  1 , a keyboard  3  for input information, a scanning key  4  disposed on the keyboard  3 , and a screen  5  for displaying.  
     [0026] Also as shown in FIG. 8, in the device for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device of the present invention, when the mobile device is turned on, if a scanning key is pressed (step  82 ), it means that a scanning function is activated. As the scanning function is activated, if a scanning key is pressed and kept holding (step  83 ), the mobile device is starting to proceed the scanning. If a scanning key is released (step  84 ), the scanning function is stopped. At this time, if a scanning key is re-pressed and kept holding, the mobile device is back to proceed scanning. As the scanning function is stopped, if either a storing or exiting key (step  81 ) is pressed, the mobile device is back to a standby mode.  
     [0027] In the device for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device of the present invention, for the terms such as “mobile device”, “optic reader module”, “scanning key”, and “screen” are well known to those skilled in the art, a detailed description is omitted here.  
     [0028] Accordingly, a data input by hand key-in is not more used, the method and device for quickly storing a phone book in a mobile device of the present invention have an advantage of quickly and conveniently storing a phone book and possess an industry utility and inventive step.