Patent ID: 7536206

Claim:
A mobile device operable to initiate and receive communications over one or more wireless communication networks, the mobile device comprising: a processing subsystem, a memory subsystem, a display subsystem, a communication subsystem, and a keyboard subsystem, the processing subsystem coupled to the memory subsystem, display subsystem, keyboard subsystem and communication subsystem, and operable to store and retrieve data in the memory subsystem, to execute instructions stored in the memory subsystem, receive input data from the keyboard subsystem, and to cause the communication subsystem to transmit and receive data over the communication network; and mobile device program code comprising program instructions executable by the processing subsystem and stored in the memory subsystem and upon execution cause the mobile device to: receive a keyboard subsystem input related to a key press; monitor the duration of the key press; determine when the monitored duration of the key press is greater than a threshold duration; when the monitored duration of the key press is determined to be less than a threshold duration, activate a normal key function associated with the pressed key; when the monitored duration of the key press is determined to be greater than a threshold duration, activate an expedited communication function associated with the pressed key, the expedited communication function comprising: determining when the communication subsystem is in voice communication coverage; when the communication subsystem is determined to be in voice communication coverage, then causing the mobile device to initiate a telephone call over the communication subsystem; when the communication subsystem is determined to not be in voice communication coverage, then causing the mobile device to determined when the communication subsystem is in data communication coverage; and when the communication subsystem is determined to be in data communication coverage, then causing the mobile device to initiate a data communication, comprising an e-mail communication forming a predefined message, over the communication subsystem.