Patent ID: 7231231

Claim:
Apparatus, comprising: a mobile phone configured and arranged with a touch screen display for selectively operating a desired phone function or ending the operation of said ongoing phone function in response to a pressing contact on the touch screen display surface; a touch screen lock for deactivating the pressing contact operation of said touch screen display during an ongoing call, and a contact determining mechanism for detecting the presence or absence of a pressing contact on the touch screen display responsive to a first long pressing contact on any location along the touch screen display surface, said long pressing contact being defined as a pressing contact greater than or equal to a first predetermined time interval duration, for activating said touch screen lock to disable the pressing contact operation of said touch screen display during the ongoing call such that the mobile phone is placed in an operative state that is non-responsive to a pressing contact on the touch screen display surface, and responsive to an absence of a pressing contact on any location along the touch screen display surface during the ongoing call within a second predetermined time interval duration measured from the end of said first long pressing contact for deactivating said touch screen lock to enable the pressing contact operation of said touch screen display such that the mobile phone is placed in an operative state that is responsive to a pressing contact on the touch screen display surface to operate a desired phone function or end the ongoing call.