Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a method of dialing a phone number, for example used in a cell phone. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    When dialing a phone number on a mobile device there are two classic methods. The first method is to enter a string of numbers, then pressing a dial key to connect the call. The second method is by manually locating a contact&#39;s phone number from the phonebook and selecting an entry to dial. These both have their problems. The first method requires the user to remember a sometimes very long string of numbers. And the second method is quite cumbersome requiring many consecutive key sequences to first find the contact and finally to place a call. 
         [0005]    It is therefore desirable to provide a better dialing method to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    An object of the present invention is to let the user to enter a few digits (not the whole phone numbers) and the screen of the telephone will show possible dialing targets for user to select. 
         [0007]    To achieve the object, method of dialing phone number prediction to facilitate a phone user to dial a phone number, comprises the steps of: 
         [0008]    Step A: receiving at least one input digit; 
         [0009]    Step B: displaying at least said one input digit; 
         [0010]    Step C: comparing at least said one input digit with a phonebook, wherein the phonebook comprises a plurality of phone owners, and each phone owner has at least said one built phone number; 
         [0011]    Step D: finding any possible dialing target from the phone owners, wherein at least said one built phone number of possible dialing target matches at least said one input digit; 
         [0012]    Step E: displaying at least one of the possible dialing targets, according to the embodiment, at least one possible dialing target is highlighted defined as a chosen target which can be selected by the phone user; 
         [0013]    Step F: go to Step A, if the user will input another digit; or the user connects the chosen target by pressing the dialing button. 
         [0014]    Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  shows a front view and functional block drawings of a telephone according to the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  shows a phonebook stored in the telephone according to the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  shows a flow chart of the present invention according to the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4˜9  shows a step by step screen images according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     ELEMENT DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 telephone 
                 10 
                 processor 
                 11 
               
               
                 memory 
                 12 
                 screen 
                 13 
               
               
                 input device 
                 14 
                 dialing button 
                  14d 
               
               
                 microphone 
                 15 
                 speaker 
                 16 
               
               
                 wireless communication module 
                 17 
                 phonebook 
                 20 
               
               
                 phone owner 
                 21 
                 built phone number 
                 22~24 
               
               
                 address 
                 25 
               
               
                 possible dialing targets 
                 30 
                 chosen target 
                 40 
               
               
                 target phone number 
                 50 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0020]    Please refer to  FIG. 1 . A telephone  10 , such as a cell phone, comprises a processor  11 , a memory  12 , and a screen  13 , an input device  14  (e.g. buttons, up or down keys), a microphone  15 , a speaker  16 , and a wireless communication module  17 . The memory  12  (e.g. RAM, ROM, SDARM, Memory Disk) has a phonebook  20  and a software program  121  to be executed by the processor  11  to manage the operation or achieve certain functions. Because the mechanism and the circuit structure of the cell phone  10  is well known to those of reasonable skill in the art, the detailed description for doing so is omitted. 
         [0021]    The phonebook  20  records several information, such as phone owner  21 , built phone number  22 ˜ 24 , and address  25 . 
         [0022]    Please refer to  FIG. 3  regarding the flow chart of the present invention. Please also refer to  FIGS. 4˜9  in conjunction with  FIG. 3  for understanding the subject matter of the present invention. 
       Step  301 : 
       [0023]    Receiving input digits by a user: 
         [0024]    For example, the user inputs “09”. 
       Step  302 : 
       [0025]    Displaying the input digits: 
         [0026]    Please refer to  FIG. 4 . “09” will be displayed on the screen  13 . 
       Step  303 : 
       [0027]    Comparing input digits with a phonebook  20 : 
         [0028]    Because the user inputs “09”, the processor  11  will execute software program  121  to compare “09” with built phone number  22 ˜ 24  of the phonebook  20 . 
       Step  304 : 
       [0029]    Finding any possible dialing target: 
         [0030]    For example, dialing targets are Allen Wilson, Amanda Kissinger, Carissa Mosko, Chien-Ming Wang etc., because their first two digits of built phone number  22  are “09”. 
       Step  305 : 
       [0031]    Displaying at least one of the possible dialing targets  30 : 
         [0032]    In  FIG. 4 , because of the size of the screen  13 , the screen  13  displays three possible dialing targets  30 , Allen Wilson, Amanda Kissinger, and Carissa Mosko.□ However, the user can use the input device  14  (e.g. up or down keys) to scroll the screen  13  so that the user can also see other possible dialing targets  30 . 
         [0033]    Please note that one of possible dialing targets is highlighted as a chosen target  40 . In  FIG. 4 , Allen Wilson is the chosen target  40 . Allen Wilson&#39;s phone number 09206544568 matches the input digit (e.g. “09”) defined as a target phone number  50  will also be displayed on the screen  13 . Please also note that the input digit (e.g. “09”) is display clearer than the digits other than at least said one input digit (e.g. “206544568”). 
         [0034]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , the user can use the input device  14  (e.g. up or down keys) to change the chosen target  40  from Allen Wilson to Amanda Kissinger. And therefore the target phone number  50  displayed on the screen  13  will be changed to Amanda Kissinger&#39;s built phone number, 09656548666. 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 6  for another example, the user can use the input device  14  (e.g. up or down keys) to scroll the screen  13  to select new chosen target  40 , Chien-Ming Wang. In the same way, Chien-Ming Wang&#39;s built phone number, 09886666777, becomes the target phone number  50 . 
       Step  306 : 
       [0036]    User input another input digit, or Dialing target phone number  50 ; 
         [0037]    Supposed the user input another input digit, then go to step  301  again. For example, the user input another input digit “6”, so the accumulated input digits becomes “096” as shown on  FIG. 7 . With the same manner, Step  301 ˜Step  305  will go through again. Because input digits becomes “096”, the possible dialing targets  30  has changed to Amanda Kissinger, Carissa Mosko, and Richard Feynman because the first three digits of their built phone number match input digits “096”. 
         [0038]    Assumed after digits “096” have been inputted, the user decide to make a call because the user&#39;s chosen target  40 , “Richard Feynman”, is shown on the screen  13  at this moment. Then the user can press the dialing button  14   d  to call “Richard Feynman”, as shown on  FIG. 9 . 
         [0039]    Please noted that once the user start to input the first digit, then Step  301  can begin. In fact, when the user input “0”, Step  301 ˜Step  305  is executed for the first time. When the user further input “9”, then the accumulated input digits “09” will go through Step  301 ˜Step  305  again. Therefore, the above description regarding Step  301  is the second time to be executed. However, the program can also be designed that Step  301  is activated only after two digits is inputted. For example, after digits “09” is inputted, Step  301 ˜Step  305  is executed for the first time. 
         [0040]    Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Technology Category: 5