Preferred contact group centric interface

A hardware-implemented communication device, comprising:

• a display screen;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• display on the display screen a set of graphical icons assigned to respective ones of a group of user-selected contacts records and arranged in a plurality of positions about an axis in an idle display page on the display screen, wherein one of the graphical icons corresponds to a currently selected contacts record and wherein the group of user-selected contacts records is a subset of a plurality of contacts records stored in the communication device, wherein the subset is associated with a communications pricing with which those of the plurality of contacts other than the subset are not associated, and wherein each position of the plurality of positions in the idle display page on the display screen correlates to the communications carrier pricing;
• provide a selection function that is arranged to select one of the group of selected contacts records in response to at least one of:
• a default selection, and a navigation function, wherein the navigation function is responsive to user input to change the currently selected contacts record by traversing through the at least a portion of the graphical icons relative to the axis;
• and
• activate a pre-selected communication mode in response to a single click user input such that communication with the currently selected contacts record is initiated.

A hardware-implemented communication device, comprising:

• a display screen;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• display on the display screen a set of graphical icons assigned to respective ones of a group of user-selected contacts records and arranged in a plurality of positions about an axis in an idle display page on the display screen, wherein one of the graphical icons corresponds to a currently selected contacts record and wherein the group of user-selected contacts records is a subset of a plurality of contacts records stored in the communication device, wherein the subset is associated with a communications pricing with which those of the plurality of contacts other than the subset are not associated, and wherein each position of the plurality of positions in the idle display page on the display screen correlates to the communications carrier pricing;
• provide a selection function that is arranged to select one of the group of selected contacts records in response to at least one of:
• a default selection, and a navigation function, wherein the navigation function is responsive to user input to change the currently selected contacts record by traversing through the at least a portion of the graphical icons relative to the axis;
• activate a pre-selected communication mode that is activated in response to a single click user input such that communication with the currently selected contacts record is initiated;
• and
• provide an options menu that is arranged to change an option associated with a particular one of the contacts records, wherein the options menu comprises a graphical display of selection choices for changing a profile of the currently selected contacts record, replacing a currently selected contacts record, and changing an order of the currently selected contacts record and of its assigned graphical icon relative to, respectively, the group of selected contacts records and their assigned graphical icons.

A hardware-implemented communication device, comprising:

• a display screen:
• and
• a processor configured to:
• display on the display screen a set of graphical icons assigned to respective ones of a group of user-selected contacts records and arranged in a plurality of positions about an axis in an idle display page on the display screen, wherein one of the graphical icons corresponds to a currently selected contacts record and wherein the group of user-selected contacts records is a subset of a plurality of contacts records stored in the communication device, wherein the subset is associated with a communications pricing with which those of the plurality of contacts other than the subset are not associated, and wherein each position of the plurality of positions in the idle display page on the display screen correlates to the communications carrier pricing;
• provide a selection function that is arranged to select one of the group of selected contacts records in response to at least one of:
• a default selection, and a navigation function, wherein the navigation function is responsive to user input to change the currently selected contacts record by traversing through the at least a portion of the graphical icons relative to the axis;
• and
• selectively activate a communication options menu by a single-click user input from the idle display page, wherein the communication options menu includes an arrangement of available communication modes associated with the currently-selected contacts record.

A hardware-implemented communication device, comprising:

• a display screen;
• and
• a processor configured to display on the display screen a set of graphical indicators that are associated with a user-selected subset of a plurality of contacts records, the subset being associated with a communications carrier pricing with which those of the plurality of contacts other than the subset are not associated, and that are arranged in a plurality of positions in at least one of a home page and an idle display page displayed on the display screen, each position of the plurality of positions in the at least one of the home page and the idle display page correlating to the communications carrier pricing, wherein the positions are arranged about a central axis;
• a navigation means that is arranged to change a selected one of the graphical indicators in response to a navigation user input;
• and
• a selection means that is arranged to initiate a communication means associated with a contacts record with which the selected graphical indicator is associated in response to a selection input from a user;
• wherein:
• a maximum number of the plurality of contacts records associable with the communications carrier pricing is set by a communications carrier that provides the pricing;
• the processor is configured so that the set of graphical indicators includes no more than the maximum number;
• and
• designation of contacts records of the plurality of contacts records as belonging to the subset is user-selectable.

A hardware-implemented communication device, comprising:

• a display screen;
• a processor configured to display on the display screen a set of graphical indicators that are associated with a user-selected subset of a plurality of contacts records, the subset being associated with a communications carrier pricing with which those of the plurality of contacts other than the subset are not associated, and that are arranged in a plurality of positions in at least one of a home page and an idle display page displayed on the display screen, each position of the plurality of positions in the at least one of the home page and the idle display page correlating to the communications carrier pricing, wherein the positions are arranged about a central axis;
• a navigation means that is arranged to change a selected one of the graphical indicators in response to a navigation user input;
• and
• a selection means that is arranged to initiate a communication means associated with a contacts record with which the selected graphical indicator is associated in response to a selection input from a user;
• wherein:
• one of the subset of contacts records is pre-selectable by the user as a primary contacts record;
• the graphical indicator associated with the primary contacts record is set as the selected indicator upon the responsive display of the display page prior to any navigation input;
• and
• the selection input includes a single click.

A method for providing a user interface of a communication device, comprising:

• storing a plurality of contacts records associated with respective communications carrier pricings;
• displaying on a display screen of the communication device at least one of a home page and an idle display page, the at least one of the home page and the idle display page including a set of graphical indicators that are associated with a user-selected subset of the plurality of contacts records, the subset being associated with a same communications carrier pricing with which those of the plurality of contacts other than the subset are not associated, the set of graphical indicators being arranged in a plurality of positions in the at least one of the home page and the idle display page, each position in the plurality of positions correlating to the communications carrier pricing, wherein the positions are arranged about a central axis;
• changing a selected one of the graphical indicators in response to a navigation user input;
• and
• initiating a communication means associated with a contacts record with which the selected graphical indicator is associated in response to a selection input from a user.

A method for providing a user interface of a communication device, comprising:

• storing a plurality of contacts records;
• displaying on a display screen of the communication device an idle display page including a set of graphical icons assigned to respective ones of a user-selected subset of the plurality of contacts records, the set of graphical icons being arranged in a plurality of positions about an axis of the idle display page, wherein one of the graphical icons corresponds to a currently selected contacts record and wherein the group of user-selected contacts records is a subset of a plurality of contacts records stored in the communication device, wherein the subset is associated with a communications pricing with which those of the plurality of contacts other than the subset are not associated, and wherein each position of the plurality of positions in the idle display page on the display screen correlates to the communications carrier pricing;
• selecting one of the subset of contacts records in response to at least one of:
• a default selection and a navigation function, wherein the navigation function is responsive to user input to change the currently selected contacts record by traversing through the graphical icons relative to the axis;
• and
• initiating communication with the currently selected contacts record in response to a single click user input.

A method for providing a user interface of a communication device, comprising:

• storing a plurality of contacts records;
• displaying on a display screen of the communication device an idle display page including a set of graphical icons assigned to respective ones of a user-selected subset of the plurality of contacts records, the set of graphical icons being arranged in a plurality of positions about an axis of the idle display page, wherein one of the graphical icons corresponds to a currently selected contacts record and wherein the group of user-selected contacts records is a subset of a plurality of contacts records stored in the communication device, wherein the subset is associated with a communications pricing with which those of the plurality of contacts other than the subset are not associated, and wherein each position of the plurality of positions in the idle display page on the display screen correlates to the communications carrier pricing;
• selecting one of the subset of contacts records in response to at least one of:
• a default selection and a navigation function, wherein the navigation function is responsive to user input to change the currently selected contacts record by traversing through the graphical icons relative to the axis;
• and
• selectively activating a communication options menu in response to a single click user input from the idle display page, wherein the communication options menu includes an arrangement of available communication modes associated with the currently-selected contacts record.

A method for controlling a user interface of a communication device, comprising:

• storing a plurality of records that each includes a respective contact information;
• initially associating each of the plurality of records with a first communications carrier pricing of a customer account;
• responsive to user-selection of a subset of the plurality of records for association with a second communications carrier pricing of the customer account, associating up to a system-set predetermined maximum number of the selected records with the second communications carrier pricing;
• displaying on a display screen of the communication device at least one of a home page screen and an idle screen, each of the at least one of a home page screen and an idle screen including an arrangement of graphical indicators associated with the user-selected subset of the plurality of records, at least a portion of the graphical indicators occupying positions that are arranged about a central axis, each of the positions correlated to the second communications carrier pricing;
• and
• responsive to user input requesting a change to the association of records with the second communications carrier pricing, executing the change conditional upon that the association has not been previously changed within a predetermined period.