Mobile communication device providing integrated access to telephony and internet
AssigneeHutchison Whampoa Three G IP (Bahamas) Limited
InventorsChristopher Henry Seal, Gaetano Vitolo, Kevin David Joyce, Nadir El Yakhlifi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided are devices, methods, communication managers and user interface solutions that enable access to multiple services from a mobile communications device. A mobile communication device that provides telephony services via a PSTN also includes multiple communication channels that exploit packet data transfer via an IP network, for example enabling VoIP, instant messaging and other internet-based communication services to be initiated from a mobile telephone.
Claims16
A mobile communications device comprising:
- means for sending and receiving signals via a circuit-switched telecommunications network;
- and
- means for initiating communications over an Internet Protocol network via each of a plurality of separate communication services;
- a data storage unit for storing data associated with each of the separate communication services;
- means for merging the data that is stored in the data storage unit for a first one of the plurality of separate communication services with data that is stored in the data storage unit for a second one of the plurality of separate communication services, said means for merging comprising
- means for comparing data entries within corresponding data fields or a plurality of contact lists, which contact lists are each associated with one of a plurality of separate client programs installed on the device for managing separate communication services, thereby to identify potential matching data entries;
- and
- means for displaying identified potential matching data entries to a device user and enabling user confirmation or rejection of the identified potential match;
- a storage means for storing the merged contact list entries as a single entry on the mobile communication device so that this single entry is accessed for communication;
- and
- a common graphical user interface (GUI) for displaying the data in the storage means and providing an integrated user access mechanism for the sending and/or receiving of communications over the Internet Protocol network via each of the plurality of separate communication services.
A method for merging contact list data that is stored in a data storage unit of a mobile communication device for a first one of a plurality of communication services with contact list data that is stored in the data storage unit of the device for a second one of the plurality of communication services, said mobile communication device having means for sending and receiving signals via a circuit-switched telecommunications network;
- and means for initiating communications over an Internet Protocol network via each of the plurality of separate communication services;
- the method comprising:
- comparing data entries within corresponding data fields of a plurality of contact lists by a means for comparing in the device, which contact lists are each associated with one of a plurality of separate client programs installed on the device for managing separate communication services, thereby to identify potential matching data entries;
- displaying the identified potential matching data entries to a device user via a user interface;
- enabling user confirmation or rejection of the identified potential match;
- merging the potential matching data entries if the device user confirms the match;
- storing the merged contact list entries as a single entry on the device so that this single entry is accessed for communication;
- and
- displaying the stored merged contact list entries on a common graphical user interface (GUI) for providing an integrated user access mechanism for the sending and/or receiving of communications over the Internet Protocol network via each of the plurality of separate communication services.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.