Intel Corporation

Picazo Communications

Ronald Scott Langham

Michael D Stanford

An enhanced telephone emulation computer system including a minidialer program for controlling a computer to add telephony functions which can be invoked from whatever active program is currently controlling the computer. The minidialer program controls the computer to alter its processing depending upon the context existing at the time when a mouse click or hot key combination event is detected indicating the user wishes to invoke a telephony function. The minidialer program determines whether the user has highlighted any text or numbers in the active window of the application currently controlling the computer and whether the highlighted material is a name or a phone number, and if a name, whether the name is stored with a phone number in a phone book or file maintained on the computer. Processing and telephony menu options displayed as available also depend upon whether the user is or is not on the phone at the time the mouse click or hot key event occurs. In some embodiments, if the user has highlighted a URL, a browser will be launched and the web page corresponding to the URL will be opened.

Telephone functions for computers

An embodiment may include, in response to selecting of a displayed telephone number, prompting issuance of a click command to make an outgoing call to the displayed telephone number. The selecting may be indicated by highlighting the displayed telephone number. In response to an incoming call, a message may be displayed from an operating system. The message may include caller ID data and may prompt issuing of other click commands that, if issued, may result in answering the incoming call, conferencing the incoming call with the outgoing call, and placing on hold the outgoing call.

Method and apparatus for controlling a computer to implement telephone functions with an enhanced minidialer function

A method and apparatus for controlling a computer to display a multifunction telephone to augment or supplant a regular desktop telephone, said displayed phone having a variable size which may be increased from a minimum size in increments or with a fixed width or length with the other of the two dimensions infinitely variable to a maximum length or width. Each increment displays different virtual buttons which may be virtually pushed using a keyboard or pointing device to carry out various telephone functions such as speed dialing, transfer, speakerphone etc. using the TAPI Windows interface and library of telephone functions or an analogous library and API in other operating systems. As the size of the phone is varied, more virtual buttons become visible and their functions may be invoked. Preferably, the virtual buttons are positioned on the phone display such that they become visible in the order of frequency of use for the typical user.

Growing community of inventors

Dallas, TX, United States of America

Ronald Scott Langham