AT17634U2 - SMARTPHONE APPLICATION FOR EFFICIENT CALL HANDLING - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a computer program, comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out operations which comprise: automatically generating a call list (21) from a plurality of contact entries which are selected from a list stored in a portable electronic device (1 ) stored phone book originate, wherein the call list (21) comprises a predetermined number of contact entries (20); Displaying at least one section of the call list (21) on a graphical user interface; and in response to a selection of one of the contact entries (20), invoking a telephone function of the handheld electronic device (1) using a telephone number (31) associated with the selected contact entry (20). The invention also relates to a portable electronic device (1), in particular a smartphone, having a memory for storing a computer program according to the invention, and a computer-implemented method.

Description

description

SMARTPHONE APPLICATION FOR EFFICIENT CALL HANDLING

TECHNICAL AREA

The present invention relates generally to the technical field of call handling with portable electronic devices and more particularly to a computer program, preferably in the form of an application ("app") for a smartphone, for efficiently handling telephone calls.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Portable electronic devices such as smartphones are now constant companions and support the user in basic activities such as communication, information gathering, scheduling and navigation alike. Although the human-machine interfaces of the electronic devices and also the graphical user interfaces of the mobile applications ("apps") that can be executed on the devices are constantly evolving, use is still cumbersome, time-consuming and resource-consuming and, in particular, not seamless.

For example, if the user has a series of calls to make, for example to make appointments, it is generally necessary to switch back and forth between the contact app, the phone app and the calendar app several times. It is even more cumbersome, for example, if the user has a call list, e.g. in the browser app or the notes app, and has to select each telephone number individually, copy it and then paste it into the phone app.

[0004] On the one hand, the human-machine interaction in these scenarios is obviously inefficient since it requires a large number of repetitive and cumbersome interactions. On the other hand, the high degree of interaction is also associated with increased power consumption and also leads to high wear and tear on the hardware, especially the display module.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide improved techniques for handling telephone calls, particularly large numbers of telephone calls, with portable electronic devices, thereby at least partially overcoming the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

SUMMARY

In its broadest form, the invention provides a computer program or computer program product for handling telephone calls. The computer program may include instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the program to perform various operations disclosed below.

In one aspect of the invention, a call list is generated automatically or at least semi-automatically. In this context, "automatically" is intended to mean that the call list can be generated by the computer program without the user having a significant influence on the content of the call list, but with the user possibly causally initiating the (possibility of) generation of the call list or can release, for example by activating a corresponding control element, setting a corresponding usage preference or the like. The call list may be generated from or based on a plurality of contact entries originating from a phone book or address book or contact book stored in a portable electronic device. The call list can contain a predetermined number of contact entries. The call list or at least a section of it can be displayed on a graphical user interface. In response to a selection of one of the contact entries, a phone function of the handheld electronic device may be enabled using an associated with the selected contact entry

linked phone number can be called. Invoking the phone function may initiate a phone call to the phone number associated with the selected contact entry, either immediately or involving one or more interactions with the user.

[0008] This aspect of the present invention allows a particularly efficient handling or processing of a large number of telephone calls in a short time or with as few entries as possible by the user. In particular, the presentation of the limited number of contact entries in the call list and the possibility of simply selecting a desired contact entry leads to a guided human-machine interaction that the user performs in the performance of a technical task, namely using the telephone function of a portable electronic device , supports. It is important to note that assisting the user in performing the technical task is objective, reliable, and causally linked to the aspects of the invention described above. Because the computer program relieves the user of a manual selection from all contacts of the user (i.e. the telephone book) by automatically generating the contact list or facilitates this, so that the effect of the present invention does not depend on the subjective interests or preferences of the user. In other words, this aspect of the invention provides a technical tool that enables the user to more efficiently perform the technical task of handling a large number of telephone calls, particularly with a portable electronic device.

However, thanks to the present invention, the man-machine interaction is not only less complicated, time-consuming and resource-consuming and, in particular, more seamless, but the aspects of the invention disclosed here also achieve further technical effects. This is because the reduced number of interactions by the user with the portable electronic device directly leads to reduced power consumption and less wear and tear on the hardware, in particular the display module.

In one aspect of the present invention, the predetermined number of contact entries is selected from the range of 3 to 17, preferably 5 to 15, and more preferably 8 to 12. In general, different scopes of the call list, i.e. specified numbers of contact entries, are conceivable, for example 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 , 18, 19, 20 or even more contact entries. The predetermined number of contact entries may be less than a number of contact entries in the phone book stored in the portable electronic device.

It is particularly preferred if the predetermined number of contact entries comprises ten contact entries, in particular if the call list contains exactly ten contact entries after it has been generated. Experiments have shown that this achieves an optimal balance between output performance, i.e. the number of calls made, and clarity and ease of use.

In another aspect of the invention, the operations may further comprise: receiving usage input for selecting at least a subset of the contact entries stored in the phone book of the portable electronic device for use by the computer program. Furthermore, a unique identifier of the contact entry can be determined for each selected contact entry stored in the telephone book. This allows the computer program to be initialized, i.e. filled with contact entries, which can then be used to generate the call list. For example, a user can be free to decide whether they want to transfer all the contact entries stored in the phone book to the computer program or use them in it, or only a selected subset of them. It is provided that, in one aspect, the selected contact entries stored in the telephone book are transferred to the computer program, for example copied. However, preferably only unique identifiers of the respective contact entries are transferred to the computer program. If at any point in the further use of the computer program information about a contact is required,

e.g. the name or the telephone number(s), this information can be (re)loaded from the telephone book using the identifier. The information is thus always up to date and inconsistencies between the data status of the computer program and the telephone book in the portable electronic device are avoided. Furthermore, this aspect is also advantageous in terms of data protection law.

The automatic generation of the call list can include an automatic selection of the predetermined number of contact entries according to a predetermined selection criterion. In particular, the predetermined selection criterion can be a random criterion, i.e. the call list is filled with randomly selected contact entries. This random criterion is particularly advantageous because, on the one hand, this achieves a balanced filling of the call list, particularly over time when the call list is filled again after it has been processed. On the other hand, the filling of the call list is unbiased due to the randomness and thereby avoids or reduces a subjective influence on the filling of the call list by the user. In other words, the choice or decision-making authority of the user when using the computer program, in particular when processing the call list, is largely minimized, so that the user acts to a certain extent only as a deterministic tool in the overall process.

It is even conceivable that the order in which the calls on the call list are to be processed is specified by the computer program, i.e. in this aspect there is no longer any (significant) choice for the user.

In a further aspect of the invention, the automatic generation of the call list or a regeneration of the call list is performed in response to an event, in particular after all contact entries on the call list have been processed. Additionally or alternatively, the automatic generation of the call list can be carried out regularly at a predetermined time interval.

A predetermined time interval of one day can be provided as particularly expedient. In other words, the call list is automatically regenerated at the beginning of each calendar day, possibly only if it has previously been completely processed. This creates a continuous basis for the user's calling activities and ensures uninterrupted use of the portable electronic device.

Furthermore, a display of at least one control element can be provided on the graphical user interface, the selection of which allows a user to classify the telephone call that was initiated. The classification may be selected from the group consisting of: appointment made, phone appointment made, successful completion, contact did not have time, contact was unavailable, and/or contact declined consultation. This allows the user to document the result or the outcome of the respective telephone call. In contrast to free text fields that are laborious to fill, this aspect of the invention allows a particularly efficient human-machine interaction due to its deliberately limited possibility of classification.

In a further aspect, at least one control element can be displayed on the graphical user interface, the selection of which causes a calendar function of the portable electronic device to be called up. A further technical function of modern portable electronic devices is thus seamlessly integrated into the computer program and the user can create an appointment in an electronic calendar directly from the computer program.

[0019] Invoking the calendar function may include inserting a predetermined marker into a new calendar entry. The tag may be used to associate and/or synchronize calendar entries on the portable electronic device with the computer program, as will be explained in more detail below.

The computer program can also include operations for displaying at least one statistic on the graphical user interface and/or for transmitting at least one

Statistics from the handheld electronic device over a network to at least one server. The at least one statistic can be selected from the group comprising: a call progress, which relates a number of calls already made to a total number of calls to be made within a time interval, preferably within a day, preferably corresponding to the specified number of contact entries, and /or a completion rate, which represents a ratio of calls classified as completed to calls made within a time interval, preferably within a week, within a month and/or within an entire time interval. The provided statistics allow a reliable control of the results of the call activities.

Depending on the specific implementation, calling the telephone function, the calendar function and/or a function of the portable electronic device in general can include calling an API function or generally a programming interface of an operating system of the portable electronic device. For this purpose, the specialist can use various APIs (“Application Programming Interface”), which are available for the common operating systems of portable electronic devices.

The graphical user interface can suitably be that of the portable electronic device, i.e. the generated call list is displayed on the portable electronic device itself after generation and can be used there as described. Alternatively, it is also conceivable that the call list is generated based on contacts from the phone book of the portable electronic device, but is then displayed on a graphical user interface of a second device, for example a laptop or similar device. After selecting a contact entry in the call list, the telephone function of the portable electronic device can also be invoked in this possible embodiment in order to initiate a telephone call, but starting from the second device.

The present invention further provides a portable electronic device, in particular a smartphone. The device may comprise a processor for executing a computer program according to any of the aspects disclosed herein and/or a memory for storing a computer program according to any of the aspects disclosed herein and/or generally comprise means for performing operations according to a computer program according to any of the aspects disclosed herein aspects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the following figures.

Figure 1: A networked system architecture with a smartphone, a computer and an internet-connected server according to an embodiment of the invention.

2: A start screen (“home screen”) of a mobile application according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3: A detailed view of a contact entry of a mobile application according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4a: A (call) result view of a mobile application according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 40: A calendar entry function of a mobile application according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4c: A resubmission view of a mobile application according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4d: A paused view of a mobile application according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 A flow chart of transitions between GUIs of a mobile application according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 6: A dashboard according to an embodiment of the invention. Figure 7: A collaborative dashboard according to an embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention provide the user with a significant reduction in workload when handling telephone calls, in particular when processing a large number of calls, transferring appointments to an electronic calendar and/or selecting relevant contacts.

In particular, embodiments of the invention provide a computer program for a portable electronic device, for example a smartphone, tablet or the like, which is also referred to below as a “mobile application”, “application” or simply as an “app” as is customary in the art. In one embodiment, the app generates a daily call list consisting of ten randomly selected contacts. The user can make calls accordingly, rate the calls via the app and then monitor his or her performance via a dashboard.

Although in the following description of example embodiments a smart phone is often cited as an example of a portable electronic device 1, those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to a smart phone. Rather, the disclosed principles, features, processes, functions, and/or functionality may be applied with any other type of handheld electronic device as well.

An exemplary and non-exhaustive field of application of the technical principles disclosed herein is distribution. With a smartphone app and/or associated browser dashboard according to embodiments of the invention, the sales employee can monitor himself, see his own weaknesses in sales and where he can make even better use of his strengths. The smartphone app and/or the associated browser dashboard according to embodiments of the invention is also a particularly uncomplicated solution for the management level to carry out effective and/or simple controlling across the entire hierarchical level without burdening the salesperson with useless entry work. In experiments, an increase in sales performance of around 30% was achieved with daily use of the smartphone app and/or the browser dashboard.

SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

Figure 1 shows an exemplary networked system architecture according to an embodiment of the invention. The system comprises a portable electronic device 1 (shown as a smartphone in Fig. 1), a computer 2 and a server 3, which are interconnected via a network 4 (in Fig. 1 the network is the Internet).

The smartphone 1 can run an app for handling phone calls efficiently. The server 3 can provide a dashboard which, in one possible implementation, can be used as a website using a browser on the smartphone 1 and/or the computer 2 .

The individual components of the system, in particular the app and the dashboard, are explained in more detail below using preferred embodiments. MOBILE APPLICATION: FRONT-END

[0042] Embodiments of the app are for efficiently handling phone calls. In order to initially fill the app with telephone contacts, the user can be provided with a corresponding import GUI, by means of which they are all stored on the smartphone 1

contacts or a selection of them for use in the app.

A typical way of using the app according to an embodiment of the invention is explained below with reference to FIGS. ) are designated.

It goes without saying that the selection, the arrangement and/or the graphic design of the elements of the GUIs explained below and shown in the figures are merely exemplary and variants are conceivable insofar as they are expedient within the scope of the invention. Insofar as the present disclosure refers to an operating element or its activation, this includes any customary human-machine interaction options, for example clicking, touching or in general any type of action that a user can carry out on a display, in particular a touchscreen Operating gesture, or even other forms of input, for example through voice commands.

Figure 2 shows an example start-up screen according to an embodiment of the invention. The start screen includes a list 21 with a predetermined number of contact entries 20, which is also referred to as the call list 21 below. In the exemplary representation, the contact entries 20 on the call list 21 are each displayed in the format “first name last name”, but other useful formats are also conceivable.

In the example embodiments disclosed herein, the predetermined number of contact entries, i.e. the length of the call list, is ten contacts. However, this is also only to be understood as an example and other appropriate numbers or lengths are conceivable.

The call list 21 is generated as follows in one embodiment of the invention: First, the user is asked to release the phone book or address book of the smartphone 1, whereupon the contacts are displayed in the app. The user can choose whether all contacts or only a selection of the contacts for the generation of the call list 21 should be used. The app then automatically or semi-automatically generates the call list 21 by randomly selecting entries.

Due to the generally limited screen size of smartphones and other mobile devices 1, it is possible that only a subset of the call list 21 is displayed at a given point in time. In the example in FIG. 2, only seven contact entries 20 in the call list 21 are visible. In this case, the application can enable the user to scroll through the call list 21 (so-called “scrolling”) by means of customary user inputs.

An optional header is also shown on the start screen in FIG. The header area can include a title 22, which can designate the name of the person using the app, optionally with a motivating speech. It goes without saying that the user in this example has previously created a user account in which the name and/or other relevant information is stored.

Furthermore, the header may include an optional statistics section 23, which in turn may include one or more statistics. In the example in Fig. 2, the statistics section 23 shows a call progress as a statistic, i.e. how many calls have already been made in relation to the total number of calls to be made, the total number corresponding to the predetermined number of contact entries 20. In the example shown, the call progress is 1 out of 10. The total progress can refer to one day, i.e. it can be reset to zero by the app on a daily basis. Other conceivable statistics not shown in Fig. 2 can include: a completion rate for the current week, a completion rate for the current month, an overall completion rate and/or generally a completion rate over a specified period of time, each as a percentage, which represents a ratio of those classified as completed calls to calls made.

An optional navigation area 24 is also shown on the start screen in FIG.

puts. The navigation area 24 can include operating elements in order to enable the user to navigate within the application.

In response to a usage selection of a contact entry 20 on the call log 21, the app may display a detail view of the contact entry 20. FIG. 3 shows an example in which the person using the app has selected the contact entry 20 “Jane Citizen” from FIG. Correspondingly, the detailed view in Fig. 3 includes a title 30, which designates the name of the selected contact entry 20, and one or more telephone numbers 31 linked to the contact entry 20. If several telephone numbers 31 are linked to the contact entry 20, graphical control elements can be used to select one of the Telephone numbers 31 are displayed and one of the telephone numbers 31 can be preselected, for example the first number or the number stored as the standard number in the telephone book. In the example in FIG. 3, only a single telephone number 31 is linked to the contact entry 20, so that the display of a selection control element is unnecessary or, as shown in FIG. 3, the single telephone number 31 is already preselected.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the detailed view also includes a graphic control element 32, labeled "TIGACALL" in FIG of contact entry 20 to call. As already mentioned, the specific graphic design in FIG. 3 is merely an example. For example, it is conceivable to initiate the call in a different way than by means of the graphic control element 32, for example by a customary operating gesture in relation to the displayed telephone number 31 itself, for example clicking, touching, "swiping" to the right or left, by voice command, etc. It is also conceivable, in alternative embodiments, to do without the control element 32 entirely and to trigger the telephone function directly by selecting a telephone number 31 to use it.

After triggering the telephone function, for example during the active call, but at the latest after the call has ended, the app can be transferred in one embodiment to the GUI shown in FIG. 4a, which represents a (call) result view. The result view may include one or more controls 40 to allow the user to rate or indicate, i.e. classify, the result of the phone call. In the illustrated embodiment, the controls 40 include the following result options (although any sub-combinations and/or other appropriate result options may be provided in alternative embodiments): "Appointment made", "Phone appointment made", "Successful completion", "Contact did not have time", "Contact could not be reached", "Contact refused advice".

If the user selects the result option 40 "Appointment made" or "Appointment made by telephone" in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4a, a control element 41, labeled "ENTER APPOINTMENT" in FIG Smartphone 1 causes a calendar entry function to be triggered. This allows the user to create a calendar entry 43, as shown in FIG. 45 by way of example. It is understood that in alternative embodiments the calendar entry function can also be triggered directly by selecting the corresponding result option 40, i.e. without the operating element 41.

[0056] The new calendar entry 43 can already be at least partially pre-filled by the app passing the relevant information to the calendar function. In the representation in FIG. 40, for example, the title of the appointment is already pre-filled with the specification of the name of the contact. Other useful information is conceivable.

In one embodiment, after the calendar entry has been made, the app can be transferred to the GUI according to FIG. 2, i.e. return to the start screen. In a preferred embodiment, the contact entry 20 associated with the appointment is now removed from the call list 21, i.e. the call list 21 now contains one entry less. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the statistics presented in the optional statistics section 23 are also updated.

If the user selects the result option 40 "Successful completion" in the exemplary embodiment according to Fig. 4a, the app can be transferred to the GUI according to Fig. 2, i.e. in return to the home screen. In a preferred embodiment, the contact entry 20 associated with the successful completion is now removed from the call list 21, i.e. the call list 21 now contains one entry less. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the statistics presented in the optional statistics section 23 are also updated.

If the user selects the result option 40 "Contact did not have time" or "Contact could not be reached" in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG according to Fig. 4c, which represents a resubmission view. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the GUI in FIG. 4c includes the follow-up options 44 “call again today”, “call again tomorrow”, “call again the day after tomorrow” and “call again next week”. It should be understood that any subset of the illustrated options and/or other time periods may be provided in alternative embodiments. For example, a resubmission option 44 “Select date” is also conceivable (not shown in FIG. 4c), with which the user can select a date.

If the user selects one of the resubmission options 44 in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4c, the app can be transferred to the GUI according to FIG to return. In a preferred embodiment, the associated contact entry 20 is now removed from the call list 21, i.e. the call list 21 now contains one entry less, and the associated contact entry 20 appears on a reminder list, optionally together with an indication of when a new call should be attempted ( not shown in Fig. 2).

If the user selects the result option 40 “Contact has rejected advice” in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4a, the app can be transferred to the GUI according to FIG. which displays a pause view. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the GUI in FIG. 4d includes the pause options 46 "Pause for 3 months", "Pause for 6 months", "Pause for 12 months" and "Pause until" (which can include a control element for specifying a date). . It should be understood that any subset of the illustrated options and/or other time periods may be provided in alternative embodiments.

If the user selects one of the pause options 46 in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4d, the app can be transferred to the GUI according to FIG to return. In a preferred embodiment, the associated contact entry 20 is now removed from the call list 21, i.e. the call list 21 now contains one entry less, and the associated contact entry 20 only appears again in the call list 21 after the respective time period has expired.

The GUI according to the embodiment in figure 3 also comprises a control element 33 "RESET CONTACT". The activation of the operating element 33 can transfer the app to the GUI according to FIG. 4c or a similar GUI, so that the user can select a resubmission option 44 .

The GUIs according to the embodiments in Figures 4a, 4c and 4d also comprise a control 42 "RATE LATER". The activation of the operating element 42 can transfer the application to the GUI according to FIG. 2, i.e. the start screen, in which case an additional operating element can then be displayed there (not shown in FIG to make up for postponed actions, i.e. to state the result of the respective call at a later point in time.

If the user has processed all calls on the call list 21, a control element can be displayed on the start screen, which triggers the generation of a further call list 21 after activation.

In a specific implementation, embodiments of the app according to the invention can call corresponding API functions of an operating system of the smartphone 1 to trigger various functions of the smartphone 1 (for example the telephone function and/or the calendar entry function explained further above).

USER INTERFACE STATES OF THE MOBILE APPLICATION

As described above, embodiments of the app may have a plurality of user interface states. A user interface state is a state in which the smartphone 1 displays a predefined GUI under control of the app and reacts to user inputs in a predefined manner.

Figure 5 shows a flow chart illustrating the transitions between the GUIs described above with reference to Figures 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d according to a preferred embodiment.

MOBILE APPLICATION: BACK END

In one embodiment of the app, the entries in the phone book of the smartphone 1 selected or released by the user are not imported or copied into the app, but only a unique identifier of the respective entry. The unique identifier can be an identifier already provided by the smartphone 1, such as a contact ID, or an identifier generated by the app, such as a hash of the entry. Whenever the app, as explained above, displays or uses information from a contact entry 20, for example the name and/or phone number(s), in one embodiment this information is determined at runtime using the unique identifier and is extracted from the phone book of the Smartphones 1 read. The information is therefore always up-to-date and inconsistencies between the data status of the app and that of the smartphone 1 are avoided. Furthermore, this aspect is also advantageous in terms of data protection law.

In one embodiment of the app, when creating a calendar entry on the smartphone 1, the calendar entry is marked to indicate that the appointment is associated with the app. The example in FIG. 4b shows, for example, that the calendar entry has a tag “tigacall_calendar_event” in the “Notes” field. However, the person skilled in the art will recognize that the specific designation of the marking or field is not important.

In one embodiment, the app can carry out an update process, so-called "reload", at regular intervals, for example every ten minutes.

The update process can include scanning the phone book or address book of the smartphone 1 . If new contacts are found, the app can display a notification for the user so that they can choose whether the new contacts and if so which of them should be available for the app.

The update process may include scanning the smartphone 1 calendar. Based on the marking of the calendar entries, the app can determine which appointments associated with the app are already in the past and prompt the user to evaluate or process the respective appointment or appointments, as already described above.

In one embodiment, the app provides different language versions. The language set in the smartphone 1 can be used to determine the language in which the GUI of the app should be displayed. If a language not supported by the app is determined, the app can select a default language, e.g. English.

In one embodiment, the app can provide one or more notifications for the user, for example at a predefined time or at predefined time intervals. For example, it is conceivable for the app to motivate the user to work through the call list with motivating notifications, or to provide general information that a new call list is available and can be processed. In one embodiment, the output of such notifications can include the use of a function for initiating so-called “push messages”, as the person skilled in the art is familiar with in the context of smartphones.

BROWSER DASHBOARD

A dashboard according to an embodiment of the invention is explained below with reference to FIGS.

Fig. 6 shows an embodiment of a dashboard in which the following key figures and/or statistics are presented, with any subgroups and/or further key figures and/or statistics being able to be provided in alternative embodiments:

[0078] - Selection: The current number of contacts selected for the app from the address book.

[0079] - Calls: The number of all calls made in the selected period. The rate describes the ratio of the calls made to the daily calls (in the example 10 per day).

- Reached contacts: The number of all contacts for which either a (telephone) appointment was made or who declined the consultation. The rate describes the ratio of contacts made to calls made.

[0081] - Agreed appointments: The number of all arranged personal or telephone appointments. The rate describes the relationship between the agreed appointments and the contacts made.

[0082] - Appointments: The number of appointments that took place in the selected period.

[0083] - Deals: The number of completed deals from the appointments that took place. The rate describes the ratio of the deals in relation to the dates that have taken place.

7 shows an embodiment of a collaborative dashboard, in which, in addition to the statistics of the user, the statistics of employees of the user whom the user invited are also displayed.

In a preferred embodiment, all contact information remains on the smartphone 1 and is not transferred to the server 3, but only the call statistics of the calls started via the app are transferred.

FURTHER EXAMPLES

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

automatically generating a call list (21) from a plurality of contact entries obtained from a phone book stored in a portable electronic device (1), the call list (21) including a predetermined number of contact entries (20);

Displaying at least one section of the call list (21) on a graphical user interface; and

in response to a selection of one of the contact entries (20), invoking a telephone function of the handheld electronic device (1) using a telephone number (31) associated with the selected contact entry (20).

2. The method of example 1, wherein the predetermined number of contact entries

gene (20) is selected from the range 3-17, preferably 5-15 and more preferably 8-12.

3. The method of example 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined number of contact entries (20) comprises ten contact entries (20).

4. The method of any of the above examples, wherein the predetermined number of contact entries (20) is less than a number of contact entries in the phone book stored in the portable electronic device (1).

5. The method of any of the preceding examples, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving usage input for selecting at least a subset of the contact entries stored in the phone book of the portable electronic device (1) for use by the computer program; and

for each selected contact entry stored in the phone book, determining a unique identifier of the contact entry.

6. The method of any of the preceding examples, wherein automatically generating the call list (21) comprises automatically selecting the predetermined number of contact entries (20) according to a predetermined selection criterion.

7. The method of example 6, wherein the predetermined selection criterion is a random criterion.

8. The method of any of the preceding examples, wherein the automatic generation of the call list (21) is performed in response to an event, specifically after all contact entries (20) on the call list (21) have been processed.

9. The method according to any of the preceding examples, wherein the automatic generation of the call list (21) is performed regularly at a predetermined time interval.

10. The method of example 9, wherein the predetermined time interval is one day.

11. The method of any of the preceding examples, wherein the operations further comprise:

Display at least one control element on the graphical user interface, the selection of which allows a user to classify the phone call that was initiated.

12. The method of example 11, wherein the classification is selected from the group consisting of: appointment made, phone appointment made, successful completion, contact did not have time, contact was unavailable, and/or contact declined consultation.

13. The method of any of the preceding examples, wherein the operations further comprise:

Displaying at least one operating element on the graphical user interface, the selection of which causes a calendar function of the portable electronic device (1) to be called up;

wherein invoking the calendar function includes inserting a predetermined marker into a new calendar entry.

14. The method of any of the preceding examples, wherein the operations further comprise:

Display at least one statistic on the graphical user interface.

15. The method of any of the preceding examples, wherein the operations further comprise:

Transmitting at least one statistic from the portable electronic device (1) to at least one server (3) via a network (4).

16. The method according to example 14 or 15, wherein the at least one statistic is selected from the group comprising:

a call progress, which relates a number of calls already made to a total number of calls to be made within a time interval, preferably within a day, preferably corresponding to the predetermined number of contact entries (20); and or

a completion rate, which represents a ratio of calls classified as completed to calls made within a time interval, preferably within a week, within a month and/or within an entire time interval.

17. The method of any of the above examples, wherein invoking the phone function and/or the calendar function of the handheld electronic device (1) comprises invoking an API function of an operating system of the handheld electronic device (1);

wherein invoking the calendar function includes inserting a predetermined marker into a new calendar entry.

18. A computer program or computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause it to carry out the method or the steps of the method according to any one of examples 1 to 17.

19. A computer-readable medium or computer-readable storage medium, comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause it to carry out the method or the steps of the method according to any one of examples 1 to 17.

20. A device or data processing device comprising means for carrying out the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 17.

21. An apparatus or data processing apparatus, comprising: a processor; a memory connected to the processor; and

instructions stored in memory operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the device to:

automatically generate a call list (21) from a plurality of contact entries obtained from a phone book stored in a portable electronic device (1), the call list (21) including a predetermined number of contact entries (20);

display at least one section of the call list (21) on a graphical user interface; and

in response to a selection of one of the contact entries (20), invoke a telephone function of the handheld electronic device (1) using a telephone number (31) associated with the selected contact entry (20).

22. The apparatus of example 21, wherein the predetermined number of contact entries (20) is selected from the range of 3 to 17, preferably 5 to 15, and more preferably 8 to 12.

23. The apparatus of example 21 or 22, wherein the predetermined number of contact entries (20) comprises ten contact entries (20).

24. The device of any of the above examples, wherein the predetermined number of contact entries (20) is less than a number of contact entries in the phone book stored in the portable electronic device (1).

25. The apparatus of any of the preceding examples, wherein the instructions stored in the memory are further operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to:

receive usage input for selecting at least a subset of the contact entries stored in the phone book of the portable electronic device (1) for use by the computer program; and

for each selected contact entry stored in the phone book, determine a unique identifier of the contact entry.

26. The apparatus of any of the preceding examples, wherein automatically generating the call list (21) comprises automatically selecting the predetermined number of contact entries (20) according to a predetermined selection criterion.

27. The device of example 26, wherein the predetermined selection criterion is a random criterion.

28. The apparatus of any of the preceding examples, wherein the automatic generation of the call list (21) is performed in response to an event, particularly after all contact entries (20) on the call list (21) have been processed.

29. The apparatus of any of the preceding examples, wherein the automatic generation of the call list (21) is performed regularly at a predetermined time interval.

30. The apparatus of example 29, wherein the predetermined time interval is one day.

31. The apparatus of any of the preceding examples, wherein the instructions stored in the memory are further operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to:

display at least one control element on the graphical user interface, the selection of which allows a user to classify the telephone call that was initiated.

32. The apparatus of example 31, wherein the classification is selected from the group consisting of: appointment made, phone appointment made, successful completion, contact did not have time, contact was unavailable, and/or contact declined consultation.

33. The apparatus of any of the preceding examples, wherein the instructions stored in the memory are further operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to:

to display at least one operating element on the graphical user interface, the selection of which causes a calendar function of the portable electronic device (1) to be called up;

wherein invoking the calendar function includes inserting a predetermined marker into a new calendar entry.

34. The device of any of the preceding examples, wherein the instructions stored in the memory are further operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the device to: display at least one statistic on the graphical user interface.

35. The device of any of the preceding examples, wherein the instructions stored in the memory are further operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the device to: at least one statistic from the handheld electronic device (1) over a network (4 ) to at least one server (3).

36. The device of example 34 or 35, wherein the at least one statistic is selected from the group comprising:

a call progress, which relates a number of calls already made to a total number of calls to be made within a time interval, preferably within a day, preferably corresponding to the predetermined number of contact entries (20); and or

a completion rate, which represents a ratio of calls classified as completed to calls made within a time interval, preferably within a week, within a month and/or within an entire time interval.

37. The device according to any of the above examples, wherein calling the phone function and/or the calendar function of the handheld electronic device (1) comprises calling an API function of an operating system of the handheld electronic device (1).

The systems and methods described herein may be embodied in one or more computer programs or computer program products, which may exist in a variety of forms, both active and inactive, on a single computer system or across multiple computer systems. You can e.g. B. as software program(s) consisting of program instructions in source code, object code, executable code or other formats for performing some of the steps. They may be embodied on any computer-readable medium, which includes storage devices and signals, in compressed or uncompressed form.

[00124] The term "computer" refers to any electronic device that contains a processor, such as a a general purpose central processing unit (CPU), special purpose processor, or microcontroller. A computer is capable of receiving data (an input), performing a series of specified operations on it, and thereby producing a result in the form of information or signals (an output). Depending on the context, the term "computer" either means a processor specifically, or may refer more generally to a processor in conjunction with a collection of interconnected elements contained within a single chassis.

A “mobile device” or “mobile user device” or a “handheld electronic device” can be any type of handheld electronic device, including a cell phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smartphone, a tablet, etc. The mobile Device may include a display, a Global Positioning System (GPS) module, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) module, a compass, one or more cameras, and various other input/output (I/O) components.

A "computer-readable medium" or "storage medium" may be any means that can contain, store, communicate, distribute, and/or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system or device. The computer-readable medium may be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or medium of propagation. More specific, non-exhaustive examples of the computer-readable medium may include: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber and a compact disc portable read-only memory (CDROM).

Claims (20)

Expectations 1. A computer program comprising instructions that are carried out in the execution of the program cause a computer to perform operations that include: automatically generating a call list (21) from a plurality of contact entries obtained from a phone book stored in a portable electronic device (1), the call list (21) including a predetermined number of contact entries (20); Displaying at least one section of the call list (21) on a graphical user interface; and in response to a selection of one of the contact entries (20), invoking a telephone function of the handheld electronic device (1) using a telephone number (31) associated with the selected contact entry (20). 2. The computer program according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined number of contact entries (20) is selected from the range from 3 to 17, preferably from 5 to 15 and even more preferably from 8 to 12. 3. The computer program of claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined number of contact entries (20) comprises ten contact entries (20). The computer program according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the predetermined number of contact entries (20) is less than a number of contact entries in the phone book stored in the portable electronic device (1). 5. The computer program of any preceding claim, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving usage input for selecting at least a subset of the contact entries stored in the phone book of the portable electronic device (1) for use by the computer program; and for each selected contact entry stored in the phone book, determining a unique identifier of the contact entry. 6. The computer program according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the automatic generation of the call list (21) comprises an automatic selection of the predetermined number of contact entries (20) according to a predetermined selection criterion. 7. The computer program according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined selection criterion is a random criterion. The computer program according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the automatic generation of the call list (21) is performed in response to an event, in particular after all contact entries (20) on the call list (21) have been processed. 9. The computer program according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the automatic generation of the call list (21) is carried out regularly at a predetermined time interval. 10. The computer program of claim 9, wherein the predetermined time interval is one day. 11. The computer program according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the operations further comprise: displaying at least one control element on the graphical user interface, the selection of which allows a user to classify the initiated telephone call. 12. The computer program of claim 11, wherein the classification is selected from the group consisting of: appointment made, phone appointment made, successful completion, contact did not have time, contact was unavailable, and/or contact declined consultation. 13. The computer program of any preceding claim, wherein the operations further comprise: Displaying at least one operating element on the graphical user interface, the selection of which causes a calendar function of the portable electronic device (1) to be called up; wherein invoking the calendar function includes inserting a predetermined marker into a new calendar entry. 14. The computer program of any preceding claim, wherein the operations further comprise: displaying at least one statistic on the graphical user interface. The computer program according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the operations further comprise: transmitting at least one statistic from the handheld electronic device (1) to at least one server (3) via a network (4). 16. The computer program according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the at least one statistic is selected from the group comprising: a call progress, which relates a number of calls already made to a total number of calls to be made within a time interval, preferably within a day , preferably corresponding to the predetermined number of contact entries (20); and/or a completion rate, which represents a ratio of calls classified as completed to calls made within a time interval, preferably within a week, within a month and/or within an entire time interval. The computer program according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein calling the phone function and/or the calendar function of the handheld electronic device (1) comprises calling an API function of an operating system of the handheld electronic device (1). The computer program according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the graphical user interface is that of the portable electronic device (1). A portable electronic device (1), in particular a smartphone, comprising a memory for storing a computer program according to any one of claims 1 to 18. 20. A computer-implemented method, comprising: automatically generating a call list (21) from a plurality of contact entries obtained from a phone book stored in a portable electronic device (1), the call list (21) including a predetermined number of contact entries (20); Displaying at least one section of the call list (21) on a graphical user interface; and in response to a selection of one of the contact entries (20), invoking a telephone function of the handheld electronic device (1) using a telephone number (31) associated with the selected contact entry (20). 10 sheets of drawings