Method and Apparatus Pertaining to Processing Incoming Calls
A control circuit provides an incoming-call response-initiation zone on a touch-screen display in response to an incoming call. The control circuit then takes an incoming-call processing action in response to detecting a user's swipe-based gesture that begins in that incoming-call response-initiation zone. So configured, a user can begin a swipe in the incoming-call response-initiation zone that extends in a first direction that corresponds to accepting the call. When the user begins the swipe in the incoming-call response-initiation zone but extends that swipe in a second direction (that is, for example, opposite to the first direction) a different incoming call processing action results (such as “ignoring” the incoming call).
1 . An apparatus comprising:
a wireless transceiver;
a touch-screen display;
a control circuit operably coupled to the touch-screen display and the wireless transceiver and configured to:
provide on a touch-screen display an incoming-call response-initiation zone in response to an incoming call;
take an incoming-call processing action in response to detecting a user's swipe-based gesture that begins in the incoming-call response-initiation zone.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the incoming-call response-initiation zone comprises a horizontal stripe that extends at least substantially across the touch-screen display.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the horizontal stripe is disposed approximately midway between opposing ends of the touch-screen display.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to take an incoming-call processing action in response to detecting a user's swipe-based gesture that begins in the incoming-call response-initiation zone by accepting the call when the user's swipe-based gesture comprises a swipe in a first direction.
5 . The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the first direction is towards a depiction of a first icon on the touch-screen display, which first icon represents accepting the call.
6 . The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
present at least one image via the touch-screen display to suggest making a swipe-based gesture towards the first icon upon detecting that the user taps the incoming-call response-initiation zone and then taps the first icon.
7 . The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
dim a presentation of other content on the touch-screen display in a vicinity of the first icon when presenting the first icon.
8 . The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the control circuit is further configured to take an incoming-call processing action in response to detecting a user's swipe-based gesture that begins in the incoming-call response-initiation zone by refusing the call when the user's swipe-based gesture comprises a swipe in a second direction that is different than the first direction.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the second direction is substantially opposite the first direction.
10 . The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the second direction is towards a depiction of a second icon on the touch-screen display, which second icon represents refusing the call.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
mute any audible signaling as corresponds to signaling the incoming call in response to detecting a user's contacting the incoming-call response-initiation zone.
12 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the control circuit is configured to mute any audible signaling as corresponds to signaling the incoming call in response to detecting a user's contacting the incoming-call response-initiation zone regardless of whether the user contact comprises a part of a swipe-based gesture.
13 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises a portable communications device.
14 . A non-transitory computer storage medium having instructions stored therein, which instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
provide on a touch-screen display an incoming-call response-initiation zone in response to an incoming call;
take an incoming-call processing action in response to detecting a user's swipe-based gesture that begins in the incoming-call response-initiation zone.
15 . A method comprising:
at a control circuit:
providing on a touch-screen display an incoming-call response-initiation zone in response to an incoming call;
taking an incoming-call processing action in response to detecting a user's swipe-based gesture that begins in the incoming-call response-initiation zone.
16 . A cellular phone, comprising:
a wireless transceiver;
a touch-screen display;
a control circuit operably coupled to the touch-screen display and the wireless transceiver and configured to:
provide on a touch-screen display an incoming-call response-initiation zone in response to an incoming call;
take an incoming-call processing action in response to detecting a user's swipe-based gesture that begins in the incoming-call response-initiation zone, and wherein the control circuit is configured to take an incoming-call processing action in response to detecting a user's swipe-based gesture that begins in the incoming-call response-initiation zone by accepting the call when the user's swipe-based gesture comprises a swipe in a first direction.