Apple iPhone 6 Release Update to Feature New Visual System, Say Goodbye to Phone Menu
A few more months before the release of the iPhone 6 give Apple time to include more features and tweak components. The company has been acquiring patents for the past few months all pointing to a new iPhone system. The latest patent sighting describes a new visual dialing system promising more convenient business calls and an end to the hassle of audible-menu.
Calling companies like banks and cable networks can be tedious. The number of voice prompts and choices consumers has to deal with before getting to the right department can be stressing at times. The same goes for iPhone users who have to go through several voice prompts to contact the department they want.
The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (via Patently Apple) granted Apple a patent describing the new dialing system. The archaic system of voice prompts and audible-menus may soon end through Apple's invention. The system will allow businesses to determine if the user is calling through a mobile device. Once the business recognizes the device, a visual menu set will be sent to the iPhone. This will let users go over the menu prompts and choose what they need instantly. The system will cater specifically to businesses using cloud-based services.
Mobile users contact technical or customer support for a variety of reasons. Some of them want to obtain billing information, technical assistance and or cancel subscription among others. Regardless of the purpose, the caller will always be greeted by pre-recorded voices enumerating the choices. Because voice prompts are presented in a sequential form, callers have to sit through the entire record before reaching the option they need.
Apple's patent describes the use of a finite state machine or FSM and a server. The machine can project a tree structure of menus. Every menu generated will come with a series of selectable options. Through the FSM, linking options and menus become easier to navigate with. Apple has not made any official announcements about the final features of the iPhone 6 but new patents do offer a peak at what people can expect from the company's next offerings.
A new prototype of the iPhone has also shown up in Weibo supporting claims of a 4.7-inch iPhone 6.