US Patent 7983718 Wireless phones with keys displaying image files

A wireless telephone includes one or more keys incorporating a programmable display. The display may display an image file (e.g., a photo of a parent or friend), such as a photo captured by a camera incorporated into the telephone. The image file may be displayed directly on the key or it may be cropped or downsampled as appropriate. The user interface allows the user to program the key to dial a particular telephone number. In one embodiment, during a multi-party conference call the keys display images of the conference call participants. The participant currently speaking can be displayed on a main display of the phone. When the conference call is over, the key displays revert back to their previous display state.