Wireless ringer

• US 10,367,951 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2015
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sweeney, Jeffrey M., Robinson, Michael C., Morrill, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsvey, Gennadiy
• Application Number:
  US14/946,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20160080581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include a device and method for extending alerts for a wireless device. In one embodiment, a method for extending alerts for a wireless device includes linking the wireless device through a wireless connection with a wireless ringer module; wherein the wireless ringer module is removably coupled to a device having an interface for receiving and coupling with the wireless ringer module. The method further includes transmitting a signal to the wireless ringer that triggers an alert feature of the wireless ringer for notifying a user of an incoming communication in response to the wireless device receiving an indication of an incoming communication.

Claims

1. A wireless ringer comprising:

a communications transceiver providing for direct wireless communication between the wireless ringer and a physically separate wireless device;

a memory;

a touch screen user interface providing for a user to input multiple ringer settings to the memory, wherein a first ringer setting of the multiple ringer settings is linked by the user to an identity of a known calling party, the touch screen user interface further providing for a display of text;

a speaker;

a vibrator;

a processor in communication with the communications transceiver, the memory, the touch screen user interface, the speaker and the vibrator, said processor causing one or more of the touch screen user interface, the speaker and the vibrator to emit a first alert according to the first ringer setting and in response to receipt, through the communications transceiver, of a wireless signal from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received an incoming communication of a first type from the known calling party, and said processor further causing one or more of the speaker, the touch screen user interface and the vibrator to emit a second alert according to a second ringer setting, which second alert is different from the first alert, in response to receipt of a second wireless signal from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received an incoming communication of a second type from a party other than the known calling party,

wherein the processor is further configured to determine the first alert based on the first ringer setting for communications of the first type from the known calling party, and the second alert based on the second ringer setting for communications of the second type from the party other than the known calling party;

wherein the processor is further configured to one of interrupt, mix, or overlay playback of media content on at least one of the touch screen user interface or the speaker with the first alert based on the first ringer setting, wherein the first ringer setting indicates whether to interrupt, mix, or overlay the playback of media content with the first alert, based at least in part on caller identification information; and

a strap providing for attachment of the wireless ringer to the user'"'"'s wrist.

2. The wireless ringer of claim 1 wherein the processor causes at least two of the touch screen user interface, the speaker and the vibrator to emit alerts according to the first ringer setting and in response to receipt of the wireless signal from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received the incoming communication of the first type from the known calling party.

3. The wireless ringer of claim 1 wherein the processor causes each of the touch screen user interface, the speaker and the vibrator to emit alerts according to the first ringer setting and in response to receipt of the wireless signal from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received the incoming communication of the first type from the known calling party.

4. The wireless ringer of claim 1 wherein the communications transceiver, processor and memory provide for the second ringer setting to be wirelessly transmitted from the wireless device to the wireless ringer and stored in the memory.

5. A wireless ringer comprising:

a communications transceiver providing for direct wireless communication between the wireless ringer and a physically separate wireless device;

at least one alert output device;

a memory;

a user interface providing for a user to input and store multiple ringer settings in the memory wherein a first ringer setting of the multiple ringer settings is linked by the user to an identity of a known calling party;

a processor in communication with the communications transceiver, the memory, the user interface, and the at least one alert output device, said processor causing the at least one alert output device to emit a first alert according to the first ringer setting and in response to receipt, through the communications transceiver, of a wireless signal from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received an incoming communication of a first type from the known calling party, wherein said processor further causes the at least one alert output device to emit a second alert, according to a second ringer setting which second alert is different from the first alert, in response to receipt of a second wireless signal from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received an incoming communication of a second type from a party other than the known calling party,

wherein the processor is further configured to determine the first alert based on the first ringer setting for communications of the first type from the known calling party, and the second alert based on the second ringer setting for communications of the second type from the party other than the known calling party;

wherein the processor is further configured to one of interrupt, mix, or overlay playback of media content on the at least one alert output device with the first alert based on the first ringer setting, wherein the first ringer setting indicates whether to interrupt, mix, or overlay the playback of media content with the first alert, based at least in part on caller identification information; and

a strap providing for attachment of the wireless ringer to the user'"'"'s wrist.

6. The wireless ringer of claim 5 wherein the at least one alert output device comprises a speaker and wherein the first alert comprises an audio indicator emitted by the speaker according to the first ringer setting and in response to the receipt of the wireless signal from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received the incoming communication of the first type from the known calling party, wherein the processor is further configured to one of interrupt, mix, or overlay playback of media content on the speaker with the first alert based on the first ringer setting, based at least in part on the caller identification information.

7. The wireless ringer of claim 5 wherein the at least one alert output device comprises a vibrator and wherein the alert comprises vibration of the vibrator according to the first ringer setting and in response to the receipt of the wireless signal from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received the incoming communication of the first type from the known calling party.

8. The wireless ringer of claim 5 wherein the at least one alert output device comprises a display of the user interface and wherein the first alert comprises a display of text on the display according to the first ringer setting and in response to receipt of the wireless signal from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received the incoming communication of the first type from the known calling party.

9. The wireless ringer of claim 5 wherein the communications transceiver, processor and memory provide for the second ringer setting to be wirelessly transmitted from the wireless device to the wireless ringer and stored in the memory.

10. A method for extending alerts from a wireless device, comprising:

providing a wireless ringer comprising;

a communications transceiver providing for direct wireless communication between the wireless ringer and a physically separate wireless device;

a touch screen user interface providing for a user input and a display of text;

a speaker;

a vibrator;

a memory;

a processor in communication with the communications transceiver, the memory, the touch screen user interface, the speaker and the vibrator; and

a strap providing for attachment of the wireless ringer to the user'"'"'s wrist;

storing multiple ringer settings in the memory using the touch screen user interface wherein a first ringer setting of the multiple ringer settings is linked by the user to an identity of a known calling party;

receiving, with the communications transceiver, a first wireless signal from the physically separate wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received an incoming communication from the known calling party;

receiving, with the communications transceiver, a wireless signal from the physically separate wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received an incoming communication from a party other than the known calling party;

processing the first wireless signal with the processor to cause one or more of the touch screen user interface, the speaker and the vibrator to emit a first alert according to the first ringer setting, in response to receipt of the wireless signal from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received the incoming communication of a first type from the known calling party;

determining the first alert based on the first ringer setting for communications of the first type from the known calling party;

processing the second wireless signal with the processor to cause one or more of the touch screen user interface, the speaker and the vibrator to emit a second alert according to a second ringer setting, in response to receipt of the wireless signal from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received the incoming communication of a second type from a party other than the known calling party, wherein the second alert is different from the first alert;

determining the second alert based on the second ringer setting for communications of the second type from the party other than the known calling party; and

providing, via the wireless ringer, the first alert according to the first ringer setting, wherein providing the first alert further includes one of interrupting, mixing, or overlaying playback of media content on the wireless ringer with the first alert based on the first ringer setting, wherein the first ringer setting indicates whether to interrupt, mix, or overlay the playback of media content with the first alert, based at least in part on caller identification information.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising processing the wireless signal with the processor according to the first stored ringer setting to cause at least two of the touch screen user interface, the speaker and the vibrator to emit alerts according to the first ringer setting and in response to receipt, through the communications transceiver, of the wireless signal from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received the incoming communication of the first type from the known calling party.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising processing the wireless signal with the processor according to the first ringer setting to cause each of the touch screen user interface, the speaker and the vibrator to emit alerts according to the first ringer setting and in response to receipt, through the communications transceiver, of the wireless signal from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received the incoming of the first type communication from the known calling party.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving the second ringer setting by wireless transmission from the wireless device to the wireless ringer; and

storing the second ringer setting in the memory.

14. A method for extending alerts from a wireless device, comprising:

providing a wireless ringer comprising;

a communications transceiver providing for direct wireless communication between the wireless ringer and a physically separate wireless device;

at least one alert output device;

a memory;

a user interface;

a processor in communication with the communications transceiver, the memory, the user interface, and the alert output device, and a strap providing for attachment of the wireless ringer to the user'"'"'s wrist;

storing a first ringer setting in the memory using the user interface;

linking the first ringer setting to an identity of a known calling party;

receiving, with the communications transceiver, a first wireless signal from the physically separate wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received an incoming communication from the known calling party;

receiving, with the communications transceiver, a second wireless signal from the physically separate wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received an incoming communication from a party other than the known calling party;

processing the first wireless signal with the processor to cause the at least one alert output device to emit a first alert according to the first stored ringer setting, and in response to receipt of the wireless signal from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received the incoming communication of a first type from the known calling party;

determining the first alert based on the first ringer setting for communications of the first type from the known calling party;

processing the second wireless signal with the processor to cause the at least one alert output device to emit a second alert according to a second stored ringer setting, and in response to receipt of the second wireless signal from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received the incoming communication of a second type from a party other than the known calling party;

determining the second alert based on the second ringer setting for communications of the second type from the party other than the known calling party; and

providing, via the wireless ringer, the first alert according to the first ringer setting, wherein providing the first alert further includes one of interrupting, mixing, or overlaying playback of media content on the wireless ringer with the first alert based on the first ringer setting, wherein the first ringer setting indicates whether to interrupt, mix, or overlay the playback of media content with the first alert, based at least in part on caller identification information.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one alert output device comprises a speaker, the method further comprising emitting an audio alert from the speaker according to the first ringer setting and in response to the receipt of the first wireless signal from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received the incoming communication of the first type from the known calling party.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one alert output device comprises a vibrator, the method further comprising vibrating the vibrator according to the first ringer setting and in response to the receipt of the first wireless signal from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received the incoming communication of the first type from the known calling party.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one alert output device comprises a display of the user interface, the method further comprising displaying text on the display according to the first ringer setting and in response to receipt of the first wireless signal from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device has received the incoming communication of the first type from the known calling party.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving the second ringer setting wirelessly transmitted from the wireless device to the wireless ringer; and

storing the second ringer setting in the memory.