Communications control method, communications control system, and wireless telephone device

• US 20030003901A1
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kuroiwa, Hitoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,324,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

An antenna of a wireless interface is installed in a communications suppressing area, and a communications suppressing signal is transmitted. When a wireless telephone device receives this signal, its operation mode is set to suppression mode so that when a call is received, an absence notification message is notified automatically. Area information indicating the kind of place the communications suppressing area is is provided in the communications suppressing signal, and the absence notification message is generated according to this information. When a call is received during suppression mode, selection of a response operation is prompted, and if selected, the selected response operation is performed. When a suppression releasing signal is received from an antenna installed in a non-communications suppressing area, or when the duration over which the communications suppressing signal is not received exceeds a preset period, the operation mode is switched from suppression mode to communications mode.

Claims

1. A communications control method comprising:

setting a reception range for a communications suppressing signal transmitted using a wireless interface as a communications suppressing area; and

performing an automatic response to notify a message upon receiving an incoming call if a wireless telephone device which performs communications via a base station receives said communications suppressing signal through said wireless interface.

2. The communications control method according to claim 1, wherein

said communications suppressing signal contains area information indicating the type of place of said communications suppressing area;

and

a message generated based on said area information is notified when said wireless telephone device receives an incoming call.

3. The communications control method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a suppression releasing signal by using said wireless interface; and

if said wireless telephone device receives said suppression releasing signal through said wireless interface, deactivating said automatic response to an incoming call, and performing a calling process upon reception of an incoming call.

4. The communications control method according to claim 1, further comprising deactivating said automatic response to an incoming call if said communications suppressing signal is not received for a period of time, and performing a calling process upon reception of an incoming call.

5. A communications control system comprising:

communications suppressing area setting means for setting a reception range for a communications suppressing signal as a communications suppressing area, wherein said communications suppressing signal is transmitted through a wireless interface; and

a wireless telephone device performing communications via a base station;

wherein said wireless telephone device includes;

reception means for receiving a signal transmitted through said wireless interface; and

control means for performing an automatic response and notifying a message upon reception of an incoming call if said reception means receives a communications suppression signal.

6. The communications control system according to claim 5, wherein

area information indicating the type of place of said communications suppressing area is provided in said communications suppressing signal by said communications suppressing area setting means, and

said control means of said wireless telephone device notifies upon reception of an incoming call a message generated based on said area information of said communications suppressing signal received by said reception means.

7. The communications control system according to claim 5, further comprising:

communications suppression releasing means for transmitting a suppression releasing signal using said wireless interface, wherein

said control means deactivates said automatic response to an incoming call when said suppression releasing signal is received by said reception means, and a calling process is performed upon reception of an incoming call.

8. The communications control system according to claim 5, wherein

said control means deactivates said automatic response to an incoming call when said communications suppressing signal is not received by said reception means for a period of time, and a calling process is performed upon reception of an incoming call.

9. A wireless telephone device, comprising:

communications means for performing communications via a base station;

reception means for receiving signals transmitted through a wireless interface; and

control means for controlling a communications operation performed upon reception of an incoming call based on a signal received by said reception means, wherein

if a signal suppressing communications is received by said reception means, said control means performs an automatic response upon reception of an incoming call via said communications means, and notifies a message via said communications means.

10. The wireless telephone device according to claim 9, wherein

when said signal for suppressing communications is received by said reception means, if said signal includes area information indicating a type of place, said control means notifies a message generated based on said area information.

11. The wireless telephone device according to claim 9, wherein

when a signal for releasing communications suppression is received by said reception means, or when said signal for suppressing communications is not received for a period of time, said control means deactivates said automatic response and a calling process is performed upon reception of an incoming call via said communications means.

12. The wireless telephone device according to claim 9, wherein

said control means notifies a message prompting a caller to select a response operation, and when a selection result from said caller is indicated, a selected response operation is performed.

13. The wireless telephone device according to claim 12, wherein

said control means notifies a message prompting said caller to select as said response operation a calling process or a storage process for storing information from said caller.