Mobile telephone with pager mode

• US 20030040298A1
• Filed: 09/10/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Heatley, David J
• Granted Patent: US 7,142,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile telephone is arranged to detect when its battery voltage has fallen such that only the lowest segment of the four segment battery charge level bar of its LCD display is showing, and, in response, to transmit a “Restricted Delivery Mode” message to a predetermined network destination number, and then to disable its transmit function. An audio signal is generated to alert the user, and a warning message is displayed, e.g. Battery Low, Message Mode. Restricted Delivery Mode is a selectable option via the telephone'"'"'s menu. The mobile network, upon receipt of such a “Restricted Delivery Mode” message, sets a “Restricted Delivery Mode” flag in the user'"'"'s profile.

For an originating call the profile is accessed in the normal manner, and, if that flag is set, the network sends, e.g. a “Receive Only—Leave Message” announcement to the caller.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communications network having a user profile store, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving a dialled destination number from signalling data of a call from a calling user to a called user;

accessing the user profile store in accordance with that retrieved dialled destination number to find a corresponding user profile;

ascertaining whether a delivery mode field of a user profile so found contains an indication corresponding to restricted delivery mode; and

if so

sending to the calling user an indication that the called user is currently in restricted delivery mode.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, including the further steps of retrieving a calling line identity from the signalling data, ascertaining whether the retrieved calling line identity matches an entry in a permitted connections field of the called user'"'"'s user profile, and if there is a matching entry proceeding with the call, else not proceeding with the call.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indication that the called user is currently in restricted delivery mode is indicative that the called user can receive a text form message, and including the step of responding to receipt of message data from that calling user by sending a text form message to the called user.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the received message data is in the form of a spoken message, and including the step of converting the received message data into text form.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the received message data is already in text form.

6. A method as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, including the step of ascertaining whether the called user'"'"'s profile contains at least one other service destination address, and if so sending to the calling user an invitation for the calling user to select one or more of said at least one other service destination address for additional delivery of said text form message.

20. A communications network as claimed in claim 1, and substantially as herein described with reference to FIG. 2 of the drawings.

7. A telephone comprising control means arranged to respond to a predetermined condition by transmitting via a transmit function of the telephone a message having a predetermined destination address and a predetermined message content.

8. A telephone as claimed in claim 7, wherein a user provided command constitutes a said predetermined condition.

9. A telephone as claimed in claim 8, wherein the user provided command is selected from a menu.

10. A telephone as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9, being battery powered, and having battery voltage sensing means arranged to generate a predetermined output when the battery voltage falls to a predetermined level, and wherein the generation of said predetermined output constitutes a said predetermined condition.

11. A telephone as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein said control means is further arranged to provide a predetermined display on a screen of the telephone indicative of the predetermined condition.

12. A telephone as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein said control means is further arranged to activate, upon completion of that transmission, means for selectively disabling the transmit function.

13. A telephone as claimed in claim 12, wherein said control means is further arranged to override said means for selectively disabling the transmit function for the purpose of allowing transmission of responses to interrogation signals from a communications network.

14. A telephone as claimed in either claim 12 or claim 13, wherein said control means is further arranged to provide an audio output upon activation of said means for selectively disabling the transmit function.

21. A telephone as claimed in claim 7, and substantially as herein described with reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings.

15. A communications network having a user profile store, and arranged:

to retrieve a dialled destination number from signalling data of a call from a calling user to a called user;

to access the user profile store in accordance with that retrieved dialled destination number to find a corresponding user profile;

to ascertain whether a delivery mode field of a user profile so found contains an indication corresponding to receive only mode; and

if so

to send to the calling user an indication that the called user is currently in receive only mode.

16. A communications network as claimed in claim 15, and arranged to retrieve a calling line identity from the signalling data, to ascertain whether the retrieved calling line identity matches an entry in a permitted connections field of the called user'"'"'s user profile, and if there is a matching entry to proceed with the call, else not to proceed with the call.

17. A communications network as claimed in claim 15, and arranged to respond to receipt of message data from that calling user by sending a text form message to the called user.

18. A communications network as claimed in claim 17, and arranged to respond to receipt of said message data in the form of a spoken message, and to convert the spoken message into text form.

19. A communications network as claimed in either claim 17 or claim 18, and arranged to ascertain whether the called user'"'"'s profile contains at least one other service destination address, and if so to send to the calling user an invitation for the calling user to select one or more of said at least one other service destination address for additional delivery of said text form message.

22. A communications network as claimed in claim 15, and substantially as herein described with reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings.