Method and apparatus for VoIP telephony call announcement

• US 20040228476A1
• Filed: 06/26/2003
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Denninghoff, Karl
• Granted Patent: US 7,532,732 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/428.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability

Abstract

A system and method for call announcement using a typical computing device permits a typical computing device, such as a PDA, to be used more effectively for telephony. In particular, a novel headphones connector and a software program/module being executed by the computing device are combined together to implement the call announcing method. The system permits the sound output of the computing device to be split in various manners in order to permit the computing device to be operated as a telephony device.

Claims

1. An event announcement method for a computing device that has an event announcement device coupled to the computing device, the computing device executing a control program, the method comprising:

determining the type of the event announcement device coupled to the computing device; and

generating a predetermined event announcement signal based on the determined type of event announcement device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising connecting the event announcement device to the computing device using a stereo jack.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the event announcement device further comprises an external speaker separate from the speaker internal to the computing device and a set of headphones both connected to the stereo jack of the computing device and wherein the generation of the event announcement signal further comprises generating a sound signal by the external speaker.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the connecting further comprises electrically connecting the external speaker to a first channel of the stereo jack and electrically connecting the set of headphones to a second channel of the stereo jack.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the event announcement device further comprises an in-ear headphone separate from the speaker internal to the computing device plugged into the stereo jack and wherein generating the event announcement signal further comprises generating a sound signal by the internal speaker.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the event announcement device further comprises a set of headphones separate from the speaker internal to the computing device and wherein generating the event announcement signal further comprises generating a sound signal by the internal speaker.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the event announcement device further comprises a buzzer separate from the speaker internal to the computing device and wherein generating the event announcement signal further comprises generating a sound signal by the internal speaker.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the event announcement device further comprises a buzzer and a set of headphones separate from the speaker internal to the computing device and wherein generating the event announcement signal further comprises generating a sound signal generated by the internal speaker.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the event announcement device further comprises a buzzer and an in-ear headphone separate from the speaker internal to the computing device and wherein generating the event announcement signal further comprises generating a sound signal generated by the internal speaker.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the event further comprises an incoming telephone call.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the event further comprises an incoming VoIP telephone call.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the event further comprises an incoming electronic mail message.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the event further comprises an incoming page.

14. An event announcement system for a computing device, comprising:

a computing device;

an event announcement device coupled to the computing device; and

a control program being executed by the computing device that controls the event announcement of the computing device, the control program further comprising instructions that determine the type of the event announcement device coupled to the computing device and instructions that generate a predetermined event announcement signal based on the determined type of event announcement device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing device further comprises a stereo jack into which the event announcement device is coupled.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the event announcement device further comprises an external speaker separate from the speaker internal to the computing device and a set of headphones both connected to the stereo jack of the computing device and wherein the event announcement signal further comprises a sound signal generated by the speaker.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the speaker is electrically connected to a first channel of the stereo jack and wherein the set of headphones is electrically connected to a second channel of the stereo jack.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the event announcement device further comprises an in-ear headphone separate from the speaker internal to the computing device plugged into the stereo jack and wherein the event announcement signal further comprises a sound signal generated by the internal speaker.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the event announcement device further comprises a set of headphones separate from the speaker internal to the computing device and wherein the event announcement signal further comprises a sound signal generated by the internal speaker.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the event announcement device further comprises a buzzer separate from the speaker internal to the computing device and wherein the event announcement signal further comprises a sound signal generated by the internal speaker.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the event announcement device further comprises a buzzer and a set of headphones separate from the speaker internal to the computing device and wherein the event announcement signal further comprises a sound signal generated by the internal speaker.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the event announcement device further comprises a buzzer and an in-ear headphone separate from the speaker internal to the computing device and wherein the event announcement signal further comprises a sound signal generated by the internal speaker.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the stereo jack further comprises a portion which leaves an internal speaker of the computing device connected and a second portion which connects an external event announcement device to the computing device so that both the internal speaker and the external event announcement device are capable of generating the predetermined event announcement signal.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing device further comprises a personal digital assistant.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the event further comprises an incoming telephone call.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein the event further comprises an incoming VoIP telephone call.

27. The system of claim 14, wherein the event further comprises an incoming electronic mail message.

28. The system of claim 14, wherein the event further comprises an incoming page.

29. An event announcement device, comprising:

a stereo jack having a first channel and a second channel;

a first event announcement element connected to the first channel of the stereo jack; and

a second event announcement element connected to the second channel of the stereo jack wherein a signal is provided to the first event announcement element that is separate from a signal provided to the second event announcement element.