Method and apparatus for initiating a call from a communication device

• US 20050048955A1
• Filed: 09/03/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ring, Steffen
• Application Number:
  US10/654,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20050048955A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/677 Preventing the dialling or sending of predetermined telephone numbers or selected types of telephone numbers, e.g. long distance numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72424 with manual activation of emergency-service functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A user of a communication device (100) may initiate a communication, i.e., a telephone call, a text message, a page, an alert and the like, via a macro manipulation of the device (100), silently and in a clandestine manner without having to identify and activate a particularly button or sequence of buttons on the communication device. The communication device (100) may include housing (102) into which is disposed a sensor (120) that is actuated by the user. An input from the sensor (120) is associated with a particular communication context. Responsive to the input from the sensor (120), the communication device (100) initiates the communication according to the define context.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a housing;

a sensor disposed on a surface of the housing and responsive to a user macro-manipulation of the communication device to provide a sensor output;

a processor disposed within the housing, the processor operable responsive to receiving the sensor output to initiate a predefined communication associated with receipt of the sensor output.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the macro-manipulation comprises squeezing by the user of the housing.

3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a sensor selected from the group of sensors comprising:

a pressure sensor, a resistive sensor and a capacitive sensor.

4. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a pair of spaced apart carbon fiber strips disposed on the housing, and a current detection circuit coupled to the carbon fiber strips and to the processor.

5. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the communication comprises a communication selected from the group of communications comprising:

a voice call, a recorded audio message, a text message, an email message and a page message.

6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to implement a protocol comprising a user input and a corresponding communication device response for initiating the communication

8. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to select a communication from a plurality of predefined communications to provide a selected communication and to initiate the selected communication.

7. The communication device, the communication device comprising location determination circuitry, the processor being operable to include in the communication information relating to the current location of the communication device.

9. A method of initiating a communication from a communication device, the method comprising:

accepting a user input corresponding to a macro manipulation of the communication device;

correlating the user input with a predetermined communication; and

initiating the communication.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the macro manipulation of the communication device comprises a predetermined sequence of macro manipulations.

11. The method of claim 9, comprising providing a response to the user input and accepting an acknowledgement from the user to the response.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the acknowledgement comprises a further macro manipulation of the communication device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the macro manipulation of the communication device comprises squeezing the housing of the device.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of initiating the communication comprises selecting a communication from a plurality of communications to provide a selected communication corresponding to the user input, and initiating the selected communication.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of initiating the communication comprises initiating a communication from the group of communications comprising:

a voice call, a recorded audio message, a text message, an email message and a page message.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a location of the communication device and wherein the step of initiating the communication comprises including in the communication communication device location information.

17. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a user input corresponding to a macro manipulation of a communication device; and

means for initiating a communication from the communication device corresponding to the user input.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for receiving a user input comprises a sensor disposed within a housing of the communication device, the sensor being responsive to a user squeezing the housing of the communication device.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the communication comprises a communication from the group of communications comprising:

a voice call, a recorded audio message, a text message, an email message and a page message.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for initiating the communication comprises means for preventing initiation of an unintended communication.