Call device, call control system, call management system, and call control method

• US 20050203666A1
• Filed: 03/03/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kuroda, Yuri
• Granted Patent: US 7,206,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

When a controller receives an incoming call signal, the controller supplies melody information stored in a melody information storage to a sound source. The sound source starts to output a melody, represented by the melody information, from a speech speaker. When an input unit accepts a talk start command, the controller operates a superimposer. The superimposer superimposes a melody signal on a speech signal, and a speech speaker outputs a superimposed sound.

Claims

1. A call device comprising:

a call device melody information storage for storing melody information that represents a melody for a predetermined period of time;

a call device receiver for receiving an incoming call signal and a speech signal that represents speech of a caller;

a talk start command input unit for accepting a talk start command from a user; and

a call device output unit for starting outputting the melody represented by the melody information stored in said call device melody information storage when said incoming call signal is received by said call device receiver, and starting outputting a non-output part of the melody and the speech represented by the speech signal received by said call device receiver when said talk start command is accepted by said talk start command input unit while the melody is being outputted.

2. A call device according to claim 1, wherein said call device output unit outputs the melody in a lower volume after said talk start command is accepted by said talk start command input unit, than before said talk start command is accepted by said talk start command input unit.

3. A call device according to claim 1, wherein said call device output unit comprises:

a caller speech superimposer for superimposing the non-output part of the melody on the speech represented by the speech signal received by said call device receiver when said talk start command is accepted by said talk start command input unit while the melody is being outputted; and

a superimposed sound output unit for outputting a superimposed sound generated by said caller speech superimposer.

4. A call device according to claim 1, wherein said call device output unit comprises:

a melody output unit for outputting the melody; and

a speech output unit for outputting the speech represented by the speech signal received by said call device receiver.

10. A call management system comprising:

a call device according to claim 1;

and

a call control system according to claim 5, wherein said call device is used as said recipient'"'"'s call device;

wherein said call device melody information storage stores melody information which is identical to the melody information stored in said system melody information storage.

11. A call management system comprising:

a call device according to claim 3;

and

a call control system according to claim 5, wherein said call device is used as said recipient'"'"'s call device;

wherein said recipient'"'"'s call device further comprises;

a recipient'"'"'s speech acceptor for accepting recipient'"'"'s speech when said talk start command is accepted by said talk start command input unit;

a recipient'"'"'s speech superimposer for superimposing the non-output part of said melody from said call device output unit on the recipient'"'"'s speech accepted by said recipient'"'"'s speech acceptor when said talk start command is accepted by said talk start command input unit while said call device output unit is outputting the said melody; and

a recipient'"'"'s speech signal transmitter for transmitting an output signal from said recipient'"'"'s speech superimposer to said call control system;

wherein said system melody information storage stores melody information which is identical to the melody information stored in said call device melody information storage;

said recipient'"'"'s speech signal receiver receives the output signal of said recipient'"'"'s speech superimposer which is transmitted from said recipient'"'"'s speech signal transmitter; and

said caller'"'"'s call device transmitter transmits the output signal of said recipient'"'"'s speech superimposer to said caller'"'"'s call device when the output signal of said recipient'"'"'s speech superimposer is received by said speech signal receiver while the melody is being transmitted.

12. A call management system comprising:

a call device according to claim 1;

and

a call control system according to claim 7, wherein said call device is used as said recipient'"'"'s call device;

wherein said call control system further comprises;

a caller'"'"'s speech acceptor for accepting a speech signal representing caller'"'"'s speech;

a caller'"'"'s speech superimposer for superimposing the non-transmitted part of said melody on said speech signal when said speech signal is received by said recipient'"'"'s speech signal receiver while said caller'"'"'s call device transmitter is transmitting the melody to said caller'"'"'s call device; and

a caller'"'"'s superimposed signal transmitter for transmitting a superimposed sound signal representing a superimposed sound generated by said caller'"'"'s speech superimposer to said recipient'"'"'s call device;

wherein said call device melody information storage stores melody information which is identical to the melody information stored in said system melody information storage;

said call device receiver receives the superimposed sound signal transmitted from said caller'"'"'s superimposed signal transmitter; and

said call device output unit starts outputting the non-output part of the melody and the speech represented by the speech signal received by said call device receiver based on the superimposed sound signal received by said call device receiver when said talk start command is accepted by said talk start command input unit while the melody is being output.

13. A call management system comprising:

a call device according to claim 3;

and

a call control system according to claim 7, wherein said call device is used as said recipient'"'"'s call device;

wherein said call device melody information storage stores melody information which is identical to the melody information stored in said system melody information storage.

5. A call control system for transmitting an incoming call signal to a recipient'"'"'s call device specified by an outgoing call signal and supplying a melody signal representing a predetermined melody to a caller'"'"'s call device when the outgoing call signal specifying the recipient'"'"'s call device is accepted from the caller'"'"'s call device, comprising:

a system melody information storage for storing melody information representing a melody for a predetermined period of time;

an outgoing call signal acceptor for accepting said outgoing call signal;

an incoming call signal transmitter for transmitting the incoming call signal to the recipient'"'"'s call device specified by the outgoing call signal when said outgoing call signal is accepted by said outgoing call signal acceptor;

a recipient'"'"'s speech signal receiver for receiving a speech signal supplied from said recipient'"'"'s call device; and

a caller'"'"'s call device transmitter for starting to transmit the melody signal representing the melody represented by the melody information stored in said system melody information storage to said caller'"'"'s call device when said incoming call signal is transmitted by said incoming call signal transmitter, and starting to transmit a superimposed sound signal which is representative of a non-transmitted part of the melody superimposed on said speech signal to said caller'"'"'s call device when said speech signal is received by said recipient'"'"'s speech signal receiver while said melody signal is being transmitted.

6. A call control system according to claim 5, wherein said caller'"'"'s call device transmitter outputs the melody represented by said melody signal in a lower volume after said speech signal is received by said recipient'"'"'s speech signal receiver, than before said speech signal is received by said recipient'"'"'s speech signal receiver.

7. A call control system according to claim 5, wherein said caller'"'"'s call device transmitter comprises:

a recipient'"'"'s speech superimposer for superimposing the non-transmitted part of the melody on the speech signal to generate a superimposed sound signal when said speech signal is received by said recipient'"'"'s speech signal receiver while said melody signal is being transmitted; and

a recipient'"'"'s speech signal transmitter for transmitting the superimposed sound signal generated by said recipient'"'"'s speech superimposer to said caller'"'"'s call device.

8. A call control system according to claim 5, wherein said melody information is preset by the user of said recipient'"'"'s call device, said call control system further comprising:

a melody-related information transmitter for transmitting a music title of said melody to said caller'"'"'s call device.

9. A call control system according to claim 5, wherein said melody information is preset by the user of said recipient'"'"'s call device, said call control system further comprising:

a melody-related information transmitter for transmitting a name of the vendor of said melody to said caller'"'"'s call device.

14. A call control system for transmitting an incoming call signal to a recipient'"'"'s call device, which outputs a predetermined melody for the predetermined period of time when the incoming is received, specified by an outgoing call signal and supplying a melody signal representing the predetermined melody to a caller'"'"'s call device when said outgoing call signal is accepted from said caller'"'"'s call device, comprising:

a system melody information storage for storing melody information representing said predetermined melody;

an outgoing call signal acceptor for accepting said outgoing call signal;

an incoming call signal transmitter for transmitting said incoming call signal to the recipient'"'"'s call device specified by the outgoing call signal when said outgoing call signal is accepted by said outgoing call signal acceptor; and

a caller'"'"'s call device transmitter for starting to transmit the melody signal representing the melody represented by the melody information stored in said system melody information storage to said caller'"'"'s call device synchronously with said incoming call signal transmitted from said incoming call signal transmitter.

15. A call control method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving an incoming call signal;

(b) starting to output a melody for a predetermined period of time which is represented by melody information stored in a call device melody information storage when said incoming call signal is received;

(c) accepting a talk start command from a user;

(d) receiving a speech signal representing caller'"'"'s speech when said talk start command is accepted; and

(e) starting to output a non-output part of the melody and the speech represented by said speech signal when said talk start command is accepted while the melody is being output.

16. A call control method according to claim 15, wherein said step (e) comprises the step of:

outputting the melody in a lower volume after said talk start command is accepted, than before said talk start command is accepted.

17. A call control method according to claim 15, wherein said step (e) comprises the steps of:

superimposing the non-output part of the melody on the speech represented by the speech signal when said talk start command is accepted while the melody is being output; and

outputting a superimposed sound generated in said superimposing step.

23. A call control method to be performed by a call management system including a call device for performing a call control method according to claim 15 and a call control system for performing a call control method according to claim 18 wherein said call device is used as said recipient'"'"'s call device;

wherein said call device melody information storage stores melody information which is identical to the melody information stored in said system melody information storage.

24. A call control method to be performed by a call management system including a call device for performing a call control method according to claim 17 and a call control system for performing a call control method according to claim 18 wherein said call device is used as said recipient'"'"'s call device, further comprising the steps of:

(f) accepting recipient'"'"'s speech when said talk start command is accepted;

(g) superimposing the non-output part of said melody on the recipient'"'"'s speech when said talk start command is accepted while the said melody is being output; and

(h) transmitting an output signal generated in said superimposing step to said call control system;

wherein said system melody information storage stores melody information which is identical to the melody information stored in said call device melody information storage;

said step (d) comprising the step of receiving the output signal transmitted in said step (h); and

said step (e) comprising the step of transmitting said output signal to said caller'"'"'s call device when said output signal is received while the melody is being transmitted.

25. A call control method to be performed by a call management system including a call device for performing a call control method according to claim 15 and a call control system for performing a call control method according to claim 20 wherein said call device is used as said recipient'"'"'s call device, further comprising the steps of:

(f) accepting a speech signal representing caller'"'"'s speech;

(g) superimposing the non-transmitted part of said melody on said speech signal when said speech signal is received while the melody is being transmitted to said caller'"'"'s call device; and

(h) transmitting a superimposed sound signal representing a superimposed sound generated in said step (g) to said recipient'"'"'s call device;

wherein said call device melody information storage stores melody information which is identical to the melody information stored in said system melody information storage;

said step (d) comprising the step of receiving the superimposed sound signal; and

said step (e) comprising the step of starting to output the non-output part of the melody and the speech represented by the speech signal based on the superimposed sound signal when said talk start command is accepted while the melody is being outputted.

26. A call control method to be performed by a call management system including a call device for performing a call control method according to claim 17 and a call control system for performing a call control method according to claim 20 wherein said call device is used as said recipient'"'"'s call device,

wherein said call device melody information storage stores melody information which is identical to the melody information stored in said system melody information storage.

18. A call control method of transmitting an incoming call signal to a recipient'"'"'s call device specified by an outgoing call signal and supplying a melody signal representing a predetermined melody to a caller'"'"'s call device when the outgoing call signal specifying the recipient'"'"'s call device is accepted from the caller'"'"'s call device, comprising the steps of:

(a) accepting said outgoing call signal;

(b) transmitting an incoming call signal to the recipient'"'"'s call device specified by the outgoing call signal when said outgoing call signal is accepted;

(c) starting to transmit the melody signal representing a melody for a predetermined period of time represented by melody information stored in a system melody information storage to said caller'"'"'s call device when said incoming call signal is transmitted;

(d) receiving a speech signal supplied from said recipient'"'"'s call device; and

(e) starting transmitting a superimposed sound signal which is representative of a non-transmitted part of the melody superimposed on said speech signal to said caller'"'"'s call device when said speech signal is received while said melody signal is being transmitted.

19. A call control method according to claim 18, wherein said step (e) comprises the step of:

outputting the melody represented by said melody signal in a lower volume after said speech signal is received, than before said speech signal is received.

20. A call control method according to claim 18, wherein said step (e) comprises the steps of:

superimposing the non-transmitted part of the melody on the speech signal to generate a superimposed sound signal when said speech signal is received while said melody signal is being transmitted; and

transmitting the superimposed sound signal to said caller'"'"'s call device.

21. A call control method according to claim 18, wherein said melody information is preset by the user of said recipient'"'"'s call device, said call control method further comprising the step of:

transmitting a music title of said melody to said caller'"'"'s call device.

22. A call control method according to claim 18, wherein said melody information is preset by the user of said recipient'"'"'s call device, said call control method further comprising the step of:

transmitting a name of the vendor of said melody to said caller'"'"'s call device.

27. A call control method to be performed by a call management system for transmitting an incoming call signal to a recipient'"'"'s call device, which outputs a predetermined melody for the predetermined period of time when the incoming call signal is received, specified by an outgoing call signal and supplying a melody signal representing the predetermined melody to a caller'"'"'s call device when said outgoing call signal is accepted from said caller'"'"'s call device, comprising the steps of:

accepting said outgoing call signal;

transmitting said incoming call signal to the recipient'"'"'s call device specified by the outgoing call signal when said outgoing call signal is accepted; and

starting to transmit the melody signal represented by melody information representing the predetermined melody which is stored in a system melody information storage to said caller'"'"'s call device synchronously with said incoming call signal which is transmitted.