Portable electronic devices including customization circuits for customizing alert signals and methods of operating the same

• US 20050258938A1
• Filed: 05/21/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Moulson, John L.
• Application Number:
  US10/850,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20050258938A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/7.580
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q

Abstract

Portable electronic devices are provided including a customization circuit and a transmitter. The customization circuit is configured to customize an alert signal associated with an originating portable electronic device. The transmitter is configured to transmit the customized alert signal from the originating portable electronic device and transmit a request for communication from the originating portable electronic device to a receiving portable electronic device so as to allow a user of the receiving portable electronic device to be alerted using the customized alert signal. Related methods of operating portable electronic devices including customization circuits are also discussed.

Claims

1. A method of operating portable electronic devices, comprising:

customizing an alert signal associated with an originating portable electronic device;

transmitting the customized alert signal to at least one receiving portable electronic device; and

storing the customized alert signal associated with the originating portable electronic device at the at least one receiving portable electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a request for the communication at the originating portable electronic device;

receiving the request at the receiving portable electronic device; and

alerting a user of the receiving portable electronic device of the communication using the customized alert signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein storing is preceded by obtaining permission from a user of the receiving portable electronic device to store the customized alert signal associated with the originating portable electronic device and wherein storing further comprises storing the customized alert signal if permission is obtained.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein storing further comprises storing the customized alert signal with a contact list entry associated with the originating portable electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the customized alert signal comprises at least one of a text message, an image, a mechanical vibration, a video clip and an audio clip.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting further comprises transmitting the customized alert signal to a plurality of receiving portable electronic devices.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein customizing is followed by selecting the plurality of receiving portable electronic devices from a contact list of receiving portable electronic devices associated with the originating portable electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the customized alert signal comprises transmitting at least one of a short message service (SMS) message, an enhanced messaging system (EMS) message and a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message including the customized alert signal.

9. A method of operating a portable electronic device, comprising:

customizing an alert signal associated with an originating portable electronic device;

transmitting the customized alert signal to a receiving portable electronic device; and

initiating a request for communication between the originating portable electronic device and the receiving portable electronic device so as to allow a user of the receiving portable electronic device to be alerted using the customized alert signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the customized alert signal comprises at least one of a text message, an image, a mechanical vibration, a video clip and an audio clip.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting further comprises transmitting the customized alert signal to a plurality of receiving portable electronic devices.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein customizing is followed by selecting the plurality of receiving portable electronic devices from a contact list of receiving portable electronic devices associated with the originating portable electronic device.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein transmitting the customized alert signal comprises transmitting at least one of a short message service (SMS) message, an enhanced messaging system (EMS) message and a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message including the customized alert signal.

14. A method of operating a portable electronic device, comprising:

receiving a customized alert signal associated with an originating portable electronic device from the originating portable electronic device at a receiving portable electronic device; and

storing the customized alert signal associated with the originating portable electronic device at the receiving portable electronic device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein storing is preceded by obtaining permission from a user of the receiving portable electronic device to store the customized alert signal associated with the originating portable electronic device and wherein storing further comprises storing the customized alert signal if permission is obtained.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein storing further comprises storing the customized alert signal with a contact list entry associated with the receiving portable electronic device.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving a request for a communication from the originating portable electronic device at the receiving portable electronic device; and

alerting a user of the receiving portable electronic device of the communication using the customized alert signal.

18. A portable electronic device comprising:

a customization circuit configured to customize an alert signal associated with an originating portable electronic device; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the customized alert signal to a receiving portable electronic device and transmit a request for communication from the originating portable electronic device to the receiving portable electronic device so as to allow a user of the receiving portable electronic device to be alerted using the customized alert signal.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 18 wherein the customized alert signal is stored with a contact list entry associated with the originating portable electronic device.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 18, wherein the customized alert signal comprises at least one of a text message an image, a mechanical vibration, a video clip and an audio clip.

21. The portable electronic device of Claim 18 wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the customized alert signal to a plurality of receiving portable electronic devices.

22. The portable electronic device of claim 21 wherein the plurality of receiving portable electronic devices are selected from a contact list of receiving portable electronic devices associated with the originating portable electronic device.

23. The portable electronic device of claim 18 wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit at least one of a short message service (SMS) message, an enhanced messaging system (EMS) message and a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message including the customized alert signal.

24. A portable electronic device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a customized alert signal associated with an originating portable electronic device from the originating portable electronic device; and

a memory configured to store the customized alert signal associated with the originating portable electronic device.

25. The portable electronic device of claim 24, further comprising a processor configured to obtaining permission from a user of a receiving portable electronic device to store the customized alert signal associated with the originating portable electronic device in the memory and wherein the memory is further configured to store the customized alert signal if permission is obtained.

26. The portable electronic device of claim 25 wherein the memory is further configured to store the customized alert signal with a contact list entry associated with the originating portable electronic device.

27. The portable electronic device of claim 24 wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a request for a communication from the originating portable electronic device, the receiving portable electronic device further comprising a processor configured to alert a user of the receiving portable electronic device of the communication using the customized alert signal associated with the originating portable electronic device.

28. The portable electronic device of claim 24, wherein the customized alert signal comprises at least one of a text message, an image, a mechanical vibration, a video clip and an audio clip.