Method for alerting a mobile unit of a missed call upon movement of the mobile unit

• US 20060293037A1
• Filed: 06/27/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Signore, Kenneth W Del
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/573 Line monitoring circuits for detecting caller identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• 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

The present invention provides a method for alerting a mobile unit of a missed call. A mobile unit receives a call request. If the mobile unit does not answer the call request and the mobile unit is stationary, the mobile unit waits for the mobile unit to move. Upon movement, the mobile unit notifies, via an audible tone, vibration, or a visual indicator, that the mobile unit had a call while it was stationary.

Claims

1. A method for alerting a mobile unit of a missed call, the method comprising:

determining that a mobile unit has received a call request;

determining that the mobile unit has not answered the call request;

determining that the mobile unit has moved; and

notifying a user of the mobile unit that the mobile unit missed the call request.

2. A method for alerting a mobile unit of a missed call in accordance with claim 1, wherein step of determining that the mobile unit has moved comprises determining that the mobile unit has moved using a motion detection mechanism.

3. A method for alerting a mobile unit of a missed call in accordance with claim 2, wherein the step of determining that the mobile unit has moved comprises determining that the mobile unit has moved using an accelerometer.

4. A method for alerting a mobile unit of a missed call in accordance with claim 1, the method further comprising the step of, prior to the step of determining that the mobile unit has moved, determining that the mobile unit is stationary.

5. A method for alerting a mobile unit of a missed call in accordance with claim 4, wherein the step of determining that the mobile unit is stationary comprises determining that the mobile unit has not moved for a predetermined period of time.

6. A method for alerting a mobile unit of a missed call in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of determining that the mobile unit has moved comprises the step of distinguishing between movement of the mobile unit and motion caused by alerting the mobile unit of the call request.

7. A method for alerting a mobile unit of a missed call in accordance with claim 6, wherein the step of distinguishing between movement of the mobile unit and motion caused by alerting the mobile unit of the call request comprises disabling the motion detection mechanism during call alerting.

8. A method for alerting a mobile unit of a missed call in accordance with claim 6, wherein the step of distinguishing between movement of the mobile unit and motion caused by alerting the mobile unit of the call request comprises distinguishing between short-term movement of the mobile unit and long-term movement of the mobile unit.

9. A mobile unit capable of alerting a user of a missed call upon movement of the mobile unit, the mobile unit comprising a motion detection mechanism effective in determining when the mobile unit moves.

10. A mobile unit in accordance with claim 9, wherein the motion detection mechanism comprises an accelerometer.

11. A mobile unit in accordance with claim 10, wherein the accelerometer comprises a piezo-electric accelerometer.

12. A mobile unit in accordance with claim 10, wherein the accelerometer comprises a piezo-resistive accelerometer.

13. A mobile unit in accordance with claim 10, wherein the accelerometer comprises a shear accelerometer.

14. A mobile unit in accordance with claim 10, wherein the accelerometer comprises a strain gage based accelerometer.

15. A mobile unit in accordance with claim 10, wherein the accelerometer comprises a one-dimensional accelerometer.

16. A mobile unit in accordance with claim 10, wherein the accelerometer comprises a two-dimensional accelerometer.

17. A mobile unit in accordance with claim 10, wherein the accelerometer comprises a three-dimensional accelerometer.

18. A mobile unit in accordance with claim 9, wherein the mobile unit notifies a user of a missed call when the motion detection mechanism determines motion of the mobile unit after the missed call.

19. A mobile unit in accordance with claim 9, the mobile unit further comprising means for disabling the motion detection mechanism during call alerting.