APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING INDICATIONS OF CELL PHONE SIGNAL WITH A DEDICATED BUTTON

• US 20090181725A1
• Filed: 01/24/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lawrence J Koncelik Jr (Lawrence J. Koncelik)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence J Koncelik Jr (Lawrence J. Koncelik)
• Inventors: Koncelik, Lawrence J. JR.
• Application Number:
  US12/019,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20090181725A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A cellular telephone is provided including a receiver, a processor, a speaker, and an actuator. The receiver may receive a received signal having a level of quality and may supply the received signal to the processor. The actuator when activated may send an actuator signal to the processor. The processor may determine a first sound that will be emitted from the speaker based on the actuator signal and the level of quality of the received signal. The processor after determining the first sound, may send a speaker signal to the speaker which causes the speaker to emit the first sound.

Claims

1. A cellular telephone comprising:

a receiver;

a processor;

a speaker; and

a

an actuator;

wherein the receiver receives a received signal having a level of quality and supplies the received signal to the processor; and

wherein the actuator when activated sends an actuator signal to the processor;

wherein the processor determines a first parameter indicative of a first sound that will be emitted from the speaker based on the actuator signal and the level of quality of the received signal;

and wherein the processor after determining the first parameter, sends a speaker signal including the first parameter to the speaker which causes the speaker to emit the first sound.

2. The cellular telephone of claim 1 wherein

the actuator is a button which is activated by pushing the button.

3. The cellular telephone of claim 1 further comprising

a memory;

and wherein an indicator of the first sound is recorded in the memory and used to form the speaker signal.

4. The cellular telephone of claim 3 wherein

the first sound is a human voice.

5. The cellular telephone of claim 3 wherein

the first sound is a non-verbal sound.

6. The cellular telephone of claim 1 wherein

the first sound includes one or more further sounds, with a large number of further sounds indicating that the received signal has a high level of quality and a small number of further sounds indicating that the received signal has a lower level of quality.

7. The cellular telephone of claim 6 wherein

one further sound indicates that there is no appreciable received signal;

two further sounds indicate that the received signal has a level of quality which is of poor quality;

three further sounds indicate that the received signal has a level of quality which is of fair quality; and

four further sounds indicate that the received signal has a level of quality which is of good quality.

8. The cellular telephone of claim 7 wherein

each of the further sounds are beeps.

9. The cellular telephone of claim 1 further comprising

a display;

and wherein the user can cause the processor to display on the display a visual indicator of a signal strength of the received signal by activating the actuator.

10. The cellular telephone of claim 1 further comprising

one or more light emitting diodes;

wherein the user by activating the actuator can cause the processor to cause the one or more light emitting diodes to display a visual indicator of a signal strength of the received signal.

11. The cellular telephone of claim 1 further comprising

one or more light emitting diodes;

wherein the user by activating the actuator can cause the processor to cause the one or more light emitting diodes to display a visual indicator of a signal quality of the received signal.

12. The cellular telephone of claim 10 and wherein

wherein the visual indicator is displayed regardless of whether the cellular telephone is on, regardless of whether a conversation is occurring using the cellular telephone, and regardless of whether the cellular telephone is in a standby mode.

13. The cellular telephone of claim 11 and wherein

wherein the visual indicator is displayed regardless of whether the cellular telephone is on, regardless of whether a conversation is occurring using the cellular telephone, and regardless of whether the cellular telephone is in a standby mode.

14. The cellular telephone of claim 1 further comprising

a display;

and wherein the user can cause the processor to display on the display a visual indicator of the level of quality of the received signal by activating the actuator.

15. The cellular telephone of claim 14 wherein

the user can cause the processor to display on the display a visual indicator of the level of quality of the received signal by activating the actuator.

16. The cellular telephone of claim 15 wherein

the actuator can be activated to toggle between causing the processor to cause the display to display a visual indicator of a signal strength of the received signal and causing the processor to cause the display to display a visual indicator of the level of quality of the received signal.

17. The cellular telephone of claim 16 wherein

the processor is programmed to display a visual indicator of a signal strength of the received signal when the cellular telephone is turned on.

18. A method comprising:

receiving a received signal having a level of quality at a receiver of a cellular telephone;

supplying the received signal to a processor of the cellular telephone;

sending an actuator signal to the processor when an actuator is actuated;

using the processor to determine a first parameter indicative of a first sound that will be emitted from a speaker based on the actuator signal and the level of quality of the received signal;

after determining the first parameter, sending a speaker signal including the first parameter, to the speaker which causes the speaker to emit the first sound.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein

the actuator is a button which is activated by pushing the button.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising

retrieving an indicator of the first sound from memory and wherein the speaker signal is based on the indicator of the first sound.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein

the first sound is a human voice.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein

the first sound is a non-verbal sound.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein

the first sound includes one or more further sounds, with a large number of further sounds indicating that the received signal has a high level of quality and a small number of further sounds indicating that the received signal has a lower level of quality.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein

one further sound indicates that there is no appreciable received signal;

two further sounds indicate that the received signal has a level of quality which is of poor quality;

three further sounds indicate that the received signal has a level of quality which is of fair quality; and

four further sounds indicate that the received signal has a level of quality which is of good quality.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein

each of the further sounds are beeps.

26. The method of claim 18 further comprising

causing the processor to display on a display a visual indicator of a signal strength of the received signal by actuating the actuator.

27. The method of claim 18 further comprising

causing the processor to display on the display a visual indicator of the level of quality of the received signal by activating the actuator.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein

causing the processor to display on the display a visual indicator of the level of quality of the received signal by activating the actuator.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein

the actuator can be activated to toggle between causing the processor to cause the display to display a visual indicator of a signal strength of the received signal and causing the processor to cause the display to display a visual indicator of the level of quality of the received signal.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein

the processor is programmed to display a visual indicator of a signal strength of the received signal when the cellular telephone is turned on.

31. A cellular telephone comprising

a receiver;

a processor;

a display; and

a

an actuator;

wherein the receiver receives a received signal having a level of quality and a signal strength and supplies the received signal to the processor; and

wherein the actuator when activated sends an actuator signal to the processor;

wherein the processor determines a first parameter indicative of a first visual indication that will be displayed on the display based on the actuator signal and the level of quality of the received signal;

wherein the processor determines a second parameter indicative of a second visual indication that will be displayed on the display based on the actuator signal and the signal strength of the received signal;

and wherein the processor after determining the first parameter and the second parameter, sends one or more signals to the display which causes the display to substantially simultaneously display the first visual indication and the second visual indication.

32. An cellular telephone comprising

a receiver;

a processor;

a display; and

a

a device for turning the cellular telephone on;

wherein the receiver receives a received signal having a level of quality and a signal strength and supplies the received signal to the processor; and

wherein the device for turning the cellular telephone on, when activated, sends an on signal to the processor;

wherein the processor determines a first parameter indicative of a first visual indication that will be displayed on the display based on the on signal and the level of quality of the received signal;

wherein the processor determines a second parameter indicative of a second visual indication that will be displayed on the display based on the on signal and the signal strength of the received signal;

and wherein the processor after determining the first parameter and the second parameter, sends one or more signals to the display which causes the display to substantially simultaneously display the first visual indication and the second visual indication.