MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR REDUCING EXPOSURE TO RADIO FREQUENCY ENERGY DURING TRANSMISSIONS

• US 20100144320A1
• Filed: 10/27/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Voxer IP LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rebelvox LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Inventors: RANNEY, Matthew J., PANTTAJA, James T., PANTTAJA, Mary G., KATIS, Thomas E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A mobile communication device and method for reducing exposure to radio frequency (RF) energy during outgoing and incoming transmissions. During outgoing transmissions, media is stored in a local storage element on the mobile communication device as the media is being created. When the device is positioned a safe distance away from the user, the media is transmitted out of storage over the network to the recipient. Alternatively for incoming transmissions, media is stored on the network as it is created. While the wireless communication device is a safe distance away from the user, the media stored on the network is transmitted to the mobile communication device, where it is locally stored. The user of the mobile communication device can then review the incoming media at an arbitrary later time out of storage. As a result, the exposure of the user of the mobile communication device to RF energy for both outgoing and incoming transmissions is either substantially reduced or eliminated altogether.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving voice media created by a user of a wireless communication device as the user speaks into the wireless communication device, the voice media for transmission over a wireless network to a recipient;

determining at the wireless communication device if the voice media is either time-sensitive or not time-sensitive, the voice media being considered time-sensitive when the recipient is rendering the voice media “

live”

in a real-time mode and not time-sensitive when the recipient is not rendering the voice media live in the real-time mode;

storing the voice media at the wireless communication device if the voice media is determined to be not time-sensitive;

determining when the wireless communication device is placed at a safe position away from the user; and

transmitting the not time-sensitive voice media from storage when the wireless communication device is positioned at the safe position away from the user.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising transmitting the voice media from the wireless communication device to the recipient over the wireless network as the voice media is being created when the voice media is determined to be time-sensitive.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the voice media is time-sensitive or not time-sensitive further comprises ascertaining if the recipient has explicitly declared an intent to review the voice media “

live”

in the real-time mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the voice media is time-sensitive or not time-sensitive further comprises inferring from the behavior of the recipient if the recipient intends to render the voice media live in the real-time mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the voice media further comprises storing the voice media in a time-indexed format.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the voice media determined to be time-sensitive.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining when the wireless communication device has been placed at the safe position away from the user further comprises one of the following:

(i) relying on a motion detector embedded in the wireless communication device to determine when the wireless communication device is no longer being held by the user;

(ii) relying on a capacitance sensor embedded in the wireless communication device to determine when the wireless communication device is no longer in contact with the user;

(iii) relying on a resistive sensor embedded in the wireless communication device to determine when the wireless communication device is no longer in contact with the user;

(iv) relying on an image detector embedded in the wireless communication device to determine when the wireless communication device is no longer being held near the head of the user;

(v) relying on a timer which times the transmission of the not time-sensitive voice media from storage a predetermined period of time after the timer has been set;

or

(vi) any combination of (i) through (v).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining when the wireless communication device has been placed at the safe position away from the user further comprises determining when the wireless communication device has been placed away from the head of the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is one of the following:

(i) a wireless phone;

(ii) a cellular phone;

(iii) a mobile phone;

(iv) a satellite phone;

(v) a computer;

(vi) a radio;

(vii) a tactical radio;

or

(viii) a satellite radio.

10. A communication device, comprising:

a receiver to receive voice media created by a user of the communication device, the voice media intended for wireless transmission to a recipient;

a storage element to store the received voice media intended for transmission to the recipient;

a time-sensitivity element configured to determine if the received voice media is either time-sensitive or not time-sensitive, the time-sensitivity element determining that the received voice media is time-sensitive when the recipient is rendering the voice media “

live”

in a real-time mode or not time-sensitive when the recipient is not rendering the voice media live in the real-time mode;

a position detector to determine when the communication device is placed a safe distance away from the user; and

an RF transmitter configured to either;

(i) wirelessly transmit the received voice media as it is being created by the user when the time-sensitivity element determines that the voice media is time-sensitive;

or

(ii) wirelessly transit the received voice media out of the storage element when (a) the time sensitivity element determines that the voice media is not time-sensitive and (b) the position detector determines that the communication device is placed a safe distance away from the user.

11. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the storage element is further configured to store the voice media in a time-indexed format.

12. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the storage element is a persistent storage element configured to persistently store the voice media.

13. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the storage element and the RF transmitter are further configured to simultaneously and progressively store and wirelessly transmit the voice media, as the voice media is being created by the user, when the time-sensitivity element determines that the voice media is time-sensitive.

14. The communication device of claim 10, further comprising an encode receive element configured to simultaneously and progressively encode and store the encoded voice media in the storage device as the voice media is being created by the user while using the communication device.

15. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the receiver comprises a microphone.

16. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the time-sensitivity element is further configured to determine the time-sensitivity of the voice media based on a declared intent by the recipient to render the voice media “

live”

in the real-time mode.

17. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the time-sensitivity element is further configured to determine the time-sensitivity of the voice media by inferring based on the behavior of the recipient that the voice media is being rendered “

live”

in the real-time mode.

18. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the position detector comprises one of the following:

(i) a motion detector embedded in the communication device to determine when the communication device is no longer being held by the user;

(ii) a capacitance sensor embedded in the communication device to determine when the communication device is no longer in contact with the user;

(iii) a resistive sensor embedded in the communication device to determine when the communication device is no longer in contact with the user;

(iv) an image detector embedded in the communication device to determine when the communication device is no longer being held near the head of the user;

(v) a timer which times the RF transmission of the not time-sensitive voice media from the storage element a predetermined period of time after the timer has been set;

or

(vi) any combination of (i) through (v).

19. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the position detector further determines the safe distance by determining when the communication device has been placed away from the head of the user.

20. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the communication device is one of the following:

(i) a wireless phone;

(ii) a cellular phone;

(iii) a mobile phone;

(iv) a satellite phone;

(v) a computer;

(vi) a radio;

(vii) a tactical radio;

or

(viii) a satellite radio.