Portable Radiotelephone for Automatically Dialing a Central Voice-Activated Dialing System

• US 20110195703A1
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Holcomb, Benjamin F., Griffith, Gregory Clyde
• Granted Patent: US 8,750,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0229 The hinge comprising input and/or output user interface means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A portable radiotelephone can be shifted between a first condition wherein the radiotelephone does not receive or transmit voice communications by radiotelephone transmissions over radiotelephone channels and a second condition wherein the radiotelephone receives and transmits voice communications by radiotelephone transmissions over radiotelephone channels. The radiotelephone automatically calls a central voice-activated phone dialing system remote from the portable radiotelephone in response to producing the second condition in the radiotelephone. The radiotelephone includes a switch for producing the first and second conditions.

Claims

1. A cellular telephone device for connecting to a remote voice-activated dialing system, the device comprising:

a housing, the housing having a mouthpiece portion and an earpiece portion, the housing not containing a keypad;

a memory contained within the housing; and

a transceiver contained within the housing,

wherein the transceiver automatically communicates with the voice-activated dialing system via a telephone number stored on the memory when the device is powered up.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a lighted display.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the lighted display indicates the telephone number being called.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the lighted display indicates one of an on status and an off status of the device.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the lighted display indicates one of a roam status and a home status.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a turbo dial button.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the turbo dial button is programmable.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the turbo dial button is a manual push button.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the turbo dial button is a magnetically activated switch.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a shifting cover with a first position and a second position, the first position powering down the device and the second position powering up the device.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the earpiece portion is on a cover and the mouthpiece portion is on a base portion.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the device is powered up when the cover and the base portion are in an open position.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the cover is a flip cover that is rotatable about a hinge connected to the base portion.

14. A method of connecting to a remote voice-activated dialing system, the method comprising:

powering up a cellular telephone device;

reading a telephone number from a memory of the cellular telephone device automatically upon the powering up;

dialing the telephone number;

connecting to the remote voice-activated dialing system; and

initiating an outgoing call.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the powering up is accomplished by shifting a cover of the device from a first position to a second position.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising activating a turbo dial button.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein activating the turbo dial button causes the device to dial a second telephone number stored in the memory.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the turbo dial button is activated to answer an incoming call.

19. A system for making a telephone call, the system comprising:

a network;

a voice-activated dialing system on the network;

a cellular telephone device, the device including a housing having a mouthpiece portion and an earpiece portion and not containing a keypad, a memory contained within the housing, and a transceiver contained within the housing,

wherein the transceiver automatically communicates with the voice-activated dialing system via a telephone number stored on the memory when the device is powered up.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the network is a cellular network.