Autodial from database in an electronic wristwatch

• US 5,054,051 A
• Filed: 01/31/1990
• Issued: 10/01/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Protocol-ip.com, LLC
• Original Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Inventors: Hoff, Don G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Application Number:
  US07/472,999
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 379/56, 379/57, 379/61, 379/63, 379/90, 379/359, 379/355, 340/825.44
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/228 combined with other devices having a different main function, e.g. watches
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3872 with extendable microphones or earphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/275 implemented by means of portable electronic directories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A system and method to autodial a telephone number, employing (1) an electronic wristwatch which includes means for receiving radio paging messages and a memory for storing a database of predetermined multidigit telephone numbers and (2) a collapsible compact telephone handset, which does not have a dialing key pad. The electronic wristwatch and the handset includes short range transceivers so that a data communication link can be established between the electronic wristwatch and the handset. Circuitry is provided to transmit telephone numbers stored in or received by the electronic wristwatch to the telephone handset and to automatically dial such telephone numbers.

Claims

1. A telephone dialing system comprising in combination:

an electronic wristwatch and a telephone handset,

said electronic wristwatch including,

first radio means, said first radio means comprising a one way radio means for receiving radio paging messages which include telephone numbers,

second radio means, said second radio means comprising a two way short range radio link between said electronic wristwatch and said telephone handset,

means for storing telephone numbers, and

means for retrieving telephone numbers from said memory and transmitting said telephone numbers to said telephone handset using said second radio means,

said telephone handset including

means for receiving messages electromagnetically transmitted from said electronic wristwatch using said second radio means,

means for generating DTMF dialing tones from the numbers so received and

means for transmitting to said wristwatch requests to retrieve and send to said telephone handset a number stored in said memory,

whereby numbers received via said first radio means and stored by said electronic wristwatch can be automatically transmitted to said telephone by said second radio means and automatically dialed by said telephone.

2. In a system that includes a telephone handset which has a two way short range radio transceiver, and a wrist mounted device which has a radio paging receiver and a two way short range radio transceiver, a method to autodial a predetermined telephone number stored in said writs mounted radio receiving deice, from said telephone handset in response to said user entering into said telephone handset a predetermined voiced sound that is unique to said predetermined number, comprising the following steps in combination,

A) providing in said wrist mounted device a memory having a plurality of addressable storage locations,

B) establishing a communication link between said device and said telephone,

C) a transmitting through said link a first signal to said device from said telephone in response to said user entering into said telephone said predetermined sound,

D) converting in said device said first signal when received into the address in said memory of said storage location associated exclusively with said predetermined number,

E) transmitting from said device through said link to said telephone a second signal corresponding to said predetermined number from said storage location associated with said predetermined number, and

F) converting in said telephone each symbol of said multisymbol number received from said device into a dial signal for transmission to a central switching unit to which said telephone unit is assigned.