Radio communication apparatus capable of generating a common call tone regardless of call numbers indicated by a call signal

• US 5,221,923 A
• Filed: 11/19/1991
• Issued: 06/22/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Tsunoda, Kazuyuki, Matai, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US07/795,260
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.44, 340/825.48, 340/311.1, 340/328, 455/38, 455/38.1, 455/38.2, 379/56, 379/57
• US Class Current: 340/7.62
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1025 Paging receivers with audible signalling details
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/022 Selective call receivers

Abstract

In a radio communication apparatus for selectively receiving call signals indicative of call numbers, respectively, a decoder receives, in cooperation with a P-ROM, each of the call signals as a received signal and processes the received signal into a common call tone signal representative of reception of the received signal regardless of the call numbers. The decoder makes a tone generator generate a common tone in response to the common call tone signal to indicate arrival of reception of one of the call signals. When a manual operable switch is operated, the decoder makes the tone generator stop generation of the common tone and classify the received signal into one of individual tone signals corresponding to the respective call numbers. Subsequently, the decoder makes the tone generator generate a particular tone indicating the call number of the received signal in question. When the switch is again operated, the decoder makes the tone generator stop generation of the particular tone.

Claims

1. A radio communication apparatus for selectively receiving a plurality of call signals indicative of a plurality of call numbers, respectively, which are assigned to said radio communication apparatus, said radio communication apparatus comprising:

a memory unit for memorizing said call numbers as a memorized content;

receiving means connected to said memory unit for receiving each of said call signals as a received signal with reference to said memorized content;

processing means connected to said receiving means for processing said received signal into a common call tone signal representative of reception of said received signal irrespective of one of said call numbers that is indicated by said received signal;

tone generating means for generating a plurality of audible tones; and

controlling means connected to said processing means for controlling said tone generating means in response to said common call tone signal to make said tone generating means generate one of said audible tones that indicates reception of said received signal as a common tone;

said receiving means producing said received signal as a particular reception signal in response to one of said call signals that indicates one of said call numbers;

said processing means being furthermore for classifying said received signal into one of a plurality of individual tone signals after said controlling means makes said tone generating means generate said common tone in response to said common call tone signal, said individual tone signals corresponding to said call numbers, respectively, said one of the individual tone signals indicating the call number of said particular reception signal;

said controlling means making said tone generating means generate a particular one of said audible tones as a particular tone in response to said one of the individual tone signals, said particular tone indicating the call number of said particular reception signal and having a sound pressure level which is lower than a sound pressure level of said common tone.

2. A radio communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a switch for producing a tone stop instruction signal;

said controlling means being connected to said switch to make said tone generating means stop generation of said common tone in response to said tone stop instruction signal after said controlling means makes said tone generating means generate said common tone.

3. A radio communication apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said processing means classifies said received signal into said one of the individual tone signals after said control means makes said tone generating means stop generation of said common tone in response to said tone stop instruction signal.

4. A radio communication apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said controlling means makes said tone generating means stop generation of said particular tone in response to said tone stop instruction signal produced after generation of said particular tone.

5. A radio communication apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a memory for memorizing a confirmation waiting call signal which is already received by said receiving means as a preceding received signal and which is not yet confirmed by a possessor of said apparatus; and

judging means, connected to said receiving means and said memory, for judging whether or not said received signal is said confirmation waiting call signal to produce a judgment result;

said processing means being connected to said judging means to process said received signal into said common call tone signal when said judgment result represents that said received signal is not said confirmation waiting call signal.

6. A radio communication apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

said processing means processes said received signal into a repeat call tone signal representative of repeated reception of said received signal regardless of said call number of said received signal when said judgment result represents that said received signal is said confirmation waiting call signal; and

said controlling means controls said tone generating means in response to said repeat call tone signal to cause said tone generating means to generate a particular one of said audible tones as a repeat call tone which indicates repeated reception of said received signal.

7. A radio communication apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

said controlling means is connected to said receiving means and said memory to store said received signal in said memory as said confirmation waiting call signal and to control said tone generating means to stop generation of said common call tone when said controlling means does not receive said tone stop instruction signal a predetermined time after said controlling means controls said tone generating means to generate said common tone.