Telephone having touch sensor for responding to a call
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A telephone comprising:
- first means for annunciating a call meant for said telephone;
a touch sensor portion;
second means for detecting whether said touch sensor portion is touched or not and for producing a detection signal when said touch sensor portion is touched; and
third means responsive to said detection signal for causing said telephone to respond to said call only after the annunciation of said call.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The telephone includes a touch sensor which may be attached on a handset. When the telephone receives a call meant therefor, the telephone alerts the user to the call by outputting a ringing tone through a speaker. In response to the call, the telephone also transmits a signaling tone to a base station which may be connected to the telephone over a radio channel and to a public switching telephone network. If the user touches the touch sensor in response to the ringing tone, the telephone stops the signaling tone and thus informs the base station that the user has responded to the call.
56 Citations
28 Claims
-
1. A telephone comprising:
-
first means for annunciating a call meant for said telephone; a touch sensor portion; second means for detecting whether said touch sensor portion is touched or not and for producing a detection signal when said touch sensor portion is touched; and third means responsive to said detection signal for causing said telephone to respond to said call only after the annunciation of said call. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 24)
-
-
7. A mobile telephone comprising:
-
means for detecting a calling signal meant for said mobile telephone to produce a first detection signal; means responsive to said first detection signal for transmitting a response signal; means for receiving a speech-channel designation signal which is transmitted from a base station in response to said response signal and which designates a speech channel to said mobile telephone to produce a received channel designation signal; means responsive to said received channel designation signal for tuning said mobile telephone to said speech channel; means for receiving an alert signal to produce a received alert signal; means response to said received alert signal for producing a ringing tone; means response to said received alert signal for transmitting a signaling tone; touch sensor means for producing a touch signal when being touched; means for detecting said touch signal to produce a second detection signal; and means responsive to said second detection signal for stopping the transmission of said signaling tone only after the reception of said alert signal.
-
-
8. A telephone comprising:
-
first means for detecting a call; second means responsive to the output of said first means for producing an annunciate signal; third means having a sensor portion for producing a touch signal when said sensor portion is touched; and fourth means responsive to said touch signal for responding to said call, only after the production of said annunciation signal. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. An apparatus comprising:
-
means for communicating with other parties; means connected to said communicating means for annunciating a reception of a call; touch sensor means for sensing human being'"'"'s touch thereon; and means responsive to the output of said touch sensor means for making said apparatus respond to said call only after the annunciation of reception of said call. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 25, 26)
-
-
19. A method of making a telephone respond to a call addressed thereto, comprising the following steps of:
-
annunciating a reception of said call; producing a touch detection signal when a touch sensors touched; and responsive to said touch detection signal, making said telephone respond to said call only after the annunciation of said call. - View Dependent Claims (20, 27)
-
-
21. A method of making a mobile telephone respond to a call meant therefor, comprising the following steps of:
-
detecting a call signal to produce a first detection signal; responsive to said first detection signal, transmitting a call response signal; receiving a channel designation signal which is transmitted from a base station in response to said call response signal and which designates a speech channel to said mobile telephone; responsive to said channel designation signal, tuning said mobile telephone to said speech channel; receiving an alert signal; responsive to the received alert signal, generating a ringing tone; responsive to said received alert signal, transmitting a signaling tone; producing a second detection signal when a touch sensor is touched; and responsive to said second detection signal, stopping the transmission of said signaling tone only after the reception of said alert signal. - View Dependent Claims (22, 28)
-
-
23. A telephone as claimed in clam 1, further comprising a handset, wherein said touch sensor portion comprises a capacitor having two conductive plates one of which is attached to the surface of said handset, and the other of which is attached to a ground potential.
Specification