Dialing apparatus

• US 5,557,671 A
• Filed: 12/29/1993
• Issued: 09/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Endoh, Shozo
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TEBCHERANI, GLOR
• Application Number:
  US08/174,774
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 379/355, 379/368, 379/356, 379/52
• US Class Current: 379/355.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2476 for a visually impaired user illuminating or arrangements for improving visibility of characters on dials H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set

Abstract

A dialing apparatus for transmitting a dial signal to a communication line comprises a numerical input key, a generator for generating an audible sound according to the depression of the numerical input key, a transmitter for transmitting a dial signal according to the depression of the numerical input key to the communication line at an independent timing from the generation of the audible sound, a memory to store the data according to the numerical value of the depressed key, an instruction key to instruct the transmitter to transmit the dial signal according to the data stored in the memory, and a second instruction key to instruct the generator to generate the audible sound according to the data stored in the memory. A double stage type switch may be used as a numerical input key. When the switch at the first stage of the double stage type numerical input key is turned on, the audible sound according to the numerical key is generated. When the switch at the second stage is turned on, the dial signal according to the numerical key is transmitted to the line.

Claims

1. A dialing apparatus for transmitting a dial signal to a communication line, comprising:

a handset;

a numerical key;

generating means for generating a first audible sound according to a depression of said numerical key; and

transmitting means for transmitting a dial signal according to the depression of said numerical key to the communication line at a different timing from the generation of said first audible sound;

wherein said generating means generates, according to an off-hook of said handset by a user, a second audible sound for informing the user that said first audible sound is generated according to the depression of said numerical key.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

memory means for storing data according to the depressed numerical key; and

an instructing key for instructing said transmitting means to transmit the dial signal according to the data stored in said memory means.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a second instructing key for instructing said generating means to generate the audible sound according to the data stored in said memory means.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said generating means generates the audible sound when said numerical key is depressed for a first time, and

said transmitting means transmits the dial signal when the numerical key is depressed for a second time longer than said first time.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said transmitting means doesn'"'"'t transmit the dial signal in the case where said numerical key is depressed for a third time which is longer than said first time and is shorter than said second time.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said generating means generates said second audible sound when said numerical key is not depressed within a predetermined time after said handset was off-hooked.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of numerical keys,

and wherein said generating means generates an audible sound that is different in accordance with each of a plurality of numerical values of said numerical keys.

8. A dialing apparatus for transmitting a dial signal to a communication line, comprising:

a numerical key;

generating means for generating an audible sound according to a depression of said numerical key when the numerical key is continuously depressed for a first period longer than a first predetermined time; and

transmitting means for transmitting a dial signal according to said depressed numerical key to the communication line when the numerical key is continuously depressed for a second period shorter than the first predetermined time or for a third period longer than a second predetermined time which is longer than the first predetermined time.

9. A dialing apparatus for transmitting a dial signal to a communication line, comprising:

a numerical key which is constructed by a double stage type switch;

generating means for generating an audible sound according to the depressed numerical key when the switch at the first stage of said numerical key is turned on; and

transmitting means for transmitting the dial signal according to the depressed numerical key to the communication line when the switch at the second stage of the numerical key is turned on for a first period shorter than a predetermined time, a transmission of the dial signal being inhibited when the switch at the second stage is turned on for a second period longer than the predetermined time.

10. A dialing method comprising the steps of:

generating an audio sound according to a depression of a dial key;

transmitting a dial signal according to the depressed dial key in a case where the dial key is depressed for a first period shorter than a predetermined time; and

inhibiting a transmission of the dial signal in a case where the dial key is depressed for a second period longer than the predetermined time.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the audio sound is generated when a first stage of the dial key of a double stage type is turned on.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the dial signal is transmitted when a second stage of the dial key of a double stage type is turned on for the first period, and the transmission of the dial signal is inhibited when the second stage of the dial key is turned on for the second period.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein a depression of a numerical key is detected as the depression of the dial key.

14. A dialing method comprising:

transmitting a dial signal according to a depressed dial key when the dial key is continuously depressed for a first period shorter than a first predetermined time;

generating an audio sound according to the depressed dial key when the dial key is continuously depressed for a second period longer than the first predetermined time; and

determining whether to transmit the dial signal or not based on whether the dial key is continuously depressed for a third period longer than a second predetermined time which is longer than the first predetermined time.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the dial signal is transmitted when the dial key is continuously depressed for the third period.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein a depression of a numerical key is detected as the depression of the dial key.

17. A dialing method comprising the steps of:

generating a first audio sound according to an operated dial key;

transmitting a dial signal according to the operated dial key; and

generating, according to an off-hook of a handset by a user, a second audio for informing the user that the first audio sound is generated according to the operated dial key.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the second audio sound is generated when the dial key is not operated in a predetermined period after the off-hook of the handset.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein dial data is stored in a memory based on an operation of the dial key, and the first audio sound is generated based on the dial data stored in the memory according to an operation of a first function key.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the dial signal is transmitted according to an operation of a second function key.

21. A method according to claim 17, wherein the audio sound is generated according to an operation of the dial key, and whether the dial signal should be transmitted or not is determined based on whether the dial key is continuously depressed or not for a predetermined period after the audio sound is generated.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the dial signal is transmitted in a case where the dial key is continuously depressed for a period shorter than a predetermined threshold.

23. A method according to claim 17, wherein an operation of a numerical key is detected as an operation of the dial key.