Radio telephone operating technique

• US 5,594,778 A
• Filed: 10/18/1995
• Issued: 01/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schaupp, George W. Jr., Dailey, Kirk W., Sheley, Laura A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): OEHLING, GEORGE J
• Application Number:
  US08/544,742
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/368
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• 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 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

A radiotelephone (101) has a memory, a display (127) and a keypad (117) with at least one key (121) to produce at least a first function key signal and a second function key signal, and a plurality of data keys (119). First, a first function key creates a first function key signal, turning on the radiotelephone (209); second, a phone number is selected (215). Third, the first function key creates a second function key signal from said first function key, activating the radiotelephone to call the phone number (207). Fourth, a second function key creates a third function key signal disconnecting the radiotelephone from said call (211). Fifth, the second function key creates a fourth function key signal turning off the radiotelephone (213).

Claims

1. A method of operating a radiotelephone, the radiotelephone including a memory, a display and a keypad with at least a first single-throw function key, a second single-throw function key, and a plurality of data keys, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a first function key signal solely responsive to the first single-throw function key to turn on the radiotelephone;

selecting a phone number using the plurality of data keys;

creating a second function key signal solely responsive to said first single-throw function key activating the radiotelephone to call said phone number;

creating a third function key signal solely responsive to the second single-throw function key disconnecting the radiotelephone from said call;

creating a fourth function key signal solely responsive to said second single-throw function key turning off the radiotelephone; and

wherein said first single-throw function key does not revert back to creating said first function key signal unless said fourth function key signal has been created.

2. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 1 wherein said selecting said phone number further comprises step of selecting a first sequence of the data keys which represent a phone number.

3. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 1 wherein said selecting said phone number further comprises the step of selecting a second sequence of the data keys which represent a memory location within the memory of the radiotelephone.

4. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 1 wherein said selecting said phone number further comprises the steps of:

creating a fifth function key signal solely responsible to said first single-throw function key;

selecting a first designated data key representing a symbol; and

displaying a symbol sequence from the memory whose first symbol is alphabetically closest to said symbol.

5. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 4 wherein said selecting said phone number further comprises the step of creating, responsive to said displaying said symbol sequence, a sixth function key signal solely responsive to a third single-throw function key, scrolling the memory in alphabetical order until said third single-throw function key is released.

6. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 4 wherein said selecting said phone number further comprises the step of creating, responsive to said displaying said symbol sequence, a seventh function key signal solely responsive to a third single-throw function key, advancing the display one symbol sequence in memory.

7. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 1 wherein said selecting said phone number further comprises the steps of:

creating an eighth and ninth function key signal solely responsive to said first single-throw function key;

selecting a third sequence of the data keys which represent a phone number;

creating a tenth function key signal solely responsive to said first single-throw function key;

selecting a fourth sequence of designated data keys in succession a predetermined number of times to designate an symbol sequence; and

creating an eleventh function key signal solely responsive to said first single-throw function key.

8. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 1 wherein said selecting said phone number further comprises the steps of:

selecting a fifth sequence of data keys which represent a phone number or a memory location; and

creating a twelfth function key signal solely responsive to said second single-throw function key for a first predetermined length of time, thereby clearing the last data key signal input.

9. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 1 wherein said selecting said phone number further comprises the steps of:

selecting a sixth sequence of data keys which represent a phone number or a memory location; and

creating a thirteenth and fourteenth function key signal solely responsive to said second single-throw function key, thereby clearing said sequence of data input.

10. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 1 wherein said selecting said phone number further comprises the steps of:

selecting a seventh sequence of data keys which represent a phone number or a memory location; and

creating a fifteenth function key signal solely responsive to said second single-throw function key for a second predetermined amount of time, thereby clearing said sequence of data input.

11. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 1 further comprising programming the radiotelephone with a phone number and a name, the programming comprising the steps of:

creating, responsive to said creating said first function key signal, a sixteenth and a seventeenth function key signal solely responsive to said first single-throw function key;

selecting an eighth sequence of the data keys representing the phone number;

creating an eighteenth function key signal solely responsive to said first single-throw function key;

selecting a ninth sequence of designated data keys in succession a predetermined number of times to designate the name; and

creating a nineteenth function key signal solely responsive to said first single-throw function key.

12. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

creating, responsive to said creating said first function key signal, a twentieth function key signal solely responsive to a third single-throw function key for a third predetermined length of time;

selecting a tenth sequence of the data keys representing a first function of the radiotelephone;

creating a twenty-first function key signal solely responsive to said first single-throw function key designating a first mode of said function;

creating a twenty-second function key signal solely responsive to said first single-throw function key designating a second mode of said function; and

creating a twenty-fourth function key signal solely responsive to said second single-throw function key, setting said feature in said second mode.

13. In a radiotelephone having a radiotelephone operations controller for use with a digital computer disposed within a radiotelephone, the radiotelephone operations controller comprising:

a first single-throw function key;

a second single-throw function key; and

a computer program storage medium having a computer program stored thereon to be executed by the digital computer, the computer program operative to;

switching the radiotelephone on in response to a first function key signal solely responsive to said first single-throw function key;

initiating a phone call in response to a second function key signal solely responsive to said first single-throw function key;

storing a name and a phone number in a memory location in response to a third function key signal solely responsive to said first single-throw function key;

terminating a phone call in response to a fourth function key signal solely responsive to said second single-throw function key;

clearing a data entry in response to a fifth function key signal solely responsive to said second function key;

switching the radiotelephone off in response to a sixth function key signal solely responsive to said second single-throw function key; and

wherein the first single-throw function key does not revert back to switching the radiotelephone on unless the radiotelephone has been switched off in response to the sixth function key signal.

14. A method of operating a radiotelephone comprising the steps of:

a) depressing solely a first uni-directional function key, turning on the radiotelephone;

b) selecting a phone number using a plurality of data keys;

c) depressing solely the first uni-directional functional key, activating a phone call to the selected phone number;

d) depressing solely a second uni-directional function key, deactivating the phone call;

e) depressing solely a second uni-directional function key, turning off the radiotelephone; and

wherein the first uni-directional function key does not revert back to turning on the radiotelephone unless the radiotelephone has been turned off in response to depressing solely the second uni-directional function key.

15. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 14 wherein said selecting said phone number further comprises the step of selecting a first sequence of the data keys which represent a phone number.

16. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 14 wherein said selecting said phone number further comprises the step of selecting a second sequence of the data keys which represent a memory location within the memory device of the radiotelephone.

17. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 14 wherein said step of selecting said phone number further comprises the steps of:

depressing solely the first uni-directional function key;

selecting a first designated data key representing a symbol; and

displaying a symbol sequence from the memory whose first symbol is alphabetically closest to said symbol.

18. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 17 wherein said selecting said phone number further comprises the step of solely depressing, responsive to said displaying said symbol sequence, a third uni-directional function key, scrolling the memory in alphabetical order until said third uni-directional function key is released.

19. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 17 wherein said selecting said phone number further comprises the step of solely depressing and releasing, responsive to said displaying said symbol sequence, a third uni-directional function key, advancing the display one symbol sequence in memory.

20. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 14 wherein said selecting said phone number further comprises the steps of:

solely depressing and releasing the first uni-directional function key twice;

selecting a third sequence of the data keys which represent a phone number;

solely depressing and releasing the first uni-directional function key;

selecting a fourth sequence of designated data keys in succession a predetermined number of times to designate a symbol sequence; and

solely depressing the first uni-directional function key.

21. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 14 wherein said selecting said phone number further comprises the steps of:

selecting a fifth sequence of data keys which represent a phone number or a memory location; and

depressing solely the second uni-directional function key for a first predetermined length of time, thereby clearing the last data key signal input.

22. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 14 wherein said selecting said phone number further comprises the steps of:

selecting a sixth sequence of data keys which represent a phone number or a memory location; and

depressing solely and releasing the second uni-directional function key twice, thereby clearing said sequence of data input.

23. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 14 wherein said selecting said phone number further comprises the steps of:

selecting a seventh sequence of data keys which represent a phone number or a memory location; and

depressing solely the second uni-directional function key for a second predetermined amount of time, thereby clearing said sequence of data input.

24. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 14 further comprising programming the radiotelephone with a phone number and a name, the programming comprising the steps of:

depressing solely, responsive to step a), the first uni-directional function key twice;

selecting an eighth sequence of the data keys representing the phone number;

depressing solely the first uni-directional function key;

selecting a ninth sequence of designated data keys in succession a predetermined number of times to designate the name; and

depressing solely the first uni-directional function key.

25. A method of operating a radiotelephone in accordance with claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

depressing solely, responsive to step a), a third uni-directional function key for a third predetermined length of time;

selecting a tenth sequence of the data keys representing a first function of the radiotelephone;

depressing solely the first uni-directional function key designating a first mode of said function;

depressing solely the first uni-directional function key designating a second mode of said function; and

depressing solely the second uni-directional function key, setting said feature in said second mode.

26. In a radiotelephone having a radiotelephone operations controller for use with a digital computer disposed within a radiotelephone, the radiotelephone operations controller comprising:

a first single-throw function key;

a second single-throw function key;

a computer program storage medium having a computer program stored thereon to be executed by the digital computer, the computer program operative to;

switching the radiotelephone on solely responsive to depressing the first single-throw function key a first time;

initiating a phone call solely responsive to depressing the first single-throw function key a second time;

storing a name and a phone number in a memory location solely responsive to depressing the first single-throw function key a third time;

terminating a phone call solely responsive to depressing the second single-throw function key a first time;

switching the radiotelephone off solely responsive to depressing the second single-throw function key a second time; and

wherein the first single-throw function key does not revert back to switching the radiotelephone on unless the radiotelephone has been switched off by the second single-throw function key.