Method and apparatus for processing a voice message intended for a selective call transceiver

• US 5,644,627 A
• Filed: 03/29/1995
• Issued: 07/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Segal, Nirarjan Nath, Petit, Steven Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSANG, FAN S
• Application Number:
  US08/413,020
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/56, 379/57, 379/58, 379/59, 340/825.44, 340/825.48, 340/311.1, 453/31
• US Class Current: 379/88.09
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/105 with call or message storage means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/023 with message or information receiving capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/185 Selective call encoders for paging networks, e.g. paging centre devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus processes a voice message for a selective call transceiver (SCT) (110) in a selective call communication system. A fixed portion (100) of the system accepts and stores (602) the message, transmits (604) a message notification indicative of message size to the SCT, and transmits (608) the message to the SCT in response to receiving therefrom a first acknowledgment. The SCT receives (702) the message notification, and determines (704) whether sufficient memory space is available for storing the message. If so, the SCT transmits (706) the first acknowledgment, and thereafter receives and stores (708) the message. If not, the SCT notifies (716) the user about the memory insufficiency, and withholds (718) the first acknowledgment until an execution of a predetermined control sequence by the user within a predetermined period. If the control sequence is executed in time, the SCT sends (720) the first acknowledgment, and thereafter receives and audibly reproduces (722) the voice message without storing the voice message.

Claims

1. A method of processing a voice message intended for a selective call transceiver in a selective call communication system,

the method comprising in a fixed portion of the selective call communication system the steps of:

accepting and storing the voice message;

transmitting a message notification indicative of message size to the selective call transceiver; and

transmitting the voice message to the selective call transceiver in response to receiving therefrom a first acknowledgment comprising a request to transmit the voice message, and

the method further comprising in the selective call transceiver the steps of;

receiving the message notification;

determining in response whether sufficient memory space is available in the selective call transceiver for storing the voice message therein; and

processing the voice message in a first manner in response to determining that sufficient memory space is available, comprising the steps of;

transmitting the first acknowledgment; and

thereafter receiving and storing the voice message,

wherein the method further comprises in the selective call transceiver the step of processing the voice message in a second manner in response to determining that sufficient memory space is not available, comprising the steps of;

providing an indication to a user of the selective call transceiver that there is insufficient memory available for storing the voice message;

withholding the first acknowledgment in an absence of an execution of a first predetermined control sequence by the user within a predetermined period after providing the indication;

transmitting the first acknowledgment in response to the execution of the first predetermined control sequence by the user within the predetermined period; and

thereafter receiving and audibly reproducing the voice message without storing the voice message within the selective call transceiver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing the voice message in the first manner further comprises the step of transmitting a second acknowledgment comprising a message-delivered notification in response to completing the step of receiving and storing the voice message.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the selective call transceiver includes a pending message indicator, and

wherein the step of receiving the message notification comprises the step of activating the pending message indicator.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of processing the voice message in the first manner further comprises the steps of:

audibly reproducing the voice message in response to a second predetermined control sequence by the user; and

thereafter deactivating the pending message indicator and transmitting a third acknowledgment comprising a message-played notification.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of processing the voice message in the second manner further comprises the steps of:

deactivating the pending message indicator and transmitting a third acknowledgment comprising a message-played notification in response to audibly reproducing the voice message.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of processing the voice message in the second manner further comprises the steps of:

leaving the pending message indicator active and withholding transmission of a third acknowledgment comprising a message-played notification in response to audibly reproducing the voice message.

7. An apparatus for processing a voice message intended for a selective call transceiver in a selective call communication system,

the apparatus comprising in a fixed portion of the selective call communication system:

accepting and storing means for accepting and storing the voice message;

notification means coupled to the accepting and storing means for transmitting a message notification indicative of message size to the selective call transceiver;

acknowledgment receiver means communicating with the selective call transceiver for receiving acknowledgments therefrom; and

message transmission means coupled to the acknowledgment receiver means for transmitting the voice message to the selective call transceiver in response to receiving therefrom a first acknowledgment comprising a request to transmit the voice message, and

the apparatus further comprising in the selective call transceiver;

receiver means for receiving the voice message transmitted by the message transmission means;

memory means coupled to the receiver means for storing the voice message;

processor means coupled to the receiver means and coupled to the memory means for controlling the selective call transceiver;

transmitter means coupled to the processor means for transmitting the acknowledgments to the fixed portion of the selective call communication system;

user control means coupled to the processor means for providing control of the selective call transceiver by a user;

notification receiving means coupled to the processor means for receiving the message notification;

memory determination means coupled to the notification receiving means and coupled to the memory means for determining whether sufficient memory space is available in the selective call transceiver for storing the voice message therein; and

first processing means coupled to the memory determination means for processing the voice message in a first manner in response to determining that sufficient memory space is available, the first processing means comprising;

memory-sufficient transmission means for transmitting the first acknowledgment; and

receiving and storing means coupled to the memory means for receiving and storing the voice message,

wherein the apparatus further comprises in the selective call transceiver a second processing means coupled to the memory determination means for processing the voice message in a second manner in response to determining that sufficient memory space is not available, the second processing means comprising;

insufficient memory indication means for providing an indication to the user of the selective call transceiver that there is insufficient memory available for storing the voice message;

withholding means coupled to the insufficient memory indication means and coupled to the user control means for withholding the first acknowledgment in an absence of an execution of a first predetermined control sequence by the user within a predetermined period after providing the indication;

memory-insufficient transmission means coupled to the processor means for transmitting the first acknowledgment in response to the execution of the first predetermined control sequence by the user within the predetermined period; and

receiving and reproducing means coupled to the processor means for receiving and audibly reproducing the voice message without storing the voice message within the selective call transceiver.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first processing means further comprises message-delivered notification means coupled to the receiving and storing means for transmitting a second acknowledgment comprising a message-delivered notification in response to completing receiving and storing of the voice message.

9. The apparatus of claim 7,

wherein the selective call transceiver includes a pending message indicator, and

wherein the notification receiving means comprises an activation means coupled to the pending message indicator for activating the pending message indicator in response to receiving the message notification.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first processing means further comprises:

audible reproduction means for audibly reproducing the voice message in response to a second predetermined control sequence by the user; and

first deactivation means coupled to the pending message indicator for deactivating the pending message indicator and transmitting a third acknowledgment comprising a message-played notification in response to audibly reproducing the voice message.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second processing means further comprises:

second deactivation means coupled to the pending message indicator for deactivating the pending message indicator and transmitting a third acknowledgment comprising a message-played notification in response to audibly reproducing the voice message.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second processing means further comprises:

mode sustainer means coupled to the pending message indicator for leaving the pending message indicator active and withholding transmission of a third acknowledgment comprising a message-played notification in response to audibly reproducing the voice message.

13. A selective call transceiver for processing a voice message intended therefor and transmitted from a fixed portion of a selective call communication system, the selective call transceiver comprising:

a receiver element for receiving the voice message;

a memory coupled to the receiver element for storing the voice message;

a processor coupled to the receiver element and coupled to the memory for controlling the selective call transceiver;

a transmitter coupled to the processor for transmitting acknowledgments to the fixed portion of the selective call communication system;

user controls coupled to the processor for providing control of the selective call transceiver by a user;

a notification receiving element coupled to the processor for receiving a message notification from the fixed portion of the selective call communication system;

a memory determination element coupled to the notification receiving element and coupled to the memory for determining whether sufficient memory space is available in the selective call transceiver for storing the voice message therein; and

a first processing element coupled to the memory determination element for processing the voice message in a first manner in response to determining that sufficient memory space is available, the first processing element comprising;

a memory-sufficient transmission element for transmitting a first acknowledgment; and

a receiving and storing element coupled to the memory for receiving and storing the voice message,

wherein the selective call transceiver further comprises a second processing element coupled to the memory determination element for processing the voice message in a second manner in response to determining that sufficient memory space is not available, the second processing element comprising;

an insufficient memory indication element for providing an indication to the user of the selective call transceiver that there is insufficient memory available for storing the voice message;

a withholding element coupled to the insufficient memory indication element and coupled to the user controls for withholding the first acknowledgment in an absence of an execution of a first predetermined control sequence by the user within a predetermined period after providing the indication;

a memory-insufficient transmission element coupled to the processor for transmitting the first acknowledgment in response to the execution of the first predetermined control sequence by the user within the predetermined period; and

a receiving and reproducing element coupled to the processor for receiving and audibly reproducing the voice message without storing the voice message within the selective call transceiver.

14. The selective call transceiver of claim 13, wherein the first processing element further comprises a message-delivered notification element coupled to the receiving and storing element for transmitting a second acknowledgment comprising a message-delivered notification in response to completing receiving and storing of the voice message.

15. The selective call transceiver of claim 13,

wherein the selective call transceiver includes a pending message indicator, and

wherein the notification receiving element comprises an activation element coupled to the pending message indicator for activating the pending message indicator in response to receiving the message notification.

16. The selective call transceiver of claim 15, wherein the first processing element further comprises:

an audible reproduction element for audibly reproducing the voice message in response to a second predetermined control sequence by the user; and

a first deactivation element coupled to the pending message indicator for deactivating the pending message indicator and transmitting a third acknowledgment comprising a message-played notification in response to audibly reproducing the voice message.

17. The selective call transceiver of claim 15, wherein the second processing element further comprises:

a second deactivation element coupled to the pending message indicator for deactivating the pending message indicator and transmitting a third acknowledgment comprising a message-played notification in response to audibly reproducing the voice message.

18. The selective call transceiver of claim 15, wherein the second processing element further comprises:

a mode sustainer element coupled to the pending message indicator for leaving the pending message indicator active and withholding transmission of a third acknowledgment comprising a message-played notification in response to audibly reproducing the voice message.