Electronic device having selectable alert modes

• US 5,646,589 A
• Filed: 12/19/1994
• Issued: 07/08/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Silverman, David Phillip, Murray, Nancy
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US08/359,109
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 340/384.1, 340/311.1, 340/825.44, 340/825.45, 340/825.46, 340/825.47, 340/825.48, 381/57
• US Class Current: 340/7.58
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1041 with alternative alert, e.g. remote or silent alert

Abstract

In a noisy environment, e.g., a car traveling down the road with the radio playing, a user who prefers that his pager provide him with an audible alert in response to an actuation of the pager may not be able to hear such an audible alert supplied by the pager. To overcome this difficulty, a pager that is set to an audible alert mode is arranged to change its alerting for a particular actuation of the pager from audible to tactile only when the ambient sound level of the environment in which the pager is located is greater than a predetermined threshold level. For each actuation of the pager that the ambient sound level in the environment in which the pager is located is less than the predetermined threshold level, the pager alerts audibly. Optionally, if the pager also determines that it is no longer being worn on the person of a user, the pager alerts audibly regardless of whether the ambient sound level is greater than the predetermined threshold level. Advantageously, as much of the time as feasible the user receives only the type of alert he desires, namely audible, while receiving the alternative form of alert, namely tactile, only when necessary to avoid loss of the page by the failure of the use to perceive the alert.

Claims

1. A pager comprising:

means for setting an audible alert mode for said pager;

means for determining an ambient sound level in the environment of said pager in response to a particular actuation of said pager;

means, responsive to said pager being set to an audible alert mode by said means for setting, for activating said pager to issue a tactile alert for said particular actuation of said pager only if said ambient sound level is greater than a predetermined threshold level at a time of said particular actuation; and

means for sensing whether or not said pager is on the person of a user of said pager, wherein said means for activating is also responsive to said means for sensing so as to activate said pager to issue said tactile alert only if said means for sensing senses that said pager is on the person of a user.

2. A method for use in a pager comprising the steps of:

setting an audible alert mode for said pager;

determining an ambient sound level in the environment of said pager in response to a particular actuation of said pager;

issuing a tactile alert for said particular actuation of said pager even though said pager is set to said audible alert mode, said tactile alert being issued only if said ambient sound level is greater than a predetermined threshold level at a time of said particular actuation; and

sensing whether or not said pager is on the person of a user prior to said issuing step, and wherein said issuing step is only performed if said pager is sensed to be on the person of a user.

3. A pager having audible alert means and tactile alert means and means for selectively activating either said audible alert means or said tactile alert means in response to an incoming page, said pager comprising:

means for setting said pager to one of a plurality of alert modes, said plurality of alert modes including at least an audible alert mode;

means for determining an ambient sound level in the environment of said pager in response to said incoming page; and

means for sensing whether or not said pager is on the person of a user of said pager;

wherein said means for selectively activating activates said tactile alert means when (i) said pager is set to said audible alert mode by said means for setting, (ii) said ambient sound level, as determined by said means for determining, is greater than a predetermined threshold level at a time of said incoming page and (iii) said means for sensing senses that said pager is on the person of a user.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said audible alert means and said means for determining an ambient sound level share a common electro-acoustic transducer.

5. A method for use in issuing an audible alert or a tactile alert from a pager set in an audible alert mode in response to actuation of said pager, the method comprising the step of issuing a tactile alert only if an ambient sound level is greater than a predetermined level at a time of said particular actuation, wherein said tactile alert is issued only when said pager is located on the person of a user.

6. Apparatus for use in issuing an audible alert or a tactile alert from a pager comprising:

audible alert generating means;

tactile alert generating means;

means for sensing an ambient sound level;

means responsive to receipt of a page for actuating said audible alert generating means or said tactile alert generating means as a function of said sensed ambient sound level at a time of said page; and

means for making a determination as to whether or not said pager is on the person of a user and wherein said means for actuating actuates said audible alert generating means or said tactile alert generating means as a joint function of said sensed ambient sound level and determination.

7. The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein said audible alert generating means and said means for sensing an ambient sound level share a common electro-acoustic transducer.