Portable telephone set incorporating a message recording feature

• US 5,740,543 A
• Filed: 08/14/1997
• Issued: 04/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Maeda, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAUNG, NAY AUNG
• Application Number:
  US08/911,172
• Time in Patent Office: 243 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412, 455/414, 455/425, 455/550, 455/556, 455/575, 455/90, 379/67, 379/68, 379/75, 379/85, 379/88, 379/202
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/656 for recording conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64

Abstract

A receiving section receives a radio signal and sends out a demodulation output thereof to a receiver. A transmitting unit modulates a voice signal input from a transmitter and transmits the voice signal as a radio signal. A voice memory unit stores the voice signal. A switch temporarily inhibits a coupling of the output voice signal of the transmitter to the transmitting section while allowing a coupling of the output voice signal to the voice memory unit for storing thereof.

Claims

1. A portable telephone set comprising:

a receiving section for receiving a radio signal and sending out a demodulation output thereof to a receiver;

a transmitting unit for modulating a voice signal input from a transmitter and transmitting the voice signal as a radio signal;

a voice memory unit for recording the voice signal; and

a switch for temporarily inhibiting coupling of the output voice signal of the transmitter to the transmitting section while conversation is in progress and allowing coupling of the output voice signal to the voice memory unit for storing thereof.

2. The portable telephone set according to claim 1, wherein the switch is a first push button switch operable by the user of the portable telephone set.

3. The portable telephone set according to claim 2, further comprising a second push button switch operable by the user of the portable telephone set for switching an input of the receiver between a demodulation output of the receiving section and a read output of the voice memory unit.

4. A portable telephone communication recording method comprising the steps of:

sending out an origination request signal from a portable telephone set to a base station in response to an operation of a send key after a dial input through an operation unit;

sending out a voice channel assign signal from the base station for assignment of a voice channel to the portable telephone set, in response to the origination request signal;

executing a loop test with the base station in response to receipt of the voice channel assign signal to check whether the assigned voice channel is usable by the portable telephone set;

sending out a conversation mode signal from the base station if the assigned voice channel is available for use;

storing voice data in a voice memory in the portable telephone set in response to receipt of the conversation mode signal and an operation of a memo register key;

preparing the portable telephone set for communication with another party in response to a second operation of the memo register key after necessary information has been stored in the voice memory;

sending out a termination acknowledge signal from the portable telephone set in response to subsequent operation of an end key;

executing an ending operation of the communication and placing the portable telephone set in a waiting state in response to receiving a termination acknowledge signal from the base station; and

reproducing the recorded information in response to an operation of a memo play key in the waiting state.