Speech recall in cellular telephone

• US 5,790,957 A
• Filed: 09/12/1995
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Heidari, Alireza Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US08/527,368
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 379/56, 379/58, 379/59, 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 455/403, 455/413, 455/551, 455/450, 455/448, 455/455, 455/464, 455/412, 455/433, 455/435, 455/422, 455/54.1, 455/89, 455/90
• US Class Current: 455/553.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A cellular telephone having transmit and receive channels with a digital-mode communication capability includes also a memory and switching circuitry operative under control of a microcontroller. The switching circuitry enables connection of input and output ports of the memory to either one of the channels. By entry of commands to the microcontroller, the microcontroller arranges the configuration of the switching circuitry to permit storage in the memory of a message originating locally from a user of the telephone, inputted via a microphone connected to the transmit channel, or from a distant telephone connected via a communication link to the receiving channel. Subsequent playback of the message from the memory may be coupled via the switching circuitry to a speaker of the telephone to be heard by a user of the telephone, or may be outputted to the transmit channel for communication to the distant telephone. Preferably, the message is stored in compressed format to save memory space. This enables the telephone to provide features of prompt, voice pad, transcription, and voice mail. In addition, a reduction on a data sampling rate, in response to the condition of a battery charge, permits an extended period of operation of the telephone prior to the termination of adequate battery voltage.

Claims

1. A radiotelephone comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) unit enabling transmission and reception of voice signals between the radiotelephone and a distant site via a base station;

a voice input means and a transmit channel interconnecting the voice input means to the RF unit;

a voice output means and a receive channel interconnecting the voice output means to the RF unit;

a memory for storing one of said voice signals, said one voice signal being carried by either of said channels;

switching means comprising an input switch operative to direct said voice signal to said memory from at least one of said channels, said switching means further comprising an output switch operative to direct said voice signal from said memory to either one of said channels;

controller means, operative in response to a first command, for directing said switching means to effect connection of said memory to either one of said channels for storing in said memory said voice signal carried by said one channel; and

wherein said controller means is operative further, in response to a second command, for directing said switching means to effect connection of said memory to one of said channels for outputting said voice signal from said memory; and

the radiotelephone further comprises a speech compressor operative for compressing a distant one of said voice signals from said distant site, and said switching means is operative for routing said distant voice signal from said receive channel via said speech compressor to said memory for storage of said distant voice signal in said memory in compressed format.

2. A radiotelephone according to claim 1 wherein, in response to said first command, said memory stores said voice signal from said transmit channel and, in response to said second command, said memory outputs said voice signal to said transmit channel, wherein said first command is initiated at the radiotelephone and said second command is initiated at the distant site for attainment of a prompt function.

3. A radiotelephone according to claim 2 further comprising means for inputting said first command to said controller means, and means for extracting said second command from said receive channel and for applying said second command to said controller means.

4. A radiotelephone according to claim 1 wherein said transmit channel has a digital protocol signal portion including a compressor of voice signals, said receive channel has a digital protocol signal portion including an expander of voice signals, and said memory stores digitally compressed voice signals.

5. A radiotelephone according to claim 1 wherein, in response to said first command, said memory stores said voice signal from said receive channel and, in response to said second command, said memory outputs said voice signal to said receive channel, wherein said first command is initiated at the radiotelephone and said second command is initiated at the radiotelephone for attainment of a voice-pad function with recordation of a distant one of said voice signals from the distant site.

15. A radiotelephone according to claim 1 wherein, in response to said first command, said memory stores said voice signal from said transmit channel and, in response to said second command, said memory outputs said voice signal to said transmit channel, wherein said first command is initiated at the radiotelephone and said second command is initiated at the radiotelephone for attainment of a transcribe function with recordation of an outgoing one of said voice signals for transcription to the distant site.

16. A radiotelephone according to claim 1 wherein, in response to said first command, said memory stores said voice signal from said receive channel and, in response to said second command, said memory outputs said voice signal to said receive channel, wherein said first command is initiated at the distant site and said second command is initiated at the radiotelephone for attainment of a voice-mail function with recordation of a distant one of said voice signals from the distant site.

6. A radiotelephone comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) unit enabling transmission and reception of voice signals between the radiotelephone and a distant site via a base station;

a voice input means and a transmit channel interconnecting the voice input means to the RF unit;

a voice output means and a receive channel interconnecting the voice output means to the RF unit;

a memory for storing one of said voice signals, said one voice signal being carried by either of said channels;

switching means comprising an input switch operative to direct said voice signal to said memory from at least one of said channels, said switching means further comprising an output switch operative to direct said voice signal from said memory to at least one of said channels;

controller means, operative in response to a first command, for directing said switching means to effect connection of said memory to one of said channels for storing in said memory said voice signal carried by said one channel; and

wherein said controller means is operative further, in response to a second command, for directing said switching means to effect connection of said memory to one of said channels for outputting said voice signal from said memory;

in response to said first command, said memory stores said voice signal from said receive channel and, in response to said second command, said memory outputs said voice signal to said receive channel, wherein said first command is initiated at the radiotelephone and said second command is initiated at the radiotelephone for attainment of a voice-pad function with recordation of a distant one of said voice signals from the distant site; and

said receive channel is operative in an analog mode of communication, the radiotelephone further comprises a speech compressor, and said switching means is operative for routing said distant voice signal from said receive channel via said speech compressor to said memory for storage of said distant voice signal in said memory in compressed format.

7. A radiotelephone according to claim 6 wherein said speech compressor is located in said transmit channel to enable transmission of an outgoing one of said voice signals in a digital communication mode.

8. A radiotelephone according to claim 7 further comprising a speaker and a speech expander located in said receive channel to enable receipt of an incoming one of said voice signals via said digital communication mode, and wherein said switching means is operative for routing said distant voice signal from said memory via said speech expander to said speaker, said expander serving to convert said distant voice signal from a compressed format to a normal format to be heard via said speaker.

9. A radiotelephone comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) unit enabling transmission and reception of voice signals between the radiotelephone and a distant site via a base station;

a voice input means and a transmit channel interconnecting the voice input means to the RF unit;

a voice output means and a receive channel interconnecting the voice output means to the RF unit;

a memory for storing one of said voice signals, said one voice signal being carried by either of said channels;

switching means comprising an input switch operative to direct said voice signal to said memory from at least one of said channels, said switching means further comprising an output switch operative to direct said voice signal from said memory to at least one of said channels;

controller means, operative in response to a first command, for directing said switching means to effect connection of said memory to one of said channels for storing in said memory said voice signal carried by said one channel;

wherein said controller means is operative further, in response to a second command, for directing said switching means to effect connection of said memory to one of said channels for outputting said voice signal from said memory;

the radiotelephone further comprises a speech compressor for compressing a distant one of said voice signals from said distant site, and said switching means is operative for routing said distant voice signal from said receive channel via said speech compressor to said memory for storage of said distant voice signal in said memory in compressed format; and

the radiotelephone is dual-mode radiotelephone having analog and digital branches in each of said channels, the radiotelephone further comprising a voice compressor located in said digital branch of said transmit channel and a voice expander located in said digital branch of said receive channel, said voice-pad function is attained by storing said voice signal in compressed format in said memory, and wherein said switching means is operative during a playback of said voice signal from said memory to route said voice signal from an output port of said memory to said expander for converting said voice signal from a compressed format to a normal format.

10. A radiotelephone comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) unit enabling transmission and reception of voice signals between the radiotelephone and a distant site via a base station;

a voice input means and a transmit channel interconnecting the voice input means to the RF unit;

a voice output means and a receive channel interconnecting the voice output means to the RF unit;

a memory for storing one of said voice signals, said one voice signal being carried by either of said channels;

switching means comprising an input switch operative to direct said voice signal to said memory from at least one of said channels, said switching means further comprising an output switch operative to direct said voice signal from said memory to at least one of said channels;

controller means, operative in response to a first command, for directing said switching means to effect connection of said memory to one of said channels for storing in said memory said voice signal carried by said one channel; and

wherein said controller means is operative further, in response to a second command, for directing said switching means to effect connection of said memory to one of said channels for outputting said voice signal from said memory;

the radiotelephone is a dual-mode radiotelephone having analog and digital branches in each of said channels, the radiotelephone further comprising a voice compressor located in said digital branch of said transmit channel and a voice expander located in said digital branch of said receive channel;

in response to said first command said memory stores said voice signal from said transmit channel and, in response to said second command, said memory outputs said voice signal to said receive channel, said first command and said second command being initiated at the radiotelephone for attainment of a voice-pad function with recordation of an outgoing one of said voice signals;

said switching means is operative during a recordation of said outgoing voice signal to route said outgoing voice signal via said compressor to said memory to attain said voice-pad function by storage of said outgoing voice signal in compressed format in said memory; and

said switching means is operative during a playback of said voice signal from said memory to rout said outgoing voice signal from said memory to said expander for converting said voice signal from a compressed format to a normal format.

11. A radiotelephone according to claim 10 wherein said switching means is operative to apply said outgoing voice signal to both said analog and said digital branches of said transmit channel to enable communication between the radiotelephone and the distant site via an analog mode of communication concurrently with operation of said voice-pad function with storage of said outgoing voice signal in the compressed format in said memory.

12. A radiotelephone comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) unit enabling transmission and reception of voice signals between the radiotelephone and a distant site via a base station;

a voice input means and a transmit channel interconnecting the voice input means to the RF unit;

a voice output means and a receive channel interconnecting the voice output means to the RF unit;

a memory for storing one of said voice signals, said one voice signal being carried by either of said channels;

switching means comprising an input switch operative to direct said voice signal to said memory from at least one of said channels, said switching means further comprising an output switch operative to direct said voice signal from said memory to at least one of said channels;

controller means, operative in response to a first command, for directing said switching means to effect connection of said memory to one of said channels for storing in said memory said voice signal carried by said one channel;

wherein said controller means is operative further, in response to a second command, for directing said switching means to effect connection of said memory to one of said channels for outputting said voice signal from said memory;

the radiotelephone is a dual-mode radiotelephone having analog and digital branches in each of said channels, the radiotelephone further comprising a voice compressor located in said digital branch of said transmit channel and a voice expander located in said digital branch of said receive channel, a storage of said voice signal in said memory being attained by storing said voice signal in compressed format in said memory, and wherein said switching means is operative during a playback of said voice signal from said memory to rout said voice signal from an output port of said memory to said expander for converting said voice signal from a compressed format to a normal format; and

wherein the radiotelephone further comprises a battery providing battery-powered operation of the radiotelephone, and means for determining a status of stored energy within said battery, said controller means being operative to extend a communication function of the radiotelephone during a low-energy state of said battery by reducing a sampling rate of said compressor.

13. A radiotelephone comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) unit enabling transmission and reception of voice signals between the radiotelephone and a distant site via a base station;

a voice input means and a transmit channel interconnecting the voice input means to the RF unit;

a voice output means and a receive channel interconnecting the voice output means to the RF unit;

a memory for storing one of said voice signals, said one voice signal being carried by either of said channels;

switching means comprising an input switch operative to direct said voice signal to said memory from at least one of said channels, said switching means further comprising an output switch operative to direct said voice signal from said memory to at least one of said channels;

controller means, operative in response to a first command, for directing said switching means to effect connection of said memory to one of said channels for storing in said memory said voice signal carried by said one channel;

sampling means for converting an outgoing one of said voice signals from analog format to digital format; and

wherein said controller means is operative further, in response to a second command, for directing said switching means to effect connection of said memory to one of said channels for outputting said voice signal from said memory; and

wherein the radiotelephone further comprises a battery providing battery-powered operation of the radiotelephone, and means for determining a status of stored energy within said battery, said controller means being operative to extend a communication function of the radiotelephone during a low-energy state of said battery by reducing a sampling rate of said sampling means.

14. A radiotelephone comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) unit enabling transmission and reception of voice signals between the radiotelephone and a distant site via a base station;

a voice input means and a transmit channel interconnecting the voice input means to the RF unit;

a voice output means and a receive channel interconnecting the voice output means to the RF unit;

a memory for storing one of said voice signals, said one voice signal being carried by either of said channels;

switching means comprising an input switch operative to direct said voice signal to said memory from at least one of said channels, said switching means further comprising an output switch operative to direct said voice signal from said memory to at least one of said channels;

controller means, operative in response to a first command, for directing said switching means to effect connection of said memory to one of said channels for storing in said memory said voice signal carried by said one channel;

sampling means for converting an outgoing one of said voice signals from analog format to digital format; and

wherein said controller means is operative further, in response to a second command, for directing said switching means to effect connection of said memory to one of said channels for outputting said voice signal from said memory; and

the radiotelephone further comprises watchdog means for monitoring available storage space in said memory, said controller means being operative to extend a communication function of the radiotelephone during a state of reduced availability of storage space in said memory by reducing a sampling rate of said sampling means.

17. A radiotelephone comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) unit enabling transmission and reception of voice signals between the radiotelephone and a distant site via a base station;

a voice input means and a transmit channel interconnecting the voice input means to the RF unit;

a voice output means and a receive channel interconnecting the voice output means to the RF unit;

sampling means for converting an outgoing one of said voice signals from analog format to digital format for communication via said transmit channel;

a battery providing battery-powered operation of the radiotelephone;

status means for determining a status of stored energy within said battery; and

controller means operative to extend a communication function of the radiotelephone during a low-energy state of said battery by reducing a sampling rate of said sampling means.

18. A radiotelephone comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) unit enabling transmission and reception of voice signals between the radiotelephone and a distant site via a base station;

a voice input means and a transmit channel interconnecting the voice output means to the RF unit;

a voice output means and a receive channel interconnecting the voice output means to the RF unit;

sampling means for converting an outgoing one of said voice signals from analog format to digital format for communication via said transmit channel;

means for determining a status of stored energy within a battery supplying electric power to the radiotelephone; and

controller means operative to alter a sampling rate of said sampling means during a low-energy state of the battery.

19. A radiotelephone comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) unit enabling transmission and reception of voice signals between the radiotelephone and distant site via a base station;

a voice input means and a transmit channel interconnecting the voice input means to the RF unit;

a voice output means and a receive channel interconnecting the voice output means to the RF unit;

a memory for storing one of said voice signals, said one voice signal being carried by either of said channels;

switching means comprising an input switch operative to direct said voice signal to said memory from at least one of said channels, said switching means further comprising an output switch operative to direct said voice signal from said memory to at least one of said channels, the radiotelephone being a dual-mode radiotelephone having analog and digital branches in each of said channels; and

a voice compressor located in said digital branch of said transmit channel and a voice expander located in said digital branch of said receive channel; and

wherein said one voice signal is coupled via said compressor to said memory for compressing said one voice signal prior to a storing of said voice signal in said memory, and wherein said expander is coupled to said memory for expanding said one voice signal upon an outputting of said voice signal from said memory, thereby to recover said voice signal from a compressed format subsequent to a storage of said voice signal in said memory.