Reminder apparatus and method

• US 5,828,312 A
• Filed: 07/11/1996
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Yasuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, BRIAN A
• Application Number:
  US08/680,229
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.44, 340/825.46, 340/825.48
• US Class Current: 340/7.58
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1025 Paging receivers with audible signalling details

Abstract

An apparatus for notifying a user of information by using sound or silent medium includes a scheduler which determines an alarm time by the user'"'"'s operation and a selector which selects a single mode from a sound mode and a silent mode comprising a beep silent mode, a modified silent mode, and a fully silent mode. The sound mode uses at least the sound medium to notify the user of the information, and the silent mode uses the silent medium to notify the user of the information. When either the sound mode or the beep silent mode has been selected, the apparatus makes a beep reminder at the alarm time. When the modified silent mode has been selected, the sound reminder is made at a time when a selection of the silent mode is reset after the alarm time has passed. When the fully silent mode has been selected, a silent reminder such as a visual or a vibration reminder is made at the alarm time.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating a reminder alarm in a selective call receiver which is selectively set to one of a sound mode and a silent mode, wherein an incoming call causes a sound medium incoming call alarm to be generated when the sound mode is selected and a silent medium incoming call alarm to be generated when the silent mode is selected, the apparatus comprising:

a scheduler for determining a time of an alarm;

a mode selector for selecting one of a first reminder alarm mode, a second reminder alarm mode, and a third reminder alarm mode; and

a controller for generating;

in said first reminder alarm mode, a sound medium reminder alarm at the time of the alarm even if said silent mode is selected;

in said second reminder alarm mode, the sound medium reminder alarm if the alarm time has passed when the silent mode has been reset to the sound mode; and

in said third reminder alarm mode, a silent medium reminder alarm at the time of the alarm if the silent mode has been selected.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sound medium reminder alarm is generated by a speaker.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the silent medium reminder alarm is generated by a visual attention-getting device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the silent medium reminder alarm is generated by a light-emitting device.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the silent medium reminder alarm is generated by a display device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the silent medium reminder alarm is generated by a mechanical vibrator.

7. A selective call receiver for receiving a selective calling signal and detecting an incoming call, comprising:

an informer for selectively generating an audible alert and a silent alert;

a scheduler for determining a reminder alert time at which a reminder alert is to be generated;

a first mode selector for selecting one of an audible mode and a silent mode, wherein an incoming call causes the audible alert to be generated when the audible mode is selected and the silent alert to be generated when the silent mode is selected;

a second mode selector for selecting one from a first alert mode, a second alert mode, and a third mode alert mode; and

a controller for generating the audible alert at the reminder alert time when the first alert mode has been selected even in a state where the silent mode is selected, generating the audible alert at a time when the silent mode is changed to the audible mode after the reminder alert time has passed when the second alert mode has been selected, and generating the silent alert at the reminder alert time when the silent mode and the third alert mode have been selected.

8. The selective call receiver according to claim 7, wherein the audible alert is generated by a speaker.

9. The selective call receiver according to claim 7, wherein the silent alert is generated by a visual device.

10. The selective call receiver according to claim 9, wherein the silent alert is generated by a light-emitting device.

11. The selective calling receiver according to claim 9, wherein the silent alert is generated by a display device.

12. The selective calling receiver according to claim 7, wherein the silent alert is generated by a mechanical vibrator.

13. A method for generating a reminder alarm in a selective call receiver which is selectively set to one of a sound mode and a silent mode, wherein an incoming call causes a sound medium alarm to be generated when the sound mode is selected and a silent medium alarm to be generated when the silent mode is selected, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a time of an alarm by a scheduler program;

selecting one of a first reminder alarm mode, a second reminder alarm mode, and a third reminder alarm mode;

generating a sound medium reminder alarm at the time of the alarm when the first reminder alarm mode has been selected even in a state where the silent mode is selected;

generating the sound medium reminder alarm at a time when the silent mode is changed to the sound mode after the time of the alarm has passed when the second reminder alarm mode has been selected; and

generating a silent medium reminder alarm at the time of the alarm when the silent mode and the third reminder alarm mode have been selected.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the sound medium reminder alarm is generated by a speaker.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the silent medium reminder alarm is generated by a visual attention-getting device.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the silent medium reminder alarm is generated by a light-emitting device.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the silent medium reminder alarm is generated by a display device.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the silent medium reminder alarm is generated by a mechanical vibrator.

19. A pager receiver comprising a scheduler for notifying a user at a preset time, said scheduler comprising:

an audible alarm;

a silent alarm;

scheduling memory for storing an alarm time preset by a user; and

a selector for selecting one of an audible mode, a fully-silent mode and a modified-silent module; and

a controller connected to said audible alarm, said silent alarm and said selector,

wherein in said audible mode, said controller activates said audible alarm at said preset time stored in said scheduling memory,

in said fully-silent mode said controller activates said silent alarm at said preset time stored in said scheduling memory; and

in said modified-silent mode said controller delays activating said audible alarm when said preset time stored in said scheduling memory has passed until the user selects said audible mode.