Portable telephone set usable as a paging receiver for remote notification and response to calls and messages

• US 5,878,354 A
• Filed: 06/06/1997
• Issued: 03/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Application Number:
  US08/870,204
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 455/550, 455/575, 455/38.2, 455/38.4, 455/11.1, 455/66, 455/74, 455/90, 455/100, 455/233.1, 455/343, 455/344, 455/420, 379/38, 379/52, 379/61, 379/67, 379/87, 379/88, 379/59, 379/373, 379/376, 340/539, 340/573, 340/825.36, 340/825.44, 340/825.46
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A portable telephone set for transmitting and receiving signals has an alarm element for generating an alarm signal in response to a preassigned call signal. The alarm element can be selectively put into a silent mode without generation of a ringing tone. The telephone set comprises a main unit for transmitting and receiving the signals containing the call signal, and a subunit, remote from and coupled to the main unit either electronically or by a cable, for mutually communicating with the main unit. The subunit receives the alarm signal when the alarm element is in the silent mode and produces an indication at the subunit that the main unit has received a preassigned call signal. The subunit can also include means for sending commands to the main unit.

Claims

1. A portable radio telephone set comprising:

a main wireless unit for transmitting and receiving call signals, said main wireless unit having a silent mode for selectively generating an alarm signal in response to receiving a preassigned call signal without generating a ringing tone; and

a pager subunit, remote from and coupled to said main wireless unit, for mutually communicating with said main wireless unit, said pager subunit receiving said alarm signal only when said main wireless unit is in the silent mode, to produce an indication at the subunit that the main wireless unit has received a preassigned call signal, and said pager subunit having a silent mode for producing a non-audible indication that the main wireless unit has received a preassigned call signal.

2. A portable radio telephone set as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pager subunit is electromagnetically coupled to said main unit.

3. A portable radio telephone set as claimed in claim 2, wherein said main wireless unit comprises:

alarm signal transmitting means provided in said main wireless unit for transmitting said alarm signal to said pager subunit when said main wireless unit receives said call signal; and

alarm signal receiving means provided in said pager subunit for receiving said alarm signal.

4. A portable radio telephone set as claimed in claim 3, wherein said main unit further comprises:

command signal receiving means for receiving a plurality of command signals comprising a predetermined command signal directing said main wireless unit to make a response to a calling signal of a calling subscriber when said main unit receives said command signal from said subunit;

memory means for memorizing at least one message comprising a first message corresponding to said first predetermined command signal; and

message transmitting means for reading out said first message from said memory means and for automatically transmitting said first message to said calling subscriber;

said pager subunit further comprising;

command signal transmitting means for transmitting said plurality of command signals comprising said first predetermined command signal to said main wireless unit when said alarm signal receiving means receives said alarm signal.

5. A portable radio telephone set as claimed in claim 4, wherein said main wireless unit further comprises recording means for transferring said main wireless unit from a receiving mode to a telephone answering mode and for recording a message of said calling subscriber when said main wireless unit receives a second predetermined command signal so as to change said main wireless unit to said telephone answering mode from said pager subunit.

6. A portable radio telephone set as claimed in claim 5, wherein said main wireless unit further comprises:

absent informing means for repeatedly informing said pager subunit of reception of said call signal when said main wireless unit receives said call signal from said calling subscriber and for transferring to said telephone answering mode when said main wireless unit does not receive a response from said pager subunit for a time longer than a predetermined time and for recording a message from said calling subscriber and thereafter informing said pager subunit of said message at a predetermined time.

7. A portable radio telephone set as claimed in claim 4, wherein said main wireless unit further comprises:

confirmation signal transmitting means for transmitting a confirmation signal to said pager subunit after said main wireless unit receives one of said plurality of command signals from said pager subunit; and

said pager subunit further comprises;

confirmation signal receiving means for receiving said confirmation signal, and

indicating means for indicating reception of said confirmation signal to a user of said pager subunit.

8. A portable radio telephone set as claimed in claim 3, wherein said pager subunit further comprises stimulus providing means for providing a stimulus to a user'"'"'s body when said alarm signal receiving means receives said alarm signal.

9. A portable radio telephone set as claimed in claim 8, wherein said stimulus providing means comprises a piezoelectric transducer for generating a vibration in contact with said user'"'"'s body.

10. A portable radio telephone set as claimed in claim 9, wherein said pager subunit further comprises fitting means for fitting said stimulus providing means to said user'"'"'s body.

11. A portable radio telephone set as claimed in claim 10, wherein said pager subunit has a waterproof structure.

12. A portable radio telephone set as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pager subunit is coupled to said main wireless unit through a lead line.

14. A main wireless unit as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

command signal receiving means for receiving a plurality of command signals comprising a first predetermined command signal and which are transmitted from said pager subunit;

memory means for memorizing at least one message comprising a first message corresponding to said first predetermined command signal, and

message transmitting means for reading out said first message from said memory means and for automatically transmitting said first message to a calling subscriber when said main wireless unit has received a call signal from said calling subscriber.

15. A main wireless unit as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

recording means for converting said main wireless unit from a receiving mode to a telephone answering mode and recording a message of said calling subscriber when said main wireless unit receives a second predetermined command signal from said pager subunit to change said main wireless unit to said telephone answering mode.

16. A main unit as claimed in claim 15, wherein said main wireless unit further comprises:

absent informing means for repeatedly informing said pager subunit of reception of said call signal when said main wireless unit receives said call signal from said calling subscriber and for transferring to said telephone answering mode when said main wireless unit does not receive a response from said pager subunit for a time longer than a predetermined time and for recording a message from said calling subscriber and thereafter informing said pager subunit of said message at a predetermined time.

17. A main wireless unit as claimed in claim 14, further comprising confirmation signal transmitting means for transmitting a confirmation signal to said pager subunit after said main wireless unit receives one of said plurality of command signals from said pager subunit.

20. A pager subunit as claimed in claim 17, further comprising stimulus providing means for providing a stimulus to a human body of a user when said alarm signal receiving means receives said alarm signal.

13. A main wireless unit of a portable radio telephone set for transmitting and receiving call signals comprising:

an alarm element having a silent mode for selectively generating an alarm signal without generating a ringing tone in response to said main wireless unit receiving a preassigned call signal; and

alarm signal transmitting means for transmitting said alarm signal to a pager subunit electrically coupled to said main wireless unit, and remote from said main wireless unit, for mutually communicating with said main wireless unit only when said main wireless unit receives said call signal and said alarm element is in said silent mode.

18. A pager subunit of a portable radio telephone set, said portable radio telephone set comprising a main wireless unit for transmitting and receiving call signals and having a silent mode for selectively generating an alarm signal in response to reception of a call signal from a subscriber without generation of a ringing tone, said pager subunit, remote from said main wireless unit, for mutually communicating with said main wireless unit only when said alarm element is in said silent mode, said subunit comprising:

alarm signal receiving means for receiving said alarm signal transmitted from said main wireless unit by the use of a radio signal or an electrical signal.

19. A pager subunit as claimed in claim 18, further comprising command signal transmitting means for transmitting a plurality of command signals comprising a first predetermined command signal to said main wireless unit.

21. A pager subunit as claimed In claim 18, wherein said stimulus providing means consists essentially of a piezoelectric transducer to give a vibration as said stimulus to said human body.

22. A pager subunit as claimed in claim 19, having a waterproof structure being formed like wrist watch and further comprising fitting means for fitting said subunit to said human body, wherein said fitting means is a belt.

23. A pager subunit as claimed in claim 19, further comprising confirmation signal receiving means for receiving a confirmation signal from said main wireless unit after said main wireless unit receives one of said plurality of command signals from said pager subunit, and

indicating means for indicating reception of said confirmation signal to a user of said pager subunit.