Apparatus for communicating a user created message from a portable transceiver to a caller

• US 5,966,651 A
• Filed: 03/28/1996
• Issued: 10/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sibecas, Salvado
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEGREE, TRACY MICHELLE
• Application Number:
  US08/578,115
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412, 455/31.1, 455/31.2, 455/31.3, 455/413, 455/414, 455/415, 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/127, 379/142, 379/245, 379/246, 379/247, 379/249, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.21, 340/825.44
• US Class Current: 455/412.2
• 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 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A method and apparatus for communicating a user created message from a portable transceiver (122) to a caller. The user of the portable transceiver (122) creates the user created message and stores it in the memory of the portable transceiver (122). The caller calls a communication terminal (102) and provides information that determines who the called party is, where the user created message retrieved from the called party is to be delivered, and in what format it is to be delivered. The communication terminal (102) sends a query message (400) to the portable transceiver (122) to retrieve the user created message. The portable transceiver (122) in response transmits the user created message to the communication terminal (102). The communication terminal (102) then translates the user created message into a voice message, if requested by the caller, and delivers the message to the caller by way of telephony or a page.

Claims

1. A method for communicating a user created message from a first portable transceiver to a caller, comprising the steps of:

storing the user created message in the first portable transceiver;

storing a specific caller identifier corresponding to the user created message in the first portable transceiver;

receiving at a communication terminal a message request from the caller, the message request including a caller identifier and a first address;

transmitting from the communication terminal a communication signal, the communication signal including a query message wherein the query message further includes the first address and the caller identifier,

receiving at the first portable transceiver the communication signal including the query message seeking retrieval of the user created message, said receiving further including processing the communication signal in its entirety when there is a match between a portion of the communication signal including the first address, and a first portable identifier stored in the first portable transceiver;

comparing the caller identifier in the query message with the specific caller identifier;

transmitting from the first portable transceiver the user created message to the communication terminal when there is a match between the caller identifier in the query message and the specific caller identifier

receiving at the communication terminal from the first portable transceiver the user created message, and wherein the message request further includes a second address corresponding to a second portable transceiver;

transmitting from the communication terminal a caller response message including the user created message and the second address;

receiving at the second portable transceiver the caller response message;

comparing the second address received in the caller response message with a second portable identifier stored in the second portable transceiver; and

storing the user created message in the second portable transceiver when there is a match between the second address and the second portable identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of the user of the first portable transceiver creating the user created message and storing the user created message in the first portable transceiver.

3. A method for communicating a user created message from a first portable transceiver to a caller, comprising the steps of:

storing the user created message in the first portable transceiver;

storing a specific caller identifier corresponding to the user created message in the first portable transceiver;

receiving at a communication terminal a message request from the caller, the message request including a caller identifier and a first address;

transmitting from the communication terminal a communication signal, the communication signal including a query message wherein the query message further includes the first address and the caller identifier,

receiving at the first portable transceiver the communication signal including the query message seeking retrieval of the user created message, said receiving further including processing the communication signal in its entirety when there is a match between a portion of the communication signal including the first address, and a first portable identifier stored in the first portable transceiver;

comparing the caller identifier in the query message with the specific caller identifier;

transmitting from the first portable transceiver the user created message to the communication terminal when there is a match between the caller identifier in the query message and the specific caller identifier

receiving at the communication terminal from the first portable transceiver the user created message, the user created message including an alpha numeric message, and wherein the message request further includes a phone number;

synthesizing the alpha numeric message into a voice message;

dialing the phone number at a public switched telephone network (PSTN);

detecting an off-hook signal from the PSTN; and

transmitting the voice message to the caller.

4. A communication system for communicating a user created message from a first portable transceiver to a caller, the communication system comprising:

a communication terminal comprising;

a processing system for directing operation of the communication terminal;

an interface coupled to the processing system for receiving a message request from the caller;

a radio frequency (RF) base transmitter coupled to the processing system for transmitting a query message to the first portable transceiver, the query message including a caller identifier corresponding to the caller;

a RF base receiver coupled to the processing system for receiving signals from the first portable transceiver; and

the first portable transceiver comprising;

a processing unit for directing operation of the first portable transceiver;

a RF receiver coupled to the processing unit for receiving the query message from the communication terminal;

a RF transmitter coupled to the processing unit for transmitting a portable response message, the portable response message including the user created message;

a memory coupled to the processing unit for storing the user created message and a specific caller identifier corresponding to the user created message; and

wherein the processing unit is programmed for controlling the RF transmitter to transmit to the communication terminal the portable response message including the user created message to the caller when there is a match between the caller identifier included in the query message and the specific caller identifier

a second portable transceiver comprising;

a processing unit for directing operation of the second portable transceiver;

a RF receiver coupled to the processing unit for receiving a caller response message from the communication terminal;

a RF transmitter coupled to the processing unit for transmitting an acknowledgment message confirming valid reception of the caller response message; and

a memory coupled to the processing unit for storing the caller response message and a second portable identifier corresponding to the caller response message, and

wherein the processing unit is programmed for controlling the RF transmitter to transmit to the communication terminal the acknowledgment message when there is a match between a second address included in the caller response message and the second portable identifier.

5. The communication system of claim 4,

wherein the query message further includes a first address, and

wherein the processing system of the communication terminal is further programmed for:

controlling the interface for receiving a message request from the caller, the message request including the caller identifier and the first address; and

controlling the RF base transmitter for transmitting from the communication terminal a communication signal, the communication signal including the query message.

6. The communication system of claim 5, wherein the processing unit of the first portable transceiver is further programmed for directing the operation of the first portable transceiver to process the communication signal in its entirety when there is a match between a portion of the communication signal including the first address, and a first portable identifier stored in the memory of the first portable transceiver.

7. The communication system of claim 6,

wherein the message request further includes the second address corresponding to the second portable transceiver, and

wherein the processing system of the communication terminal is further programmed for:

receiving from the RF base receiver the portable response message including the user created message transmitted by the portable transceiver;

transmitting from the RF base transmitter the caller response message including the user created message and the second address;

wherein the processing unit of the second portable transceiver is further programmed for;

directing operation of the RF receiver to intercept the caller response message;

comparing the second address received with the caller response message with the second portable identifier;

storing the user message received with the caller response message in the memory; and

altering a user of the second portable transceiver that the user created message has been received.

8. The communication system of claim 7, wherein the interface is a telephone interface for communicating with a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

9. The communication system of claim 8,

wherein the message request further includes a phone number, and wherein the communication terminal further includes an alpha numeric-to-voice synthesizer, and

wherein the processing system of the communication terminal is further programmed for:

receiving from the RF base receiver the user created message, wherein the user created message is an alpha numeric message; and

controlling the alpha numeric-to-voice synthesizer for synthesizing the alpha numeric message into a voice message.

10. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the processing system of the communication terminal is further programmed for controlling the telephone interface for dialing the phone number at the PSTN, detecting an off-hook signal from the PSTN, and for delivering the voice message to the caller.

11. The communication system of claim 9,

wherein the message request further includes the second address corresponding to the second portable transceiver, and

wherein the processing system of the communication terminal is further programmed for:

receiving from the RF base receiver the user created message, wherein the user created message is an alpha numeric message;

controlling the alpha numeric-to-voice synthesizer for synthesizing the alpha numeric message into a voice message;

transmitting from the RF base transmitter the caller response message including the voice message and the second address;

wherein the processing unit of the second portable transceiver is further programmed for;

directing operation of the RF receiver to intercept the caller response message;

comparing the second address received with the caller response message with the second portable identifier;

storing the voice message received with the caller response message in the memory; and

altering a user of the second portable transceiver that the voice message has been received.

12. A portable transceiver comprising:

a processing unit for directing operation of the portable transceiver;

a memory coupled to the processing unit for storing a specific caller identifier corresponding to a user created message entered by a user;

a radio frequency (RF) receiver coupled to the processing unit for receiving a query message from a communication terminal, the query message including a caller identifier and seeking retrieval of the user created message; and

a RF transmitter coupled to the processing unit for transmitting the user created message, and

wherein the processing unit is programmed for controlling the RF transmitter to transmit the user created message to the communication terminal when there is a match between the caller identifier received in the query message and the specific caller identifier and

wherein the processing unit is further programmed for controlling the RF transmitter to transmit a message request including a portable identifier corresponding to said portable transceiver, a second caller identifier, and a second portable identifier to said communications terminal and for controlling said radio frequency receiver to further receive a response message corresponding to said message request from said communications terminal when said caller identifier matched a second specific caller identifier stored at a second portable transceiver.

13. The communication system of claim 12, wherein the first portable transceiver further includes a communication interface for receiving the user created message.