Selective calling receiver that transmits a message and that can identify the sender of this message

• US 6,009,308 A
• Filed: 06/20/1997
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Matsuura, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC M
• Application Number:
  US08/879,779
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 455/566, 455/31.2, 455/31.3, 455/32.1, 455/38.2, 455/38.4, 340/825.44, 379/353, 379/354, 379/355, 379/356
• US Class Current: 340/7.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/229 with other provisions not elsewhere provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/022 Selective call receivers

Abstract

A selective calling receiver detects a message and information identifying the sender, from the radio signal when the judgement circuit judges the received selective calling number is the same as the receiver'"'"'s own selective calling number. After detecting, a display indicates the detected message and sender'"'"'s information, and a call notification circuit notifies a user of calling. The receiver may indicate the name assigned to the received sender'"'"'s telephone number as the sender'"'"'s information. The receiver may perform emergency call notification when the received message is an emergency message indicated by an emergency code number. Further, the receiver may be modified such that the notification circuit performs different types of call notification indicated by the notification indicator assigned to the sender'"'"'s telephone number.

Claims

1. A selective calling receiver comprising:

a telephone directory memory for storing a telephone directory of recipients to whom messages will be sent;

a message generator for composing a message to be transmitted;

an additional information memory for storing information identifying at least one of said receiver and a user of said receiver;

a tone dialer for, in a transmission mode;

(i) converting a selected telephone number stored in said telephone directory memory to a tone number, (ii) converting said identifying information to a tone number when said message is created, and, (iii) after conversion of said identifying information, said tone dialer converting said transmitting message to a tone number; and

a speaker, driven by the tone numbers generated by said tone dialer, for generating dialling tones,

said selective calling receiver being designed and adapted to Perform said conversion of said identifying information to a tone number without user input prior to each transmission.

2. The receiver claimed in claim 1, wherein said additional information memory stores a telephone number of the user.

3. The receiver claimed in claim 1, wherein said message generator comprises a predetermined code message memory for storing a plurality of predetermined code numbers and a plurality of predetermined messages assigned to said plurality of predetermined code numbers, one by one.

4. The receiver claimed in claim 3, wherein said message generator further comprises operation keys, operated by the user, for selecting said transmitting message from said plurality of predetermined messages, said operation keys being also operated when the telephone number of the recipient is selected from said telephone directory.

5. The receiver claimed in claim 3, wherein said predetermined code message stores an emergency code number for indicating a emergency message.

6. A selective calling receiver of claim 1 further comprising:

a judgement circuit for judging whether a received radio signal includes a selective calling number the same as the receiver'"'"'s own selective calling number,

a detector for detecting a message and sender'"'"'s information from said radio signal when said judgement circuit judges the received selective calling number is the same as said own selective calling number,

a display for displaying the detected message and sender'"'"'s information, and

a call notification circuit for notifying a user of calling.

7. The receiver claimed in claim 6, wherein said detector detects a telephone number of said sender as said sender'"'"'s information.

8. The receiver claimed in claim 7, wherein said display indicates said telephone number of said sender.

9. The receiver claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

a telephone directory memory for storing a plurality of telephone numbers and a plurality of names assigned to said plurality of telephone numbers; and

a converter for converting said telephone number of said sender to the name assigned to said telephone number, and wherein said display indicates the converted name.

10. The receiver claimed in claim 9, wherein said display indicates said telephone number of the sender and said name assigned to said telephone number.

11. The receiver claimed in claim 9, wherein said telephone directory memory further stores a notification indicator assigned to said plurality of telephone numbers;

and wherein said notification circuit performs each different call notification indicated by said notification indicator.

12. The receiver claimed in claim 11, wherein said notification circuit comprises a speaker for generating an alarm sound, and said speaker generates each different sound indicated by said notification indicator.

13. The receiver claimed in claim 9, further comprising a tone dialling circuit, said tone dialling circuit accessing said telephone directory memory to generate dialling tones for transmitting a message to a counterpart receiver whose telephone number is stored in said telephone directory memory.

14. The receiver claimed in claim 6, further comprising a predetermined code message memory for storing a plurality of predetermined code numbers and a plurality of predetermined messages assigned to said plurality of predetermined code numbers one by one, and wherein said display indicates a predetermined message assigned to said predetermined code number which is detected by said detector as the received message.

15. The receiver claimed in claim 14, wherein said predetermined code message memory further stores an emergency code number for indicating a emergency message, and wherein said notification circuit performs emergency call notification when the received message is said emergency message.

16. The receiver claimed in claim 6, wherein said notification circuit comprises:

a speaker for generating an audible alarm;

a vibrator for generating vibration; and

an LED for emitting light.

17. The receiver claimed in claim 16, wherein all of said speaker, said vibrator and said LED perform call notification when the receiver receives an emergency call.