Alerting device for use with a pager

• US 6,014,572 A
• Filed: 07/15/1997
• Issued: 01/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Takahashi, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Congvan
• Application Number:
  US08/892,906
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 455/38.4-38.2, 455/38.1, 455/227, 455/228, 455/208, 455/31.2, 455/31.3, 340/825.44, 340/825.47, 340/825.52, 340/568, 340/506, 340/311.1
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/229 with other provisions not elsewhere provided for

Abstract

In an alerting device for a pager, when a call with a message is received within a predetermined period of time of reception of an initial reception of a call including a message identical to that of the received message, the device conducts an alerting operation to help the user of the pager easily recognize the call. After the predetermined period of time, the device performs an ordinary notification to thereby minimize the current consumption. When a radio section receives a signal including data which matches an address assigned to the pager, a time counter initiates measuring the predetermined period of time and a decoder stores a message obtained from the signal in an RAM. When a next message is received, the decoder compares the received message with the stored one. When "matching" occurs between the messages, the decoder drives a loudspeaker with a large volume or a vibration motor with an increased amplitude when the time counter is measuring the predetermined period of time. After lapse of the predetermined period of time, the decoder drives the loudspeaker with an ordinary volume or a vibration motor with a usual amplitude.

Claims

1. A pager comprising:

a message receipt indicator with at least two indication levels;

a first timer measuring a first time period following receipt of a first message;

a decoder connected to said first timer that determines whether a second message received after the first message has the same content as the first message and, if the second message has the same content as the first message, determines whether the second message was received within the first time period following receipt of the first message; and

a switch connected to said controller and said message receipt indicator causing said message receipt indicator to indicate receipt of the second message at a first of the two indication levels when the second message does not have the same content as the first message or was not received within the first time period following receipt of the first message and causing said message receipt indicator to indicate receipt of the second message at a second of the two indication levels when the second message has the same content as the first message and was received within the first time period following receipt of the first message.

2. The pager of claim 1, further comprising a second timer independent of said first timer measuring a second time period following receipt of the second message that may be the same or different from the first time period.

3. The pager of claim 2, further comprising a crystal oscillator connected to said first timer and said second timer.

4. The pager of claim 1, wherein said message receipt indicator comprises a speaker circuit and the second indication level is louder than the first indication level.

5. The pager of claim 4, wherein said speaker circuit comprises a speaker, a power source for said speaker, a first transistor connecting said speaker to ground through operation of a gate connected to said switch, said first transistor being connected to said speaker through a first resistor, and a second transistor connecting said speaker to ground through operation of a gate connected to said switch.

6. The pager of claim 1, wherein said message receipt indication comprises a vibration circuit and the second indication level is a more rigorous vibration than the first indication level.

7. The pager of claim 6, wherein said vibration circuit comprises a vibrator, a power source for said vibrator, a first transistor connecting said vibrator to ground through operation of a gate connected to said switch, said first transistor being connected to said vibrator through a first resistor, and a second transistor connecting said vibrator to ground through operation of a gate connected to said switch.

8. A pager comprising:

an indicator with at least two message receipt indications;

at least two independent timers, a first of said timers measuring a first time period following a first received message and a second of said timers measuring a second time period following a second received message that may be the same or different from the first time period;

a decoder connected to said timers that determines whether the second message is the same as the first message and, if the second message is the same as the first message, determines whether the second message was received within the first time period following the first message, and that determines whether a third received message is the same as the second message and, if the third message is the same as the second message, determines whether the third message was received within the second time period following the second message; and

a switch connected to said controller and said indicator causing said indicator to indicate receipt of the second message with a first of the two indications when the second message is not the same as the first message or was not received within the first time period following the first message and causing said indicator to indicate receipt of the second message with a second of the two indications when the second message is the same as the first message and was received within the first time period following the first message, and causing said indicator to indicate receipt of the third message with the first of the two indications when the third message is not the same as the second message or was not received within the second time period following the second message and causing said indicator to indicate receipt of the third message with the second of the two indications when the third message is the same as the second message and was received within the second time period following the second message.

9. The pager of claim 8, further comprising a crystal oscillator connected to said at least two timers.

10. The pager of claim 8, wherein said indicator comprises a speaker circuit and the second indication is louder than the first indication.

11. The pager of claim 10, wherein said speaker circuit comprises a speaker, a power source for said speaker, a first transistor connecting said speaker to ground through operation of a gate connected to said switch, said first transistor being connected to said speaker through a first resistor, and a second transistor connecting said speaker to ground through operation of a gate connected to said switch.

12. The pager of claim 8, wherein said indicator comprises a vibration circuit and the second indication is a more rigorous vibration than the first indication.

13. The pager of claim 12, wherein said vibration circuit comprises a vibrator, a power source for said vibrator, a first transistor connecting said vibrator to ground through operation of a gate connected to said switch, said first transistor being connected to said vibrator through a first resistor, and a second transistor connecting said vibrator to ground through operation of a gate connected to said switch.