Automatic volume adjustment in a wireless handset

• US 6,049,700 A
• Filed: 04/30/1997
• Issued: 04/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hardouin, Larry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bhattacharya, Sam
• Application Number:
  US08/845,977
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 455/69, 455/127, 455/126, 455/234.1, 455/238.1, 455/355, 455/456, 455/517, 455/421
• US Class Current: 455/69
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/042 with variable loudness of the ringing tone, e.g. variable envelope or amplitude of ring signal

Abstract

Determining in a wireless telecommunication switching system a base station on which a wireless handset is registered and using information concerning background noise at the location of the base station to automatically adjust the ringer and voice volumes for each call received by the wireless handset while registered on that base station. Further, the wireless telecommunication switching system automatically adjusts the voice volume when a call is handed off from one base station to another base station. Each base station may automatically determine the amount of background noise and transmits this information to the wireless telecommunication system controller which stores this information for future use. Also, each time a user of a wireless handset adjusts the volume of the handset, this information may be transmitted to the wireless communication switching system controller which stores the information as a preference for the user in the area served by that particular base station. In addition, the system administrator may determine the background noise for each base station and does so for different times of day. Finally, the system administrator may determine the noise level for the different areas of the building and as base stations are added to the wireless telecommunication system, they inherit the attributes of the area where they are placed.

Claims

1. A method of adjusting audio volume levels in a wireless handset by a wireless telecommunication switching system under control of a system controller providing wireless telecommunication service for a plurality of wireless handsets via a plurality of base stations, comprising the steps of:

detecting by the system controller a change of a base station by one of the plurality of wireless handsets; and

transmitting by the system controller adjustment information specifying audio volume levels for the one of the plurality of wireless handsets in response to the detection of the base station change.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises the step of storing by the system controller in a first table individual adjustment information for each of the plurality of base stations.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprises the steps of receiving by the system controller user specified adjustment information for each of the plurality of base stations transmitted by the one of the plurality of wireless handsets;

and

storing by the system controller in second table the user specified adjustment information for each of the plurality of base stations.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the individual adjustment information may not specify audio volume levels;

and

selecting the user adjustment information for the one of the plurality of wireless handsets upon the individual adjustment information not specifying audio volume levels for one of the plurality of base stations on which the one of the plurality of wireless handsets is located.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the individual adjustment information stored in the first table is directly specified for each of the plurality of base stations by the system administrator.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprises the steps of specifying adjustment information for individual geographical areas in a third table;

specifying the geographical area in which each of the plurality of base stations is located; and

determining the individual adjustment information to be stored in the first table for each of the plurality of base stations by selecting adjustment information from the third table using the specified geographical area for each of the plurality of base stations.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the audio volume levels include alerting signals.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the audio volume levels include transmitted and received voice signals.

9. An apparatus that implements the steps of claim 1.

10. An apparatus that implements the steps of claim 2.

11. An apparatus that implements the steps of claim 3.

12. An apparatus that implements the steps of claim 4.

13. An apparatus that implements the steps of claim 5.

14. An apparatus that implements the steps of claim 6.

15. An apparatus that implements the steps of claim 7.

16. An apparatus that implements the steps of claim 8.