Wireless communication device adapted to generate a plurality of distinctive tactile alert patterns

• US 6,160,489 A
• Filed: 06/23/1994
• Issued: 12/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Perry, Theresa Sue, Dillard, Pamela Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Application Number:
  US08/264,817
• Time in Patent Office: 2,364 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.19, 340/825.44, 340/825.46, 340/825.47, 340/825.48, 340/407.1, 340/407.2, 340/311.1, 379/52, 434/112, 434/114, 434/116
• US Class Current: 340/7.6
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A radiotelephone (101) is adapted to generate a plurality of distinctive vibrating alert patterns. An antenna (201) receives radio frequency (RF) signals including an incoming telephone call signal (121). A receiver (205), operably coupled to the antenna (201), receives the incoming telephone call signal (121). A vibrating alert generator (223) generates a vibrating alert pattern when enabled. A controller (215), operably coupled to the receiver (205) and the vibrating alert generator (223), enables the vibrating alert generator (223) to generate the vibrating alert pattern (301) as one of a plurality of distinctive vibrating alert patterns (301-312) when the incoming telephone call signal (121) is received. The present invention advantageously permits the user or the radiotelephone system (100) to select a preferred distinctive vibrating alert pattern (301), or to assign a particular distinctive vibrating alert pattern (301) to a particular incoming telephone call signal (121).

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a receiver, for receiving a desired communication signal;

a tactile alert generator, for generating a tactile alert pattern when enabled;

an audible alert generator, for generating an audible alert pattern; and

a controller, coupled to the receiver, the tactile alert generator, and the audible alert generator, for enabling the tactile alert generator to generate a particular tactile alert pattern as one of a plurality of distinctive tactile alert patterns when a particular desired communication signal is received, wherein different particular tactile alert patterns are generated when different corresponding particular desired communication signals are received, and for enabling the audible alert generator to generate the audible alert pattern as one of a plurality of distinctive audible alert patterns when the desired communication signal is received,

wherein the one of the plurality of distinctive audible alert patterns and the one of the plurality of distinctive tactile alert patterns have substantially the same distinctive alert pattern.

2. A wireless communication device comprising:

a receiver, for receiving a desired communication signal;

a tactile alert generator, for generating a tactile alert pattern when enabled;

a visual alert generator, for generating a visual alert pattern;

a controller, operably coupled to the receiver, the tactile alert generator, and the visual alert generator, for enabling the tactile alert generator to generate a particular tactile alert pattern as one of a plurality of distinctive tactile alert patterns when a particular desired communication signal is received, wherein different particular tactile alert patterns are generated when different corresponding particular desired communication signals are received and for enabling the visual alert generator to generate the visual alert pattern as one of a plurality of distinctive visual alert patterns when the desired communication signal is received,

wherein the one of the plurality of distinctive visual alert patterns and the one of the plurality of distinctive tactile alert patterns have substantially the same distinctive alert pattern.