Wireless mobile phone with Morse code and related capabilities

• US 6,418,323 B1
• Filed: 01/22/2001
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wildseed Ltd. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wildseed Ltd. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bright, Walter G., Engstrom, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US09/767,587
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/557, 455/566, 455/567, 455/90, 455/550, 340/407.1, 340/407.2, 340/7.6, 340/7.61, 340/815.45
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls

Abstract

A wireless mobile phone, is provided with a couple of buttons and complementary logic to facilitate entry and transmission of Morse code representations of alphanumeric data. As a result, a user may use the provided facilities to engage in non-verbal communication for sensitive subject matters in the middle of a call. In one embodiment, the complementary logic further facilitates echoing on a display, alphanumeric data corresponding to any entered Morse code representations. Additionally, each of the Morse code entry buttons includes one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), and the LEDs are lit to visually echo the Morse code representations of any alphanumeric data entered through a standard input keypad.

Claims

1. A wireless mobile phone comprising:

a transceiver to send and receive signals;

a body casing having a front surface and a side surface;

an input keypad disposed on said front surface of said body casing to facilitate entry of alphanumeric data;

a first button disposed on said side surface of said body casing;

a second button disposed on said side surface of said body casing adjacent to said first button; and

means coupled to the first and second buttons and to the transceiver to facilitate entry of alphanumeric data in Morse code representations using said first and second buttons, and transmission of said alphanumeric data using said transceiver, wherein each of said first and second buttons includes one or more light emitting diodes (LED), and said means further lights said LEDs of said first and second buttons to visually echo Morse code representations of alphanumeric data entered through said input keypad.

2. The wireless mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said mobile phone further comprises a display, and said means further echoes on said display alphanumeric data represented by Morse codes entered using said first and second buttons.

3. The wireless mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said mobile phone further comprises an adapter interface to removably attach a device capable of vibrating to said mobile phone, and to vibrationally output alphanumeric data received through said transceiver using said removably attached device capable of vibrating.

4. The wireless mobile phone of claim 3, wherein said alphanumeric data are vibrationally outputted through vibrational manifestation of the Morse code representations of the alphanumeric data.

5. A wireless mobile phone comprising:

a body casing having a front surface and a side surface;

an input keypad disposed on said front face of said front surface to facilitate entry of alphanumeric data;

a first button disposed on said side surface of said body casing, having first one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs);

a second button disposed on said side surface of said body casing, adjacent to said first button, and having second one or more LEDs; and

means coupled to the input keypad and the first and second buttons to light said LEDs of said first and second buttons to visually echo Morse code representations of alphanumeric data entered through said input keypad.

6. A wireless mobile phone comprising:

a transceiver to send and receive signals;

a body casing having a top surface and a side surface;

a first button disposed on either said top surface or said side surface of said body casing;

a second button disposed on the same top/side surface of said body casing adjacent to said first button; and

means coupled to the first and second buttons and to the transceiver to facilitate entry of alphanumeric data in Morse code representations using said first and second buttons, and transmission of said alphanumeric data using said transceiver, wherein each of said first and second buttons includes one or more light emitting diodes (LED), and said means further lights said LEDs of said first and second buttons to visually echo Morse code representations of alphanumeric data entered through said input keypad.

7. A wireless mobile phone comprising:

a transceiver to send and receive signals;

a body casing having a top surface and a side surface;

a first button disposed on either said top surface or said side surface of said body casing;

a second button disposed on the same top/side surface of said body casing adjacent to said first button; and

a micro-controller and associated memory, including programming instructions stored in said memory, coupled to the first and second buttons and to the transceiver to facilitate entry of alphanumeric data in Morse code representations using said first and second buttons, and transmission of said alphanumeric data using said transceiver, wherein each of said first and second buttons includes one or more light emitting diodes (LED), and said micro-controller further lights said LEDs of said first and second buttons to visually echo Morse code representations of alphanumeric data entered through said input keypad.

8. In a wireless mobile phone, a method comprising:

receiving Morse code representations of alphanumeric data entered using a first and a second button disposed on a top or side surface of the mobile phone, said mobile phone also having an input keypad disposed on a front surface to facilitate entry of alphanumeric data; and

in response, electrically generating signals corresponding to digital representations of said alphanumeric data entered through entry of their Morse code representations using said first and second buttons, and transmitting said alphanumeric data by electromagnetically transmitting said generated signals, wherein each of said first and second buttons includes one or more light emitting diodes (LED), and said method further comprises lighting said LEDs of said first and second buttons to visually echo Morse code representations of alphanumeric data entered through said input keypad.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said method further comprises visually echoing on a display of said mobile phone said alphanumeric data entered through entry of their Morse code representations using said first and second buttons.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said mobile phone further comprises an adapter interface to removably attach a device capable of vibrating to said mobile phone, and said method further comprises vibrationally outputting alphanumeric data received through a transceiver of said mobile phone using said removably attached device capable of vibrating.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said alphanumeric data are vibrationally outputted through vibrational manifestation of the Morse code representation of the alphanumeric data.