Defining of a telephone's ringing tone

• US 6,501,967 B1
• Filed: 02/20/1997
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Särkkä, Heikki, Mäkelä, Jarmo, Leppälammi, Jani, Pelkonen, Sakari, Sippola, Juha
• Primary Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US08/803,355
• Time in Patent Office: 2,140 Days
• Field of Search: 379/372, 379/373, 379/374, 379/67.1, 379/68, 379/375, 379/179, 379/180, 379/181, 379/185, 455/550, 455/567, 455/412, 455/414, 455/566, 455/575, 846/11, 846/12, 846/13, 846/14, 846/15
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing a ringing tone of a telephone and a telephone, which comprises a sound generator for generating the ringing tone as a response to an incoming call, a memory for storing a signal representing the ringing tone, means for retrieving the signal from the memory and for inputting the signal into the sound generator for generating the ringing tone, and sound reproduction means for reproducing the ringing tone generated by the sound generator. In the method, information defining the ringing tone is input as characters, each character defining both pitch and duration of a tone and stored in the memory of the telephone, for which the telephone comprises means for inputting information defining the ringing tone as characters, each character defining both pitch and duration of a tone. Thus, a desired melody is produced as the ringing tone. Notes can be produced on a stave displayed on a display of the telephone. A user can input the desired melody either by means of keys and a menu or by means of a combination of specific keys.

Claims

1. A telephone, which comprises a sound generator for generating a ringing tone as a response to an incoming call, a memory for storing a signal representing the ringing tone, means for retrieving the signal from the memory and for inputting the signal to the sound generator for generating the ringing tone, and sound reproduction means for reproducing the ringing tone generated by the sound generator, said telephone further comprising means for inputting information defining the ringing tone as characters, each character defining both pitch and duration of a tone, and further comprising a display and means for producing a stave on the display, and for inputting said characters on the stave.

2. A telephone according to claim 1, and further comprising means for inputting each character as a graphical symbol representing a note or a rest.

3. A telephone according to claim 1, and further comprising keys for using the telephone, and means for producing said characters as a response to the pressing of a specific combination of keys.

4. A telephone according to claim 1, and further comprising means for defining a ringing tone as a sequence of several of said characters.

5. A telephone according to claim 1, and further comprising a memory for storing a signal representing the input characters, and means for modifying the signal stored in the memory.

6. A telephone according to claim 1, and further comprising means for inputting information for programming a ringing tone.

7. A method for producing a ringing tone of a telephone wherein, as a response to an incoming call, a signal representing the ringing tone is retrieved from a memory, a ringing tone is generated, and the ringing tone is reproduced by means of sound reproduction means, wherein information defining the ringing tone is input as characters, each character defining both pitch and duration of a tone, and stored in the telephone'"'"'s memory,

wherein the characters are input by means of a user interface of the telephone, and p1 wherein a stave is produced on a display, and each character is input onto the stave as a graphical symbol representing a note or a rest.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the characters are input by means of the user interface coupled externally to the telephone.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein information is inputted to the telephone for programming a ringing tone.

10. A telephone, which comprises a sound generator for generating a ringing tone as a response to an incoming call, a memory for storing a signal representing the ringing tone, means for retrieving the signal from the memory and for inputting the signal to the sound generator for generating the ringing tone, and sound reproduction means for reproducing the ringing tone generated by the sound generator, said telephone further comprising means for inputting information for programming a ringing tone by defining the ringing tone as a sequence of symbols, each symbol representing a note or a rest defining both pitch and duration of a tone.

11. A telephone according to claim 10, and further comprising a display for displaying said symbols as graphical symbols.

12. A telephone according to claim 10, and further comprising keys for using the telephone, and means for producing said symbols as a response to the pressing of a specific combination of keys.

13. A telephone according to claim 10, and further comprising a display and means for producing a stave on the display, and for inputting said symbols on the stave.

14. A telephone according to claim 10, and further comprising means for defining a tempo at which the programmed ringing tone is reproduced.

15. A telephone according to claim 10, and further comprising a memory for storing a signal representing the input symbols, and means for modifying the signal stored in the memory.

16. A telephone, which comprises a sound generator for generating a ringing tone as a response to an incoming call, a memory for storing a signal representing the ringing tone, means for retrieving the signal from the memory and for inputting the signal to the sound generator for generating the ringing tone, and sound reproduction means for reproducing the ringing tone generated by the sound generator, said telephone further comprising means for inputting information for programming a ringing tone by defining the ringing tone as a sequence of symbols, each symbol representing a note or a rest defining both pitch and duration of a tone and further comprising a display and keys, and a ringing tone programming menu, said menu having menu commands to be produced on said display for aiding the programming of a ringing tone by allowing selection of one of said menu commands with one of said keys.

17. A method for producing a ringing tone of a telephone wherein, as a response to an incoming call, a signal representing the ringing tone is retrieved from a memory, a ringing tone is generated, and the ringing tone is reproduced by means of sound reproduction means, wherein information defining the ringing tone is inputted to the telephone for programming a ringing tone by defining the ringing tone as a sequence of symbols, each symbol representing a note or a rest defining both pitch and duration of a tone, the programmed ringing tone is stored in the telephone'"'"'s memory.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the symbols are input by means of a user interface of the telephone.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein a stave is produced on a display, and each symbol is input onto a stave as a graphical symbol representing one of a note or a rest.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein the symbols are input by means of a user interface to be coupled externally to the telephone.

21. A telephone, which comprises a sound generator for generating a ringing tone as a response to an incoming call, a memory for storing a signal representing the ringing tone, means for retrieving the signal from the memory and for inputting the signal to the sound generator for generating the ringing tone, and sound reproduction means for reproducing the ringing tone generated by the sound generator, said telephone further comprising a keypad with first keys 0 to 9, * and #, means for programming a ringing tone as a sequence of symbols representing notes or rests, where each symbol defines both pitch and duration of a tone, and means for inputting said symbols by pressing at least one of said first keys of said keypad.

22. A telephone according to claim 21, and further comprising keys for using the telephone, and means for producing said symbols as a response to the pressing of a specific combination of keys.

23. A telephone according to claim 21, and further comprising means for defining a tempo at which the programmed ringing tone is reproduced.

24. A telephone according to claim 21, and further comprising a memory for storing a signal representing the input symbols, and means for modifying the signal stored in the memory.

25. A telephone, which comprises a sound generator for generating a ringing tone as a response to an incoming call, a memory for storing a signal representing the ringing tone, means for retrieving the signal from the memory and for inputting the signal to the sound generator for generating the ringing tone, and sound reproduction means for reproducing the ringing tone generated by the sound generator, said telephone further comprising a keypad with first keys 0 to 9, * and #, means for programming a ringing tone as a sequence of symbols representing notes or rests and means for inputting said symbols by pressing at least one of said first keys of said keypad, and further comprising a display, a ringing tone programming menu, and said keypad further comprising second keys, said menu having menu commands to be produced on said display for aiding the programming of a ringing tone by allowing selection of one of said menu commands with one of said second keys.

26. A method for producing a ringing tone of a telephone wherein, as a response to an incoming call, a signal representing the ringing tone is retrieved from a memory, a ringing tone is generated, and the ringing tone is reproduced by means of sound reproduction means, wherein information defining the ringing tone is inputted to the telephone for programming a ringing tone as a sequence of symbols, representing notes or rests, where each symbol defines both pitch and duration of a tone, and inputting said symbols by pressing at least one of a key of the telephone keypad including keys 0 to 9, * and #.

27. A method according to claim 26, and further comprising defining a tempo at which the programmed ringing tone is reproduced.

28. A method for producing a ringing tone of a telephone wherein, as a response to an incoming call, a signal representing the ringing tone is retrieved from a memory, a ringing tone is generated, and the ringing tone is reproduced by means of sound reproduction means, wherein information defining the ringing tone is inputted to the telephone for programming a ringing tone as a sequence of symbols, representing notes or rests, and inputting said symbols by pressing at least one of a key of the telephone keypad including keys 0 to 9, * and #, and further comprising a ringing tone programming menu comprised of menu commands for programming the ringing tone by allowing selection of one menu command of the ringing tone programming menu produced on a display when the telephone is in a mode of allowing ringing tone programming.

29. A telephone, which comprises a sound generator for generating a ringing tone as a response to an incoming call, a memory for storing a signal representing the ringing tone, means for retrieving the signal from the memory and for inputting the signal to the sound generator for generating the ringing tone, and sound reproduction means for reproducing the ringing tone generated by the sound generator, said telephone further comprising a keypad with first keys 0 to 9, * and #, means for programming a ringing tone comprising a sequence of notes and rests, the means for programming comprising means for inputting symbols representing a respective one of said notes and rests by pressing at least one of said first keys of said keypad, wherein each note defines both pitch and duration of a tone.

30. A method for producing a ringing tone of a telephone wherein, as a response to an incoming call, a signal representing the ringing tone is retrieved from a memory, a ringing tone is generated, and the ringing tone is reproduced by means of sound reproduction means, wherein information defining the ringing tone is inputted to the telephone for programming a ringing tone as a sequence of symbols representing notes or rests of the ringing tone, and inputting symbols corresponding to a respective one of said notes and rests by pressing at least one of a key of the telephone keypad including keys 0 to 9, * and #, wherein each note symbol defines both pitch and duration of a tone.