Selective radio call receiver capable of receiving common data in emergency mode

• US 6,559,753 B1
• Filed: 08/06/1999
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Uchida, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): BANGACHON, WILLIAM L
• Application Number:
  US09/369,701
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 340/7.59, 340/7.52, 340/7.58, 340/7.46, 340/7.44, 340/636, 340/7.43, 340/7.5, 340/7.48, 340/7.55, 340/539, 340/502, 340/531, 455/521, 455/13.1, 455/12.1, 455/7.5, 455/67.7, 379/45, 379/46, 379/49, 379/51
• US Class Current: 340/7.59
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/59 for emergency or urgency
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/023 with message or information receiving capability

Abstract

In a method of notifying messages in a radio selective call receiver, a call which includes an identifier and a message is received. In a normal mode, arrival of the call is notified and the message of the call is displayed as a normal mode message, when the identifier of the call is same as that allocated to the receiver as a self identifier. An operation mode is automatically switched from the normal mode into an emergency mode when the identifier of the call is a common identifier and the message is a first predetermined message. In the emergency mode, arrival of the call is notified and the message of the call is displayed as an individual emergency message, when the identifier of the call is same as the self identifier. Also, in the emergency mode, arrival of the call is notified and the message of the call is displayed as a common emergency message, when the identifier of the call is same as the common identifier.

Claims

1. A method of notifying messages in a radio selective call receiver, comprising:

receiving a call which includes an identifier and a message;

in a normal mode, notifying arrival of said call and displaying said message of said call as a normal mode message, when said identifier of said call is same as that allocated to said receiver as a self identifier;

automatically switching an operation mode from said normal mode into an emergency mode when said identifier of said call is a common identifier and said message is a first predetermined message;

in said emergency mode, notifying arrival of said call and displaying said message of said call as an individual emergency message, when said identifier of said call is same as said self identifier; and

in said emergency mode, notifying arrival of said call and displaying said message of said call as a common emergency message, when said identifier of said call is same as said common identifier.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

automatically switching the operation mode from said emergency mode into said normal mode when said identifier of said call is said common identifier and said message is a second predetermined message.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a battery voltage;

stopping the receiving operation in said normal mode when the detected battery voltage is lower than a predetermined voltage; and

continuing the receiving operation in said emergency mode even if the detected battery voltage is lower than the predetermined voltage.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said continuing includes displaying a symbol indicating that the detected battery voltage is lower than the predetermined voltage.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said notifying arrival of said call and displaying said normal mode message in said normal mode includes:

determining in said normal mode whether said normal mode message contains an error;

in said normal mode, notifying the arrival of said call and displaying said normal mode message, when it is determined that said normal mode message does not contain any error;

in said normal mode, notifying the arrival of said call and displaying said normal mode message, when it is determined that said normal mode message contains any error, and when an error message display permission is set in said normal mode message; and

in said normal mode, stopping notification of the arrival of said call and display of said normal mode message, when it is determined that said normal mode message contains any error, and when an error message display permission is not set in said normal mode message.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said notifying the arrival of said call and said displaying said individual emergency message in said emergency mode includes:

in said emergency mode, notifying arrival of said call and displaying said individual emergency message, when said identifier of said call is same as said self identifier, regardless of whether said individual emergency message contains the error, and

wherein said notifying the arrival of said call and said displaying said common emergency message in said emergency mode includes;

in said emergency mode, notifying arrival of said call and displaying said common emergency message, when said identifier of said call is same as said common identifier, regardless of whether said common emergency message contains the error.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

setting a protection indicator to each of ones of the received normal mode messages;

holding the normal mode messages with said protection indicator in a higher priority than the normal mode messages with no protection indicator; and

holding the individual or common emergency messages in a higher priority than the normal mode messages with said protection indicator.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising:

holding the newest message in a higher priority than the oldest message in each of the individual or common emergency messages, the normal mode messages with said protection indicator, and the normal mode messages with no protection indicator.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said notifying arrival of said call in said emergency mode includes:

said notifying arrival of said call in said emergency mode for a first predetermined time period;

determining whether a confirmation switch is operated after said emergency mode is set;

said notifying arrival of said call in said emergency mode for a second predetermined time period which is shorter than said first predetermined time period, when it is determined that said confirmation switch is operated after said emergency mode is set.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said automatically switching the operation mode from said normal mode into said emergency mode includes:

notifying said switching in a sound volume larger than that set for said notifying the arrival of said call.

11. A radio selective call receiver, comprising:

a notifying section;

a display unit;

a receiving unit receiving a call which includes an identifier and a message; and

a processor which;

drives said notifying section to notify arrival of said call,

drives said display unit to display said message as a normal mode message in a normal mode, when said identifier of said call is same as that allocated to said receiver as a self identifier, as an individual emergency message in an emergency mode, when said identifier of said call is same as said self identifier, and as a common emergency message in said emergency mode, when said identifier of said call is a common identifier,

drives said notifying section to notify arrival of said normal mode message in said normal mode, and arrival of said individual emergency message and said common emergency message in said emergency mode, and

automatically switches said operation mode from said normal mode into said emergency mode when said identifier of said call is said common identifier and said message is a first predetermined message.

12. A radio selective call receiver according to claim 11, wherein said processor:

automatically switches the operation mode from said emergency mode into said normal mode when said identifier of said call is said common identifier and said message is a second predetermined message, and

drives said display section and said notifying section to the switching of the operation mode.

13. A radio selective call receiver according to claim 11, further comprising a detector detecting a battery voltage, and

wherein said processor controls said receiving unit to stop the receiving operation of in said normal mode when the detected battery voltage is lower than a predetermined voltage, and to continue the receiving operation in said emergency mode even if the detected battery voltage is lower than the predetermined voltage.

14. A radio selective call receiver according to claim 13, wherein said processor controls said display unit to display a symbol indicating that the detected battery voltage is lower than the predetermined voltage.

15. A radio selective call receiver according to claim 11, wherein said processor determines in said normal mode whether said normal mode message contains an error, and controls said display unit and said notifying section:

in said normal mode, to notify the arrival of said call and to display said normal mode message, when it is determined that said normal mode message does not contain any error;

in said normal mode, to notify the arrival of said call and to display said normal mode message, when it is determined that said normal mode message contains any error, and when an error message display permission is set in said normal mode message; and

in said normal mode, to stop notification of the arrival of said call and to display of said normal mode message, when it is determined that said normal mode message contains any error, and when an error message display permission is not set in said normal mode message.

16. A radio selective call receiver according to claim 15, wherein said processor controls said display unit and said notifying section:

in said emergency mode, to notify arrival of said call and to display said individual emergency message, when said identifier of said call is same as said self identifier, regardless of whether said individual emergency message contains the error, and when said identifier of said call is same as said common identifier, regardless of whether said common emergency message contains the error.

17. A radio selective call receiver according to claim 11, wherein said processor:

selectively sets a protection indicator to each of the received normal mode messages in accordance with an instruction by a user,

holds the normal mode messages with said protection indicator in a higher priority than the normal mode messages with no protection indicator, and

holds the individual or common emergency messages in a higher priority than the normal mode messages with said protection indicator.

18. A radio selective call receiver according to claim 17, wherein said processor:

holds the newest message in a higher priority than the oldest message in each of the individual or common emergency messages, the normal mode messages with said protection indicator, and the normal mode messages with no protection indicator.

19. A radio selective call receiver according to claim 11, wherein said processor determines whether a confirmation switch is operated after said emergency mode is set and controls said notifying section:

to notify arrival of said call in said emergency mode for a first predetermined time period, and

to notify arrival of said call in said emergency mode for a second predetermined time period which is shorter than said first predetermined time period, when it is determined that said confirmation switch is operated after said emergency mode is set.

20. A radio selective call receiver according to claim 11, wherein said processor controls said notifying section to notify said switching of the operation mode into said emergency mode in a sound volume larger than that set to notify the arrival of said call in said normal mode.