Portable radio information terminal, message- notification method, recording medium and microcomputer

• US 6,587,035 B1
• Filed: 12/21/1998
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Aizawa, Masatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIMIZU, MATSUICHIRO
• Application Number:
  US09/216,963
• Time in Patent Office: 1,653 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.22, 340/328, 340/392.2, 340/825.24, 340/825.25, 340/825.44, 340/7.63, 340/7.32, 340/7.58, 455/564, 455/566, 455/575, 379/354, 379/355, 379/356, 341/24, 341/25
• US Class Current: 340/7.58
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/045 Call privacy arrangements, e.g. timely inhibiting the ring signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/048 Arrangements providing optical indication of the incoming call, e.g. flasher circuits

Abstract

A portable radio information terminal provided with at least two circuits, namely, an input-signal judging circuit and a message-notification-operation halting circuit. The input-signal judging circuit operates to form a judgment as to whether or not an input signal generated by an input device in the course of a message-notification operation is a rotary input signal generated by a rotary/press input device and supplies a result of the judgment to the message-notification-operation halting circuit. The message-notification-operation halting circuit continues the message-notification operation if the result of the judgment received from the input-signal judging circuit indicates that the input signal is a rotary input signal, and halts a message notifying unit currently carrying out the message-notification operation if the judgment indicates input signal is not a rotary input signal.

Claims

1. A message-notification method for a portable radio information terminal having rotary/press input means including a rotary operation unit for generating a rotary input signal and a press operation unit for generating an intermittent signal, said message-notification method comprising the steps of:

generating, in an event of an incoming information signal conveyed by a radio wave, a message indicating arrival of said information signal; and

carrying out a message-notification operation,

whereby said message-notification operation is halted when at least said rotary input signal and said intermittent signal are generated at a same time during said message-notification operation.

2. A message-notification method for a portable radio information terminal having rotary/press input means including a rotary operation unit for generating a rotary input signal and a press operation unit for generating an intermittent signal and a non-rotary input means for generating a non-rotary input signal resulting from a non-rotary operation carried out on said non-rotary input means, said message-notification method comprising the steps of:

generating, in an event of an incoming information signal conveyed by a radio wave, a message indicating an arrival of said information signal; and

carrying out a message-notification operation,

whereby said message-notification operation is halted when at least two of said rotary input signal, said intermittent signal, and said non-rotary input signal are generated at a same time during said message-notification operation.

3. A portable radio information terminal comprising:

a message notifying unit for carrying out a message-notification operation and outputting a message indicating an arrival of an information signal conveyed by an incoming radio wave;

an image displaying unit for displaying said message indicating said arrival of said information signal;

an input device operated by a user for entering a control command, said input device including at least rotary/press input means having a rotary operation unit for generating a rotary input signal and a press operation unit for generating an intermittent input signal;

simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means for judging whether said rotary input signal and said intermittent signal have been generated at a same time during said message-notification operation; and

message-notification-operation halting means for continuing said message-notification operation if a judgment formed by said simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means indicates that said rotary input signal and said intermittent signal have not been generated at said same time during said message-notification operation and for halting said message-notification operation if said judgment formed by said simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means indicates that said rotary input signal and said intermittent signal have been generated at said same time during said message-notification operation.

4. The portable radio information terminal according to claim 3, further comprising non-rotary input means for generating a non-rotary input signal resulting from a non-rotary operation carried out on said non-rotary input means.

5. A portable radio information terminal comprising:

a message notifying unit for carrying out a message-notification operation and outputting an message indicating an arrival of an information signal conveyed by an incoming radio wave;

an image displaying unit for displaying said message indicating said arrival of said information signal;

an input device operated by a user for entering a control command,

said input device including

at least a rotary/press input means having a rotary operation unit for generating a rotary input signal and a press operation unit for generating an intermittent input signal and at least a non-rotary input means for generating a non-rotary input signal resulting from a non-rotary operation carried out on said non-rotary input means;

simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means for judging whether at least two of said rotary input signal, said intermittent input signal, and said non-rotary input signal have been generated at a same time during said message-notification operation; and

message-notification-operation halting means for continuing said message-notification operation if a judgment formed by said simultaneous-multiple-input judging means indicates that two of said rotary input signal, said intermittent input signal, and said non-rotary input signal have not been generated at said same time during said message-notification operation and for halting said message-notification operation if said judgment formed by said simultaneous-multiple-input judging means indicates that at least two of said rotary input signal, said intermittent input signal and said non-rotary input signal have been generated at said same time during said message-notification operation.

6. A record medium for recording each of two means as a program fetchable and executable by a computer employed in a portable radio information terminal including:

a message notifying unit for carrying out a message-notification operation and outputting a message indicating an arrival of an information signal conveyed by an incoming radio wave;

an image displaying unit for displaying said message indicating said arrival of said information signal; and

rotary/press input means having a rotary operation unit for generating a rotary input signal and a press operation unit for generating an intermittent input signal,

said two means comprising;

simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means for judging wether said rotary input signal and said intermittent input signal have been generated at a same time during said message-notification operation; and

message-notification-operation halting means for continuing said message-notification operation if a judgment formed by said simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means indicates that said rotary input signal and said intermittent input signal have not been generated at said same time during said message-notification operation and for halting said message-notification operation if said judgment formed by said simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means indicates that said rotary input signal and said intermittent input signal have been generated at said same time during said message-notification operation.

7. The recording medium according to claim 6, wherein said portable radio information terminal further includes non-rotary input means for generating a non-rotary input signal resulting from a non-rotary operation carried out on said non-rotary input means.

8. A recording medium for recording each of two means as a program fetchable and executable by a computer employed in a portable radio information terminal including:

a message notifying unit for carrying out a message-notification operation and outputting a message indicating an arrival of an information signal conveyed by an incoming radio wave;

an image displaying unit for displaying said message indicating said arrival of said information signal;

rotary/press input means having a rotary operation unit for generating a rotary input signal and a press operation unit for generating an intermittent input signal; and

non-rotary input means for generating a non-rotary input signal resulting from a non-rotary operation carried out on said non-rotary input means;

said two means comprising;

simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means for judging whether at least two of said rotary input signal, said intermittent input signal, and said non-rotary input signal have been generated at a same time during said message-notification operation; and

message-notification-operation halting means for continuing said message-notification operation if a judgment formed by said simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means indicates that at least two of said rotary input signal, said intermittent input signal, and said non-rotary input signal have not been generated at said same time during said message-notification operation and for halting said message-notification operation if said judgement formed by said simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means indicates that at least two of said rotary input signal, said intermittent input signal, and said non-rotary input signal have been generated at said same time during said message-notification operation.

9. A microcomputer system comprising:

an embedded central processing unit;

an embedded storage unit for storing programs as procedures fetchable and executable by said embedded central processing unit; and

embedded data transfer means connectable to external equipment and for connecting to said central processing unit and said storage unit, wherein

said microcomputer transmits a signal based on a processing result output by said central processing unit to said external equipment by one of radio communication and wire communication and wherein

said microcomputer is employed in a portable radio information terminal including;

a message notifying unit for carrying out a message-notification operation and outputting a message indicating an arrival of an information signal conveyed by an incoming radio wave;

an image displaying unit for displaying said message indicating said arrival of said information signal; and

a rotary/press input means having a rotary operation unit for generating a rotary input signal and a press operation unit for generating an intermittent input signal; and

said programs stored in said embedded storage unit include;

 

simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means for judging whether said rotary input signal and said intermittent input signal have been generated at a same time during said message-notification operation; and

 

message-notification-operation halting means for continuing said message-notification operation if a judgment formed by said simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means indicates that said rotary input signal and said intermittent input signal have not been generated at a same time during message-notification operation and for halting said message-notification if said judgment formed by said simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means indicates that said rotary input signal and said intermittent input signal have been generated at said same time during said message-notification operation.

10. The microcomputer according to claim 9, further comprising non-rotary input means for generating a non-rotary input signal resulting from a non-rotary operation carried out on said non-rotary input means.

11. A microcomputer system comprising:

an embedded central processing unit;

an embedded storage unit for storing programs as procedures fetchable and executable by said embedded central processing unit; and

embedded data transfer means connectable to an external equipment and for connecting to said embedded central processing unit and said embedded storage unit, wherein

said microcomputer transmits a signal based on a processing result output by said embedded central processing unit to said external equipment by one of radio communication and wire communication, and wherein

said microcomputer is employed in a portable radio information terminal including;

a message notifying unit for carrying out a message-notification operation for outputting a message indicating an arrival of an information signal conveyed by an incoming radio wave;

an image displaying unit for displaying said message indicating said arrival of said information signal;

∝

rotary/press input means having a rotary operation unit for generating a rotary input signal and a press operation unit for generating an intermittent input signal; and

non-rotary input means for generating a non-rotary input signal resulting from a non-rotary operation carried out on said non-rotary input means; and

said programs stored in said storage unit at least include;

 

simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means for judging whether at least two of said rotary input signal, said intermittent input signal, and said non-rotary input signal have been generated at a same time during said message-notification operation; and

 

message-notification-operation halting means f or continuing said message-notification operation if a judgment formed by said simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means indicates that two of said rotary input signal, said intermittent input signal, and said non-rotary input signal have not been generated at said same time during said message-notification operation and for halting said message notification operation if said judgment formed by said simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging mans indicates that at least two of said rotary input signal, said intermittent input signal, and said non-rotary input signal have been generated at said same time during message-notification operation.