Method and apparatus for activating a ring silenced telephone

• US 6,606,504 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2000
• Issued: 08/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Mooney, Philip D., Ali, Syed S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TU X
• Application Number:
  US09/576,388
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 455/530, 455/575, 455/421, 455/229.1, 455/67.1, 455/566, 455/85, 455/11.1
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/665 by checking the validity of a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A radio communication system, such as a cellular telephone system, in which the cellular telephones have a ring silenced mode of operation. A user of the system can remotely cause the telephone to exit the ringing silenced mode in case the telephone is misplaced and needs to be located by causing the telephone to ring and then listening for the ringing. The feature is also useful for disabling ring silenced mode when there is an emergency need to contact the owner of the telephone.

Claims

1. A radio communications apparatus having an audible notification device for signifying an event, said audible notification device capable of being disabled;

the improvement comprising;

a device for remotely enabling said audible notification device responsive to a predetermined signal received via radio, wherein said predetermined signal is a plurality of telephone calls to said radio communications apparatus received from a single initiating telephone number within a predetermined period.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said radio communication apparatus is a telephone.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said radio communication apparatus is a cellular telephone.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said device for remotely enabling is responsive to a predetermined signal received via radio.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said audible notification device issues an audible signal that is unique responsive to receipt of said predetermined signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said device for remotely enabling comprises an integrated circuit.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said device for remotely enabling comprises a digital signal processor.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said audible notification device is a ringer for indicating an incoming telephone call and said ringer rings responsive to receipt of said predetermined signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said predetermined signal is three telephone calls to said telephone received from the same initiating telephone number within one minute of each other.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said predetermined signal is three telephone calls to said telephone received from the same initiating telephone number within five minutes of each other.

11. A radio communication apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving radio signals;

a ringing circuit that can be selectively disabled; and

a circuit for remotely enabling said audible notification device responsive to a predetermined received radio signal; and

a circuit for detecting a telephone number of a telephone from which an incoming telephone call to said radio communications device originates;

wherein said predetermined signal is a plurality of telephone calls to said radio communication apparatus received from a single initiating telephone number within a predetermined period.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said device for remotely enabling comprises an integrated circuit.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said integrated circuit comprises a digital signal processor.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said radio communication apparatus is a cellular telephone.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said audible notification device is a ringer for indicating an incoming telephone call and said ringer rings responsive to receipt of said predetermined signal.

16. A radio communication system comprising:

at least one base station for transmitting radio signals, including a predetermined radio signal;

a plurality of remote stations that can receive radio signals from said base station, each of said plurality of remote stations comprising a receiver for receiving radio signals, an audible notification circuit that can be selectively disabled, and a circuit for enabling said audible notification device responsive to receipt of said predetermined radio signal, wherein said predetermined signal is a plurality of telephone calls to said remote station received from a particular initiating telephone number within a predetermined period.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said enabling circuit comprises an integrated circuit.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein said enabling circuit comprises a digital signal processor.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein said remote stations comprise cellular telephones.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein said circuit for enabling said audible notification device responsive to receipt of said predetermined signal enables said audible notification device only while receiving said predetermined signal.

21. A radio communication system comprising:

at least one base station for transmitting radio signals, including a predetermined radio signal;

a plurality of remote stations that can receive radio signals from said base station, each of said plurality of remote stations comprising a receiver for receiving radio signals, an audible notification circuit that can be selectively disabled, and a circuit for enabling said audible notification device responsive to receipt of said predetermined radio signal;

a voice mail system wherein a telephone call to a remote station that is not answered within a predetermined time period is normally diverted to said voice mail system;

means for disabling said voice mail system when said predetermined signal is being transmitted.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said means for disabling said voice mail system disables said voice mail system permanently.