Personalized incoming call signal for communication devices

• US 6,704,582 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2000
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Couvrat, Marc, Le-Faucheur, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US09/734,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20020019250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 455/72, 455/415, 379/373.01, 379/373.02, 379/373.04, 379/374.01, 379/374.02
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are presented to allow the creation of a personalized audio signal for a communication device., An option to record audio input and create a call signal audio file is selected via an input mechanism (203). Audio input is recorded when a record button (204) is pressed and the recording is terminated when the record button (204) is pressed a second time. Processing circuitry (220) optionally applies audio compression, filtering and encoding algorithms to said audio input and creates a call signal audio file. The call signal audio file is then stored in the memory circuitry designated for call signal audio files (210). Additional audio output circuitry (207) plays the call signal audio file when an incoming call is detected by the transceiver (201).

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a mechanism (203) to accept user input for selection of options such that an option to create a call signal audio file may be selected;

processing circuitry (220) connected to receive user input from the mechanism (203), processing circuitry being operable to record audio input and to thereby create a call signal audio file (210) in response to the selection of the option to create a call signal audio file;

memory circuitry (202) for storing the call signal audio file connected to the processing circuitry;

circuitry (207, 208) connected to the processing circuitry for playing the call signal audio file when an incoming call is detected;

transceiver circuitry (201) connected to the processing circuitry (220), the transceiver circuitry operable to receive an incoming telephone call, wherein the processor circuitry is operable to record a portion of an incoming telephone call and to thereby create a call signal audio file (210) in response to the selection of the option to create a call signal audio file.

2. The communication device of claim 1 wherein said call signal audio file is a recording of the user'"'"'s voice, music, or other audible sounds.

3. The communication device of claim 2 wherein said communication device is selected from a group comprising a cellular telephone, a cellular digital telephone, a smart telephone, a personal digital assistant, a portable computer, a land line telephone, or a personal computer.

4. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry (220) is operable to apply audio compression, filtering and encoding algorithms to the audio input while creating the call signal audio file.

5. A method of operating a communication device comprising the steps of:

selecting an option (31) to record personalized audio input to be replayed as an audio signal when an incoming call is detected;

receiving an incoming telephone call;

recording (32) a portion of the incoming telephone call as the personalized audio input to create a call signal audio file;

storing (34) the call signal audio file in memory circuitry of the communication device; and

selecting (35) the call signal audio file as a signal to be played when an incoming call is detected.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of applying compression, filtering, and encoding algorithms (33) to the audio input to create a call signal audio file appropriate for replay as an audio signal.