Mobile telephone and method of operating the same

• US 6,704,583 B1
• Filed: 05/12/2000
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshioka, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): TORRES, MARCOS L
• Application Number:
  US09/569,559
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 340/636.1, 340/636.12, 340/636.15, 340/636.19, 455/414.1, 455/415, 455/424, 455/343.3, 455/343.2, 455/406, 455/564, 455/574, 455/567
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0264 by selectively disabling software applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

There is provided a mobile telephone including (a) an antenna receiving radio signals, (b) a display screen, (c) a voltage source, (d) a memory storing telephone numbers therein, (e) an interface through which an operator can set a low-voltage mode in which the mobile telephone is allowed to receive a call associated with predetermined telephone numbers, even if a voltage supplied by the voltage source is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold voltage, and (f) a controller detecting a telephone number out of a radio signal received through the antenna, comparing the thus detected telephone number to the telephone numbers stored in the memory, and determining whether a call associated with the detected telephone number is to be received, when the mobile telephone is set in the low-voltage mode. The provided mobile telephone makes it possible to receive a call in a predetermined telephone number, even if a voltage supplied from a voltage source is lower than a predetermined threshold voltage.

Claims

1. A mobile telephone comprising:

(a) an antenna receiving radio signals;

(b) a display screen;

(c) a voltage source;

(d) a memory storing telephone numbers therein; and

(e) a controller detecting a telephone number out of a radio signal received through said antenna, comparing the thus detected telephone number to said telephone numbers stored in said memory, and determining whether a call associated with the detected telephone number is to be received, even when a voltage supplied by said voltage source is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold voltage;

wherein said controller receives a call, when said call is of one of predetermined telephone numbers, even if a voltage supplied by said voltage source is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold voltage.

2. The mobile telephone as set forth in claim 1, wherein said controller detects a voltage supplied by said voltage source at an every predetermined period of time, and displays a present voltage in said display screen.

3. The mobile telephone as set forth in claim 1, wherein said controller includes first to N-th predetermined threshold voltages to each of which a telephone number detected out of a received radio signal is compared, wherein N is an integer equal to or greater than 2,

said memory storing N groups of telephone numbers in association with each of said first to N-th predetermined threshold voltages,

said controller receiving a call, if a voltage supplied from said voltage source is equal to or smaller than the M-th predetermined threshold voltage and a telephone number detected out of a received radio signal belongs to M-th group of telephone numbers, wherein M is an integer between 1 and N both inclusive (1≦ M≦

N).

4. The mobile telephone as set forth in claim 1, wherein said memory stores the numbers of call-receiving and call-transmitting, and

said controller determines whether a call associated with the telephone number detected out of a received radio signal is to be received, based on at least one of said numbers of call-receiving and call-transmitting.

5. The mobile telephone as set forth in claim 4, wherein said memory stores a count X defined by the following equation:

6. The mobile telephone as set forth in claim 1, wherein said memory stores a total period of time during which a call is received or made, for each one of telephone numbers stored therein, and

said controller determines whether a call associated with the telephone number detected out of a received radio signal is to be received, based on said total period of time.

7. A mobile telephone comprising:

(a) an antenna receiving radio signals;

(b) a display screen;

(c) a voltage source;

(d) a memory storing telephone numbers therein;

(e) an interface through which an operator can set a low-voltage mode in which said mobile telephone is allowed to receive a call associated with predetermined telephone numbers, even if a voltage supplied by said voltage source is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold voltage; and

(f) a controller detecting a telephone number out of a radio signal received through said antenna, comparing the thus detected telephone number to said telephone numbers stored in said memory, and determining whether a call associated with the detected telephone number is to be received, when said mobile telephone is set in said low-voltage mode.

8. The mobile telephone as set forth in claim 7, wherein said low-voltage mode is set only when a voltage supplied by said voltage source is equal to or lower than said predetermined threshold voltage.

9. The mobile telephone as set forth in claim 7, wherein said controller detects a voltage supplied by said voltage source at an every predetermined period of time, and displays a present voltage in said display screen.

10. The mobile telephone as set forth in claim 7, wherein said controller receives a call, if said call is of one of said predetermined telephone numbers.

11. The mobile telephone as set forth in claim 7, wherein said controller includes first to N-th predetermined threshold voltages to each of which a telephone number detected out of a received radio signal is compared, wherein N is an integer equal to or greater than 2,

said memory storing N groups of telephone numbers in association with each of said first to N-th predetermined threshold voltages,

said controller receiving a call, if a voltage supplied from said voltage source is equal to or smaller than the M-th predetermined threshold voltage and a telephone number detected out of a received radio signal belongs to M-th group of telephone numbers, wherein M is an integer between 1 and N both inclusive (1≦ M≦

N).

12. The mobile telephone as set forth in claim 7, wherein said memory stores the numbers of call-receiving and call-transmitting, and

said controller determines whether a call associated with the telephone number detected out of a received radio signal is to be received, based on at least one of said numbers of call-receiving and call-transmitting.

13. The mobile telephone as set forth in claim 12, wherein said memory stores a count X defined by the following equation:

14. The mobile telephone as set forth in claim 7, wherein said memory stores a total period of time during which a call is received or made, for each one of telephone numbers stored therein, and

said controller determines whether a call associated with the telephone number detected out of a received radio signal is to be received, based on said total period of time.

15. A method of operating a mobile telephone, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving radio signals through an antenna;

(b) storing telephone numbers;

(c) detecting a telephone number out of a radio signal received through said antenna;

(d) comparing the thus detected telephone number to said stored telephone numbers; and

(e) determining whether a call associated with the detected telephone number is to be received, even when a voltage supplied by a voltage source is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold voltage, and receiving a call, when said call is of one of said stored telephone numbers, even if a voltage supplied by said voltage source is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold voltage.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

(f) detecting a voltage supplied by said voltage source at an every predetermined period of time; and

(g) displaying a present voltage in a display screen.

17. The method as set forth in claim 15, wherein said step (d) includes the step of comparing each of first to N-th predetermined threshold voltages to a telephone number detected out of a received radio signal, wherein N is an integer equal to or greater than 2, and

further comprising the step of receiving a call, if a voltage supplied from said voltage source is equal to or smaller than a M-th predetermined threshold voltage and a telephone number detected out of a received radio signal belongs to said M-th group of telephone numbers,

N groups of telephone numbers being in association with each of said first to N-th predetermined threshold voltages, wherein M is an integer between 1 and N both inclusive (1≦

M≦

N).

18. The method as set forth in claim 15, further comprising the step of storing the numbers of call-receiving and call-transmitting, and wherein a call associated with the telephone number detected out of a received radio signal is determined in said step (e) to be received or not, based on at least one of said numbers of call-receiving and call-transmitting.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18, wherein a call associated with the telephone number detected out of a received radio signal is determined in said step (e) to be received or not, based on a count X defined by the following equation:

20. The method as set forth in claim 15, further comprising the step of storing a total period of time during which a call is received or made, for each one of telephone numbers stored therein, and wherein a call associated with the telephone number detected out of a received radio signal is determined in said step (e) to be received or not, based on said total period of time.

21. A method of operating a mobile telephone, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving radio signals through an antenna;

(b) storing telephone numbers;

(c) setting said mobile telephone in a low-voltage mode in which said mobile telephone is allowed to receive a call associated with said stored telephone numbers, even if a voltage supplied by said voltage source is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold voltage;

(d) detecting a telephone number out of a radio signal received through said antenna;

(e) comparing the thus detected telephone number to said stored telephone numbers; and

(f) determining whether a call associated with the detected telephone number is to be received, when said mobile telephone is set in said low-voltage mode.

22. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein said low-voltage mode is set in said step (c) only when a voltage supplied by said voltage source is equal to or lower than said predetermined threshold voltage.

23. The method as set forth in claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

(g) detecting a voltage supplied by said voltage source at an every predetermined period of time; and

(h) displaying a present voltage in a display screen.

24. The method as set forth in claim 21, further comprising the step of receiving a call, when said call is of one of said stored telephone numbers, even if a voltage supplied by said voltage source is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold voltage.

25. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein said step (e) includes the step of comparing each of first to N-th predetermined threshold voltages to a telephone number detected out of a received radio signal, wherein N is an integer equal to or greater than 2, and

further comprising the step of receiving a call, if a voltage supplied from said voltage source is equal to or smaller than a M-th predetermined threshold voltage and a telephone number detected out of a received radio signal belongs to said M-th group of telephone numbers,

N groups of telephone numbers being in association with each of said first to N-th predetermined threshold voltages, wherein M is an integer between 1 and N both inclusive (1≦

M≦

N).

26. The method as set forth in claim 21, further comprising the step of storing the numbers of call-receiving and call-transmitting, and wherein a call associated with the telephone number detected out of a received radio signal is determined in said step (f) to be received or not, based on at least one of said numbers of call-receiving and call-transmitting.

27. The method as set forth in claim 26, wherein a call associated with the telephone number detected out of a received radio signal is determined in said step (f) to be received or not, based on a count X defined by the following equation:

28. The method as set forth in claim 21, further comprising the step of storing a total period of time during which a call is received or made, for each one of telephone numbers stored therein, and wherein a call associated with the telephone number detected out of a received radio signal is determined in said step (f) to be received or not, based on said total period of time.