Musical telephone with near field communication capabilities

• US 6,735,430 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2000
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Farley, Felipe Jose, Burrus, Philip Henry IV
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/653,110
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/567, 455/458, 455/416, 455/456.6, 455/518
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 2001/085 Partner search devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/16 with lock-out or secrecy provision in party-line systems

Abstract

A group of electronic communications devices like cellular phones, for example, can be programmed with similar identification data and audible announcements. When the phones come into close proximity with each other, they verify that they have common identification data, and then emit audible messages. For example, when two Georgia Tech fans can program their cellular phones with the “Tech identifying code”. The first may program “Go Jackets!”, while the other may program “Sting '"'"'em!”. When the fans'"'"' phones come into close proximity in a crowd, their phones acknowledge each other by recognizing the identification code. Once verified, the first phone would emit “Go Jackets!” while the second emits “Sting '"'"'em!” Alternatively, the phones could play parts of the Georgia Tech fight song, with one phone starting the chorus with “I'"'"'m a Ramblin'"'"' Reck from Georgia Tech . . .” and the other following with “. . . and a helluva engineer!”

Claims

1. A communications system, comprising:

a. a first communications device having a first programmable audible announcement and a first identifier; and

b. at least one other communications device having a second programmable audible announcement and a second identifier;

wherein when either the first communications device or the at least one other communications device come into close proximity, wherein the close proximity comprises a distance of less than fifty meters, the first communication device and the at least one other communications device transmit and receive the first and second identifiers respectively, and emit the first programmable audible announcement and the second programmable audible announcement respectively when the first and second identifiers have a common characteristic;

wherein the first communications device and the at least one other communications device are selected from the group consisting of telephones, cellular telephones, pagers, two-way radios, personal digital assistants, computers and rechargeable batteries;

wherein the programmable announcements are programmed by a means selected from the group consisting of computer download, internet download, voice input, keypad input, radio frequency download and wireless application protocol download;

wherein the first programmable audible announcement comprises a call and the second programmable audible announcement comprises a response.

2. An electronic communications device, comprising:

a. a communications means for transmitting and receiving electronic data;

b. programmable identification data;

c. a processing means for verifying identification data;

d. a programmable audio sound, wherein the programmable audio sound comprises music;

e. a communications means for generating audible sound;

f. an analog to digital converter for converting analog sound into binary information;

g. a digital to analog converter for converting digital data into analog sound;

h. a memory module for storing the programmable identification data and programmable sound in digital form; and

i. an external input device for actuating the musical instrument sounds;

wherein the communications means for generating audible sound broadcasts a programmable sound when a second communications means comprising similar programmable identification data and a second programmable audio sound comes in close proximity, and the similar programmable identification data is received;

further comprising a downloadable musical score.