User interface assembly, and associated method, for alerting placement of a call to a mobile station

• US 6,745,054 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2002
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Fraccaroli, Federico
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gantt, Alan T.
• Application Number:
  US10/062,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20030144037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 455/568, 455/569, 455/41, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/41.2, 455/568.6, 455/11.1, 340/7.6, 340/7.61
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3866 carried on the head
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

A user interface assembly, and an associated method, for a mobile station. An earpiece assembly, worn by a user of a mobile station at which the user interface assembly is implemented, receives local radio signals, such as Bluetooth™-formatted signals, when placement of a call is detected at the mobile station. An annunciator, also positioned at the earpiece, generates an alert to alert the user of placement of the call to the mobile station. The alert forms a private alert instead of a general, public alert. The user of the mobile station is able to accept, or reject, acceptance of the call when privately alerted of delivery of the call to the mobile station.

Claims

1. In a mobile station operable in a radio communication system at least to receive a call placed thereto by a calling party, the call originated by an originating station, the mobile station comprising a system receive part operable at least to detect placement of the call to the mobile station and to detect call information communicated to the mobile station during a communication session formed pursuant to the call, an improvement of a user interface assembly at least for alerting a user of the mobile station of placement of the call thereto, said user interface assembly comprising:

a local radio transmitter element positioned at the mobile station, said local radio transmitter coupled to the system receive part to receive indications of detection at the system receive part of the call placed thereto, said local radio transmitter for generating the local radio signals representative of the call termination and responsive to the detection at the mobile station of the placement of the call thereto, and the local radio signals further selectably representative of the call information communicated to the mobile station during the communication session;

a caller identity detector coupled to the system receive part of the mobile station, said caller identity detector for detecting an indicia of an identity of the calling party;

a database containing a listing of indicia of identities of selected calling parties indexed together with mnemonics associated with the selected calling parties;

a signal generator coupled to said system receive part and to said caller identity detection to receive the indicia of the identity of the calling party, said signal generator for generating a selected signal of selected signal characteristics responsive to the detection at the mobile station of the placement of the call thereto, the selected signal characteristics of the selected signal selected responsive to a mnemonic associated with the indicia of the identity of the calling party contained in the listing and detected by said caller identity detector;

a local radio receiver element positionable to receive local radio signals representative of call termination at the mobile station, the local radio signals generated responsive to detection at the mobile station of the call thereto;

an aural annunciator coupled to said local radio receiver element by way of said local radio transmitter element, said aural annunciator, operable responsive to detection at said local radio receiver element of the placement of the call to the mobile station, for aurally annunciating, in a selected manner to the detection thereat of the call; and

an earpiece for supporting said local radio receiver element and said aural annunciator, said earpiece, together with said local radio receiver element and said aural annunciator wearable by the user, positionable by the user to permit private alert through aural annunciation of said aural annunciator to the user of the detection of the call placed to the mobile station.

2. The user interface assembly of claim 1 wherein the mnemonic associated with the indicia of the identity of the calling party comprises a name of a user of the calling party, and wherein said aural annunciator annunciates sounds corresponding to the name of the user of the calling party.

3. The user interface assembly of claim 1 further comprising a user input actuator selectably actuable by a user of the mobile station, first selected actuation of said user input actuator causing termination of generation of the selected signal by said signal generator.

4. The user interface assembly of claim 3 wherein second selected actuation of said user input actuator causes call acceptance of the call placed to the mobile station.

5. The user interface assembly of claim 3 wherein second selected actuation of said user input actuator causes the selected characteristics of the selected signal generated by said signal generator to alter magnitude levels of aural annunciations made by said aural annunciator.

6. In a method for communicating with a mobile station operable in a radio communication system at least to receive a call placed thereto by a calling party, the call originated by an originating station, an improvement of a method at least for alerting a user of the mobile station of placement of the call thereto, said method comprising:

detecting the placement of the call to the mobile station;

generating local radio signals comprised of Bluetooth™

-formatted signals representative of detection of the placement of the call to the mobile station;

receiving the local radio signals at a local radio receiver element worn by the user; and

aurally annunciating, in a selected manner, comprising generating sounds representative of mneumonics identifying the reception of the local radio signals at the local radio receiver, at an aural annunciator worn by the user.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the local radio receiver that receives the local radio signals during said operation of receiving and the aural annunciator that annunciates the reception during said operation of aurally annunciating are together supported at an earpiece assembly wearable at an ear of the user.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein annunciations made during said operation of annunciating privately alert the user of the detection of the call placed to the mobile station.

9. In a mobile station operable in a radio communication system at least to receive a call placed thereto by a calling party, the call originated by an originating station, the mobile station comprising a system receive part operable at least to detect placement of the call to the mobile station and to detect call information communicated to the mobile station during a communication session formed pursuant to the call, an improvement of a user interface assembly at least for alerting a user of the mobile station of placement of the call thereto, said user interface assembly comprising:

a local radio transmitter element positioned at the mobile station, said local radio transmitter coupled to the system receive part to receive indications of detection at the system receive part of the call placed thereto, said local radio transmitter for generating the local radio signals representative of the call termination and responsive to the detection at the mobile station of the placement of the call thereto, and the local radio signals further selectably representative of the call information communicated to the mobile station during the communication session;

a local radio receiver element positionable to receive local radio signals representative of call termination at the mobile station, the local radio signals generated responsive to detection at the mobile station of the call thereto;

an aural annunciator coupled to said local radio receiver element by way of said local radio transmitter element, said aural annunciator, operable responsive to detection at said local radio receiver element of the placement of the call to the mobile station, for aurally annunciating, in a selected manner to the detection thereat of the call; and

an earpiece for supporting said local radio receiver element and said aural annunciator, said earpiece, together with said local radio receiver element and said aural annunciator wearable by the user, positionable by the user to permit private alert through aural annunciation of said aural annunciator to the user of the detection of the call placed to the mobile station.

10. The user interface assembly of claim 9 wherein the local radio signals generated by said local radio transmitter comprise Bluetooth™

-formatted signals and wherein said local radio transmitter comprises a Bluetooth™

transmitter.

11. The user interface assembly of claim 9 wherein the local radio signals to which said local receiver element is positionable to receive comprise Bluetooth™

-formatted signals and wherein said local radio receiver comprises a Bluetooth™

receiver.

12. The user interface assembly of claim 9 further comprising a signal generator coupled to said system receive part, said signal generator for generating a selected signal of selected signal characteristics responsive to the detection at the mobile station of the placement of the call thereto.

13. The user interface assembly of claim 12 wherein said local radio transmitter is coupled to said signal generator to receive indications of the selected signal, of the selected signal characteristics, and wherein the local radio signals representative of the call termination transmitted by said local radio transmitter are representative of the selected signal generated by said signal generator.

14. The user interface assembly of claim 12 further comprising a caller identity detector coupled to the system receive part of the mobile station, said caller identity detector for detecting an indicia of an identity of the calling party.

15. The user interface assembly of claim 14 wherein said signal generator is coupled to said caller identity detector to receive the indicia of the identity of the calling party and wherein the selected characteristics of the selected signal are selected responsive to the indicia detected by said caller identity detector.