Portable communication terminal

• US 6,804,508 B1
• Filed: 11/29/1999
• Issued: 10/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yamada, Kazumori
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOORE, JAMES K
• Application Number:
  US09/450,206
• Time in Patent Office: 1,779 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550, 455/575, 455/412, 455/413, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/466, 455/550.1, 455/459, 455/567, 455/560, 455/462, 455/10, 455/417, 379/263, 379/267, 379/260, 379/269, 379/82, 379/142, 379/88.24, 379/80
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/64 Automatic arrangements for answering calls; Automatic arrangements for recording messages for absent subscribers; Arrangements for recording conversations centralised dictation systems H04M11/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages

Abstract

Portable communication terminal 101 of the present invention comprises time counting means 103 for counting a call duration on the basis of a state of connection with a called party, table 115 in which correspondence between the recognition code specifing at least one additional message and said called party is previously registered, selecting means 107 for previously holding a recognition code corresponding to an additional message to be transmitted to a called party and outputting the held recognition code on the basis of the counted call duration, and control means 109 for reading an additional message on the basis of the outputted recognition code, in order to automatically transmit an additional message to a called party in place of a calling party on the basis of a call duration.

Claims

1. A portable communication terminal comprising:

transmit/receive means including an antenna;

time counting means for counting a call duration on the basis of a state of connection with a called party, said counted call duration to be compared to a preset call duration;

a table in which correspondence between a recognition code corresponding to at least one additional message to be transmitted and said called party is previously registered;

selecting means for previously holding said recognition code corresponding to said additional message to be transmitted to said called party and outputting said held recognition code on the basis of said counted call duration; and

control means for reading said additional message on the basis of said outputted recognition code, and

said additional message being one of a (a) text message for said called party, said text message displayed with a corresponding graphical display message, and (b) a graphical display message which excludes its corresponding text message, said additional message transmitted to said called party when said counted call duration is longer than said preset call duration.

2. The portable communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising manipulation means, wherein the end of a call in said call duration is determined in response to manipulation with said manipulation means, and said state of connection with said called party is disconnected after said additional message is transmitted.

3. The portable communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein said selecting means includes:

means for storing a preset call duration;

means for comparing said counted call duration with said preset call duration;

means for previously holding said recognition code corresponding to said additional message to be transmitted to said called party; and

means for outputting said held recognition code on the basis of the result of said comparison.

4. A method of transmitting a message in a portable communication terminal, said method comprising the steps of:

counting a call duration on the basis of a state of connection with a called party;

registering at least one additional message in correspondence with a recognition code on a table;

registering correspondence between said recognition code corresponding to at least one additional message to be transmitted and said called party on said table;

holding said recognition code corresponding to an additional message to be transmitted;

outputting said held recognition code on the basis of said counted call duration;

reading said additional message on the basis of said outputted recognition code,

said step of outputting said recognition code comprising the steps of;

storing a preset call duration;

comparing said counted call duration with said preset call duration;

previously holding said recognition code corresponding to said additional message to be transmitted to said called party; and

selecting said held recognition code on the basis of the result of said comparison, and

said step of selecting said held recognition code comprises the steps of;

transmitting a preset voice message and a display message to said called party when said counted call duration is shorter than said preset call duration; and

transmitting a preset voice message for each said called party and a display message to said called party when said counted call duration is longer than said preset call duration, said display message including one of a (a) graphical message and (b) a graphical message displayed with a text message, said graphical message corresponding to said text message.

5. The A method of transmitting a message in a in a portable communication terminal according to claim 4, further composing the steps of:

determining the end of a call in said call duration; and

disconnecting said state of connection with said called party after said additional message is transmitted.