Portable communication terminal and communication service system

• US 6,847,703 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2000
• Issued: 01/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Shibuya, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELAHEE, MD S
• Application Number:
  US09/745,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20010005826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/70, 379/71, 379/72, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/88.15, 379/88.17, 379/85, 379/88.01, 455/412, 455/413, 455/414, 455/417, 455/555, 455/415, 340/7.1, 340/7.54, 709/230
• US Class Current: 379/88.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/006 Call diverting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• 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 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages

Abstract

In a portable communication terminal having a voice communication control unit for performing voice communication and a data communication control unit for performing data communication, a message storing unit with a message of character data stored therein is provided and when receiving a call signal, the data communication control unit takes out the message of character data stored in the message storing unit to send an electronic mail including the message to the electronic mail address of a calling party.

Claims

1. A portable communication terminal having voice communication control means for performing voice communication, and data communication control means for performing data communication, said terminal comprising:

message storing means for storing a plurality of messages according to various message types; and

personal information storing means for storing a phone number of a calling party, an electronic mail address and a selected message type associated with each other,

wherein, when answering a call is impossible, said data communication control means retrieves information stored in said personal information storing means by using the phone number of a calling party of said call and

when stored phone number of said calling party is retrieved according to said retrieving step, said data communication control means sends an electronic mail, including the message corresponding to said selected message type stored in said message storing means.

2. A portable communication terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said information storing means stores said phone number of a calling party, said electronic mail address, a transfer destination address and said selected message type associated with each other,

when answering a call is impossible, said data communication control means retrieves information stored in said personal information storing means by using the phone number of the calling party added to the arrival information as said key, and

when the corresponding phone number of the calling party is detected, sends an electronic mail, including the message corresponding to said selected message type stored in said message storing means, to the electronic mail address, or to the transfer destination address associated with the same phone number, as a destination.

3. A portable communication terminal as set forth in claim 1 wherein

said information storing means stores said phone number of a calling party, said electronic mail address, a transfer destination address and said selected message type associated with each other,

when answering a call is impossible, said data communication control means retrieves information stored in said personal information storing means by using the phone number of the calling party added to the arrival information as a key, and

when the corresponding phone number of the calling party is detected, sends an electronic mail, including the message corresponding to said selected message type stored in said message storing means, to at least one of the electronic mail address and the transfer destination address associated with the same phone number as a destination.

4. A portable communication terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein said data communication control means sends the arrival information, including the phone number of a calling party and arrival time of a call, to the transfer destination address of called party, by an electronic mail, when transfer to the transfer destination address of the called party is being set.

5. A portable communication terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein, when the phone number of a calling party is not added to arrival information, said data communication control means finishes processing without sending said electronic mail including the massage.

6. A portable communication terminal as set forth in claim 1 wherein, when the corresponding phone number is not detected, said data communication control means finishes processing without sending said electronic mail including the message.

7. An automatic answering method of a portable communication terminal having voice communication control means for performing voice communication, and data communication control means for performing data communication, said method comprising:

storing a plurality of messages according to various message types;

storing a phone number of a calling party, an electronic mail address and a selected message type associated with each other in a personal information storing means;

when answering a call is impossible, retrieving information stored in said personal information storing means by using the phone number of a calling party of said call; and

when stored phone number of said calling party is retrieved according to said retrieving step, sending an electronic mail, including the message corresponding to said selected message type stored in said message storing means.

8. An automatic answering method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising storing a transfer destination address in said personal information storing means,

when answering a call is impossible, retrieving information stored in said personal information storing means by using the phone number of the calling party added to the arrival information as a key, and

when the corresponding phone number of the calling party is detected, sending an electronic mail, including the message corresponding to said selected message type stored in said message storing means, to the electronic mail address, or to the transfer destination address associated with the same phone number as a destination.

9. An automatic answering method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising storing a transfer destination address in said personal information storing means,

when answering a call is impossible, retrieving information stored in said personal information storing means by using the phone number of the calling party added to the arrival information as a key, and

when the corresponding phone number of the calling party is detected, sending an electronic mail, including the message corresponding to said selected message type stored in said message storing means, to at least one of the electronic mail address and the transfer destination address associated with the same phone number as a destination.

10. An automatic answering method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising sending the arrival information including the phone number of a calling party and arrival time of a call to the transfer destination address of a called party, by an electronic mail, when transfer to the transfer destination address of the called party is being set.

11. An automatic answering method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising, when the phone number of a calling party is not added to arrival information, finishing processing without sending said electronic mail including the message.

12. An automatic answering method as claimed in claim 7 further comprising, when the corresponding phone number is not detected, finishing processing without sending said electronic mail including the message.