Wireless device with vibrational communication capabilities

• US 6,850,782 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2001
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Wildseed Ltd. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Engstrom, G. Eric, Bright, Walter G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US09/817,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20020165013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/567, 455/557, 455/556.1, 455/566, 340/7.6, 340/407.1, 340/407.2, 340/7.61, 340/7.62
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls

Abstract

A wireless communication device having vibrational communication capabilities in accordance with various embodiments is provided including a receiver to receive signals, a body casing, a vibrator coupled to the body casing to vibrate the wireless communication device, a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions, which when executed cause the wireless communication device to vibrationally output received alphanumeric data through vibrational manifestation of the received alphanumeric data using the vibrator, and an execution unit coupled to the storage medium for executing the plurality of programming instructions.

Claims

1. A wireless mobile phone comprising:

a body casing having a front surface;

a transceiver to send and receive signals for text messages with alphanumeric data;

a vibrator coupled to said body casing to vibrate said wireless mobile phone; and

means coupled to said vibrator and said transceiver for vibrationally outputting the received text messages with alphanumeric data through vibrational manifestation of the alphanumeric data of the received text messages using the vibrator.

2. The wireless mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said means for vibrationally outputting the alphanumeric data of the receive text messages comprises means for outputting Morse code representations of the alphanumeric data of the received text messages.

3. The wireless mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said vibrator is disposed within said body casing.

4. The wireless mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said means for vibrationally outputting the alphanumeric data of the received text messages comprises means for vibrationally outputting the alphanumeric data of the text messages received via said transceiver.

5. The wireless mobile phone of claim 1, further comprising an input keypad disposed on said front surface of said body casing to facilitate entry of alphanumeric data, and wherein said means for vibrational output is further adapted to vibrationally output alphanumeric data of a text message composed using said input keypad.

6. A wireless mobile phone comprising:

a body casing;

a transceiver to send and receive signals for text messages with alphanumeric data;

a vibrator coupled to said body casing to vibrate said wireless mobile phone;

a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions, which when executed cause the wireless mobile phone to vibrationally output the received text messages with alphanumeric data through vibrational manifestation of the alphanumeric data of the received text messages using the vibrator; and

an execution unit coupled to the storage medium for executing the plurality of programming instructions.

7. The wireless mobile phone of claim 6, further comprising a switch coupled to said vibrator for switching between a first vibrational operating mode wherein said wireless mobile phone vibrationally outputs the alphanumeric data of the received text messages, and a second non-vibrational mode Wherein said wireless mobile phone visually outputs the alphanumeric data of the received text messages.

8. The wireless mobile phone of claim 6, wherein said plurality of programming instructions comprises programming instructions, which when executed cause the wireless mobile phone to vibrationally output Morse code representations of the alphanumeric data of the received text messages.

9. In a wireless mobile phone, a method comprising:

receiving signals representing text messages with alphanumeric data;

determining if the mobile phone is operating in a vibrational output mode; and

identifying vibrational representations of at least a portion of the alphanumeric data of the received text messages and outputting the vibrational representations if the mobile phone is operating in a vibrational output mode.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising visually utputting the alphanumeric data of the received text messages if the mobile phone is operating in a non-vibrational output mode.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

vibrationally outputting Morse code representations of said alphanumeric data of the text messages if the mobile phone is operating in the vibrational output mode.

12. A wireless pager comprising:

a receiver to receive signals for text messages with alphanumeric data;

a body casing;

a vibrator coupled to said body casing to vibrate said wireless pager; and

means coupled to said vibrator and said receiver for vibrationally outputting the alphanumeric data of the received text messages via said receiver through vibrational manifestation of the alphanumeric data of the received text messages using the vibrator.

13. The wireless pager of claim 12, further comprising a transmitter to transmit signals.

14. The wireless pager of claim 12, further comprising means coupled to said vibrator for switching between a first vibrational operating mode wherein said wireless pager vibrationally outputs the alphanumeric data of the received text messages, and a second non-vibrational mode wherein said wireless pager visually outputs the alphanumeric data of the received text messages.

15. The wireless pager of claim 12, wherein said mean for vibrationally outputting the alphanumeric data of the received text messages comprises means for vibrationally outputting the alphanumeric data of the received text messages through vibrational manifestation of the Morse code representations of the alphanumeric data of the received text message.

16. The wireless pager of claim 12, wherein said vibrator is disposed within said body casing.

17. A wireless pager comprising:

a receiver to receive signals of text messages with alohanumeri data;

a body casing;

a vibrator coupled to said body casing to vibrate said wireless pager;

a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions, which when executed cause the wireless pager to vibrationally output the alphanumeric data of the received text messages through vibrational manifestation of the alphanumeric data of the received text messages using the vibrator; and

an execution unit coupled to the storage medium for executing the plurality of programming instructions.

18. The wireless pager of claim 17, further comprising a switch coupled to said vibrator for switching between a first vibrational operating mode wherein said wireless pager vibrationally outputs the alphanumeric data of the received text messages, and a second non-vibrational mode wherein said wireless pager visually outputs the alphanumeric data of the received text messages.

19. The wireless pager of claim 17, wherein said plurality of programming instructions comprises programming instructions, which when executed cause the wireless pager to vibrationally output Morse code representations of the alphanumeric data of the received text messages.

20. In a wireless pager, a method comprising:

receiving signals representing text messages with alphanumeric data;

determining if the wireless pager is operating in a vibrational output mode; and

identifying vibrational representations of at least a portion of the alphanumeric data of the text messages, and outputting the vibrational representations if the wireless pager is operating in a vibrational output mode.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising visually outputting the alphanumeric data of the text messages if the wireless pager is operating in a non-vibrational output mode.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

vibrationally outputting Morse code representations of said alphanumeric data of the received text messages if the wireless pager is operating in the vibrational output mode.

23. A Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) comprising:

a receiver to receive signals of text messages with alphanumeric data;

a body casing having front surface;

a vibrator coupled to said body casing to vibrate said PDA; and

means coupled to said vibrator and to said receiver for vibrationally outputting the alphanumeric data of the received text messages via said receiver through vibrational manifestation of the alphanumeric data of the received text messages using the vibrator.

24. The PDA of claim 23, wherein said means for vibrational outputting the alphanumeric data of the text messages comprises means for vibrationally outputting the alphanumeric data of the text messages through vibrational manifestation of the Morse code representations of the alphanumeric data of the text messages.

25. The PDA of claim 23, wherein said vibrator is disposed within said body casing.

26. The PDA of claim 23, further comprising an input keypad disposed on said front surface of said body casing to facilitate entry of alphanumeric data to compose a text message, and wherein said means for vibrational output is further adapted to vibrationally output the alphanumeric data of the text message inputted using said input keypad.

27. A PDA comprising:

a receiver to receive signals of text messages with alphanumeric data;

a body casing having front surface;

a vibrator coupled to said body casing to vibrate said PDA;

a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions, which when executed cause the PDA to vibrationally output the alphanumeric data of the received text messages through vibrational manifestation of the alphanumeric data of the received text messages using the vibrator; and

an execution unit coupled to the storage medium for executing the plurality of programming instructions.

28. The PDA of claim 27, further comprising a switch coupled to said vibrator for switching between a first vibrational operating mode wherein said PDA vibrationally outputs the alphanumeric data of the received text message, and a second non-vibrational mode wherein said PDA visually outputs the alphanumeric data of the received text message.

29. The PDA of claim 27, wherein said plurality of programming instructions comprises programming instructions, which when execute cause the PDA to vibrationally output Morse code representations of the alphanumeric data of the received text messages.

30. In a PDA, a method comprising:

receiving signals representing text messages with alphanumeric data;

determining if the mobile phone is operating in a vibrational output mode; and

identifying vibrational representations of at least a portion of the alphanumeric data of the text messages and outputting the vibrational representations if the PDA is operating in a vibrational output mode.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising visually outputting the alphanumeric data of the text messages if the PDA is operating in non-vibrational output mode.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

vibrationally outputting Morse code representations of said alphanumeric data of the text message if the PDA is operating in the vibrational output mode.

33. A wireless communication device comprising:

a receiver to receive signals of text messages with alphanumeric data;

a body casing;

a vibrator coupled to said body casing to vibrate said wireless communication device;

a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions, which when executed cause the wireless communication device to vibrationally output the alphanumeric data of the received text messages through vibrational manifestation of the alphanumeric data of the received text message using the vibrator; and

an execution unit coupled to the storage medium for executing the plurality of programming instructions.

34. The wireless communication device of claim 33, wherein the vibrator causes wireless communication device to vibrate at multiple distinct frequencies, wherein vibrations at each frequency are user distinguishable.

35. The wireless communication device of claim 34, wherein the vibrator causes the wireless communication device to vibrate at any two of the multiple frequencies so as to generate Morse code based vibrational representations of the alphanumeric data of the received text message.

36. The wireless communication device of claim 33, wherein the vibrator causes wireless communication device to vibrate for multiple distinct durations wherein each vibrational duration is user-distinguishable.

37. The wireless communication device of claim 36, wherein the vibrator causes the wireless communication device to vibrate at any two of the multiple distinct durations so as to generate Morse code based vibratiorrial representations of the alphanumeric data of the received text message.

38. In a wireless communication device, a method comprising:

receiving signals representing text messages with alphanumeric data;

determining if the wireless communication device is operating in a vibrational output mode; and

identifying vibrational representations of at least a portion of the alphanumeric data of the text messages and outputting the vibrational representations if the wireless communication device is operating in a vibrational output mode.