Portable radiotelephone and radiocommunication system including such a radiotelephone

• US 7,142,826 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2003
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ember IP LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Inventel Systems
• Inventors: Olivier, Henri-Nicolas, Grau, Guy-Louis, Pourriot, Martin, Zhang, Peng, Devige, Fabrice
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour, Naghmeh
• Application Number:
  US10/602,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20040127189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 455/350, 455/411, 455/347, 455/351, 455/575, 455/100, 455 901- 903, 4555751-5758, 379/38, 379/207, 379/24, 379/187, 379/188, 379/25, 379/79, 379/74, 379/426, 379/428.01, 379/428.04, 379/433.05, 379/434, 379/438, 379/447
• US Class Current: 455/90.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection

Abstract

Portable radiotelephone including a central processing unit, a transmit and receive radio circuit connected to at least one antenna, a microphone emerging upwards when the radiotelephone is worn by means of a necklace, a speaker and a keypad that includes at least one multifunction key.

Claims

1. Portable radiotelephone comprising at least:

a central processing unit,

a transmit and receive radio circuit connected to at least one antenna,

a front face including a speaker,

an edge substantially perpendicular to the front face,

a keypad that comprises at least one key,

and a necklace designed for placing around the neck of the user, said necklace being fixed to the portable radiotelephone in such a way that said portable radiotelephone positions itself automatically by gravity in a rest position when said necklace is worn around the neck of the user, the central processing unit being adapted to;

on receiving an incoming call, establish a communication when a user presses at least one key,

and when the user presses at least one key when there is no incoming call, call at least one predetermined telephone address,

wherein a microphone is located on the radiotelephone and the microphone and the speaker are desianed to let the user use the radiotelephone to communicate without moving said radiotelephone from said rest position when said radiotelephone is worn around the neck of the user.

2. Radiotelephone according to claim 1, in which the central processing unit is adapted to sequentially and cyclically call several telephone addresses belonging to a predetermined list, until a communication is established with one of these telephone addresses, when the user presses at least one key when there is no incoming call.

3. Portable radiotelephone according to claim 2, in which the central processing unit is adapted to automatically call back a telephone address of the said predetermined list when the central processing unit called this telephone address after operation of at least one key and when this telephone address was busy.

4. Radiotelephone according to claim 2, in which the predetermined list of telephone addresses comprises a number n of telephone addresses and the central processing unit is adapted to call a telephone address of position k in the said list when the user presses at least one key p times, where p=k modulo n.

5. Radiotelephone according to claim 1, in which the central processing unit is adapted to interrupt an established communication or an in-progress call when the user presses at least one key for a duration greater than a predetermined duration, the said predetermined duration being at least equal to 1 s.

6. Radiotelephone according to claim 1, in which the front face includes a multifunction key, the keypad not including any other key arranged on the front face.

7. Radiotelephone according to claim 6, additionally comprising a rear face, on the side opposite the front face, this rear face comprising additional keys belonging to the keypad, which additional keys are designed to allow the user to dial a telephone number of his choice.

8. Radiotelephone according to claim 1, taking the form of a medallion.

9. Radiotelephone according to claim 1, in which the central processing unit is adapted to:

recognize at least certain incoming calls, referred to as telemonitoring calls, from at least one predetermined telephone address, and

when the central processing unit identifies a telemonitoring call, to automatically establish a communication with this predetermined telephone address without notifying the user.

10. Radiotelephone according to claim 9, in which the central processing unit is adapted to activate the microphone and keep the speaker deactivated when the said central processing unit automatically activates a communication after a telemonitoring call.

11. Radiotelephone according to claim 1, in which the central processing unit is adapted to transmit a predetermined identification signal when a communication is being established with the said at least one predetermined telephone address when the user presses at least one key when there is no incoming call.

12. Radiotelephone according to claim 1, comprising an independent electrical power source and in which the central processing unit is adapted to measure a charge level of the said power source and to send a warning message to a predetermined address when the charge level falls to below a predefined level.

13. Radiocommunication system comprising a portable radiotelephone according to claim 1 and a base station connected to a public network and communicating by wireless link with the said portable radiotelephone.

14. Radiocommunication system according to claim 13, in which the portable radiotelephone includes an independent electrical power source and the central processing unit of the radiotelephone is adapted to measure a charge level of the said power source and to communicate the charge level to the base station, the base station being designed to memorize the said charge level and to transmit it to a predetermined telephone address.

15. Radiocommunication system according to claim 13, in which the base station is designed to memorize periods during which it stops being in communication with the portable radiotelephone, and to communicate these periods to a predetermined telephone address.