Wireless telephone having analog or sensor input

• US 7,206,602 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2002
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Inventors: Conway, Eileen
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jackson; Blane J.
• Application Number:
  US10/254,921
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/457, 455/404.1, 455/90.1, 455/558, 455/556.1, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

Provided is a wireless telephone that includes means for initiating, receiving and conducting telephone calls via a wireless link to a base station. An interface means interfaces with a user and an input means inputs an analog electrical signal from any of multiple different devices. The type of device from which the analog electrical signal was input is identified and the analog electrical signal is converted into a digital signal. The digital signal is then processed, based on the identified type of device, so as to provide summary information. The summary information is then transmitted via the wireless link and/or provided to the user via the interface means.

Claims

1. A wireless telephone for initiating, receiving and conducting telephone calls via a wireless link to a base station, comprising:

a user interface for interfacing with a user;

at least one sensor for inputting an analog electrical signal indicative of one or more parameters of a surrounding thereof;

at least one device identification module for identifying a type of the sensor from which the analog electrical signal was input;

at least one analog-to-digital converter for converting the analog electrical signal into a digital signal;

at least one signal processing module for processing the digital signal based on the type of the sensor identified by the device identification module, so as to provide summary information; and

at least one output interface for at least one of;

(i) transmitting the summary information via the wireless link and (ii) providing the summary information to the user via the user interface,

wherein the analog electrical signal is converted by time-sharing the analog-to-digital converter within the wireless telephone.

2. A wireless telephone according to claim 1, wherein the output interface transmits the summary information upon detection of a triggering criterion by the signal processing module.

3. A wireless telephone according to claim 1, wherein the type of sensor is identified by the device identification module without user input.

4. A wireless telephone according to claim 1, wherein the type of sensor monitors at least one of:

(i) a physiological parameter and (ii) an ambient environmental parameter.

5. A wireless telephone according to claim 1, wherein the output interface causes a telephone call to be initiated upon detection of a triggering criterion by the signal processing module.

6. A wireless telephone according to claim 1, further comprising a messaging functionality module for, upon detection of a triggering criterion by the signal processing module, prompting the user to make a telephone call.

7. A wireless telephone according to claim 1, further comprising a hardware input jack.

8. A wireless telephone according to claim 1, further comprising a second wireless link.

9. A wireless telephone according to claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a keypad for allowing the user to specify conditions for uploading the summary information via the wireless link and conditions for providing the summary information to the user via the user interface.

10. A wireless telephone according to claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a keypad for allowing the user to specify a type of the summary information to be provided by the signal processing module.

11. A wireless telephone for initiating, receiving and conducting telephone calls via a wireless link to a base station, comprising:

a user interface for interfacing with a user;

at least one sensor for inputting a signal representing at least one of;

(i) a physiological parameter and (ii) an ambient environmental parameter;

at least one device identification module for identifying a type of the signal;

at least one signal processing module for processing the signal based on the type of the signal identified by the device identification module, so as to provide summary information; and

at least one output interface for providing the summary information to the user via the user interface,

wherein the user interface comprises a liquid crystal display showing the summary information containing statistics data with regard to the parameters represented by the signal.

12. A wireless telephone according to claim 11, wherein the output interface transmits the summary information upon detection of a triggering criterion by the signal processing module.

13. A wireless telephone according to claim 11, wherein the type of signal is identified by the device identification module without user input.

14. A wireless telephone according to claim 11, wherein the output interface causes a telephone call to be initiated upon detection of a triggering criterion by the signal processing module.

15. A wireless telephone according to claim 11, further comprising a messaging functionality module for, upon detection of a triggering criterion by the signal processing module, prompting the user to make a telephone call.

16. A wireless telephone according to claim 11, further comprising a hardware input jack.

17. A wireless telephone according to claim 11, further comprising a second wireless link.

18. A wireless telephone according to claim 11, wherein the user interface comprises a keypad for allowing the user to specify conditions for uploading the summary information via the wireless link and conditions for providing the summary information to the user via the user interface.

19. A wireless telephone according to claim 11, wherein the user interface comprises a keypad for allowing the user to specify a type of the summary information to be provided by the signal processing module.

20. A method for a wireless telephone to initiate, receive and conduct telephone calls via a wireless link to a base station, comprising:

interfacing with a user via a user interface;

inputting an analog electrical signal indicative of one or more parameters of a surrounding thereof, using at least one sensor;

identifying a type of the sensor from which the analog electrical signal was input, using at least one device identification module;

converting the analog electrical signal into a digital signal, using at least one analog-to-digital converter;

processing the digital signal based on the type of the sensor identified by the device identification module using at least one signal processing module, so as to provide summary information; and

transmitting the summary information via the wireless link or providing the summary information to the user via the user interface, using at least one output interface,

wherein the analog electrical signal is converted by time-sharing the analog-to-digital converter within the wireless telephone.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the output interface transmits the summary information upon detection of a triggering criterion by the signal processing module.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the type of sensor is identified by the device identification module without user input.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the type of sensor monitors at least one of:

(i) a physiological parameter and (ii) an ambient environmental parameter.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the output interface causes a telephone call to be initiated upon detection of a triggering criterion by the signal processing module.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising prompting the user to make a telephone call upon detection of a triggering criterion by the signal processing module, using a messaging functionality module.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the wireless telephone further comprises a hardware input jack.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the wireless telephone further comprises a second wireless link.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the user interface comprises a keypad for allowing the user to specify conditions for uploading the summary information via the wireless link and conditions for providing the summary information to the user via the user interface.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein the user interface comprises a keypad for allowing the user to specify a type of the summary information to be provided by the signal processing module.