Telephone set, communication adaptor, home appliance control method, and program recording medium

• US 7,257,398 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2000
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ukita, Yoshitaka, Hattori, Masakazu, Kakuda, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, TUAN A
• Application Number:
  US09/710,129
• Time in Patent Office: 2,468 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420, 455 411- 412, 455 301- 306, 4555561-5562, 455/557, 455/567, 455/569.1, 455 901- 912, 455 73- 741, 455/552.1, 34082571-82572, 379/90.01, 37910201-10207, 379/110.01, 348 1402- 1405
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

The invention relates to a telephone set comprises a connection apparatus to execute a connecting process for enabling transmission and reception of an information signal to and from a home appliance such as a general audio device remote-controllable by radio communication; a control apparatus for generating, upon arrival of an incoming call, a remote control signal such as a pause command to the home appliance; and a radio communication apparatus for sending the remote control signal to the home appliance by radio communication. Thus, upon arrival of an incoming call at the telephone set, the remote control signal is sent to the audio device or the like either directly from the telephone set or via a communication adaptor installed therein, hence pausing or muting the output of the audio device under remote control. Such control action enables a user to perceive the incoming call with facility.

Claims

1. A telephone set comprising:

a connection means to execute a connecting process for enabling transmission and reception of an information signal by radio communication to and from a first home appliance which supports audio transmission or reception by radio communication with a second home appliance, the first home appliance being remote-controllable by a radio communication control protocol;

a control means for generating, upon arrival of an incoming call, a remote control signal to the first home appliance; and

a radio communication means for sending the remote control signal to the first home appliance by radio communication;

wherein the radio communication means is operable to receive a confirmation signal from the first home appliance indicating that the first home appliance has received the remote control signal; and

wherein the radio communication control protocol is used by the telephone set and the second home appliance to control the transmission of audio data by the first home appliance for output as sound by the second home appliance.

2. The telephone set according to claim 1, wherein the radio communication and the control protocol are the Bluetooth communication and control protocols.

3. The telephone set according to claim 1, wherein the remote control signal serves to stop the second home appliance from reproducing audio data.

4. The telephone set according to claim 3, wherein the remote control signal is a pause command to pause the transmission of audio data by the first home appliance.

5. The telephone set according to claim 3, wherein the remote control signal is a sound mute command to mute the reproduction of audio data by the second home appliance.

6. The telephone set according to claim 3, wherein the remote control signal further serves to execute another control for sending an incoming-call notice to the second home appliance, wherein audio data for the notice is generated by the telephone set and reproduced by the second home appliance.

7. The telephone set according to claim 3, wherein the control means further executes, upon termination of the call, a control action for resuming the reproduction of audio data by the second home appliance.

8. The telephone set according to claim 1, wherein the connection means executes a connecting process in advance and the connection is maintained or reestablished periodically so as to enable fast transmission and reception of the information signal to and from the first home appliance without having to reestablish the connection before transmitting a remote control signal or audio data.

9. The telephone set according to claim 1, wherein the connection means executes a connecting process upon arrival of an incoming call so as to enable transmission and reception of the information signal to and from the first home appliance.

10. The telephone set according to claim 1, wherein the connection means releases the connection with the first home appliance upon termination of the call.

11. The telephone set according to claim 10, wherein a connection between the first home appliance and second home appliance is maintained when releasing the connection between the telephone set and the first home appliance.

12. The telephone set according to claim 1, wherein the control means simultaneously generates, upon arrival of an incoming call, the remote control signal to the first home appliance.

13. The telephone set according to claim 1, further comprising a control signal acquisition means to send a request packet to the first home appliance identifying a first remote control command, and receive a command packet from the first home appliance indicating a remote control signal for implementing the first remote control command.

14. The telephone set according to claim 1, wherein the telephone set does not ring upon arrival of the incoming call.

15. The telephone set according to claim 1, wherein the connection means transmits a message to determine if the first home appliance is within communication range.

16. The telephone set according to claim 1, wherein the first home appliance is not remote-controllable until an authentication procedure is executed between the telephone set and the first home appliance.

17. The telephone set according to claim 16, wherein the authentication procedure is to verify a password preset in the telephone set and the first home appliance.

18. The telephone set according to claim 1, wherein the telephone set is a master device for determining a frequency hopping sequence and the first appliance is a slave device in a first network, and the first appliance is a master device for determining a frequency hopping sequence and the second appliance is a slave device in a second network.

19. A communication adaptor installable in a telephone set, comprising:

a connection means to execute a connecting process for enabling transmission and reception of an information signal by radio communication to and from a first home appliance which supports audio transmission or reception by radio communication with a second home appliance, the first home appliance being remote-controllable by a radio communication control protocol;

a control means for generating, upon arrival of an incoming call, a remote control signal to the first home appliance; and

a radio communication means for sending the remote control signal to the first home appliance by the radio communication;

wherein the radio communication means is operable to receive a confirmation signal from the first home appliance indicating that the first home appliance has received the remote control signal; and

wherein the radio communication control protocol is used by the communication adaptor and the second home appliance to control the transmission of audio data by the first home appliance for output as sound by the second home appliance.

20. A home appliance control method comprising the steps of:

enabling transmission and reception of an information signal by radio communication to and from a first home appliance which supports audio transmission or reception by the radio communication with a second home appliance, the first home appliance being remote-controllable by a radio communication means using a control protocol;

generating, upon arrival of an incoming call, a remote control signal to the first home appliance;

sending the remote control signal to the first home appliance by radio communication; and

receiving a confirmation signal from the first home appliance indicating that the first home appliance has received the remote control signal;

wherein the radio communication control protocol is used by a telephone set and the second home appliance to control the transmission of audio data by the first home appliance for output as sound by the second home appliance.

21. The home appliance control method according to claim 20, wherein the radio communication and the control protocol are the Bluetooth communication and control protocols.

22. The home appliance control method according to claim 20, wherein the remote control signal serves to stop the second home appliance from reproducing audio data.

23. The home appliance control method according to claim 22, wherein the remote control signal is a pause command to pause the transmission of audio data by the first home appliance.

24. The home appliance control method according to claim 22, wherein the remote control signal is a sound mute command to mute the reproduction of audio data by the second home appliance.

25. The home appliance control method according to claim 22, wherein the remote control signal further serves to execute another control for sending an incoming-call notice tone to the second home appliance, wherein audio data for the notice is received and reproduced by the second home appliance.

26. The home appliance control method according to claim 22, wherein the remote control signal further serves to execute, upon termination of the call, another control for resuming the reproduction of audio data by the second home appliance.

27. The home appliance control method according to claim 20 wherein, at the connection processing step, the connecting process is executed in advance and the connection is maintained or reestablished periodically so as to enable fast transmission and reception of the information signal to and from the first home appliance without having to reestablish the connection before transmitting a remote control signal or audio data.

28. The home appliance control method according to claim 20 wherein, at the connection processing step, the connecting process is executed upon arrival of an incoming call so as to enable transmission and reception of the information signal to and from the first home appliance.

29. The home appliance control method according to claim 20, further comprising a connection releasing step for releasing the connection with the first home appliance upon termination of the call.

30. The home appliance control method according to claim 20 wherein, at the remote control signal generating step, the remote control signal is simultaneously generated, upon arrival of an incoming call, to the first home appliance.

31. The home appliance control method according to claim 20 wherein, at the remote control signal generating step, a request packet is sent to the first home appliance identifying a first remote control command, and a command packet is received from the first home appliance indicating a remote control signal for implementing the first remote control command.

32. A program recording medium where a home appliance control program is recorded in such a manner as to be readable and executable by a computer, the control program comprising the steps of:

enabling transmission and reception of an information signal by radio communication to and from a first home appliance which supports audio transmission or reception by the radio communication with a second home appliance, the first home appliance being remote-controllable by a radio communication control protocol;

generating, upon arrival of an incoming call, a remote control signal to the first home appliance;

sending the remote control signal to the first home appliance by the radio communication; and

receiving a confirmation signal from the first home appliance indicating that the first home appliance has received the remote control signal;

wherein the radio communication control protocol is used by a telephone set and the second home appliance to control the transmission of audio data by the first home appliance for output as sound by the second home appliance.

33. The program recording medium according to claim 32, wherein the radio communication and the control protocol are the Bluetooth communication and control protocols.

34. The program recording medium according to claim 32, wherein the remote control signal serves to stop the second home appliance from reproducing audio data.

35. The program recording medium according to claim 34, wherein the remote control signal is a pause command to pause the transmission of audio data by the first home appliance.

36. The program recording medium according to claim 34, wherein the remote control signal is a sound mute command to mute the reproduction of audio data by the second home appliance.

37. The program recording medium according to claim 34, wherein the remote control signal further serves to execute another control for sending an incoming-call notice tone to the second appliance, wherein audio data for the notice is received and reproduced by the second home appliance.

38. The program recording medium according to claim 34, wherein the remote control signal further serves to execute, upon termination of the call, another control for resuming the reproduction of audio data by the second home appliance.

39. The program recording medium according to claim 32, wherein, at the connection processing step, the connecting process is executed in advance and the connection is maintained or reestablished periodically so as to enable fast transmission and reception of the information signal to and from the first home appliance without having to reestablish the connection before transmitting a remote control signal or audio data.

40. The program recording medium according to claim 32, wherein, at the connection processing step, the connecting process is executed upon arrival of an incoming call so as to enable transmission and reception of the information signal to and from the first home appliance.

41. The program recording medium according to claim 32, wherein the control program further comprises a connection releasing step for releasing the connection with the first home appliance upon termination of the call.

42. The program recording medium according to claim 32 wherein, at the remote control signal generating step, the remote control signal is simultaneously generated, upon arrival of an incoming call, to the first home appliance.

43. The program recording medium according to claim 32 wherein, at the remote control signal generating step, a request packet is sent to the first home appliance identifying a first remote control command, and a command packet is received from the first home appliance indicating a remote control signal for implementing the first remote control command.