Telephone which enables timely input and presentation of information

• US 7,440,748 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2006
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Fumiaki, Nagase, Kosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hashem; Lisa
• Application Number:
  US11/524,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20070123230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 379/209.01, 379/68, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 455/556.2, 455/412, 455/412.2, 455/413, 455/415, 455/566, 455/567
• US Class Current: 455/412.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions

Abstract

A telephone includes: a reminding unit for, when judging that a user makes a call but fails to convey information to a party, reminding the user to input the information into information acceptance unit; the information acceptance unit for accepting input of the information from the user; a storage unit for associating the inputted information with a telephone number of the party and storing the associated information; and a notification unit for, when the user makes a call to the party or receives a call from the party, checking whether the information associated with the telephone number of the party is stored in the storage unit, and, if the associated information is stored therein, notifying the user of the stored information.

Claims

1. A telephone comprising:

information acceptance means for accepting input of information from a user;

reminding means for, when judging that the user makes a call but fails to convey information to a party, reminding the user to input first information into the information acceptance means;

storage means for associating the inputted first information with second information that identifies the party, and storing the associated information;

displaying means for displaying the second information when the reminding means reminds the user to input the first information;

instruction acceptance means for accepting an instruction from the user;

inquiring means for, if the user has input the first information and the second information which includes an e-mail address, inquiring of the user whether to transmit the first information to the e-mail address; and

transmission means for transmitting the first information to the e-mail address if the instruction acceptance means accepts, from the user, an instruction for transmitting the first information to the e-mail address.

2. The telephone of claim 1, further comprising

notification means for, when the user makes a call to the party or receives a call from the party, checking whether the first information associated with the second information is stored in the storage means, and, if stored, notifying the user of the first information.

3. The telephone of claim 2, further comprising

reception means for receiving a signal including a telephone number of the party, wherein

the notification means recognizes the telephone number of the party based on the received signal when the reception means receives the signal.

4. The telephone of claim 2, wherein

the information acceptance means accepts input of text data, and

the notification means performs the notification by displaying the accepted text data on a display of the telephone.

5. The telephone of claim 4, wherein

the information acceptance means accepts the input of the first information by displaying a plurality of options for the first information, which allows the user to select one of the options.

6. The telephone of claim 2, wherein

the information acceptance means accepts sounds, and

the notification means gives the notification by reproducing the accepted sounds.

7. The telephone of claim 2, further comprising

vibration means for making body of telephone vibrate in accordance with the notification by the notification means.

8. The telephone of claim 2, further comprising

lighting means for lighting up or flashing predetermined portions of the telephone in accordance with the notification by the notification means.

9. The telephone of claim 1, wherein

the reminding means judges that the user has made the call but fails to convey information to the party if detecting that a telephone line connecting operation has been completed before the call between the user and the party is established.

10. The telephone of claim 1, wherein

the reminding means judges that the user has made the call but fails to convey information to the party if detecting that a duration of the call between the user and the party is shorter than a predetermined duration.

11. The telephone of claim 1, wherein

the information acceptance means inquires of the user whether or not to input the information, and accepts the input of the information only when the user wishes to input the information.

12. The telephone of claim 1, wherein

the reminding means reminds the user to input the first information by displaying an input screen for the user to input the first information.

13. The telephone of claim 1, further comprising

notification means for, when the user makes a call to the party or receives a call from the party, checking whether the first information associated with the second information is stored in the storage means, and, if stored, notifying the user of the first information.

14. The telephone of claim 1, wherein

the reminding means judges that the user has made the call but fails to convey information to the party if detecting that a telephone line connecting operation has been completed before the call between the user and the party is established.

15. The telephone of claim 1, wherein

the reminding means judges that the user has made the call but fails to convey information to the party if detecting that a duration of the call between the user and the party is shorter than a predetermined duration.

16. The telephone of claim 1, wherein

the information acceptance means inquires of the user whether or not to input the information, and accepts the input of the information only when the user wishes to input the information.

17. The telephone of claim 1, wherein

the reminding means reminds the user to input the first information by displaying an input screen for the user to input the first information.

18. A method for notifying a user of information to be conveyed to a party, the method comprising:

an information acceptance step of accepting input of information from the user;

a reminding step of, when judging that the user makes a call but fails to convey information to a party, reminding the user to input first information;

a storage step of associating the inputted first information with second information that identifies a party, and storing the associated information;

a displaying step of displaying the second information when the reminding step reminds the user to input the first information;

an instruction acceptance step of accepting an instruction from the user;

an inquiring step of, if the user has input the first information and the second information includes an e-mail address, inquiring of the user whether to transmit the first information to the e-mail address; and

a transmission step of transmitting the first information to the e-mail address if the instruction acceptance means accepts, from the user, an instruction for transmitting the first information to the e-mail address.