Communication control for device with telephonic functionality

• US 7,940,900 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Eastwood, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/566,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20080132275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.18, 379/93.19, 379/90.01, 379/93.05, 379/93.06, 379/93.07, 455/518, 455/416, 455/432.1, 455/519, 455/520, 455/556.1
• US Class Current: 379/93.18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A system and a method are disclosed for controlling voice communications through a mobile computing device. In one embodiment, a mobile computing device enabled for telephony communications establishes a telephone call to transmit voice signals and mutes the established telephone call. When ready to transmit voice signals, a control switch configured on the mobile computing device is depressed and held for a duration in which to transmit those voice signals in the established telephone call. Once transmission of the voice signals is completed, the control switch is released to re-mute the established telephone call.

Claims

1. In a mobile computing device enabled for telephony communications, a method comprising:

establishing a telephone call to transmit voice signals;

muting the established telephone call;

continually actuating a control switch for a duration in which to transmit voice signals in the established telephone call and continually enabling a speaker to output communications signals received by the mobile computing device regardless of the actuation of the control switch; and

releasing the control switch, the released control switch re-muting the established telephone call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control switch comprises a physical switch.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the physical switch is on a side of the mobile computing device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the physical switch is on a back face of the mobile computing device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the physical switch is on a front face of the mobile computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device comprises a touch screen.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the control switch comprises a software button displayed on the touch screen and interactable directly through the touch screen.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a screen of the mobile computing device displays a communication control application notating one of a physical button or key on the mobile computing device corresponding to the control switch.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein continually actuating comprises pressing and holding a button on the mobile computing device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein continually actuating comprises actuating and maintaining a tension switch from a first position to a second position, a release of the tension switch automatically returning the tension switch to the first position.

11. A computer readable medium configured to store instructions executable by a processor of a mobile computing device, the instructions when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

establish a telephone call to transmit voice signals;

mute the established telephone call;

unmute the established telephone call in response to continuous actuation of a control switch on the mobile computing device for a duration in which to transmit voice signals in the established telephone call and continually enable a speaker to output communications signals received by the mobile computing device regardless of the continuous actuation of the control switch; and

re-mute the established telephone call in response to releasing the continuous actuation of the control switch.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the mobile computing device comprises a touch screen.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the control switch comprises a software button displayed on the touch screen and interactable directly through the touch screen.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein a screen of the mobile computing device displays a communication control application notating one of a physical button or key on the mobile computing device corresponding to the control switch.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the control switch comprises a button mechanism and the continuous actuation corresponds to the pressing and holding the button mechanism.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the control switch comprises a solid state switch and the continuous actuation corresponds to touching and maintaining touch on the solid state switch.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the control switch comprises a tension-enabled switch and the continuous actuation corresponds to movement of the tension-enabled switch from a first position and holding it in a second position, the tension-enabled switch returning to the first position when released from the second position.

18. A mobile computing device enabled for telephony communications, the device comprising:

a means for establishing a telephone call to transmit voice signals;

a means for initially muting the established telephone call;

a means for transmitting voice signals in the established telephone call in response to continually actuating a control switch for a duration and a means for outputting communications signals received by the mobile computing device regardless of the actuation of the control switch; and

a means for re-muting the established telephone call in response to releasing the control switch.

19. The mobile computing device of claim 18, wherein the means for establishing the telephone call comprises a telephony module and the means for initially muting the established telephone call comprises an electrical circuit for disabling a microphone of the mobile computing device.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 19, wherein the means for transmitting the voice signals comprises an electrical circuit for enabling the microphone of the mobile computing device and the means for re-muting the established telephone call comprises an electrical circuit for re-disabling the microphone of the mobile computing device.