Remote messaging for mobile communication device and accessory

• US 8,577,340 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bolton, Lawrence G., Rathi, Shailesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Agosta, Steve D
• Application Number:
  US13/595,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20120322420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/413, 455/466, 455/557, 370/310.2, 370/312, 379/67.1, 379/68, 379/88.28
• US Class Current: 455/412.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Message notifications to an accessory from a mobile communication device are provided according to some embodiments of the invention. When a message such as a text message, email, and/or voicemail is received at a mobile communication device, the mobile communication device can notify an attached accessory that a message has been received. In response, the accessory can request the full message, media associated with the message, an attachment to the message, and/or an audio/video stream of the message for presentation to a user.

Claims

1. A method for use in an accessory, the method comprising:

receiving a notification from a mobile communication device coupled with the accessory indicating that the mobile communication device has received a set of voicemails, wherein the notification includes a listing of received voicemails, wherein the accessory connects to the mobile communication device through a wireless communication channel;

providing a voicemail receipt indication to a user indicating the receipt of voicemails at the mobile communication device in response to the receiving of the notification over the wireless communication channel;

displaying the listing of received voicemails on a display device of the accessory;

receiving an indication from the user to play a voicemail at the accessory, wherein the receiving of the indication from the user to play the voicemail comprises receiving an indication specifying the voicemail in the listing of received voicemails;

in response to receiving the indication from the user to play the voicemail, sending a first command to the mobile communication device to stream the voicemail to the accessory;

receiving an audio stream corresponding to the voicemail from the mobile communication device;

playing the audio stream through a speaker at the accessory;

receiving an indication from the user to callback a telephone number associated with the voicemail; and

in response to receiving the indication to callback, sending a second command to the mobile communication device to call back the telephone number associated with the voicemail.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each voicemail in the listing of received voicemails is associated with an identifier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving the indication from the user to play the voicemail includes receiving a voicemail identifier, and the sending the first command to the mobile communication device includes sending the voicemail identifier.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

initializing a duplex audio mode to receiving line-out from the mobile communication device while providing line-in to the mobile communication device; and

sending audio to and receiving audio from the mobile communication device.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising performing noise reduction operations to improve signal quality.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, for each voicemail in the listing of received voicemails, the notification includes a length of the voicemail.

7. An accessory for use with a mobile communication device, the accessory comprising:

an accessory controller;

an input/output interface coupled with the accessory controller including a control signal path configured to receive a voicemail notification from the mobile communication device and configured to receive audio signals from the mobile communication device, wherein the voicemail notification includes a listing of voicemails, wherein the input/output interface connects to the mobile communication device through a wireless communication channel; and

a user interface including a speaker and a display screen coupled with the accessory controller to provide sound output to a user and display visual information to the user, the user interface being configured to

indicate to the user receipt of voicemail at the mobile communication device in response to the input/output interface receiving the voicemail notification over the wireless communication channel,

display the listing of voicemails,

receive an indication from the user to hear a voicemail received at the mobile communication device, wherein the receiving of the indication from the user to hear the voicemail comprises receiving an indication specifying the voicemail in the listing of voicemails, and

receive an indication from the user to callback a telephone number associated with the voicemail,

wherein the input/output interface is configured to send a first command to the mobile communication device in response to receiving the indication from the user to hear the voicemail, wherein the input/output interface is configured to send a second command to the mobile communication device to call back the telephone number in response to receiving the indication from the user to callback the telephone number associated with the voicemail, wherein the input/output interface is configured to receive an audio stream from the mobile communication device.

8. The accessory of claim 7, wherein the voicemail notification includes an identifier associated with each of the voicemails in the listing of voicemails and the first command sent to the mobile communication device includes an identifier associated with the voicemail selected by the user.

9. The accessory of claim 7, wherein the user interface is further configured to receive an indication from the user to delete a voicemail, wherein the input/output interface is further configured to send, in response to receiving the indication from the user to delete the voicemail, a third command to the mobile communication device to delete the voicemail.

10. The accessory of claim 7, wherein the input/output interface is further configured to send a registration to the mobile communication device indicating that the accessory can receive voicemail notifications.

11. The accessory of claim 7, wherein the input/output interface is further configured to send dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tones to the mobile communication device.

12. The accessory of claim 7, wherein the accessory controller configures an audio section of the accessory to operate under a duplex mode in response to receiving the indication from the user to callback the telephone number.

13. The accessory of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication channel is a Bluetooth channel.

14. A method for use in a mobile communication device having a telephone interface, the method comprising:

receiving a set of voicemails through the telephone interface;

sending a voicemail notification to an accessory indicating that the mobile communication device has received voicemail message, the accessory connected to the mobile communication device through a wireless communication channel, wherein the voicemail notification includes a listing of the received voicemails, wherein the accessory indicates to a user the receipt of voicemail message at the mobile communication device in response to the voicemail notification, wherein the accessory displays the listing of the received voicemails on a display device of the accessory;

receiving, by the mobile communication device, a first command from the accessory to indicate a request for a voicemail to be sent to the accessory, wherein the accessory sends the first command in response to receiving an indication from the user to hear the voicemail, wherein the receiving of the indication from the user to hear the voicemail comprises receiving an indication specifying the voicemail in the listing of the received voicemails;

sending an audio stream corresponding to the voicemail to the accessory to be played through a speaker at the accessory; and

receiving, by the mobile communication device, a second command from the accessory to call back a telephone number associated with the voicemail, wherein the accessory sends the second command in response to receiving an indication from the user to call back the telephone number.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first command includes a bit asserted within a bitmask to indicate a request for a voicemail to be sent to the accessory.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving a request from the accessory that includes a playback control indication; and

streaming the voicemail according to the playback control indication.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining that the accessory has registered to receive voicemail notification.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving a third command from the accessory to call a voicemail server; and

streaming voicemail audio to the accessory.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

receiving user input from the accessory, wherein the user input includes dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tones; and

sending the DTMF tones to the voicemail server.