Communication terminal offering privacy protection for hands-free functionality using an analysis process

• US 8,948,724 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kawasaki, Haruo
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US11/883,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20080139178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,290 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/413, 455/556.1, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/412.2, 379/88.02, 379/88.12, 379/88.16, 704/260, 704/270
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, when a mail is received, the mail content is analyzed by a message analysis circuit performing analysis according to a keyword set in advance and read operation of the mail of the hands-free function is controlled, thereby enabling privacy protection in the vicinity of a mobile telephone or from passengers of a vehicle.

Claims

1. A communication terminal comprising:

a message communicator configured to communicate a message;

a hands-free voice signal producer configured to produce a voice signal according to a received message received by said message communicator, said voice signal being output for hands-free speech through an external loudspeaker provided in said communication terminal or in a device used through a wired or wireless connection to said communication terminal, wherein the external loudspeaker is configured to output sound audible to those who are in vicinity of the external loudspeaker;

an analysis information list storage circuit configured to store one or more analysis information for use in analyzing said received message in order to judge whether or not said received message is to be audible to said those who are in vicinity of the external loudspeaker;

a message analysis circuit configured to perform a message analysis process for said received message according to said analysis information stored in said analysis information list storage circuit;

a message storage circuit configured to store the message analyzed by the message analysis circuit;

a message display circuit configured to display the message held in the message storage circuit; and

a hands-free function control circuit configured to control said hands-free voice signal producer to not produce a voice signal in response to a determination that said received message complies with a condition designated in the one or more analysis information stored in the analysis information list storage circuit, wherein;

when said message is an electronic mail, analysis range information about a range subjected to said message analysis by said message analysis circuit is further given to said analysis information by designating one or more elements of an electronic mail body and an electronic mail header, and

said message analysis circuit is further configured to perform said message analysis aiming at a range according to said analysis range information.

2. The communication terminal claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for controlling a message arrival sound depending on said message analysis result.

3. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

said analysis information includes a logical operation type logical condition; and

said message analysis circuit performs the analysis process according to said logical condition.

4. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said analysis information includes group information being attribute information indicating that said analysis information belongs to a predetermined group.

5. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said analysis information includes valid/invalid information being attribute information indicating whether or not to perform an analysis process using said analysis information; and

said message analysis circuit switches whether or not to perform an analysis process per said analysis information depending on said valid/invalid information.

6. The communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying said analysis information stored by said analysis information list storage circuit.

7. The communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising means for outputting the result of said message analysis process.

8. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

when said message is an electronic mail,

said analysis information is character string analysis information comprising one or more characters, and

said message analysis circuit analyzes as to whether or not a character string of said character string analysis information is included in electronic mail data.

9. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

when said message is a voice message,

said analysis information is character string analysis information comprising one or more characters,

said communication terminal further comprises a voice recognition circuit configured to convert said voice message into character language information, and

said message analysis circuit analyzes whether or not a character string of said character string analysis information is included in said received voice message converted into character language information by said voice recognition circuit.

10. The communication terminal according to claim 9, further comprising means for performing voice call with another terminal, wherein:

said voice message is transmitted via said voice call;

said voice recognition circuit converts said speech voice into character language information and said message analysis circuit analyzes said speech voice converted into said character language information; and

said hands-free control circuit controls operation and stop of the hands-free function depending on a result of said analysis.

11. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

when said message is a voice message,

said analysis information is voice signal pattern analysis information comprising voice signal pattern information including feature information of a voice signal,

a voice analysis circuit configured to extract a feature of a voice signal and output voice signal pattern information is further provided, and

said message analysis circuit compares between the voice signal pattern information of said analysis information list storage circuit and the voice signal pattern information of said voice message.

12. The communication terminal according to claim 11, further comprising means for performing voice call with another terminal, wherein:

said voice message is transmitted via said voice call;

said message analysis circuit analyzes said voice message; and

said hands-free control circuit controls operation and stop of said hands-free voice signal producer depending on a result of said analysis.

13. The communication terminal according to claim 11, further comprising a voice speech function, wherein:

said voice message is a speech voice that has arrived;

said message analysis circuit analyzes said speech voice; and

said hands-free control circuit controls operation and stop of the hands-free function depending on a result of said analysis.

14. A message voice output control method for controlling operation of voice-outputting a received message, received by a communication terminal through a communication line, through an external loudspeaker provided in said communication terminal or in another device connected to said communication terminal, the external loudspeaker being configured to output sound audible to those who are in vicinity of the external loudspeaker, comprising:

a step of storing one or more character string analysis information comprising character language information into an analysis information list storage circuit provided in said communication terminal in order to judge whether or not said received message is to be audible to said those who are in vicinity of the external loudspeaker;

a step of receiving a message by said communication terminal through the communication line;

a step of analyzing, by said communication terminal, whether or not the character string analysis information stored in said storage device is included in said message;

a step of storing the message analyzed into a message storage circuit provided in said communication terminal;

a step of displaying the message held in the message storage circuit; and

a step of controlling, by said communication terminal, output of said message through said external loudspeaker depending on a result of said analysis, wherein said message is not output as a voice signal in response to a determination that said message complies with a condition designated in the one or more character string analysis information stored in the analysis information list storage circuit, wherein

when said message is an electronic mail, analysis range information about a range subjected to said step of analyzing is further given to said character string analysis information by designating one or more elements of an electronic mail body and an electronic mail header, and said step of analyzing aims at a range according to said analysis range information.

15. The message voice output control method according to claim 14, wherein:

when said message is a voice message, the method further comprises;

a step of converting, by said communication terminal, said voice message into character language information through voice recognition is further included; and

said analyzing step analyzes said voice message converted into said character language information.

16. The message voice output control method according to claim 15, further comprising:

a step of storing the received voice message into voice message storage provided in said communication terminal;

wherein said converting step converts the voice message stored in said voice message storage into character language information.

17. The message voice output control method according to claim 15, wherein said converting step sequentially converts the received voice message into character language information.

18. The message voice output control method according to claim 14, wherein:

when said message is a voice message,

said storing step stores one or more voice signal analysis information comprising a voice signal pattern into said analysis information list storage circuit instead of the character analysis information or along with the character analysis information; and

said analyzing step compares between said voice signal pattern stored in said analysis information list storage circuit and said received voice message.

19. The message voice output control method according to claim 18,

further comprising a step of storing the received voice message into voice message storage provided in said communication terminal,

wherein said analyzing step compares between the voice message stored in said voice message storage and said voice signal pattern.

20. The message voice output control method according to claim 18, wherein said analyzing step sequentially compares between the received voice message and said voice signal pattern.

21. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording a computer program to be executed by a controller for controlling operation of a communication terminal, said computer program adapted to control operation of voice-outputting a received message, received by said communication terminal through a communication line, through an external loudspeaker provided in said communication terminal or in another device connected to said communication terminal, the external loudspeaker being configured to output sound audible to those who are in vicinity of the external loudspeaker, said computer program causing said controller to execute:

a step of storing one or more character string analysis information comprising character language information into an analysis information list storage circuit provided in said communication terminal in order to judge whether or not said received message is to be audible to said those who are in vicinity of the external loudspeaker;

a step of receiving a message by said communication terminal through the communication line;

a step of analyzing, by said communication terminal, whether or not the character string analysis information stored in said storage device is included in said message; and

a step of storing the message analyzed into a message storage circuit provided in said communication terminal;

a step of displaying the message held in the message storage circuit; and

a step of controlling, by said communication terminal, output of said message through said external loudspeaker depending on a result of said analysis, wherein said message is not output as a voice signal in response to a determination that said message complies with a condition designated in the one or more character string analysis information stored in the analysis information list storage circuit, wherein

when said message is an electronic mail, analysis range information about a range subjected to said step of analyzing is further given to said character string analysis information by designating one or more elements of an electronic mail body and an electronic mail header, and said step of analyzing aims at a range according to said analysis range information.