Portable radiotelephone for automatically dialing a central voice-activated dialing system

• US 9,008,729 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2014
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Holcomb, Benjamin F., Griffith, Gregory Clyde
• Primary Examiner(s): GESESSE, TILAHUN
• Application Number:
  US14/299,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20140287729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/564, 455/569.1
• US Class Current: 455/564
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0229 The hinge comprising input and/or output user interface means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A portable radiotelephone can be shifted between a first condition wherein the radiotelephone does not receive or transmit voice communications by radiotelephone transmissions over radiotelephone channels and a second condition wherein the radiotelephone receives and transmits voice communications by radiotelephone transmissions over radiotelephone channels. The radiotelephone automatically calls a central voice-activated phone dialing system remote from the portable radiotelephone in response to producing the second condition in the radiotelephone. The radiotelephone includes a switch for producing the first and second conditions.

Claims

1. A cellular telephone device for connecting to a remote voice-activated dialing system, the cellular telephone device comprising:

a housing comprising a mouthpiece portion, an earpiece portion, a base portion, and a lighted display, the housing not containing a keypad;

a transceiver and a processor contained within the housing; and

a memory contained within the housing, the memory storing a telephone number for the remote voice-activated dialing system and storing instructions and that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

powering up the cellular telephone device, wherein powering up the cellular telephone device is in response to a cover of the cellular telephone device being shifted from a first position to a second position,

when the cellular telephone device is powered up, communicating with the remote voice-activated dialing system via the telephone number for the remote voice-activated dialing system stored on the memory, and

displaying, via the lighted display, the telephone number for the remote voice-activated dialing system.

2. The cellular telephone device of claim 1, wherein the lighted display indicates a home telephone number when the home telephone number is called.

3. The cellular telephone device of claim 1, wherein the lighted display indicates one of an on status and an off status of the cellular telephone device.

4. The cellular telephone device of claim 1, wherein the lighted display indicates one of a roam status and a home status.

5. The cellular telephone device of claim 1, further comprising a turbo dial button.

6. The cellular telephone device of claim 5, wherein the turbo dial button is programmable.

7. The cellular telephone device of claim 5, wherein the turbo dial button is a manual push button.

8. The cellular telephone device of claim 5, wherein the turbo dial button is a magnetically activated switch.

9. The cellular telephone device of claim 1, wherein the cover is a shifting cover that is reciprocable between the first position and the second position, and wherein when the shifting cover is in the first position, the cellular telephone device powers down and when the shifting cover is in the second position, the cellular telephone device powers up.

10. The cellular telephone device of claim 1, wherein the earpiece portion is on the cover and the mouthpiece portion is on the base portion.

11. The cellular telephone device of claim 1, wherein the cellular telephone device is powered up when the cover and the base portion are in an open position, and wherein the second position is the open position.

12. The cellular telephone device of claim 1, wherein the cover is a flip cover that is rotatable about a hinge connected to the base portion.

13. A method of connecting to a remote voice-activated dialing system, the method comprising:

powering up, by a processor of a cellular telephone device, the cellular telephone device, wherein powering up the cellular telephone device is in response to a cover of the cellular telephone device being shifted from a first position to a second position;

reading, by the processor automatically upon powering up the cellular telephone device, a telephone number associated with the remote voice-activated dialing system from a memory of the cellular telephone device;

using, by the processor, the telephone number to connect to the remote voice-activated dialing system for initiating an outgoing call; and

displaying, via a display of the cellular telephone device, the telephone number.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving an activation of a turbo dial button.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the activation of the turbo dial button causes the cellular telephone device to dial a further telephone number stored in the memory.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the turbo dial button is activated to answer an incoming call.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the cellular telephone device further comprises an earpiece portion and a mouthpiece portion.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the cellular telephone device further comprises a base portion and wherein the earpiece portion is on the cover and the mouthpiece portion is on the base portion.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the cellular telephone device is powered up when the cover and the base portion are in an open position, and wherein the second position is the open position.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the cellular telephone device further comprises a base portion and wherein the cover is a flip cover that is rotatable about a hinge connected to the base portion.