Message injection system and method

• US 9,088,815 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2012
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TIP Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TIP Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Selph, Douglas Scott, Dyer, Mark, Wong, Enrique J., Wolfinger, Kenneth F., Kellerhals, Charles M., Quigley, Daniel Patrick, Braun, John T., Sorensen, Lars S., Shah, Jason D., Unetich, Michael, Kranz, Bradley T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Chuong A
• Application Number:
  US13/347,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20130130656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/458, 455/426.1, 455/415, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4396 by muting the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A message injection apparatus including a memory, a processor, a connection unit communicatively coupled to a communication device, and an application operating in the memory that is configured to receive audio signals from the communication device and to transmit at least one audio signal to the communication unit based on an operational mode.

Claims

1. A message injection system including a communication device and an external device:

the communication device including

a memory;

a processor;

an audio switching unit;

a radio interface unit communicatively coupled to the audio switching unit and to a cellular communication network; and

an application operating in the memory;

the external device including

a memory;

a processor;

a plurality of audio files stored in the memory; and

a connection unit communicatively coupled to an application in the communication device via a first communication connection, and to the audio switching unit via a second communication connection,

wherein the application in the communication device transmits a request for the external device to broadcast at least one selected file stored in the memory of the external device to a receiving device communicatively coupled to the cellular network via the radio interface unit and the second communication connection with the audio switching unit.

2. The message injection system of claim 1 including a second connection unit coupled to an external device.

3. The message injection system of claim 2 wherein the external device is a microphone headset.

4. The message injection system of claim 1 wherein the external device includes a plurality of switch units.

5. The message injection system of claim 4 wherein the application in the external device changes an operational mode of the connection unit when at least one of the plurality of switches is selected.

6. The message injection system of claim 1 including a display unit in the external device that is configured to display information from the memory.

7. The message injection system of claim 6 wherein the application in the external device displays a listing of files stored in the memory.

8. The message injection of claim 7 wherein the information displayed on the display unit is a listing of audio signals stored in the memory of the external device.

9. The message injection system of claim 1 wherein the application in the external device changes the operational mode of the connection unit based on an identified keyword in the selected audio file.

10. A message injection apparatus including:

a first audio output unit;

a second audio output unit;

a plurality of audio files stored in the memory;

a microphone input unit;

a control unit coupled to the first audio output unit, second audio output unit and microphone input unit,

wherein the control unit is communicatively coupled to an application in a communication device and an audio switching unit in the communication device via two separate communication connections,

the audio switching unit in the communication device is communicatively coupled to a cellular network via a radio interface unit, the application in the communication device transmits a request for the control unit to broadcast at least one audio file stored in the memory of the apparatus to a receiving device connected to the cellular network via the first communication connection, and the control unit transmits the selected audio file to the radio interface unit via the second communication connection and the audio switching unit.

11. The message injection apparatus of claim 10 wherein the apparatus is a docking unit in a vehicle.

12. The message injection apparatus of claim 10 including a switch unit coupled to the control unit.

13. The message injection apparatus of claim 12 wherein the control unit changes the operational mode based on a signal from the switch unit.