Method of receiving and replying messages with a hands-free device

• US 9,444,923 B1
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: E-Lead Electronic Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: E-Lead Electronic Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US14/928,366
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• 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 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A method of receiving and replying messages with a hands-free device includes a step of application installation; a step of connection; a step of communication; a step of analyzing the notification message; and a step of voice replying. With the method, text messages sent between mobile devices can be converted into voice messages, so that the user does not have to fetch the mobile device and read the text message, which improves the driving safety when communication is conducted during driving. The user also replies with voice message, which further improves drive safety. Furthermore, the method will prompt the message sending end to install an application program when there is no application program at the message sending end, consequently all potential contacts can be ensured to install the application program.

Claims

1. A method of receiving and replying messages with a hands-free device, comprising the steps of:

a) respectively installing an application program on a hands-free device and on a message-receiving-end mobile device at a message receiving end, and registering and enabling both the application programs to be wirelessly connected to a private server, wherein the application program on the hands-free device obtains a contact list data from the message-receiving-end mobile device;

b) wirelessly connecting the hands-free device to the message-receiving-end mobile device, and connecting the hands-free device to Internet;

c) sending a message from a message-sending-end mobile device at a message-sending end, by a communication software installed on the message-sending-end mobile device to the message-receiving-end mobile device, and fetching, by the application program of the hands-free mobile device, the message-receiving-end mobile device to obtain a notification message which is sent from a server storing the communication software and received by the message-receiving-end mobile device;

d) analyzing, by the application program of the hands-free device, the notification message to obtain a type, a sender and a content of the notification message, and displaying the notification message on a display screen of the hands-free device;

e) voice replying, if the application program of the hands-free device detects that the sender of the notification message matches the contact list data of the application program, the hands-free device will be switched to a voice recording mode to start recording a voice message, then sending the voice message, by the application program of the hands-free device, to the message-sending-end mobile device, so that the message-sending-end mobile device at the message sending end hears the voice message reply from the message receiving end; and

f) if the application program of the hands-free device detects that the sender of the notification message does not match the contact list data of the application program, then comparing the sender of the notification message with a contact list data stored in the message-receiving-end mobile device, and if a matched telephone number is found, then

f1) switching the hands-free device to the voice recording mode to start recording a voice message, then sending the voice message to the private server and temporarily storing the voice message in the private server via the application program; and

f2) sending a prompt message to the message-sending-end mobile device by the application program, wherein the prompt message is a short message service message, and a content of the prompt message is a website address for downloading the application program to prompt a user of the message-sending-end mobile device to download and install the application program, when the user of the message-sending-end mobile device downloads, installs, registers and starts using the application program, the application program of the message-sending-end mobile device is connected to the private server to fetch the voice message temporarily stored in the private server, and the message-sending-end mobile device plays the voice message from the message receiving end.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the voice replying is performed by pressing a key which is a virtual key displayed on the display screen or a physical key on the hands-free device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the message-receiving-end mobile device is a smart phone with an IOS system, the message notification message is sent to the hands-free device via Bluetooth low energy, the message-receiving-end mobile device is a smart phone with an Android system, the message notification message is sent to the hands-free device via WIFI, Bluetooth, or Bluetooth low energy.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the step d, the hands-free device converts the text message into voice message, and in the step of voice reply.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the step f2, after the user of the message-sending-end mobile device downloads, installs, registers and starts using the application program, the private server simultaneously controls the application program of the message receiving end and the message sending end to open a chat room.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the application program of the hands-free device analyzes the content of the notification message and decodes the application program interface of the communication software, the application program sends the prompt message to the communication software of the message-sending-end mobile device by using the application program interface instead of using short message service.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the step e, when the application program of the hands-free device detects that the sender of the notification message does not match the contact list data of the application program, the application program of the hands-free device compares the sender of the notification message with the contact list data stored on the message-receiving-end mobile device, and if no matched telephone number is found, more than one contact list data are displayed on the display screen of the hands-free device to allow for identifying the identity of the message sending end, after identification, the hands-free device continues to perform the step f1 and the step f2.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the step e, when the application program of the hands-free device detects that the sender of the notification message does not match the contact list data of the application program, the application program of the hands-free device compares the sender of the notification message with the contact list data stored on the message-receiving-end mobile device, if no matched telephone is found, results are sequenced based on matching rate and will be displayed on the display screen to allow for manual selection and identification of the identity of the message sending end, after selection and identification, the hands-free device will continue to perform the step of voice reply and temporary storage and the step of a post-communication installation of an application program.

9. A method of receiving and replying messages with a hands-free device, comprising the steps of:

a) respectively installing an application program on a hands-free device and a message-receiving-end mobile device at a message receiving end, wherein the application program on the hands-free device obtains a contact list data from the message-receiving-end mobile device, registers and enables both the application programs to be wirelessly connected to a private server;

b) wirelessly connecting the hands-free device to the message-receiving-end mobile device, and connecting the hands-free device to Internet;

c) sending a message from a message-sending-end mobile device at a message-sending end, by a communication software installed on the message-sending-end mobile device to the message-receiving-end mobile device, and fetching, by the application program of the hands-free mobile device, the message-receiving-end mobile device to obtain a notification message which is sent from a server storing the communication software and received by the message-receiving-end mobile device;

d) analyzing, by the application program of the hands-free device, the notification message to obtain a type, a sender and a content of the notification message, and displaying the notification message on a display screen of the hands-free device;

e) voice replying, if the application program of the hands-free device detects that the sender of the notification message matches the contact list data of the application program, then switching the hands-free device to a voice recording mode and start recording a voice message, and sending the voice message, by the application program of the hands-free device, to the message-sending-end mobile device, so that the message-sending-end mobile device at the message sending end hears the voice message reply from the message receiving end; and

f) if the application program of the hands-free device detects that the sender of the notification message does not match the contact list data of the application program, displaying more than one contact list data on the display screen of the hands-free device for selection, and if one of the contact list data is selected, then

f1) switching the hands-free device to the voice recording mode to start recording a voice message, pressing the “

stop”

key to stop recording, then sending the voice message to the private server and temporarily storing the voice message in the private server via the application program; and

f2) sending a prompt message to the message-sending-end mobile device by the application program, wherein the prompt message is a short message service message, and a content of the prompt message is a website address for downloading the application program to prompt the user of the message-sending-end mobile device to download and install the application program, when the user of the message-sending-end mobile device downloads, installs, registers and starts using the application program, the application program of the message-sending-end mobile device is connected to the private server to fetch the voice message temporarily stored in the private server, and the message-sending-end mobile device plays the voice message from the message receiving end.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the voice replying is performed by pressing a key which is a virtual key displayed on the display screen or a physical key on the hands-free device.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the message-receiving-end mobile device is a smart phone with an IOS system, the message notification message is sent to the hands-free device via Bluetooth low energy, the message-receiving-end mobile device is a smart phone with an Android system, the message notification message is sent to the hands-free device via WIFI, Bluetooth or Bluetooth low energy.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein in the step d, the hands-free device converts the text message into voice message, and in the step of voice reply.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein in the step f2, after the user of the message-sending-end mobile device downloads, installs, registers and starts using the application program, the private server simultaneously controls the application program of the message receiving end and the message sending end to open a chat room.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein in the step e, when the application program of the hands-free device detects that the sender of the notification message does not match the contact list data of the application program, the application program of the hands-free device compares the sender of the notification message with the contact list data stored on the message-receiving-end mobile device, results are sequenced based on matching rate and are displayed on the display screen to allow for manual selection and identification of the identity of the message sending end, after selection and identification, the hands-free device will continue to perform the step f1 and the step f2.

15. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the application program of the hands-free device analyzes the content of the notification message and decodes the application program interface of the communication software, the application program sends the prompt message to the communication software of the message-sending-end mobile device by using the application program interface instead of using short message service.