Method and apparatus for prompting a cellular telephone user with instructions

• US 20030027602A1
• Filed: 08/06/2001
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Han, Charles, DeJaco, Andrew P., Walters, Richard Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,483,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use
• 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 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

According to a disclosed embodiment, an incoming call from a first telephone number is received (310). A variable indicating the number of calls received from the first telephone number is incremented (312). The variable is compared to a threshold variable (316). Subsequently, the user is prompted to save the first telephone number in an address book (319) when the variable indicating the number of times an incoming call is received from the first telephone number is equal to, or greater than, the threshold variable. The first telephone number is then stored in the address book. Moreover, an apparatus can be assembled (200) to provide cellular telephone users with, for example, instructions and information via a speaker (228) and an LCD display (238). The apparatus is configured to provide instructions and information to the cellular telephone user at appropriate times, thereby increasing the cellular telephone'"'"'s usefulness.

Claims

1. A method comprising steps of:

receiving an incoming call from a first telephone number;

incrementing a variable indicating a number of calls received from said first telephone number;

prompting a user to save said first telephone number when said variable is equal to or greater than a threshold number;

storing said first telephone number in an address book.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said prompting step comprises audibly prompting said user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said prompting step comprises presenting text on an LCD display.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said threshold number is set by a manufacturer.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said threshold number is set by said user.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of asking said user to record a voice tag corresponding to said first telephone number.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said asking step comprises audibly asking said user.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said asking step comprises presenting text on an LCD display.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising a step of saving said voice tag corresponding to said first telephone number in a voice tag file.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising a step of receiving said voice tag corresponding to said first telephone number.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising a step of comparing said voice tag to a quality parameter.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising a step of making a request to said user to record said voice tag in a different location.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of making said request comprises making said request audibly.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said making step comprises presenting text on an LCD display.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising a step of saving said voice tag corresponding to said first telephone number in a voice tag file.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of receiving a voice tag corresponding to said first telephone number.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising a step of saving said voice tag.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an incoming call from a first telephone number;

a CPU configured to increment a variable indicating a number of calls received from said first telephone number;

a user interface adapter configured to prompt a user to save said first telephone number when said variable is greater than a threshold number;

a memory module configured to store said first telephone number in an address book.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said user interface adapter causes a speaker to prompt said user to save said first telephone number.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said user interface adapter causes an LCD display to prompt said user to save said first telephone number.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said threshold number is set by a manufacturer.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said threshold number is set by said user.

23. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said memory module is further configured to store a voice tag corresponding to said first telephone number.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said user interface adapter is further configured to prompt said user to record said voice tag corresponding to said first telephone number.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising a microphone configured to receive said voice tag corresponding to said first telephone number.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said CPU is further configured to save said voice tag corresponding to said first telephone number.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said CPU is further configured to compare said voice tag to a quality parameter.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said user interface adapter is further configured to prompt said user to record said voice tag in a new location.

29. A method comprising steps of:

receiving a voice tag corresponding to a first telephone number, said voice tag having a recording quality;

comparing said recording quality to a quality parameter;

prompting a user to re-record said voice tag when said recording quality does not satisfy said quality parameter;

saving said voice tag.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said prompting step comprises prompting said user audibly.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein said prompting step comprises presenting text on said LCD display.

32. The method of claim 29 further comprising a step of saving said first telephone number before said step of receiving.

33. The method of claim 29 further comprising a step of asking said user to utilize a voice dialing feature.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein said asking step comprises audibly asking said user.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein said asking step comprises presenting text on an LCD display.