Communication apparatus

• US 20030100295A1
• Filed: 10/29/2002
• Published: 05/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Okada, Kiyoshi, Hosohara, Nobuhiro, Sakai, Mituyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,502,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/415
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

Conventionally, when a mobile phone receives an incoming call and no response is not made to the call, the user can only recognize the name or phone number of a caller plus the incoming time by the incoming call history list. Also, if no response is made to an incoming call in the call waiting function, the user cannot identify the caller, later. The present communication apparatus displays an image of a caller of an incoming call to which no response has been made, after reception of the incoming call ends. This makes it possible for the user to identify the caller by the image. Further, the present communication apparatus displays an image of a caller of an incoming call in the call waiting function, after the conversation ends. This enables the user to identify the caller later.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a reception unit operable to receive incoming signals and obtain pieces of originator ID information from the received incoming signals, the pieces of originator ID information respectively identifying originators of the received incoming signals;

an ID information storage unit operable to store the obtained originator ID information in a state that it is distinguishable for each piece of originator ID information whether a response has been made to an incoming signal from which the piece of originator ID information was obtained; and

a not-responded signal notification unit operable to display notification information relating to originators of incoming signals to which no response has been made, the notification information being generated in accordance with originator ID information obtained from the incoming signals to which no response has been made.

2. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the not-responded signal notification unit displays the notification information when reception of a currently received incoming signal ends without a response being made thereto.

3. The communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the not-responded signal notification unit displays the notification information for a predetermined time period.

5. The communication apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a storage unit operable to store pieces of information relating to the originators of the received incoming signals as the notification information in a manner that correspondences between the pieces of information and the pieces of originator ID information are indicated, wherein

when receiving a piece of originator ID information, the not-responded signal notification unit searches the storage unit in accordance with the received originator ID information and retrieves a piece of information relating to an originator of a received incoming signal, and displays the retrieved piece of information relating to the originator.

7. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the notification information includes at least image data that identifies the originator.

10. The communication apparatus of claim 1 or claim 4 further comprising

an incoming notification unit operable to, immediately after an incoming signal is received, display notification information and image data relating to an originator of the received incoming signal.

11. The communication apparatus of claim 1 or claim 4, wherein

each piece of originator ID information is a phone number, an address, or an identification number uniquely assigned to a communication apparatus.

12. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein

when no response is made to an incoming signal for a predetermined time period, reception of the incoming signal is terminated by a relay apparatus with which the communication apparatus is communicating.

13. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein

when no response is made to an incoming signal for a predetermined time period, reception of the incoming signal is terminated automatically.

14. The communication apparatus of claim 1 or claim 4, wherein

each of the not-responded signal notification unit and the notification unit displays a not-responded signals list which is composed of one or more pieces of originator ID information obtained from incoming signals to which no response has been made.

15. The communication apparatus of claim 14, wherein

each piece of originator ID information in the not-responded signals list includes any combination of an incoming time, a name unique to an originator, and ID information unique to the originator.

16. The communication apparatus of claim 1 or claim 4 further comprising

a screen display switching unit operable to, if the communication apparatus has been set to a sleep mode in which no operation to emit radio waves is available, immediately after a screen from the not-responded signal notification unit or the notification unit is displayed, switch from the displayed screen to a screen indicating that the communication apparatus is in the sleep mode, wherein thereafter, with an arbitrary operation, the screen from the not-responded signal notification unit or the notification unit is redisplayed.

17. The communication apparatus of claim 1 or claim 4 further comprising

a screen display switching unit operable to switch from a screen from the not-responded signal notification unit or the notification unit to a not-responded signals list which is composed of pieces of information obtained from incoming signals to which no response has been made when a locked mode, in which no operation is available without inputting a predetermined code, is cancelled.

18. The communication apparatus of claim 14 further comprising

an originating unit operable to refer to the not-responded signals list to select one among the incoming signals to which no response has been made, and originate a signal to an originator of the selected incoming signal.

19. The communication apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a second reception unit operable to receive a second incoming signal from a second originator and obtain a piece of originator ID information from the second incoming signal while communicating with a first originator;

a second ID information storage unit operable to store the piece of originator ID information obtained from the second incoming signal, in a state that it is distinguishable whether a response has been made to the second incoming signal; and

a second not-responded signal notification unit operable to display notification information relating to the second originator after a communication with the first originator ends if no response has been made to the second incoming signal, the notification information relating to the second originator being generated in accordance with the piece of originator ID information obtained from the second incoming signal.

20. The communication apparatus of claim 19 further comprising

a communication switching unit operable to, if a second incoming signal is received from a second originator while communicating with a first originator, put the first originator on hold and start communicating with the second originator if a predetermined operation is performed, then resume communication with the first originator and put the second originator on hold if another predetermined operation is performed.

21. The communication apparatus of claim 19, wherein

the notification information relating to the second originator includes at least image data that identifies the second originator.

4. A communication apparatus comprising:

a reception unit operable to receive an incoming signal and obtain originator ID information from the received incoming signal, the originator ID information identifying an originator of the received incoming signal; and

a notification unit operable to display image data relating to the originator after reception of the incoming signal ends, the image data being generated in accordance with originator ID information obtained from the received incoming signal.

6. The communication apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

a storage unit operable to store pieces of image data relating to originators of received incoming signals in a manner that correspondences between the pieces of image data and the pieces of originator ID information are indicated, wherein

when receiving a piece of originator ID information, the notification unit searches the storage unit in accordance with the received piece of originator ID information and retrieves and displays image data in accordance with the received piece of originator ID information.

8. The communication apparatus of claim 4 or claim 7, wherein

when an incoming signal is received, a plurality of pieces of image data relating to an originator of the received incoming signal are displayed one by one.

9. The communication apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

a storage unit operable to store pieces of image data relating to originators of received incoming signals in a manner that correspondences between the pieces of image data and obtained pieces of originator ID information are indicated, wherein

the pieces of image data stored in the storage unit are displayed in a manner that displayed image data is switched from one to another.