Portable communication device

• US 5,884,156 A
• Filed: 02/20/1996
• Issued: 03/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Geotek Communications, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Geotek Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: Gordon, Mark Menny
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BANKS HAROLD, MARSHA DENISE
• Application Number:
  US08/602,497
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 455/74, 455/550, 455/552, 455/553, 455/350, 455/351, 455/426, 455/425, 455/518, 455/569, 455/200.1, 455/219, 455/234.1, 455/234.2, 455/142, 379/433, 379/420, 381/183, 381/187, 381/74
• US Class Current: 455/321
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/605 involving control of the receiver volume to provide a dual operational mode at close or far distance from the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/042 with variable loudness of the ringing tone, e.g. variable envelope or amplitude of ring signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A portable communication device capable of operating in a telephony mode and in a dispatch mode is disclosed. The device includes a proximity sensor and a first speaker mounted on a front panel and a second speaker mounted on a rear panel. The operation of the speakers is controlled in accordance with the operational state of the device as well as the output of the proximity sensor.

Claims

1. A portable communication device capable of providing telephony communications and radio dispatch communications, comprising:

a housing;

a first speaker located on a first side of the housing at one end of the housing;

a second speaker located on a second side of the housing;

sensor means for determining when the first speaker is near user and for determining the operation of the first and second speaker in accordance with the output of the sensor means.

2. The claim of claim 1, wherein the sensor means determines when the first speaker is within one to five inches of the person.

3. The claim of claim 2, wherein the distance is adjustable.

4. The claim of claim 1, further comprising a microphone located on the first side of the housing.

5. The claim of claim 4, wherein the microphone is located at a second end of the housing.

6. The claim of claim 1, wherein the second side of the housing is opposite the first side of the housing.

7. The claim of claim 1, wherein the first side of the housing is the front of the communication device and the second side of the housing is the rear of the communication device.

8. The claim of claim 1, wherein the audio signals in the communication device are controlled as follows:

if the communication device is in a telephony mode, a low volume audio signal is sent to the first speaker;

if the communication device is in a dispatch mode and the sensor means senses that there is no user near the first side of the housing, a high volume audio signal is sent to the first speaker; and

if the communication device is in the dispatch mode and the sensor means senses that the user is near the first side of the housing, a high volume audio signal is sent to the second speaker.

9. The claim of claim 8, wherein the audio signals are controlled as follows:

if the communication device is in the telephony mode and a dispatch is directed to the device, a low volume audio signal is transmitted to the first speaker.

10. The claim of claim 9, wherein the low volume audio signal is the dispatch communication.

11. The claim of claim 8, wherein alert communication signals directed to the communication device are handled as follows:

if the alert is generated while the communication device is in an idle mode or in the dispatch mode, then;

if the sensor means senses that there is no user near the first side of the housing, a high volume audio signal is sent to the first speaker; and

if the sensor means senses that the user is near the first side of the housing, a high volume audio signal is sent to the second speaker;

if the alert is generated while the communication device is in the telephony mode, then a low volume audio signal is sent to the first speaker.

12. The claim of claim 1, wherein a low volume audio signal is sent to the first speaker if the communication device is in a telephony mode.

13. The claim of claim 1, wherein the communication device, during a dispatch mode of operation, is controlled as follows:

if the sensor means senses that there is no user near the first side of the housing, a high volume audio signal is sent to the first speaker; and

if the sensor means senses that the user is near the first side of the housing, a high volume audio signal is sent to the second speaker.

14. A method of providing telephony and radio dispatch communications in a portable communication device having a front panel with a proximity sensor and a first speaker mounted thereon and having a second panel having a second speaker mounter thereon, comprising the steps of:

if the communication device is in a telephony mode, broadcasting a low volume audio signal from the first speaker;

if the communication device is in a dispatch mode and the proximity sensor senses that there is no user near the front panel, broadcasting a high volume audio signal from the first speaker; and

if the communication device is in the dispatch mode and the proximity sensor senses that the user is near the front panel, broadcasting a high volume audio signal from the second speaker.

15. The claim of claim 14, further comprising the step of broadcasting a low volume audio signal from the first speaker if the communication device is in the telephony mode and a dispatch is directed to the device.

16. The claim of claim 15, wherein the low volume audio signal is the dispatch communication.

17. The claim of claim 14, further comprising the steps of handling alert communication signals directed to the communication device as follows:

if the alert is generated while the communication device is in an idle mode or in the dispatch mode, then;

if the proximity sensor senses that there is no user near the front panel, broadcasting a high volume audio signal from the first speaker; and

if the proximity sensor senses that the user is near the front panel, broadcasting a high volume audio signal from the second speaker;

if the alert is generated while the communication device is in the telephony mode, then broadcasting a low volume audio signal from the first speaker.

18. A portable communication device capable of providing telephony communications and radio dispatch communications, comprising:

a housing;

a first speaker located on a first side of the housing at one end of the housing;

a second speaker located on a second side of the housing;

a proximity sensor located on the first side of the housing; and

control means for controlling the operation of the first and second speaker in accordance with the output of the proximity sensor.

19. The claim of claim 18, wherein the proximity sensor is located adjacent the first speaker.

20. The claim of claim 19, further comprising a microphone located on the first side of the housing.

21. The claim of claim 18, wherein the first side of the housing is the front of the communication device and the second side of the housing is the rear of the communication device.

22. The claim of claim 18, wherein the control means operates as follows:

if the communication device is in a telephony mode, a low volume audio signal is sent to the first speaker;

if the communication device is in a dispatch mode and the sensor means senses that there is no user near the first side of the housing, a high volume audio signal is sent to the first speaker; and

if the communication device is in the dispatch mode and the sensor means senses that the user is near the first side of the housing, a high volume audio signal is sent to the second speaker.

23. The claim of claim 18, wherein the control means operates as follows:

if the communication device is in the telephony mode and a dispatch is directed to the device, a low volume audio signal is transmitted to the first speaker.

24. The claim of claim 23, wherein the low volume audio signal is the dispatch communication.