Method and system for generating and transmitting a waiting message

• US 6,216,016 B1
• Filed: 11/24/1997
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Cronin, Gerard T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAMOS FELICIANO, ELISEO
• Application Number:
  US08/976,643
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 455/575, 455/414, 455/551, 455/550, 379/212, 379/214, 379/266, 379/265, 379/309
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72513 On hold, intercom or transfer communication modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A portable telecommunications device has a radio transceiver, a keypad, a memory, and a microcontroller for controlling device functions. The portable telecommunications device receives an incoming call from a calling party that calls a called party who is operating the portable telecommunications device. Upon receiving the incoming call, the portable telecommunications device alerts the called party. When the called party presses a key other than the hook key, the portable telecommunications device starts periodic transmission of a waiting message to the calling party while putting the portable telecommunications device on hold. The portable telecommunications device halts the periodic transmission of waiting messages and returns to normal communication mode when the called party initiates such halting.

Claims

1. A portable telecommunications device controllable by a called party, the device comprising:

a radio transceiver;

memory means;

microprocessor means for controlling device functions;

alerting means for alerting the called party if an incoming call is received from a calling party;

message generating means for generating a waiting message intended for the calling party;

first initiating means for initiating periodic transmission of the waiting message to the calling party and for putting the device on hold while periodically transmitting the waiting message; and

second initiating means for halting the periodic transmission of the waiting message and for putting the device in normal communication mode after halting of the periodic transmission of the waiting message,

the first and second initiating means being controllable by the called party, and the called party and the calling party being subscribers.

2. A portable telecommunications device according to claim 1, wherein the first initiating means comprises a first key and the second initiating means comprises a second key, and alerting stops if the first key is pressed.

3. A portable telecommunications device according to claim 2, wherein the first key is a key dedicated to the first initiating means and the second key is a key which can also be used for other telephone functions but on-hook.

4. A portable telecommunications device according to claim 1, wherein the memory means comprises non-volatile memory means for storing the waiting message.

5. A portable telecommunications device according to claim 4, wherein the waiting message is stored in the non-volatile memory by the manufacturer of the device.

6. A portable telecommunications device according to claim 4, comprising recording means for recording a waiting message, wherein the recorded message is written into the non-volatile memory.

7. A portable telecommunications device according to claim 1, comprising a microphone, wherein the device is arranged for muting the microphone while transmitting the waiting messages.

8. A portable telecommunications device according to claim 1, comprising speech recognition means, wherein the speech recognition means are arranged for recognising a waiting message command applied by the device for the initiation of the periodic transmission of waiting messages after recognition of the waiting message command.

9. A portable telecommunications device according to claim 1, wherein the alerting means is a silent alarming means.

10. A portable telecommunications device according to claim 9, wherein the silent alarming means is a vibration means.

11. A portable telecommunications device according to claim 1, wherein the device supports the functionality of calling line identification.

12. A wireless telecommunications system with at least one radio base station, and a portable telecommunications device controllable by a called party, the portable telecommunications device comprising:

a radio transceiver;

memory means;

microprocessor means for controlling device functions;

alerting means for alerting the called party if an incoming call is received from a calling party;

message generating means for generating a waiting message intended for the calling party;

first initiating means for initiating periodic transmission of the waiting message to the calling party and for putting the device on hold while periodically transmitting the waiting message; and

second initiating means for halting the periodic transmission of the waiting message and for putting the device in normal communication mode after halting of the periodic transmission of the waiting message,

the first and second initiating means being controllable by the called party, and the called party and the calling party being subscribers.

13. A wireless telecommunications system according to claim 12, modified in that the message generation means are comprised in the radio base station, that the transmission of waiting messages is done by the base station after having received a waiting message transmission activation message from the portable device, and that the transmission of waiting messages is halted after having received a waiting message transmission halting message from the portable device.

14. A radio base station for use in a telecommunications system according to claim 13, comprising evaluation means for evaluating the waiting message transmission activation message so as to start the periodic transmission of waiting message and for evaluating the waiting message transmission halting message so as to halt the transmission of waiting messages.

15. A method of processing an incoming call from a first subscriber of a first portable telecommunications device to a second subscriber of a second portable telecommunications device, the method comprising:

alerting the second subscriber upon reception of the incoming call;

generating in the second telecommunications device a waiting message intended for the first subscriber;

initiating by the second subscriber a periodic transmission of the waiting message to the first subscriber and putting the incoming call on hold while periodically transmitting the waiting message; and

initiating by the second subscriber a halting of the periodic transmission of the waiting message and establishing normal communication between the first and second subscribers after the halting.