Cellular telephone accessory device for a personal computer system

• US 6,546,262 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2000
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Altec Lansing Technologies (Infinity Group Holding Co. LLC)
• Original Assignee: Altec Lansing Technologies (Infinity Group Holding Co. LLC)
• Inventors: Freadman, Tommyca
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOORMAN, EARL J
• Application Number:
  US09/711,601
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556, 455/557, 455/566, 455/412, 455/413, 455/415
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• 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 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64

Abstract

A communications device for interfacing a computer to a cellular telephone which includes memory, voicemail, caller identification and a display screen includes a housing accessible to a human operator, a telephone interface attached to the housing to communicatively connect to the cellular telephone, a telephone connection to connect to a telephone line; and means for uploading the voicemail of the cellular telephone via the telephone connection and telephone interface to the memory of the cellular telephone. Attaching the cellular telephone to the telephone interface actuates the uploading of the voicemail of the cellular telephone to the memory of the cellular telephone for display in the display screen of the cellular telephone.

Claims

1. A device for interfacing a computer to a cellular telephone, wherein said cellular telephone includes memory, voicemail, caller identification and a display screen, said device comprising:

a housing accessible, said housing comprising a cellular telephone interface adapted to transfer signals to and from the cellular telephone, and a telephone connection to connect to a land-based telephone line; and

means for uploading the voicemail of said cellular telephone via the telephone connection and telephone interface to the memory of the cellular telephone,

wherein attaching said cellular telephone to said telephone interface actuates the uploading of the voicemail of said cellular telephone to the memory of the cellular telephone from the computer for display in the display screen of said cellular telephone.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said housing includes an audio input means and audio output means for input and output of audio information to and from said cellular telephone in full duplex mode, a selection means for selecting a call to callback from said voicemail displayed in the display screen of said cellular telephone, and a plurality of manually actuatable keys.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said keys include voicemail control keys.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein said keys include telephone keys for dialing an outgoing telephone call.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprising computer connection means to connect the housing to a computer,

wherein said means for uploading voicemail is a program executing on said computer.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the uploading means is further adapted to display in the display screen of said cellular telephone a caller name and phone number of an incoming telephone call.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein said computer connection means is a connector for a universal serial bus cable.

8. The device of claim 2 wherein the selection means comprises a depressible rotary dial.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising means for creating and attaching voice messages to electronic documents.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising means for converting incoming voice signals into commands for initiating outgoing telephone calls, and for converting said voice signals into text strings to be added to an electronic document.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the telephone interface is detachable from said housing.

12. A method for interfacing a cellular telephone to a computer, wherein said cellular telephone includes memory, voicemail, caller identification and a display screen, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining on a computer a voicemail list of incoming telephone calls, said list including a name and telephone number for each caller;

attaching said cellular telephone to a telephone interface;

actuating an uploading of the voicemail from the computer to the memory of the cellular telephone; and

displaying in the display screen of the cellular telephone the contents of the voicemail.

13. The method of claim 12 whereby a caller name and phone number of an incoming telephone call is displayed in the display screen of said cellular telephone.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of initiating a first outgoing telephone call by selecting a caller from the voicemail list displayed in the display screen of the cellular telephone.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of initiating a second outgoing telephone call by selecting a caller from the voicemail list displayed in the display screen of the cellular telephone after initiating said first outgoing telephone call so as to initiate a conference call.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

answering an incoming telephone call; and

initiating an outgoing telephone call after answering said incoming telephone call by selecting a caller from the voicemail list displayed in the display screen of the cellular telephone so as to initiate a conference call.