Communication apparatus and alerting method

• US 6,573,825 B1
• Filed: 12/27/1999
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Okano, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/472,780
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 340/7.55, 340/7.62, 340/825.49, 340/426, 340/430, 340/7.2, 340/7.57, 340/7.48, 340/7.39, 340/7.51, 340/7.41, 340/7.35, 340/7.6, 379/179, 379/244, 379/253, 455/404, 455/422
• US Class Current: 340/7.51
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability

Abstract

A communication apparatus allowing easy setting operation of alerting mode and a high degree of flexibility in setting an alerting mode. A character-scale table contains scale note data associated with each of numeric characters. One of a first alerting mode and a second alerting mode can be selected by a user. The first alerting mode provides an alerting pattern which is determined by referring to the character-scale table depending on the source identification number. The second alerting mode provides a preset alerting pattern. When the incoming call does not include the source identification number, an alerting device operates in the second alerting mode. When the incoming call includes the source identification number, the alerting device operates in a selected one of the first alerting mode and the second alerting mode.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus which has a function of receiving a source identification number when an incoming call occurs, comprising:

an alerting device;

a memory storing a table containing alerting data associated with each of numeric characters;

a selector for selecting one of a first alerting mode and a second alerting mode, the first alerting mode providing an alerting pattern which is determined by referring to the table depending on the source identification number, and the second alerting mode providing a preset alerting pattern;

a controller for controlling the alerting device such that, when the incoming call does not include the source identification number, the alerting device operates in the second alerting mode and, when the incoming call includes the source identification number, the alerting device operates in a selected one of the first alerting mode and the second alerting mode, and

an input section for changing a correspondence of the table between the alerting data and each of the numeric characters.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selector and the input section are implemented by a keypad including a ten-key pad provided In the communication apparatus.

3. A communication apparatus which has a function of receiving a source identification number when an incoming call occurs, comprising:

an alerting device, the alerting device being a speaker for producing an alerting sound;

a memory storing a table containing alerting data associated with each of numeric characters, the alerting data associated with each of the numeric characters being composed of at least one note of musical scale;

a selector for selecting one of a first alerting mode and a second alerting mode, the first alerting mode providing an alerting pattern which is determined by referring to the table depending on the source identification number, and the second alerting mode providing a preset alerting pattern; and

a controller for controlling the alerting device such that, when the incoming call does not include the source identification number, the alerting device operates in the second alerting mode and, when the incoming call includes the source identification number, the alerting device operates in a selected one of the first alerting mode and the second alerting mode.

4. A communication apparatus which has a function of receiving a source identification number when an incoming call occurs, comprising:

an alerting device, the alerting device being a vibrator for producing silent alerting vibration;

a memory storing a table containing alerting data associated with each of numeric characters, the alerting data associated with each of the numeric characters being composed of at least one pattern of vibration;

a selector for selecting one of a first alerting mode and a second alerting mode, the first alerting mode providing an alerting pattern which is determined by referring to the table depending on the source identification number, and the second alerting mode providing a preset alerting pattern; and

a controller for controlling the alerting device such that, when the incoming call does not include the source identification number, the alerting device operates in the second alerting mode and, when the incoming call includes the source identification number, the alerting device operates in a selected one of the first alerting mode and the second alerting mode.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the alerting data is composed of any combination of a dot-like duration vibration pattern and a dash-like duration vibration pattern.

6. A communication apparatus which has a function of receiving a source identification number when an incoming call occurs, comprising:

an alerting device, the alerting device being a speaker for producing an alerting sound;

a first memory storing name data associated with each of registered identification numbers, the name data consisting of a plurality of alphabetic characters;

a second memory storing a table containing alerting data associated with each of alphanumeric characters, the alerting data associated with each of the alphanumeric characters being composed of at least one note of musical scale; and

a controller controlling such that, when the incoming call includes the source identification number, the first memory is searched for name data associated with the source identification number and the alerting device generates an alerting pattern which is determined by referring to the table depending on the name data found in the first memory.

7. A communication apparatus which has a function of receiving a source identification number when an incoming call occurs, comprising:

an alerting device, the alerting device being a vibrator for producing silent alerting vibration;

a first memory storing name data associated with each of registered identification numbers, the name data consisting of a plurality of alphabetic characters;

a second memory storing a table containing alerting data associated with each of alphanumeric characters, the alerting data associated with each of the alphanumeric characters being composed of at least one pattern of vibration; and

a controller controlling such that, when the incoming call includes the source identification number, the first memory is searched for name data associated with the source identification number and the alerting device generates an alerting pattern which is determined by referring to the table depending on the name data found in the first memory.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the alerting data is composed of any combination of a dot-like duration vibration pattern and a dash-like duration vibration pattern.

9. A communication apparatus which has a function of receiving a source identification number when an incoming call occurs, comprising:

an alerting device,

a first memory retrievably storing name data associated with each of registered identification numbers, the name data consisting of a plurality of alphabetic characters;

a second memory retrievably storing alerting data associated with each of alphanumeric characters;

a first selector for selecting one of a first alerting mode and a second alerting mode, the first alerting mode providing an alerting pattern which is determined depending on the source identification number, the second alerting mode providing a preset alerting pattern;

a second selector for selecting one of a third alerting mode and a fourth alerting mode when the first alerting mode has been selected, the third alerting mode providing the alerting pattern which is determined by referring to the first and second memories depending on the source identification number, and the fourth alerting mode providing the alerting pattern which is determined by the second memory depending on the source identification number; and

a controller controlling such that, when the incoming call does not include the source identification number, the alerting device operates in the second alerting mode and, when the incoming call includes the source identification number, the alerting device operates in a selected one of the third alerting mode and the fourth alerting mode.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 9, wherein when the incoming call includes the source identification number, the first memory is searched for name data associated with the source identification number and the alerting device generates an alerting pattern which is determined by referring to the second memory depending on the name data found in the first memory.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

an input section for changing a correspondence between the alerting data and each of the numeric characters in the second memory.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first and second selectors and the input section are implemented by a keypad including a ten-key pad provided in the communication apparatus.

13. An alerting method in a communication apparatus which has a function of receiving a source identification number when an incoming call occurs, comprising the steps of:

storing a table containing alerting data associated with each of numeric characters;

selecting one of a first alerting mode and a second alerting mode, the first alerting mode providing an alerting pattern which is determined by referring to the table depending on the source identification number, and the second alerting mode providing a preset alerting pattern;

operating an alerting device in the second alerting mode when the incoming call does not include the source identification number; and

operating the alerting device in a selected one of the first alerting mode and the second alerting mode when the incoming call includes the source identification number,

the alerting data associated with each of the numeric characters being composed of at least one;

note of musical scale, the alerting device being a speaker for producing an alerting sound.

14. An alerting method in a communication apparatus which has a function of receiving a source identification number when an incoming call occurs, comprising the steps of:

storing a first table containing name data associated with each of registered identification numbers, the name data consisting of a plurality of alphabetic characters;

storing a second table containing alerting data associated with each of alphanumeric characters;

searching the first table for name data associated with the source identification number when the incoming call includes the source identification number; and

generating an alerting pattern which is determined by referring to the second table depending on the name data found in the first table,

the alerting data associated with each of the numeric characters being composed of at least one note of musical scale.

15. An alerting method in a communication apparatus which has a function of receiving a source identification number when an incoming call occurs, comprising steps of:

retrievably storing a first table containing name data associated with each of registered identification numbers, the name data consisting of a plurality of alphabetic characters;

retrievably storing a second table containing alerting data associated with each of alphanumeric characters;

selecting by means of a first selector one of a first alerting mode and a second alerting mode, the first alerting mode providing an alerting pattern which is determined depending on the source identification number, the second alerting mode providing a preset alerting pattern;

selecting by means of a second selector one of a third alerting mode and a fourth alerting mode when the first alerting mode has been selected, the third alerting mode providing the alerting pattern which is determined by referring to the first and second tables depending on the source identification number, and the fourth alerting mode providing the alerting pattern which is determined by the second table depending on the source identification number;

operating an alerting device in the second alerting mode when the incoming call does not include the source identification number; and

operating the alerting device in a selected one of the third alerting mode and the fourth alerting mode when the incoming call includes the source identification number.