Portable mobile unit for conducting communication using one of character and picture information when a predetermined condition occurs

• US 6,760,583 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2001
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ito, Jun, Kuramoto, Hisao
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William
• Application Number:
  US09/793,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20010053692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 455/425
• US Class Current: 455/425
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00281 with a telecommunication apparatus, e.g. a switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information, a selective call terminal details of transmission H04N1/00095; establishing a communication with one of a facsimile machine or another apparatus sharing a single line H04N1/32704; interfacing cordless telephone terminals with an accessory to increase the functionality of user interface H04M1/72409
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00405 Output means output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00416 Multi-level menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00424 using a list of graphical elements, e.g. icons or icon bar
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00453 arranged in a two dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00488 providing an audible output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/007 Selecting or switching between a still picture apparatus or function and another apparatus or function H04N2201/0022 takes precedence

Abstract

A portable mobile unit for conducting information communication by using at least one of character information and picture information, comprising: a sound source being enable to generate a plural number of sounds; an input means for inputting a kind an a condition of the sound to be generated; and a controller means for controlling said sound source upon basis of the input from the input means, and for controlling processing when conducting said information communication, wherein said controller means makes the kind of sound which is set by the input made from said input means generate under the condition which is set by the input made from said input means, during a connecting process to a communicating party of said information communication or during the information communication. With this, there is provided the portable mobile unit, which also supplies aural information to the user when communicating visual information, such as character information or picture information, etc., thereby preventing the communication from coming to be monotonous. This aural information may include something bringing about the game mind therein, thereby enabling the user to enjoy therewith. It is also possible to bring the checking and the alarming to be easily noticed through such the aural information.

Claims

1. A portable mobile unit for conducting information communication by using at least one of character information and picture information, comprising:

a sound source being capable of generating a plural number of sounds;

an input device for inputting a kind and a condition of the sound to be generated; and

a controller for controlling said sound source based upon the input from the input device, and for controlling processing when conducting said information communication, wherein said controller drives said sound source so as to generate the designated kind of sound which is set by the input made from said input means generate under the condition which is set by the input made from said input device, during a connecting process to a communicating party of said information communication or during the information communication.

2. A portable mobile unit as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a display for displaying at least one of said character information and said picture information; and

a memory for storing data of the sounds to be generated from said sound source,

wherein said controller makes said sound source generate the sound, based upon the data of the sound which is stored in said memory, when the condition which is set by the input made from said input device is established.

3. A portable mobile unit as defined in claims 1 or 2, wherein said condition is a start to access to the Internet home page.

4. A portable mobile unit as defined in claims 1 or 2, wherein said condition is when a predetermined character line is detected in the character information received.

5. A portable mobile unit as defined in the 2, wherein said condition is when a predetermined character line is displayed on said display.

6. A portable mobile unit comprising:

a switching device being selectable over a plural number of condition thereof;

a memory storing a plural number of sound source data therein;

a display being able to display picture or character information thereon;

a sound generator being changeable in a tone and a level of the sound thereof, in accordance with electric inputs thereto; and

a controller having a plural number of functions related to sound generations, for changing display contents on said display means by an input of said switch device, and for selecting the sound source data of the memory, thereby making said sound generator ring a sound upon basis of said selected data,

wherein said controller comprises;

a table having relation tables in plural, in which the corresponding sound source data are related to each of said plural number of sound generation related functions, and selects one relation table of said relation tables, thereby making a sound ringing upon basis of the relation table selected when executing said plural number of sound generation related functions.

7. A portable mobile unit as defined in claim 6, wherein the table is provided, having the plural relation tables therein in advance, and contents of said relation tables are changeable by means of an input from said switch device.

8. A portable mobile unit as defined in the claim 6, wherein contents of said relation tables are changeable by means of an input from said switch device, and if a process for ringing the sound after changing thereof exceeds over a processing capacity of said controller, an alarm is conducted thereon by an alarm sound or display on said display, when the data after the changing is selected.

9. A portable mobile unit as defined in the claim 6, further comprising:

a plural number of sets of reproduction patterns, each including a sound volume and a time-sequential changing pattern of the sound volume when said sound generator generates the sound,

wherein said sound generation related functions are divided into a plural number of groups, and the reproduction patter of when ringing the sound is changed at a same time, for each of said plural number of groups.

10. A portable mobile unit as defined in the claim 6, wherein said plural number of reproduction patterns are set in advance, and at least a portion of contents of said plural number of reproduction patterns is changeable by an input from said switch means.

11. A portable mobile unit comprising:

a wireless communication device;

a switching device being selectable over a plural number of condition thereof;

a memory storing sound source data therein;

a display being capable of displaying picture or character information thereon;

a sound generator being changeable in a tone and a level of the sound thereof, in accordance with electric inputs thereto; and

a controller for changing display contents on said display by an input of said switch device, and for selecting the sound source data of the memory means, thereby making said sound generator operate by inputting said selected data, wherein said controller makes said sound generator ringing the sound, by using the sound source data stored in said memory, during a period of at least a part of time when being connected to the Internet.

12. A portable mobile unity as defined in claim 11, wherein said sound ringing period includes a period from when starting an access to the Internet home page up to when starting to input data of the home page.

13. A portable mobile unit as defined in claims 11 or 12, wherein the Internet home page is specified by an input from said switch device, and said sound source data corresponding to said specified Internet home page is changeable.

14. A portable mobile unit comprising:

a wireless communication device;

a display means being capable of displaying picture or character information thereon;

a switching device being selectable over a plural number of condition thereof;

a memory storing sound source data therein;

a relation table for relating the sound source data to a plural number of specific character lines, respectively;

a sound generator being changeable in a tone and a level of the sound thereof, in accordance with electric inputs thereto; and

a controller for changing display contents on said display by an input of said switch, and for selecting the sound source data of the memory, thereby making said sound generator operate upon basis of said selected data, wherein said controller makes said display the character information inputted from said wireless communication device, and make said sound generator ringing the sound, by taking out the sound source data, being selected with using said relation tables, from said memory, when an input of the specific character line is detected in said inputted character information.

15. A portable mobile unit as defined in claim 14, wherein in said relation table provided, plural number of sound source data are related to one of said specific character line, and to said display, the sound source data to be reproduced is selected from said relation table, depending upon a time information at a time period when said character information is reproduced and corresponding to said specific character line.

16. A portable mobile unit;

comprising;

a wireless communication device;

a switching device being selectable over a plural number of condition thereof;

a memory storing sound source data therein;

a display being able to display picture or character information thereon;

a sound generator being changeable in a tone and a level of the sound thereof, in accordance with electric inputs thereto; and

a controller for changing display contents on said display by an input of said switch device, and for selecting the sound source data of the memory, thereby making said sound generator operate upon basis of said selected data, wherein, during communicating of the character information, said controller comprises a table, on which plural number of sound source data can be set, so as to make said sound generator ringing the sound, when receiving character information being able to identify on a sending party thereof, and it detects the information of the sending party included in said character information, thereby taking out the sound source data from said table, being different to each other between when said sending party is one of those predetermined and when it is other than those.