Cellular telephone with programmable authorized telephone number

• US 6,912,399 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2001
• Issued: 06/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Royal Thoughts LLC
• Inventors: Zirul, Jocelyn, Menard, Raymond J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOW, CHARLES CHIANG
• Application Number:
  US09/767,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20020098874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 455/463, 455/461, 455/418, 455/564, 455/459, 455/458, 455/550.1, 455/551, 455/435.1, 455/403, 455/575.1, 455/565, 455/413, 455/521, 455/420, 455/419, 455/566, 455/90.1, 455/567, 455/563, 455/460, 455/442, 455/575, 455/550, 455/404, 379/201.01, 379/201.12, 379/355.06, 379/142.01, 379/197, 379/88.19, 379/359, 379/195, 379/200, 379/369, 379/60, 379/199, 379/58, 379/59, 395/132, 340/826, 342/457, 342/465, 342/442, 342/446
• US Class Current: 455/463
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/677 Preventing the dialling or sending of predetermined telephone numbers or selected types of telephone numbers, e.g. long distance numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6775 by providing access to preprogrammed keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A cellular telephone having restricted dialing authority and a simplified keypad. The keypad includes a plurality of preprogrammed hot keys. Incoming telephone calls from authorized telephone numbers are answerable and incoming telephone calls from other numbers do not ring. The authorized telephone numbers are programmable. In one embodiment, predetermined encoded messages can be transmitted silently.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising;

a cellular telephone transceiver;

a processor coupled to the transceiver;

a first memory coupled to the processor and adapted for storage of a plurality of predetermined telephone numbers;

a keypad having a plurality of user operable buttons coupled to the processor;

a program accessible to the processor and having instructions adapted for causing the transceiver to dial a particular predetermined telephone number selected from the plurality of predetermined telephone numbers upon operation of a button selected from the plurality of buttons;

a second memory coupled to the processor and adapted for storage of information identifying one or more authorized telephone callers;

a talk button coupled to the processor; and

a program accessible to the processor and having instructions adapted for causing the processor to generate a signal upon the transceiver detecting an incoming telephone call from at least one of the one or more authorized telephone callers and adapted for not generating the signal upon detection of an incoming telephone call from a caller that is not at least one of the one or more authorized telephone callers,

wherein the first memory is programmable by an authorized user to enter the plurality of predetermined telephone numbers and to control calls made by the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a second memory coupled to the processor and adapted for storage of an encoded message; and

a program accessible to the processor and having instructions adapted for causing the transceiver to transmit the encoded message upon operation of the button.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the transceiver is adapted for transmitting the encoded message using a short message service.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a location module coupled to the processor and adapted for determining a geographical location of the module.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further wherein the encoded message includes the geographical location.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a spread spectrum frequency hopping transceiver coupled to the processor and adapted for wirelessly communicating digital data.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the digital data includes a program adapted for execution on the processor.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the spread spectrum frequency hopping transceiver operates at a frequency of approximately 2.45 GHZ.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the spread spectrum frequency hopping transceiver is substantially compatible with standards under IEEE 802.15.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the spread spectrum frequency hopping transceiver is substantially compatible with BLUETOOTH®

technical specification version 1.0.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a display coupled to the processor and adapted for displaying the predetermined telephone number.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an interface coupled to the processor and adapted for communicating the predetermined telephone number.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the interface includes an electrical connector.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the interface includes a wireless coupling.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the wireless coupling includes an infrared coupling.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the wireless coupling includes a radio frequency coupling.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a sound generator coupled to the processor and adapted for generating a sound based on the signal.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a cellular telephone transceiver;

a processor coupled to the transceiver;

a first memory coupled to the processor and adapted for storage of a plurality of predetermined telephone numbers;

a second memory coupled to the processor and adapted for storage of an authorized telephone number;

a keypad having a user operable selection button coupled to the processor and wherein the keypad is devoid of individual number digits;

a user operable talk button coupled to the processor;

a display coupled to the processor and adapted for displaying a text string corresponding to a particular telephone number selected from the plurality of predetermined telephone numbers; and

a program accessible to the processor and having instructions adapted for causing the processor to scroll the plurality of telephone numbers in the display upon operation of the selection button, and adapted for causing the transceiver to dial a particular predetermined telephone number appearing in the display upon operation of the talk button, and adapted for causing the processor to generate a signal upon detecting a telephone call from the authorized telephone number and causing the telephone call to be answered upon operating the talk button, and adapted for causing the processor to render the telephone call unanswerable upon detecting the incoming telephone call from a number disparate from the authorized telephone number.