Wireless visual alerting method and system

• US 7,133,700 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2003
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Benco, David S., Sheen, Baoling S., Voight, Kenneth J., True, Sandra L., Overend, Kevin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/411,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/567, 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/66.1, 455/456.4, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/048 Arrangements providing optical indication of the incoming call, e.g. flasher circuits

Abstract

A method and system in a telecommunications network for visually alerting a user of an incoming call are disclosed herein. A call can be transmitted to a mobile device associated with a user of the telecommunications network. An alert can also be transmitted to one or more visual alerting devices associated with the user and/or the mobile device, in response to transmitting a call to the mobile device. A visual alerting signal can then be transmitted via the visual alerting device, in response to transmitting the alert to the at least one visual alerting device associated with the user. Each visual alerting device can provide a visually alerting signal when there is an incoming message for its user. The visual alerting device can receive its signal directly from a base station within said telecommunications network.

Claims

1. A method in a telecommunications network for visually alerting a user of an incoming call, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a call to a mobile device associated with a user of said telecommunications network;

transmitting an alert to at least one visual alerting device associated with said user, in response to transmitting a call to said mobile device; and

automatically providing a visual alerting signal via said at least one visual alerting device, in response to transmitting said alert to said at least one visual alerting device associated with said user, wherein said at least one visual alerting device communicates without sound, and wherein the visual alerting signal has multiple alerting patterns to differentiate between a voice call, a voice message, or a text message, and wherein the multiple alerting patterns are limited to patterns generated via a light source.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting an alert to at least one visual alerting device associated with said user, in response to transmitting a call to said mobile device, further comprises the step of:

transmitting said alert to said at least one visual alerting device associated with said user, in response to transmitting said call to said mobile device if said mobile device associated with said user is off.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

associating said at least one visual alerting device with said mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

integrating said at least one visual alerting device with said mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically providing a visual alerting signal via said at least one visual alerting device, in response to transmitting said alert to said at least one visual alerting device associated with said user, further comprises the step of:

providing said visual alerting signal via said at least one visual alerting device based on a last known location of said mobile station relative to at least one base station of said telecommunications network.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

configuring said at least one visual alerting device with a unique identification number;

recording said unique identification number in a user profile associated with said user; and

informing at least one base station associated with said telecommunications network of said unique identification number in order to assist said at least one base station in locating said at least one visual alerting device in association with a call transmitted to said mobile station associated with said user.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

associating a liquid crystal indicator with said at least one visual alerting device for visual alerting thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of associating a light emitting diode with said at least one visual alerting device for visual alerting thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

associating a laser diode with said at least one visual alerting device for visual alerting thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the multiple alerting patterns include constant ON, slow flashing, and fast flashing patterns.

11. A method in a telecommunications network for visually alerting a user of an incoming call, said method comprising the steps of:

associating at least one visual alerting device with a mobile device associated with a user of said telecommunications network;

configuring said at least one visual alerting device with a unique identification number;

recording said unique identification number in a user profile associated with said user;

informing at least one base station associated with said telecommunications network of said unique identification number in order to assist said at least one base station in locating said at least one visual alerting device in association with a call transmitted to said mobile station associated with said user;

transmitting an alert to said at least one visual alerting device associated with said user, in response to transmitting a call to said mobile device, if said mobile device associated with said user is off; and

automatically providing a visual alerting signal via said at least one visual alerting device, in response to transmitting said alert to said at least one visual alerting device associated with said user, wherein said at least one visual alerting device communicates without sound, and wherein the visual alerting signal has multiple alerting patterns to differentiate between a voice call, a voice message, or a text message, and wherein the multiple alerting patterns are limited to patterns generated via a light source.

12. A system in a telecommunications network for visually alerting a user of an incoming call, said system comprising:

at least one visual alerting device associated with said user with said telecommunications network, wherein an alert is transmitted to said at least one visual alerting device in response to transmitting a call to a mobile device associated with said user; and

a visual alerting signal automatically provided via said at least one visual alerting device, in response to transmitting said alert to said at least one visual alerting device associated with said user, wherein said at least one visual alerting device communicates without sound, and wherein the visual alerting signal has multiple alerting patterns to differentiate between a voice call, a voice message, or a text message, and wherein the multiple alerting patterns are limited to patterns generated via a light source.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said alert is transmitted to said at least one visual alerting device associated with said user, in response to transmitting said call to said mobile device if said mobile device associated with said user is off.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said at least one visual alerting device is associated with said mobile device.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein said at least one visual alerting device is integrated with said mobile device.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said visual alerting signal is provided via said at least one visual alerting device based on a last known location of said mobile station relative to at least one base station of said telecommunications network.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein:

said at least one visual alerting device is configured with a unique identification number;

said unique identification number is recorded in a user profile associated with said user; and

at least one base station associated with said telecommunications network is informed of said unique identification number in order to assist said at least one base station in locating said at least one visual alerting device in association with a call transmitted to said mobile station associated with said user.

18. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a liquid crystal indicator associated with said at least one visual alerting device for visual alerting thereof.

19. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a light emitting diode associated with said at least one visual alerting device for visual alerting thereof.

20. The system of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

a laser diode associated with said at least one visual alerting device for visual alerting thereof.

21. A visual alerting device for use in a telecommunications network, said visual alerting device comprising:

a housing for maintaining a visual alerting device associated with a user with said telecommunications network;

a visual alerting device maintained with said housing, wherein an alert is transmitted to said visual alerting device in response to transmitting a call to a mobile device associated with said user, and wherein said visual alerting device communicates without sound, and wherein the multiple alerting patterns are limited to patterns generated via a light source; and

a visual alerting indicator integrated with said housing, wherein said visual alerting indicator automatically provides an alert via said visual alerting device, in response to transmitting said alert to said visual alerting device associated with said user, and wherein the alert has multiple alerting patterns to differentiate between a voice call, a voice message, or a text message.