Regulating alerts generated by communication terminals responsive to sensed movement

• US 8,301,121 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2010
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: McKee, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): MITCHELL, NATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/692,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20110183650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/412.2
• US Class Current: 455/412.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/65 Recording arrangements for recording a message from the calling party in the exchange H04M3/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/045 Call privacy arrangements, e.g. timely inhibiting the ring signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

Various computer-implemented methods and associated mobile communication terminals are provided that regulate the generation of user alerts responsive to received messages so that the alerts may be generated/regenerated when the terminal is moved by a user. A mobile communication terminal may include a movement sensing circuit, a RF transceiver circuit, and a computer circuit. The movement sensing circuit may be configured to generate a movement signal indicating movement of the mobile communication terminal. The RF transceiver circuit may be configured to communicate through a wireless air interface. The computer circuit may be configured to respond to receipt of a defined message through the RF transceiver circuit while the movement signal indicates that the terminal has remained stationary for at least a threshold time by setting an alert logic indicator, and configured to respond to sensed movement of the terminal while the alert logic indicator is set by generating a user alert from the terminal to a user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of operating a mobile communication terminal to regulate user alerts that are generated therefrom, the computer-implemented method comprising:

responding to receipt of a defined message through a RF transceiver circuit while the terminal has remained stationary for at least a threshold time by setting an alert logic indicator through operations performed by the computer circuit;

responding to sensed movement of the terminal while the alert logic indicator is set by generating a user alert from the terminal to a user through operations performed by the computer circuit; and

responding to receipt at the terminal of a call paging message for an incoming call from a cellular system while the terminal has remained stationary for less than the threshold time by transferring the incoming call to is voice mailbox, which is associated with the terminal, after a first duration of the call paging message remaining unanswered by a user,

wherein responding to receipt of a defined message through a RF transceiver circuit while the terminal has remained stationary for at least a threshold time by setting an alert logic indicator comprises responding to receipt at the terminal of the call paging message from the cellular system while the terminal has remained stationary for at least the threshold time by transferring the incoming call to the voice mailbox after a second duration, which is different than the first duration, of the call paging message remaining unanswered by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

responding to receipt of a defined message through a RF transceiver circuit while the terminal has remained stationary for at least a threshold time by setting an alert logic indicator further comprises generating a user alert from the terminal to the user through operations performed by the computer circuit;

and

responding to sensed movement of the terminal while the alert logic indicator is set by generating a user alert from the terminal to a user comprises generating another user alert from the terminal to the user and resetting the alert logic indicator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein;

responding to receipt of a defined message through a RF transceiver circuit after the terminal has remained stationary for at least a threshold time by setting an alert logic indicator further comprises preventing generating of a user alert from the terminal to the user until subsequent movement of the terminal is sensed.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein responding to sensed movement of the terminal while the alert logic indicator is set by generating a user alert from the terminal to a user comprises:

triggering a vibration device to vibrate the terminal to alert the user in response to sensing, movement of the terminal while the alert logic indicator is set.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein responding to sensed movement of the terminal while the alert logic indicator is set by generating a user alert from the terminal to a riser comprises:

triggering a speaker device to generate a defined audible signal to the user in response to sensing movement of the terminal while the alert logic indicator is set.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

responding to receipt of a defined message through a RF transceiver circuit while the terminal has remained stationary for at least a threshold time by setting an alert logic indicator comprises responding to receipt at the terminal of a text/multimedia message from another communication terminal while the terminal has remained stationary for at least the threshold time by triggering a vibration device to vibrate the terminal and/or triggering a speaker devise to generate a defined audible signal as an indication to the user that the message was received and by setting the alert logic indicator; and

responding to sensed movement of the terminal while the alert logic indicator is set by generating a user alert from the terminal to a user comprises triggering the vibration device to vibrate the terminal and/or triggering the speaker devise to generate a defined audible signal as a repeated alert to the user that the message was received and resetting the alert logic indicator.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

responding to receipt of a defined message through a RF transceiver circuit while the terminal has remained stationary for at least a threshold time by setting an alert logic indicator comprises responding to receipt at the terminal of a cell paging message from a cellular system while the terminal has remained stationary for at least the threshold time by triggering a vibration devise to vibrate the terminal and/or triggering a speaker device to generate a defined audible signal as an indication to the user that the call paging message was received and by setting the alert logic indicator; and

responding to sensed movement of the terminal while the alert logic indicator is set by generating a user alert from the terminal to a user comprises triggering the vibration device to vibrate the terminal and/or triggering the speaker device to generate a defined audible signal as a repeated alert to the user that the call paging message was received and resetting the alert logic indicator.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second duration is greater than the first duration.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein responding to receipt or a defined message through a RF transceiver circuit while the terminal has remained stationary for at least a threshold time by setting an alert logic indicator comprises:

resetting a timer value of a counter circuit responsive to sensed movement of the terminal; and

determining that the terminal has remained stationary for at least the threshold time in response to the timer value exceeding a defined threshold value.

10. A mobile communication terminal comprising:

a movement sensing circuit that is configured to generate a movement signal indicating movement of the mobile communication terminal;

a RF transceiver circuit that is configured to communicate through a wireless air interface; and

a computer circuit that is configured to respond to receipt of a defined message through the RF transceiver circuit while the movement signal indicates that the terminal has remained stationary for at least a threshold time by setting an alert logic indicator, and configured to respond to sensed movement of the terminal while the alert logic indicator is set by generating a user alert from the terminal to a user,

wherein the computer circuit is further configured to respond to receipt of a call paging message for an incoming call from a cellular system through the RF transceiver circuit while the terminal has remained stationary for less than the threshold time by transferring the incoming call to a voice mailbox, which is associated with the terminal, after expiration of a first duration of the call paging message remaining unanswered by a user, and configured to respond to receipt of the call paging message from the cellular system while the terminal has remained stationary for at least the threshold time by transferring the incoming call to the voice mailbox after expiration of a second duration, which is different than the first duration, of the call paging message remaining unanswered by a user.

11. The mobile communication terminal of claim 10, wherein:

the computer circuit is further configured to respond to receipt of the defined messaged through the RF transceiver circuit while the terminal has remained stationary for at least the threshold time by generating a user alert from the terminal to the user, and to respond to sensed movement of the terminal while the alert logic indicator is set by repeating the generation of the user alert to the user.

12. The mobile communication terminal of claim 10, wherein:

the computer circuit is further configured to respond to receipt of the defined message through the RF transceiver circuit while the terminal has remained stationary for at least the threshold time by preventing generating of a alert from the terminal to the user until the movement signal subsequently indicates movement of the terminal.

13. The mobile communication terminal of claim 10, wherein:

the computer circuit is further configured to respond to receipt of a text/multimedia message through the RF transceiver circuit while the terminal has remained stationary for at least the threshold time by triggering a vibration device to vibrate the terminal and/or triggering a speaker device to generate a defined audible signal as an indication to the user that the message was received and by setting the alert logic indicator, and configured to respond to sensed movement of the terminal while the alert logic indicator is set by triggering the vibration device to vibrate the terminal and/or triggering the speaker device to generate a defined audible signal as a repeated alert to the user that the message was received and by resetting the alert logic indicator.

14. The mobile communication terminal of claim 10, wherein:

the computer circuit is further configured to respond to receipt of a call paging message from a cellular system through the RF transceiver circuit while the terminal has remained stationary for at least the threshold time by triggering a vibration device to vibrate the terminal and/or triggering a speaker device to generate a defined audible signal as an indication to the user that the call paging message was received and by setting the alert logic indicator, and configured to respond to sensed movement of the terminal while the alert logic indicator is set by triggering the vibration device to vibrate the terminal and/or triggering the speaker device to generate a defined audible signal as a repeated alert to the user that the call paging message was received and by resetting the alert logic indicator.