Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at same station – Radiotelephone equipment detail
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-15
2003-05-06
Bost, Dwayne (Department: 2681)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at same station
Radiotelephone equipment detail
C455S414200, C455S550100, C379S038000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06560466
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of wireless communications and, more particularly, to auditory feedback control of a wireless telephone through user detection.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wireless communication devices such as cordless and cellular telephones have become increasing popular in both residential and commercial environments. Cordless telephones allow a user to maintain a conversation in a separate room from where the telephone is connected to the public switching telephone network (PSTN) central office. In addition, the use of cordless telephones allows a user to maintain a conversation while walking, cooking, typing, etc., without worrying about tangling or crimping a telephone cord. Likewise, cellular telephones allow a user to maintain a conversation while driving, for example, and give the user a very broad area to communicate from as opposed to being limited to the small area (usually a room, office or home) of a conventional telephone.
Although wireless communication devices provide the user with special freedoms and comforts unrealizable from wired communication devices, they do have some drawbacks. Users have the tendency to hold onto a wireless handset completion of a call or prior to the initiation of a call. When a handset rings under these situations, the user may become startled which in turn may cause the user to drop the handset. This may cause the handset to become inoperative. In addition, the ringing of the handset may cause damage to the user's hearing. These problems could be avoided if the ring volume of the handset were lowered when a user comes into close proximity of the handset.
Accordingly, there is a desire and need to adjust the ring volume of a wireless communication handset when a user comes into close proximity of the handset. In addition, sometimes it is desirable for an incoming call to be automatically forwarded to an answering service, particularly when the user is about to initiate a call. Accordingly, there is a desire and need to implement an automatic answering feature into a wireless communication device when a user comes into close proximity to the device's handset.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides ring volume control for a wireless communication handset based upon the proximity of a user to the handset.
The present invention also provides an automatic answering mechanism for a wireless communication device based upon the proximity of a user to the handset.
The above and other features and advantages of the invention are achieved by providing a wireless communication handset with a sensor and detection circuitry to detect user proximity. The detection circuitry is connected to the control unit of the handset to implement ring volume control. When a user comes into close proximity of the sensor, the detection circuitry signals the control unit to lower the ring volume. Alternatively, the control unit will initiate an automatic answering service when the user comes into close proximity of the sensor.
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Agere Systems Inc.
Bost Dwayne
Dickstein , Shapiro, Morin & Oshinsky, LLP
West Lewis G.
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