Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Special service
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-24
2001-04-10
Maung, Nay (Department: 2744)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Special service
C455S090300, C455S567000, C455S575100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06215993
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates, in general, to mobile telephones used in wireless communications systems, and, in particular, to mobile telephones having caller ID and automatic answering features.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A popular feature among users of mobile telephones is caller ID. This feature allows the user to view the number of the calling party prior to answering the phone. Caller ID information is extracted from the received signal and output to the phone's display. The user can view the caller ID information on the display of the telephone before answering and elect whether to answer the phone after observing the number of the calling party.
Another popular feature of mobile telephones is a flip cover or other type of movable cover. A flip cover is a cover that is connected by a hinge to the main body of the telephone. The flip or cover is moveable between open and closed positions. When the phone is not in use, the cover is folded against the main body of the telephone in the closed position. During use, the cover is moved to the open position to provide a hand-held telephone capable of providing a speaker proximate a user's ear and a microphone substantially near the user's mouth. Typically, the phone is programmed to automatically accept the incoming call when the cover or flip is moved to the open position after an incoming call is received.
Flip phones and other phones with moveable covers are sometimes designed so that the moveable cover conceals the display and keypad when the cover is in the closed position. Movable covers that conceal the display of the phone in the closed position prevent the user from taking advantage of the caller ID capability if the telephone is programmed to accept incoming calls when the cover is moved to the open position. There is no way the user can check the caller ID information before answering the call without triggering the automatic accept response of the phone. One solution to this problem is to disable the automatic accept response of the mobile telephone. However, this would require the user to take some affirmative step, in addition to opening the cover, in order to answer the phone and is therefore not desirable. Thus, there is a need for mobile telephone with a moveable cover that allows the user to view caller ID information on the display before answering an incoming call.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a mobile telephone with a moveable cover that conceals at least a portion of the display providing caller ID information associated with an incoming call. In one embodiment of the invention, the cover of the phone is moveable between a closed position, a preview position, and an open position. In the preview position, the user can preview the caller ID information on the telephone's display without accepting the incoming call. The user can then elect whether to accept the call. The call can be accepted by simply moving the cover to the open position, or not accepted by closing the cover. The phone can also be programmed to take some predefined action, such as a sending a busy signal, connecting the caller to voice mail, forwarding the call to another number, or simply not answering when the cover is closed.
In a second embodiment, the cover is moveable between two positions—open and closed. The automatic answer feature of the phone is not activated immediately when the cover is opened. Instead the phone waits a predetermined period of time before accepting the incoming call. Thus, the telephone gives the user an allotted amount of time, referred to as the preview period, to view the caller ID information and decide whether to answer the call. If the cover is returned to its closed position before the end of the preview period, the call is not accepted by the phone. The phone could be programmed to take some predetermined action if the cover is closed during the preview period, such as sending a busy signal, connecting the caller to voice mail, forwarding the call to another number. If the phone remains open, the incoming call is automatically accepted by the phone after the preview period expires. During the preview period, the user can also activate a pre-programmed response by actuating a function key on the phone's keypad.
These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the following description of the preferred embodiments when considered with the drawings.
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Coats & Bennett PLLC
Ericsson Inc.
Maung Nay
LandOfFree
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