Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at same station – Radiotelephone equipment detail
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-27
2001-05-01
Hunter, Daniel S. (Department: 2684)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at same station
Radiotelephone equipment detail
56, 56, 56, 56
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226536
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to radio equipment and, more particularly, to radio equipment consisting of a portable radio apparatus and a charger for charging it.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is a common practice with a portable telephone or similar portable radio apparatus to alert the user of the telephone to a call incoming by an alert tone or the vibration of a vibrator, as desired. The user of the telephone may advantageously select an alert mode using the vibration in a situation in which an alert mode using the alert tone is not desirable, e.g., during meeting, on a train, or in a movie theater.
The user of the telephone can select and set either the alert mode using the alert tone (tone mode hereinafter) or the alert mode using the vibration (vibration mode hereinafter) beforehand. Because call incomings are alerted by the set alert mode unless the user changes it, the user can recognize call incomings in the optimal mode matching with the situation. However, the conventional telephone of this kind has its battery charged by a charger in the vibration mode. It follows that when a call incoming occurs on the telephone while the telephone is set on the charger, the user cannot recognize it because the telephone simply vibrates, i.e., does not produce the alert tone.
To solve the above problem, before setting the telephone on the charger, the user may check the alert mode set in the telephone and, if the vibration mode is set, replace it with the tone mode. This, however, brings about another problem that the user must see the alert mode and then set the tone mode every time the user sets the telephone on the charger, resulting in troublesome operation.
In light of the above, the telephone may be so constructed as to report a call incoming in the tone mode whenever the telephone is set on the charger, as taught in Japanese laid-open patent application heisei 8-126061 by way of example. Specifically, this document discloses portable radio communication equipment including a portable telephone provided with detecting means for determining whether or not the telephone is set on a charger. When a call incoming occurs while the telephone is set on the charger, as determined by the detecting means, the telephone outputs an alert tone in order to alert the user of the telephone to the call. When the telephone is not set on the charger, as also determined by the detecting means, the telephone reports the call to the user by vibration without exception, assuming that the telephone is put on the user's body. Therefore, when the telephone is set on the charger, the user can be alerted to the call immediately by the alert tone.
However, the above portable radio communication equipment has some problems left unsolved, as follows. When the telephone is not set on the charger, it reports a call incoming to the user by vibration at all times. As a result, when the telephone is put on a desk or put in a bag by way of example, a call incoming is reported by vibration despite that it should be reported by the alert tone. This prevents the user from recognizing the call. Moreover, the detecting means built in the telephone obstructs the small size, light weight configuration of the telephone.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide radio equipment capable of reporting a call incoming by an alert tone when a portable telephone thereof is set on a charger or reporting, when the telephone is removed from the charger, the call in an alert mode selected before the setting of the telephone on the charger, thereby freeing the user of the telephone from troublesome operation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide radio equipment in which a charger reports a call incoming to the user when a telephone is set on the charger.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide radio equipment in which detecting means for determining whether or not a portable telephone is set on a charger is built in the charger in order to provide the telephone with a small size, light weight configuration.
In accordance with the present invention, a radio equipment includes a portable radio apparatus and a charger for charging it. The charger includes a decision section for determining whether or not the radio apparatus is being charged by the charger, a detecting section for detecting a call incoming on the radio apparatus, and an outputting section for outputting, at the time of a call incoming, an alert tone in response to the output of the decision section and that of the detecting section.
Also, in accordance with the present invention, a charger includes a decision section for determining whether or not a radio apparatus is being charged by the charger, a detecting section for detecting a call incoming on the radio apparatus, and an outputting section for outputting, at the time of a call incoming, an alert tone in response to the output of the decision section and that of the detecting section.
Further, in accordance with the present invention, a method of controlling a report of a call incoming on radio equipment, has the steps of determining whether or not a radio apparatus is being charged, detecting a call incoming on the radio apparatus, and outputting an alert tone from a charger charging the radio apparatus.
Moreover, in accordance with the present invention, a method of controlling a report of a call incoming on radio equipment has the steps of determining whether or not a radio apparatus is set on a charger, recognizing a call incoming on the radio apparatus, determining whether or not the radio apparatus is being charged, outputting an alert tone from the charger, stopping the alert tone when the radio apparatus is removed from the charger, recognizing a call incoming on the radio apparatus, and reporting the call incoming by call incoming reporting means selected before the setting of the radio apparatus on the charger.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5073928 (1991-12-01), Shimanuki
patent: 5469133 (1995-11-01), Hensler et al.
patent: 2-277349 (1990-11-01), None
patent: 5-83336 (1993-04-01), None
patent: 5-83333 (1993-04-01), None
patent: 5-83183 (1993-04-01), None
patent: 7038625 (1995-02-01), None
patent: 7-38625 (1995-02-01), None
patent: 8-126061 (1996-05-01), None
Hunter Daniel S.
NEC Corporation
Young & Thompson
Zewdu Meless
LandOfFree
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