Communications: electrical – Selective – Having indication or alarm
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-07
2002-06-25
Horabik, Michael (Department: 2735)
Communications: electrical
Selective
Having indication or alarm
C340S007610, C340S007550, C340S007200, C345S102000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06411198
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a portable terminal device which enables a user to identify a calling party through use of a sound pattern, a blink pattern, a vibration pattern, or a backlight color, all of which are set by another portable terminal device.
Recent portable terminal devices have shown a distinguished tendency to pursue a higher level of function, such as that represented by a digital portable cellular phone. Even in a case where an incoming call is reported to the user by way of a sounding tone, a plurality of sound patterns for reporting an incoming call are available. The user can set his portable terminal device so that an incoming call can be reported according to selection of his favorite sound pattern from the available sound patterns.
FIG. 13
is a functional block diagram schematically showing the configuration of an incoming call sound section disposed in a conventional portable terminal device of this type. In
FIG. 13
, reference numeral
21
designates receiving means for receiving a signal wave transmitted from another portable terminal device;
22
designates storage means for storing at least two sound data sets;
23
designates sounding means capable of reporting the arrival of an incoming call by means of at least two sound data sets; and
24
designates control means for controlling the sounding means
23
on the basis of the data sets selected from at least the two sound data sets stored in the storage means
22
.
In the portable terminal device having such a configuration, the sounding means
23
is activated according to a sounding pattern set by the user. In the case of a portable terminal device capable of setting two sounding patterns, e.g., setting a beep as a first sound data set and setting a melody as a second sound data set, the user selects either the first sound data set or the second sound data set stored in the storage means
22
, by way of the control means
24
. When an incoming call is received from another portable terminal device, the receiving means
21
of the portable terminal device recognizes the arrival of the incoming call, and the control means activates the sounding means
23
on the basis of the sound data set selected by the user.
In the conventional portable terminal device, the sounding means can be activated solely according to the sounding pattern set by the user of the terminal device. Although the sounding pattern can be arbitrarily changed, the user cannot ascertain the identity of the calling party before he talks with the calling party by means of the terminal device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been conceived to solve the problem of the conventional portable terminal device, and the object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal device which enables the user to immediately identify a calling party by utilization of a sounding pattern issued for reporting the arrival of an incoming call to the user.
To this end, according to the present invention, another portable terminal device individually sets a sounding pattern to be used for reporting an incoming call, and a called party is informed of the thus-set sounding pattern beforehand. As a result, when the terminal device of the called party makes the thus-set sounding pattern, the terminal device enables the user to immediately specify the calling party for the call. In addition to sound, blinking of light, vibration of a vibrator and the color of backlight used for a display may be utilized for reporting an incoming call. So long as a plurality of patterns of blinks, vibrations, or color are prepared and these patterns are set on a portable terminal device of the calling party, the called party can identify the calling party in the same manner as mentioned previously. Further, through use of two or more of sound patterns, blink patterns, vibration patterns, and backlight colors in combination, a much greater number of calling party can be set on the portable terminal device. Further, so long as the portable terminal device is provided with display means capable of displaying characters in addition to the incoming call reporting means, a simple message can be indicated on the portable terminal device. consequently, the called party can immediately ascertain the nature of the call without directly talking with the calling party through the portable terminal device.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable terminal device which controls, on the basis of data set by a portable terminal device of a calling party, one of a sound pattern for sounding means, a vibration pattern for vibration means, and the color of backlight of display means of a portable terminal device of a called party, wherein
a sound pattern set by the calling party is reported to the called party beforehand; and upon receipt of an incoming call, the called party can immediately identify the calling party.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable terminal device which controls, on the basis of data set by a portable terminal device of a calling party, at least two of a sound pattern for sounding means, a vibration pattern for vibration means, and the color of backlight of display means of a portable terminal device of a called party in combination, wherein
a sound pattern set by the calling party is reported to the called party beforehand; and upon receipt of an incoming call, the called party can immediately identify the calling party.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable terminal device comprising
receiving means for receiving a signal waveform transmitted from a portable terminal device of a calling party;
sounding means which has at least two sound patterns and is capable of reporting an incoming call; and
control means which identifies, from the signal waveform received by the receiving means, sound data used for controlling the sounding means and which controls the sound pattern of the sounding means on the basis of the sound data that are identified, wherein
a sound pattern set by the calling party is reported to the called party beforehand; and upon receipt of an incoming call, the called party can immediately identify the calling party.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the portable terminal device as defined in the third aspect is further characterized in that
the sound data includes a start code for a starting sound and a pattern data set used for specifying a sound pattern, and
when the called party receives a signal waveform including the sound data, the sounding means is activated according to a sound pattern corresponding to the sound data set by the portable terminal device of the calling party. As a result, the sound data can be readily distinguished from the other data sets.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable terminal device comprising:
receiving means for receiving a signal waveform transmitted from a calling party;
sounding means which has at least two sound patterns and is capable of reporting an incoming call;
light emission means which has at least two blink patterns and is capable of reporting an incoming call; and
control means which distinguishes, from the signal waveform received by the receiving means, sound data used for controlling the sounding means, and blink data used for controlling the light emission means, and which controls the sounding pattern of the sounding means and the blink pattern of the light emission means on the basis of the sound data and the blink data that have been distinguished. As a result, many calling parties can be identified by combination of the sound pattern and the blink pattern.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the portable terminal device as defined in the fifth aspect is further characterized in that
the sound data have a common start code for starting sounding operations and a first pattern data set for specifying a sound pattern,
the blink
Hirai Koutarou
Takasu Ai
Yanagida Masayuki
Dalencourt Yves
Horabik Michael
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Pearne & Gordon LLP
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