Radio telephone

Details Radio telephone Radio telephone

1998-07-13

2001-08-07

Legree, Tracy (Department: 2681)

Telecommunications

Transmitter and receiver at same station

Radiotelephone equipment detail

C455S564000, C455S563000, C455S550100, C379S433020

Reexamination Certificate

active

06272361

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a radio telephone. In particular, the invention relates to a radio telephone including a headset with a user actuable switch.
Radio telephones are known to operate with headsets which may be plugged into the handset of the radio telephone to provide a handsfree talking facility. For example, the NOKIA® 8110 Handportable Cellular Phone available from Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd. may operate using the NOKIA HDXK-8 Headset. This headset is shown in FIG.
1
and includes an in-ear speaker
10
, an in-line microphone
11
, a lead
12
, a crocodile clip
13
for securing the lead
12
to an item of clothing, and a connector
14
for plugging into a jack on the adaptor
15
. The adaptor
15
has a connector
16
for connecting the headset to the system connector of a NOKIA 8110 Phone.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved user interface for a radio telephone incorporating a headset.
According to the present invention there is provided a portable radio telephone comprising a headset having a user actuable switch and an earpiece, and selection means, responsive to control information input by a user via the switch and, in response to said control information, providing via the earpiece information relating to telephone numbers stored in the radio telephone, for enabling a user to select one of a plurality of telephone numbers stored in the radio telephone.
A portable telephone in accordance with the invention may have an advantage that it allows a user to select telephone numbers for dialling using the switch and earpiece of the headset without having to view a display and/or operate a keypad on the radio telephone handset. A user can thus select and dial telephone numbers conveniently using the headset even when another part of the radiotelephone is out of reach or not easily accessible. Furthermore, a radiotelephone in accordance with the invention may allow a user to select a telephone number and initiate a call in situations where conventional use of a handset would be inconvenient, such as when walking in a busy street.
A radio telephone in accordance with the invention may dispense with the conventional keyboard and/or display typically found on a radio telephone handset. Instead, the functions of the keypad and/or display may be provided by the headset.
Ideally, the radio telephone comprises a main body portion, and the selection means may be located in this main body portion.
The headset may comprise a lead for coupling the headset to the main body portion. Ideally, the switch is positioned on this headset lead, with the lead providing the electrical coupling between the switch and the selection means.
Preferably, the lead is detachable from the main body portion. This may allow the headset to be unplugged from the main body portion and stored when not required.
Preferably, the switch is a push button. This may provide the advantage of allowing a user to discreetly and/or repeatedly activate the switch. Other forms of switch could also be used such as a toggle switch or a sliding switch.
Suitably the headset further comprises a microphone, preferably positioned on the lead, allowing a user to perform two-way communication via the headset.
To provide a comfortable and discreet headset, it is possible for the earpiece to be an in-ear style earpiece.
Suitably, the main body portion of the radio telephone contains a transceiver and is in the form of a handset comprising a separate earpiece and microphone.
Preferably, the selection means provides via the earpiece recorded voice tags associated with telephone numbers stored in the telephone. These voice tags may be embedded in the memory of the telephone during production and/or may be recorded in re-writable memory by a user.
As an alternative the selection means may provide via the earpiece synthesised voice tags associated with telephone numbers stored in the telephone.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4591661 (1986-05-01), Benedetto et al.
patent: 5267308 (1993-11-01), Jokinen et al.
patent: 5481595 (1996-01-01), Ohashi et al.
patent: 5684873 (1997-11-01), Tiilikainen
patent: 5710810 (1998-01-01), Tiilikainen
patent: 5943627 (1999-08-01), Kim et al.
patent: 5978689 (1999-11-01), Tuoriniemi et al.
patent: 5991637 (1999-11-01), Mack II et al.
patent: 4-306944 (1992-10-01), None
patent: WO 94/01958 (1994-01-01), None
Patent Abstracts of Japan, JP4306944 A, vol. 17, No. 137, p. 59.
United Kingdom Search Report.

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