Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at same station – Radiotelephone equipment detail
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-31
2001-02-27
Urban, Edward F. (Department: 2746)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at same station
Radiotelephone equipment detail
C455S550100, C340S870030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195571
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus and, more particularly, to a portable miniature electronic apparatus capable of automatically switching two or more different kinds of notification devices, such as vibrator, buzzer, light emitting diode (LED), liquid crystal display (LCD).
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic apparatuses of the type described include a calling apparatus taught in, e.g., Japanese laid-open patent application heisei 3-274832. The calling apparatus includes a vibration detecting device. So long as the vibration detecting device detects vibration derived from the action or the movement of the human body, the apparatus determines that the user is moving with the apparatus put on the user's body, and notifies the user via a vibrator at the time of call incoming. When the vibration detecting device does not detect any vibration for a preselected period of time since the detection of the above vibration, the apparatus determines that the user is away from the apparatus. The apparatus produces a notification using sound at the time of call incoming after the preselected period of time. In this manner, the apparatus automatically selects either a notification using vibration or a notification using sound.
However, the above calling apparatus has some problems left unsolved, as follows. When the apparatus receives a call within a preselected period of time after the detection of vibration derived from the movement of the human body, it produces the notification using the vibrator. This prevents a notification from being produced by an adequate method matching the user's situation. For example, even when the user carrying the apparatus enters a room, puts the apparatus on a desk, and then leaves the room, the apparatus simply drives the vibrator on the receipt of a call, despite that the user cannot notice the notification. Further, when vibration is not detected for a preselected period of time after the detection of vibration caused by the movement of the human body, the apparatus produces the notification using sound on the receipt of a call. Therefore, when the user does not move over a long period of time while putting the apparatus on the user's body, the apparatus produces the notification using sound despite that the notification using the vibration is more preferable. In this case, the sound is apt to annoy persons around the user.
Japanese laid-open patent application heisei 5-136727 discloses a mobile communication terminal so constructed as to recognize the condition of movement of the terminal by detecting the amount of vibration of the terminal occurred within a preselected period of time. If the amount of vibration of the terminal is lower than a preselected level, the terminal determines that the user is not moving, and selects a notification using a vibrator. If the amount of vibration is higher than the above level, the terminal determines that the user is moving, and selects a notification using sound. In this manner, the terminal automatically selects either a notification using the vibrator or a notification using sound.
The mobile communication terminal determines, when the amount of vibration of its body is lower than the preselected level, that the user is not moving, and produces the notification using the vibrator, as stated above. This also prevents a notification from being produced by an adequate method matching the user's situation. For example, even when the user puts the terminal on a desk and leaves the desk, the terminal drives the vibrator despite that the user cannot notice the vibration. The terminal therefore cannot adequately select the notification devices matching the user's situation.
Another problem with the conventional calling device and mobile communication terminal is that they continuously produce the notification using the vibrator even in a situation which prevents the user from noticing vibration, e.g., when they are put in a car or a bag.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electronic apparatus capable of automatically switching a plurality of notification devices in accordance with the user's situation during the notification.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronic apparatus capable of surely noticing users call incoming.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electronic apparatus with improved manipulability.
In order to achieve the above objects, an electronic apparatus of the present invention includes a call incoming and notifying control circuit. The call incoming and notifying controller detects the user's reaction to a notification using vibration, and automatically switches notification devices on the basis of the user's reaction within a preselected period of time. The user's reaction should preferably be determined on the basis of the amplitude of a signal waveform from which, among vibration components particular to the apparatus, the vibration component of a vibrator itself has been removed by an low pass filter (LPF). Preferably, when the user's reaction is not detected within the preselected period of time, a call incoming and notifying controller switches the notification devices. Also, the call incoming and notifying controller should preferably be capable of varying the notification devices switching time on the basis of the detected user's reaction.
In the above construction, the call incoming and notifying controller effects a notification using vibration for a relatively short preselected period of time, and then effects a notification using sound. At this instant, if the user is determined to be moving, the call incoming and notifying controller resets a timer to its initial value and causes it to start counting again. That is, if the user is moving during the notification, the call incoming and notifying controller continues the notification using vibration. Further, even when the user is not moving, the call incoming and notifying controller produces the notification using vibration if the user notices the notification and is moving to answer it. When the user's motion cannot be detected, e.g., when the apparatus is put on a desk, the call incoming and notifying controller replaces the notification using vibration with the notification using sound on the elapse of a preselected period of time.
As stated above, the present invention is capable of detecting the user's reaction to the notification using vibration, and therefore notifying the user by a method fitting the user's situation with the lapse of time.
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Gesesse Tilahun
McGuireWoods LLP
NEC Corporation
Urban Edward F.
LandOfFree
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