Radiotelephone enabling adjustment of alerting indicator volume/level during incoming calls
DC
First Claim
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1. A method for decreasing the level of a user-perceptible alerting indicator of a radiotelephone, comprising the steps of:
- receiving, at the radiotelephone, a signal indicating an incoming call;
in response to the radiotelephone receiving the signal indicating the incoming call, generating the alerting indicator to notify a user of the incoming call;
operating a user interface for inputting information to a controller of the radiotelephone, the information specifying that the level of the alerting indicator be reduced; and
in response to the inputted information, variably reducing the level of the alerting indicator while the incoming call is being received by the radiotelephone.
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Abstract
This invention pertains to a method for varying the level of an alerting indicator of a radiotelephone while an incoming call is being received, and also to a radiotelephone that operates in accordance with the method. The method includes a first step of operating a user interface (22) for inputting information to a controller (20) of the radiotelephone, the information specifying that an alerting indicator volume be reduced or muted. In response to the inputted information, a second step reduces the alerting indicator volume. An alerting indicator volume that has been reduced is increased upon the termination of the incoming call signal, upon the elapse of a predetermined time period and/or in response to information inputted to the controller (20) via the user interface (22), which information specifies that the alerting indicator volume be increased. In one embodiment of the invention, the alerting indicator volume is maintained at a reduced value until information is input to the controller (20) via operation of the user interface (22), which information specifies that the alerting indicator volume be increased. In response to the inputted information, the alerting indicator volume is increased. The invention may be used in radiotelephones employing non-audio alerting indicator devices for indicating an incoming call, such as vibrating devices.
32 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for decreasing the level of a user-perceptible alerting indicator of a radiotelephone, comprising the steps of:
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receiving, at the radiotelephone, a signal indicating an incoming call; in response to the radiotelephone receiving the signal indicating the incoming call, generating the alerting indicator to notify a user of the incoming call; operating a user interface for inputting information to a controller of the radiotelephone, the information specifying that the level of the alerting indicator be reduced; and in response to the inputted information, variably reducing the level of the alerting indicator while the incoming call is being received by the radiotelephone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10)
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6. A method for decreasing the level of a user-perceptible alerting indicator of a radiotelephone, comprising the steps of:
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receiving, at the radiotelephone, a signal indicating an incoming call; in response to the radiotelephone receiving the signal indicating the incoming call, generating the alerting indicator to notify a user of the incoming call; operating a user interface for inputting information to a controller of the radiotelephone, the information specifying that the level of the alerting indicator be reduced; and in response to the inputted information, variably reducing the level of the alerting indicator while the incoming call is being received by the radiotelephone, wherein the alerting indicator level is increased upon the elapse of a predetermined time period from when the incoming call is first received.
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7. A method for decreasing the level of a user-perceptible alerting indicator of a radiotelephone, comprising the steps of:
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receiving, at the radiotelephone, a signal indicating an incoming call; in response to the radiotelephone receiving the signal indicating the incoming call, generating the alerting indicator to notify a user of the incoming call; operating a user interface for inputting information to a controller of the radiotelephone, the information specifying that the level of the alerting indicator be reduced; and in response to the inputted information, variably reducing the level of the alerting indicator while the incoming call is being received by the radiotelephone, wherein the alerting indicator level is increased automatically when the incoming call is responded to by the user.
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11. A radiotelephone, comprising:
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a receiver for receiving an incoming call signal and for outputting a first signal in response to receiving the incoming call signal, the first signal indicating that an incoming call is being received by the radiotelephone; a controller having an input coupled to an output of said receiver, said controller for outputting a second signal in response to receiving the first signal at said input; audio circuit means having an input coupled to an output of said controller, said audio circuit means being responsive to said second signal for generating an audible alerting indicator to notify a user of said incoming call, wherein a volume of said audible alerting indicator is variable under the control of said controller; and a user interface including a plurality of keys for inputting information to said controller specifying that the volume of said alerting indicator be variably reduced; wherein said controller is responsive to the inputted information for signalling said audio circuit means to reduce the alerting indicator volume in accordance with said inputted information during a time when said alerting indicator is being generated indicating that said incoming call is being received by the radiotelephone. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 16)
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14. A radiotelephone, comprising:
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a receiver for receiving an incoming call signal and for outputting a first signal in response to receiving the incoming call signal, the first signal indicating that an incoming call is being received by the radiotelephone; a controller having an input coupled to an output of said receiver, said controller for outputting a second signal in response to receiving the first signal at said input; audio circuit means having an input coupled to an output of said controller, said audio circuit means being responsive to said second signal for generating an audible alerting indicator to notify a user of said incoming call, wherein a volume of said audible alerting indicator is variable under the control of said controller; and a user interface including a plurality of keys for inputting information to said controller specifying that the volume of said alerting indicator be variably reduced; wherein said controller is responsive to the inputted information for signalling said audio circuit means to reduce the alerting indicator volume in accordance with said inputted information during a time when said alerting indicator is being generated indicating that said incoming call is being received by the radiotelephone, wherein said controller further comprises timing means having an associated predetermined timeout value, said timing means for measuring the time elapsed from when said controller first receives said first signal indicating that an incoming call is being received by the radiotelephone, and wherein said controller signals said audio circuit means to increase the alerting indicator volume upon the controller determining that the measured elapsed time equals said predetermined timeout value.
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15. A radiotelephone, comprising:
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a receiver for receiving an incoming call signal and for outputting a first signal in response to receiving the incoming call signal, the first signal indicating that an incoming call is being received by the radiotelephone; a controller having an input coupled to an output of said receiver, said controller for outputting a second signal in response to receiving the first signal at said input; audio circuit means having an input coupled to an output of said controller, said audio circuit means being responsive to said second signal for generating an audible alerting indicator to notify a user of said incoming call, wherein a volume of said audible alerting indicator is variable under the control of said controller; and a user interface including a plurality of keys for inputting information to said controller specifying that the volume of said alerting indicator be variably reduced; wherein said controller is responsive to the inputted information for signalling said audio circuit means to reduce the alerting indicator volume in accordance with said inputted information during a time when said alerting indicator is being generated indicating that said incoming call is being received by the radiotelephone, and wherein said controller is responsive to a call being terminated for signalling said audio circuit means to increase the alerting indicator volume.
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Specification
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Litigation Data
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Current AssigneeIronworks Patents LLC
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Original AssigneeNokia Mobile Phones Incorporated (Nokia Corporation)
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InventorsSeppanen, Jorma, Vaihoja, Juha, Lietsalmi, Mikko, Vanttila, Jaakko
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Primary Examiner(s)Bost, Dwayne D.
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Assistant Examiner(s)WYCHE, MYRON
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Application NumberUS08/554,277Time in Patent Office1,506 DaysField of Search379/58, 379/59, 379/418, 379/421, 379/445, 379/390, 379/355, 379/252, 379/253, 379/373, 379/376, 379/375, 379/164, 379/395, 455/567US Class Current455/567CPC Class CodesH04M 1/724 User interfaces specially a...H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being g...H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal...H04M 19/042 with variable loudness of t...H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incomin...
