WO2001049019A1

WO2001049019A1 - Method for storing at least one ringing signal sequence, and a telecommunications terminal

Info

Publication number: WO2001049019A1
Application number: PCT/DE2000/004539
Authority: WO
Inventors: Khai Van Lieu
Original assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 1999-12-23
Filing date: 2000-12-19
Publication date: 2001-07-05
Also published as: AU3359201A; DE19962338A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for storing at least one ringing signal sequence and to a telecommunications terminal (5) which make it possible to store an arbitrary ringing signal sequence. To this end, the telecommunications terminal (5) comprises a storage device (1) for storing at least one ringing signal sequence to be played back during an incoming call. The telecommunications terminal (5) comprises means for loading the at least one ringing signal sequence from an external storage medium (10) into the storage device (1).

Description

Method for storing at least one call signal sequence and telecommunication terminal

State of the art

The invention is based on a method for storing at least one call signal sequence and on a telecommunication terminal according to the type of the independent claims.

The Nokia 9000 Communicator is already known, in which a ring tone editor is provided which makes it possible to design a ring tone melody which is adapted to the wishes of the user. The main display "Ringer Editor" lists all available ringer melodies, of which only three user-defined melodies are available for editing.

Advantages of the invention

The method according to the invention for storing at least one call signal sequence and the telecommunication terminal according to the invention with the features of the independent claims have the advantage that the call signal sequence is loaded from an external storage medium into the memory of the telecommunication terminal. On In this way, any call signal sequences can be made available in the telecommunications terminal without having to be programmed by the user of the telecommunications terminal. Rather, the user of the telecommunications terminal can do as he or she wishes

Needs select an external storage medium that keeps a preferred ringing signal sequence stored by him, for example in the form of a ringing tone melody, and make this ringing tone tune available for playback when a call arrives at his telecommunications terminal. In this way, the telecommunications terminal can be equipped with a call signal sequence that is selected according to the wishes of the user and thus individual for the reproduction of an incoming call, without programming of an individual call signal sequence and the associated effort being required.

A telecommunication terminal with an individual call signal sequence is used by an incoming call due to the reproduction of the individual call signal sequence

User easily and quickly recognized, especially if the user is in a room with several people and the call signal could also come from telecommunications terminals of these people.

The measures listed in the dependent claims advantageous refinements and improvements of the method for storing at least one ringing signal sequence and the telecommunications terminal according to the independent claims are possible.

It is particularly advantageous that the data of the at least one call signal sequence of the external storage medium is converted into a data format readable by the telecommunication terminal during the loading process in an adaptation device become. This ensures that the telecommunication terminal can also reproduce the loaded call signal sequence. In this way, call signal sequences from an external storage medium can also be made available for playback in the case of an incoming call at the telecommunication terminal, which would otherwise not be readable by the telecommunication terminal due to their data format. This results in greater freedom for the user when choosing an external storage medium with a call signal sequence preferred by him.

Another advantage is that the data of the at least one ringing signal sequence is compressed in the adapter, that the data compressed in this way in the

Memory of the telecommunications terminal are loaded and that the compressed data stored in the memory of the telecommunications terminal of the at least one call signal sequence are decompressed before they are played back on an incoming call. In this way, a call signal sequence of an external storage medium can be stored in a memory-saving manner in the memory of the telecommunication terminal, so that the memory capacity of the memory of the telecommunication terminal can be kept as small as possible or, given a given memory capacity of this memory, a call signal sequence which is as long as possible can be stored in the memory of the telecommunication terminal.

A selection of the at least one call signal sequence on the external storage medium on an input unit represents a particularly convenient possibility for the user to select the desired call signal sequence of the external storage medium access by means of the adapter to perform the loading process.

drawing

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing and explained in more detail in the following description. FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a telecommunication terminal according to the invention, a matching device and a drive for an external one

Storage medium and Figure 2 is a flow chart for the execution of the method according to the invention.

Description of the embodiment

In FIG. 1, 5 denotes a telecommunications terminal, which is used as a corded telecommunications terminal, for example according to the ISDN standard (Integrated Services Data Network), as a cordless telecommunications terminal, for example according to the DECT standard (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications), or as a wireless telecommunications terminal, for example according to the GSM standard (Global System for Mobile Communications) or the UMTS standard (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System). The

Telecommunication terminal 5 comprises a first controller 30, to which a memory 1, a playback device 65 and a first interface 25 are connected. In this example, the reproduction device 65 is designed as an acoustic reproduction device, for example in the form of one or more loudspeakers. The first interface 25 can be designed as a serial or parallel interface. In Figure 1, a matching device is also shown and identified by reference numeral 15. The adaptation device 15 can be designed, for example, as a computer unit or as a personal computer and comprises a second controller 45, to which an input unit 20, for example in the form of a keyboard, has a

Display device 40, for example in the form of a display or liquid crystal display, a second interface 35, for example in the form of a serial or parallel interface, a data format converter 55 and a compression device 50 are connected.

FIG. 1 also shows a drive 60 in which an external storage medium 10 is inserted. The drive 60 can be designed as a playback device for external storage media designed as optical storage disks, for example as a compact disc player or as a CD-ROM drive. The external storage medium 10 is then designed accordingly as a compact disc or as a CD-ROM. However, the drive 60 can also be a magnetic drive, an opto-magnetic drive or the like, the external storage medium 10 inserted into the drive 60 then being a magnetic or an opto-magnetic storage medium. In the following, it should be assumed by way of example that the drive 60 is designed as a drive for optical storage disks such as CD-ROMs or compact discs and the inserted external storage medium 10 is a compact disc with audio signals in the form of pieces of music or melodies.

The telecommunication terminal 5 according to FIG. 1 is connected to the adapter device 15 via the first interface 25 and the second interface 35, wherein the first interface 25 and the second interface 35 can either be designed in series or both in parallel. The drive 60 also includes a reading device 70 with which data can be read from the external storage medium 10 inserted in the drive 60. In the example described here, in which the drive 60 is designed as a drive for optical storage disks, the

The reading device 70 is designed as a scanning device, which scans the external storage medium 10 by means of a laser beam and thus reads its data. According to FIG. 1, the scanning device 70 is also connected to the second controller 45. For this purpose, the drive 60 can be connected to the adaptation device 15 via a further interface arrangement (not shown in FIG. 1 for reasons of clarity) or, according to an alternative embodiment, part of the adaptation device 15 itself and thus integrated into the adaptation device 15.

FIG. 2 shows a flow chart for the functioning of the method according to the invention. This flowchart represents a possible and exemplary form of implementation of the invention

User on the input unit 20 an operating mode for downloading a call signal sequence from the external storage medium 10 into the memory 1. This setting is detected by the second controller 45. The second controller 45 then sets the desired operating mode on the adapter 15. The program then branches to a program point 105. At program point 105, the second controller 45 reads the content data from a run-in area of the external storage medium 10 by means of the scanning device 70 and causes it to be displayed on the

Display device 40. This content data can be, for example, a list of the music tracks stored on the external storage medium 10 and their start addresses on the external storage medium 10. The program then branches to a program point 110, at which the user uses the input unit 20 and the displayed content data to select a music title or to select any address on the external storage medium 10 from which the scanning device 70 is to read out music data. According to these inputs, the second controller 45 causes the scanning device 70 to read out the external storage medium 10 at the addresses or locations of the external storage medium 10 specified by the user by means of the input unit 20. Via a loudspeaker 75 connected to the second controller 45 according to FIG

After the electro-acoustic conversion, the connecting device 15 can be reproduced on the loudspeaker 75 for the purpose of monitoring, by means of which the user can select a desired call signal sequence. For this purpose, the address of the music data currently being reproduced is shown in parallel on the display device 40 on the external storage medium 10, so that the user, for example, by entering a corresponding address on the input unit 20, the music data of the external storage medium 10 following this address for the

Selects the ringing sequence. The start address is temporarily stored in a memory of the adaptation device 15 which is assigned to the second controller 45 and is not shown in FIG. 1. The program then branches to a program point 115. At program point 115, the second controller 45 sends in via the second interface 35 and the first interface 25

Information request signal to the first controller 30 in order to query the data formats for audio signals supported by the telecommunications terminal 5 for reproduction on the reproduction device 65. With the

Information request signal, the first controller 30 is further queried as to whether the telecommunications terminal 5 comprises a decompression device in order to present compressed audio data before playback of the playback device 65 and, if so, what types of compression are supported in this way by the telecommunications terminal. Furthermore, the first controller 30 is queried by means of the information request signal as to which capacity the

Memory 1 for storing a ringing signal sequence comprises. The first controller 30 then generates an

Information response signal, which is transmitted to the second controller 45 via the first interface 25 and the second interface 35 and tells the second controller 45 which data formats are used by the telecommunication terminal 5 for the reproduction of a call signal sequence from

Telecommunication terminal 5 are supported, whether and if so, what types of compression for the compression of a call signal sequence by providing appropriate decompression devices or algorithms supports the telecommunication terminal 5 and what capacity the memory 1 has for storing a call signal sequence.

The program then branches to a program point 120. At program point 120, the second controller 45 checks whether the music data on the external storage medium 10 are in a data format that is supported by the telecommunication terminal 5 for the reproduction of a call signal sequence on the reproduction device 65 in accordance with the information response signal. If this is the case, the program branches to a program point 130, otherwise the program branches to a program point 125. At program point 130, the data format converter 55 is deactivated if it is not already deactivated. The program then branches to a program point 135. At program point 125, the data format converter 55 is activated if it is not already activated. The program then branches to program point 135. At the program point 135, the second controller 45 uses the received information response signal to check whether the telecommunications terminal 5 supports compression of the call signal sequence by providing a decompression device or whether one of the types of compression provided by the compression device 50 is supported by the telecommunications terminal 5. If this is the case, the program branches to a program point 140, otherwise the program branches to a program point 145. At program point 140, the second controller 45 activates a compression algorithm of the compression device 50, the type of compression of which is supported by the telecommunication terminal 5 if this compression algorithm is not already activated. At program point 145, the second controller 45 causes the compression device 50 to be deactivated, if it is not already deactivated. Both program point 140 and program point 145 branch to a program point 150. At program point 150, the second controller 45 calculates according to the received information response signal on the basis of the capacity of the memory 1, the data format provided for the transmission of music data from the external storage medium 10 to the telecommunication terminal 5 and the type of compression provided for the transmission of these music data from the external storage medium 10 to the telecommunication terminal 5 an end address on the external storage medium 10. The between the start address selected by the user on the input unit 20 and the end address determined as described on the external

Storage medium 10 stored music data thus form the call signal sequence to be transmitted from the external storage medium 10 to the telecommunication terminal 5, the amount of data of which approximately corresponds to the free or overwritable capacity of the memory 1. The second controller 45 now initiates the Scanning device 70 for reading out the call signal sequence defined as described from the external storage medium 10. When the data format converter 55 is deactivated and the compression device 50 is deactivated, the read call signal sequence remains unchanged via the second

Interface 35 and the first interface 25 transmitted to the first controller 30 and stored in the memory 1. If the data format converter 55 is activated, the call signal sequence read from the external storage medium 10 is converted by the data format converter 55 into a data format which is supported by the telecommunications terminal 5 and is transmitted in the manner described to the first controller 30, which stores the received call signal sequence in the memory 1. If the compression device 50 is activated, the call signal sequence read out from the external storage medium 10 by means of the scanning device 70 is subjected to a data compression in the compression device 50, possibly after a data format conversion as described, which compresses the call signal sequence in a manner or by a compression algorithm which is carried out by the Telecommunications terminal t 5 is supported by providing a corresponding decompression device or a corresponding decompression algorithm. The call signal sequence compressed in this way is in turn transmitted to the first controller 30 in the manner described, which then stores the received call signal sequence in the memory 1 in compressed form. If the data format converter 55 is deactivated, there is no data format conversion of the read call signal sequence. If the compression device 50 is deactivated, there is no compression of the read signal sequence that has been read out and possibly converted into its data format.

The program is then exited. The second controller 45 can prepend header information to the call signal sequence before it is transmitted to the telecommunications terminal 5, which contains information about the data format and possibly the type of compression of the call signal sequence used. On the basis of this information, the first controller 30 can check whether the received call signal sequence can be reproduced on the reproduction device 65. In the example described, however, the first controller 30 receives from the adapter device 15 only ringing signal sequences which have a data format and may be compressed according to a type of compression which are supported by the telecommunications terminal 5, so that the ringing signal sequence can be reproduced on the reproduction device 65. In the case of a received compressed call signal sequence, the playback signal 65 also decompresses the call signal sequence by means of a decompression device 80 shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1 with the suitable decompression algorithm. The decompression device 80 is connected to both the first controller 30 and the playback device 65. If the call signal sequence received by the first controller 30 is not compressed, it can be forwarded directly to the playback device 65 for playback if it is in one of the

Telecommunications terminal accepted data format is present. After a call signal sequence has been downloaded from the external storage medium 10 into the memory 1 of the telecommunication terminal 5 in the manner described, the telecommunication terminal 5 can be separated from the adapter device 15. If a call is now received at the telecommunication terminal 5 via a telecommunication network, the first controller 30 causes the call signal sequence stored in the memory 1 to be reproduced, if necessary after prior decompression by the Decompression device 80 on the playback device 65.

In this way, the user of the telecommunications terminal 5 has the option of loading a preferred melody from the external storage medium 10 into the memory 1 of the telecommunications terminal 5. The memory 1 is preferably designed as a non-volatile read / write memory, so that the process described for loading a call signal sequence from an external storage medium into the memory 1 of the telecommunication terminal 5 can be carried out as often as required, so that the user can play it back the playback device 65 provided call signal sequence can change at any time by overwriting a call signal sequence stored in the memory 1 by a new call signal sequence in the manner described by downloading from an external storage medium via the adapter device 15.

It can be provided that an upper limit is set for the duration of the call signal sequence to be stored in the memory 1, which is 30s, for example. This upper limit can also be transmitted for the preparation of the charging process with the information response signal from the telecommunication terminal 5 to the adapter device 15 or to the second controller 45, so that the end address for reading out the external storage medium 10 is limited to the extent that this upper limit is read out Call signal sequence is not exceeded.

This upper limit is independent of the data format and possible data compression. The data decompression provided by the telecommunications terminal 5 is also dependent on the computing or processor power specified in the telecommunications terminal 5. If the computing power is sufficiently high, data of a call signal sequence can be transmitted through the

Decompression device 80 which have been compressed by the compression device 50 after MP3 compression (or MPEG 1/2 layer 3).

The call signal sequence does not necessarily have to be a piece of music or a melody, but, depending on the type of data recorded on the external storage medium 10, it can be any audio data.

It can also be provided in the manner described

Way to load several different call signal sequences in the memory 1 and to provide a selection of one of the call signal sequences stored in the memory 1 for the reproduction of an incoming call on the reproduction device 65 on the telecommunication terminal 5 by means of an input unit of the telecommunication terminal 5 not shown in FIG. In addition to the possibility of downloading one or more call signal sequences from the external storage medium 10 in the manner described via the adapter 15 into the memory 1 of the telecommunication terminal 5, it can be provided, for example, to store one or more permanently specified call signal sequences in a read-only area of the memory 1 and / or to provide a ring tone editor on the telecommunications terminal 5, for example as in the "Nokia 9000 Communicator", by means of which the user of the telecommunications terminal 5 can program one or more ringing signal sequences himself and store them in the memory 1 so that they can be overwritten. The selection of one of the call signal sequences stored in the memory 1 in one of the described ways can then be carried out as described by means of an input unit of the telecommunication terminal 5, not shown in FIG. 1, the selection optionally also being menu-controlled on an in

Figure 1, also not shown display device of the telecommunications terminal 5 can be done using a selection menu. In the case of an incoming call, the call signal sequence of the memory 1 last selected in this way is then reproduced on the reproduction device 65.

Claims

Expectations

1. Method for storing at least one call signal sequence in a memory (1) of a telecommunication terminal

(5) for playback of an incoming call, characterized in that the call signal sequence is loaded from an external storage medium (10) into the memory (1) of the telecommunications terminal (5).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one call signal sequence from the external storage medium (10) via a matching device (15) in the memory (1) of the telecommunications terminal (5) is loaded.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the data of the at least one call signal sequence of the external storage medium (10) in the adapter (15) in a readable from the telecommunications terminal (5)

Data format to be converted.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the data of the at least one call signal sequence in the adapter (15) are compressed, that the data thus compressed in the memory (1) of the telecommunications terminal (5) are loaded and that in Memory (1) of the telecommunications terminal (5) stored compressed data of the at least one Call signal sequence to be decompressed before an incoming call.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one call signal sequence on the external storage medium (10) for the loading process is selected on an input unit (20) and that on the selected call signal sequence of the storage medium (10) by the adapter ( 15) is accessed to perform the charging.

6. Telecommunication terminal (5) with a memory (1) for storing at least one call signal sequence for playback with an incoming call, characterized in that the telecommunication terminal (5) means for loading the at least one call signal sequence from an external storage medium (10) in the Memory (1) comprises.

7. Telecommunications terminal (5) according to claim 6, characterized in that the means for loading a

Include interface (25) to which the external storage medium (10) can be connected via an adapter (15) and via which, when the external storage medium (10) is connected, the call signal sequence from the external storage medium (10) into the

Telecommunication terminal (5) is loadable.

8. telecommunications terminal (5) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the telecommunications terminal (5) of the connected

Adapting device (15) via the interface (25) communicates information about which data format it supports for the reproduction of the call signal sequence.

9. Telecommunications terminal (5) according to claim 6, 7 or 8, characterized in that the

Telecommunications terminal (5) of the connected adapter device (15) via the interface (25) informs about whether it supports compression of the data of the call signal sequence.

10.Telecommunications terminal (5) according to claim 9, characterized in that the telecommunications terminal (5) of the connected adapter device (15) via the

Interface (25) communicates the type of compression supported.