CA2019549C - Control apparatus for a call reminder in a paging system - Google Patents

Abstract

A signal received in a paging receiver includes a reminding control signal, by which a call reminder is controlled to remind a user to respond to the received signal in a periodical reminding mode. The degree of an importance relating to message is conveyed from a caller to a callee by using a periodical reminding call in stead of an ordinary call.

Description

0 06-20 16:38 HIR~T~&~ssocI~TEs 03 Z39 5463 2 0 ~ 9 5 ~ ~ P'4 CON~OL APPA$~ATUS ~O~ A CALL REMINDER
~N A PA~ING SYSTEM

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This lnventlon relate~ to a control apparatus for ~ call rem~nder in a paging ~y~tem, and more partlcula~ly to, a paging control apparatu# for rem~nding a u~er carrying a rec~lver in a case where a ~all ~ignal for remlnding the u~er 1~ included in a radlo ~ignal transmitt~d ~rom a paging ~tation, e~c.
In the~e year~, a paglng receiver having varlou~
functlon~ ha~ been proposed and put into a practlcal use i~ 8 tendenoy of a~ding mul~ unc~ion~ to the paglng 8y~ tem.
A conventlonal paging rec~iver compriRe~ a c~l 1 r~minder for perlodically rem1ndlng a user c~rrylng the recelver by u~lng B sho~t alerting call whlch ~ontlnue~
untll the ueer manually discontinues 1~, 9~ ~hat a call 18 deinitely recognlzed by the u~er, for in~tance, a~
de~crlbed ln the U.S. Patent ~o. 4,~01,759.
However~ the conventional paglng recelver h~s disadvantsge~ in that a period between an lnitlal call an~ a reminder-call 18 flxed ln ~dvance, and an actuating tlm~ dur~tion of a call remlnder i~ 8190 flxed in ~dvsnce. Accordlngly, the eame c~l 1 remindlng 25 operatlon i~ carried out between an emergent c~ll an~
an ordinary call. As a r~ult, ~ call reminding 1 20 1 954~

carried out even in an ordinary call having no necessity of the call reminding.
SUHMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a control apparatus for a call reminder in a paging system in which the form of a reminding call is changed according to the degree of an importance.
It is another object of the invention to provide a control apparatus for a call reminder in a paging system, by which the degree of an importance is transmitted from a caller to a callee.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a control apparatus for a call reminder in a paging system in which a reminding call is generated only when a caller requires it.
According to a broad aspect of this invention, a control apparatus for a call reminder in a paging system, comprises:
means for detecting a reminding control signal in a signal received in a paging receiver;
means for reminding a user carrying the paging receiver to respond to the received signal; and means for driving the reminding means to remind the user in a driving manner selected from a periodical reminding mode and an ordinary calling mode, said periodical reminding mode being carried out by detecting said reminding control signal in said detecting means.
According to another broad aspect of this invention there is provided a paging receiver, comprising:
means for detecting from a paging signal a paging number .. .... . . ....

assigned to said receiver to produce a page detect signal;
means responsive to said page detect signal for generating an initial alert signal for a first predetermined period of time;
means for generating a reminder alert signal for a second predetermined period of time when a third predetermined period of time has elapsed after the cessation of said initial alert signal;
means for detecting from said paging signal a reminding control signal; and means responsive to said reminding control signal for changing the length of either one of said first, second and third predetermined periods of time.
According to another broad aspect of this invention there is provided a paging receiver, comprising:
means for detecting from a received signal a paging number assigned to said receiver to produce a detect signal;
means responsive to said detect si-gnal for generating an initial alert signal;
means for detecting a reminding control signal in said received signal to produce a detected control signal; and means responsive to said detected control signal for generating a reminder alert signal subsequent to the cessation of said initial alert signal.
According to another broad aspect of this invention there is provided a paging receiver, comprising:
a decoder for detecting a reminding control signal representing one of plural degrees of importance on a message included in a received signal, and generating a driving signal corresponding to said one of said plural degrees, said reminding _ , ~ "

3a 71885-11 control signal being included in said received signal together with an address signal assigned to said paging receiver; and a driver for driving an alert apparatus to remind a user carrying said paging receiver by receiving said driving signal, said alert apparatus being driven by a driving pattern selected from a first driving pattern having a fixed high duration and a period variable dependent on said one of said plural degrees and a second driving pattern having a high duration dependent on said one of said plural degrees and a fixed period.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
This invention will be explained in more detail in conjunction with appended drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a paging receiver including a control apparatus for a call reminder in a paging system in a preferred embodiment according to the invention, Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a received signal in the paging receiver, Figures 3 and 4 are timing charts showing reminding time signals, and Figure 5 is a flow chart showing a control flow in the control apparatus.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A control apparatus for a call reminder in a paging system in a preferred embodiment according to the invention will be explained.
Figure 1 shows a paging receiver comprising the control apparatus of the preferred embodiment which includes a radio circuit 19 for amplifying and demodulating a radio signal received ï

,:

201 954~
3b 71885-11 by an antenna 18, a waveform shaping circuit 20 for shaping a waveform of a demodulated signal supplied from the radio circuit r3 .~ ' '90-06-~0 16:40 HIR~T~RSSOCIRTES 03 Z39 5463 P.7 2019~L~L9 1g, a decoder 21 for carrying out a ~elow des~ribed operatlon, ~ quartz o~cillator 22 for supplying clo~
~lgnal~ to the decode~ 21~ etc, a PROM 23 for ~torlng its own c~ ignal ~call number), an alert signal gen~ra~lng time T1 ~defined as "fir~t time") and a selecting ~ignal SL of call reminder~ lncludlng a ~peaker 2~, a LED 27, a vibrator 28, etc. The speaker 26, LED 27, vlbrator ~ drlven by an alert apparatus drive~ 90. A RAM 24 having a memory region 24a for ~torlng a ~em~ndlng control ~lgnal ~X ~to be ~esarlbed later)l an ampllfylng and driving ci~it 25 for the call reminder~, a reset button 29 connected to the d~c~der 21~ a CPV 30 for controlllng the display of mes~age, a llqul~ cry~tal dlgplay ~LCD) 31 for dl3playlng the me~age, and a ~wltch 32 for turnlng a power 6upply 33 on and off. In the decoder Z1, a slgnal ~uppll~d ~rom the wav~form ~hapln~ circuit 20 i~
proc~ed to carry ~t the oomparlson of a c~ lgn l, the detection and analy~i~ of the remlndlng control signal XX, a perlodlcal remindln~ ~ontrol operation accordlng to thç d~tection ~nd ~naly~16 thereo, a ~ran~fer control op~ratlon of the message ~o the CPU
30, etc.
Flg. 2 ~how~ ~ forma~ o a dlgital coded slgnal in~ludlng the remindlng oon~rol signal XX. The ~ign~l lncludes a pr~ambl~ ~lgn~l 34 ~or changing an lntermitt~nt operation to ~ contlnuou~ operation ln the '90-06-20 16: 41 HIRRTR~RSSOCIRTE:5 03 239 5463 2 0 19 a 4 3 .

s radlo circuit 19, a ~ynchronou~ slgnal 35 for the synchronlam of the ~eceiver with A received signal, a 6electing call slgnal 36 whi~h i5 compared with ~he call number sto~ed in ~he PROM 23 ln a ~t~te of the ~ynchronism wi~h the rece~ved signal, ~es~age 37 which 18 received subsequent to the ~electing c~ ignal 36 in a ~tate o$ a coincidence between the ~electing c~ll ~i~nal and the call nu~ber, and the reminding control ~ignal XX o~ a two digit signal 38~ The signal 38 i~
1~ inputted by a u~er in accordanc~ with the degree~ of the lmpor~a~ce and emergency. The si~n~l 38 may not be lnputted when user do~ not require, Fig. 3 show~ four kind~ of remindlng time signal~ 45 to 48, one of whlch is ~elected by ~ content of the remindlng control slgnal Xx 38. ~ach of the reminding tlme ~lgnal~ 45 to 48 include~ a ~ommon fir9t time T1 whlch i~ the alert ~ignal gener~lng tl~e and fl correspon~ing one of non-common ~econd ~imes T2 whlch ls a period between an initi~l ca~l ~nd a remln~er call (T2A~ Tzsi T2c~ and ~D)I each of which 1~ one period o~ the corre~pondlng r~minding time ~lgnal a~ ed below. ~n Fig, 3, "hlgh" duration~ indicated by 45a, 46a, 47a and 4aa provide a generating pcrlod of ~n lnitlal call, and remaining "high" duration~ provide a generatinq perlod of a r~mlnder ~all. The ~o bit signal "00", "01", "10" or "11 " i8 de~ignated in ac~ord~nce wl~h the degree of an importance or , '90-06-21 10:37 HIR~T~SSOCIRTES 03 239 5463 P.2 2019~4~

emer~ency, In a ~all ha~ing no nece~ity of a remindlng c~ll, thl~ de~lgnatlon i~ not oarried out.

RE~MINDI~G C:ONTROL SIGNAL REMINDING TIM~S
X X SIGN~L

Fig, 4 ~hows ~nother ~t o~ remin~ing tlme si~n~ls 5S ~o S8, each of whlch in~ludes a correspondlng one of non-¢ommon Pir~ tlmes T1 ~T1A, T1B, T1C, and T1D) and a common seoond time T2 equal ~o one period thereof. The relatlon~ between the remlndlng tlme ~lgnals 55 to 58 and the remlnding control slgnal XX 38 are 113ted below. In Fig. 4, "high" dura~lons indiaa~ed by 55a, 5~a, ~7a and 5Ba provlde a generAting p~riod o~ an initlal c~ll, and remalnlng "hlgh" dura~ions provid~ a generatlng E~erlod of a remln~er call. A con~ent of ~h~ signal 38 1~
deElgnated in accordance with the ~egre~ of an lmportance or emergenCY.

J913-~36-2E~ /1 HIF;~FIT~SSOCI~TES ~ 2~9 516~ P. 1 20~33~L9 REMINDING CONTRO~ SIGN~ REMINDING TI~
X X SI~NA~

Operation of the control apparatu~ ln the preferred embodiment wlll be explalned in ~ig. 5.
When the sign~l a~ ~hown ~n Fig, Z 1 ~rAn~mltted from ~ paglng station to a paging rec~iver, the 3ignal ls recelved by the antenna 1~ of the paglng r~c~lver whi~h ~ turned on by the Ewltch ~2, and ampllfied ~nd demodulated ln the radlo clrcuit 19. The signal thus ampl~Ple~ an~ demodulated l~ ~h~pe~ in lts waveform in the waveform ~hapin~ clrcult 20, and the 1~ waveform ~hap~d ~ignal 1~ supplie~ to the decoder ~1, ~efore receivlng the slgnal, the ~adio clrcult 19 i~
controlled to ope~ate ln an intermittent mode by the CPU 30. Then~ ~he radlo clrcul~ 19 ie controlled to operate in a contlnuou~ mod~ by recelving the pre~mble ~ignal 34. When th~ paging receiver 1B ~nchronlzed wlth the received ~ignal ln aoco~ance with the ~ynchronou~ nal 35, the decoder 21 detect~ whether the slgnal ~upplied fro~ the waveform shaping clrcuit 2~ have a call slgnal ldentical t~ the call slgnal C~
~tored in the P~OM 23 by referring t~ the ~electing '90-06-20 16:45 HIRRTR~RSSOCI~TES 03 239 5463 P.2 - 20 1 ~9 call 8ignal 36 (~tep S1). When the ldentical call sign~l i8 detected, lt l~ then dete~ted whe~her the r~mlnding oontrol signal XX 3a 1Y included therein (st~p S2), In a case where no remindlng control signal l~
detected, an ordinary call~ng aler~ operation i~
carr~ed out (3tep S1~ n thi~ o~dinary calling alert operation, the oalling alert amplifyin~ and driving circult 25 i9 controlled to ~lve at lea~t one call apparatus 3electe~ from the ~peaker 26, the LE~ 27, and ~he vlbrator zB in accordance with the selec~ing ~lgnal SL, by which a U8~ ~a~ylng the paging receiver l~
alerted only ong time. ln this sta~e, if th~ mes~age 37 include3 data to be dlsplayed on the LCD 31, the dats are trangferred to the CPU 30 and di~pl~yed on the ~CD 31, In a ca~e where the reminding control ~lgnal XX
38 i~ d~te~ted in the recei~ed ~ign~l (step S2), on the other hand, the remindlng control ~lgnal~ XX 3B is 20 written ln~o ~he memory region ~4a o~ the ~AM 24, and a periodical r~mlndlng o~eration i~ c~rried o~lt ~18 explained below.
~ hen the re~inding con~rol ~lgnal~ XX 38 l~
"~0", a reminding time ~lgnal i~ ~et to have a "hlgh"
~5 duration of the flr~t time T1 and a perlod of the ~econd time T2A aQ the remindlng tlme signal 45 shown ln Flg. 3 ~tep~ S3 ~nd ~4), ~n the other hand, when '90-06-20 16:46 HIR~T~RSSOCIRTE5 03 239 5463 2 019 ~ ~ 9 the reminding control slgnal XX ~ "Ol ", "l ~", "l l ", respectlvel~, the reminding time signal~ are ~et to have period~ o the ~econd time~ T2B, T2C and T2D, resp~ctively, relative to the iixed "high" dura~ion of 5 T1 a~ the reminding tlme signals 45 to 48 shc:wn in Fig, 3 (step~ S5 to 59). The relatlons b~tween the reminding tlme slgnal3 45 to 4B and the remlnding control ~ignal XX 38 a~e a~ ~ollows.

REMINI:)ING CONTROI, REMINI~ lt;5 TIME
SIGNAL. 38 SIGNALS 45 TO 48 X X HIGH DU~ATION PERIO~

0 1 T~ T2B
T 1 T 2 g The remindlng call i3 ~en~rated to remind the u3er for the periodlcal fl~t time o~ T1, after an internal time~ i~ 8et to have a tlme-up period e~ulvalent to ~ perlod ~elected from the period~ T2A, T2B~ T2C ~nd T2D according to a conten~ of the reminding con~rol ~ignal XX 38 ~tep S10).
Con6equently, the reminding call 18 carried out for ~he flr~t tlme T1 by selecting one apparatu~ ~rom the ~peaker 26, the LED 27, and the vibra~or 2~
~ccording to ~he ~electing ~l~nal Sh 8tored ln the PROM
23, whlle the lnternal timer tim~g the second tlme T2 ed from T2~ T2~ T2C and T2D. Then~ the dec~der . '90-06-2~ 16:47 HIR~TR~RSSOCIRTES 03 Z39 5463 P 4 20195~3 21 determines whe~her the re~et but~on 29 l~ pres~ed on or not ~tep S13), and whether the intern~l timer flniehe~ the time-up of the above set second time T2 (step S14), In a case whe~e the re~et button 29 is not pre~#ed on during the fl~t tlme T1, ~nd the ~et ~eoond tlme ~ elapsed wlthout the pxe~ing-on of the re~et button 29 (-~tep S11~, the decoder 21 controls the internal timer to b0 re~et ~tep S12) Then, operation i8 returned to the ~tep S1~ wherein the second 1~ remlnding ~all 18 ca~rled out for the next ~lrst time T1, while the lnternal tlmer i5 ~rlven to tlme the next ~econd tlme T2, Thls re~inding op~ratlon is repeated by non-liml~ed tlmes, unless the re~et button 29 l~
pressed on by the user.
Wh~n the re#~t button 29 i~ pres~ed on by the user, the decoder 21 detects it to exlt fxom a loop of the ~teps S1~, 513~ S11, S12, and 810, ~o that the periodical remlnding call flnishe~ to remind the user.
At thls time, ~he decoder Z1 resetq the internal timer (~tep S14)~ and the remindlng call i~ controll~d to stop, lf the re~lndlng operatlon contin~ (lf "YES" i8 found at ~he ~t~p 515), while the remindlng con~rol ~lgnal XX 38 3tored ln the m~mory reglon 24a o the RAM
24 le erased in~tantly ~g~ep 517), l~ the remlnding oper~tion doe~ not contlnu~. ~hon, thl~ operatlon 19 r~tu~ned to the e~ep S1.
During this opexation, if the mes~age 37 '90-~6-20 16:47 HIRRTR~RSSOCIRTES 03 239 5463 2 q 19 ~ 4 9 included in the received signal lnclude3 data to be dl~played on ~he LC~ 31, the CP~ 30 receives ~he data which are then dl~played on the LCD 31.
The remindlng time 3i~nals 4S ~o 48 may be replaced by the reminding time slgnals ~5 to 5~ as shown ln Fig, 4, wherein the second time T2 is ~et to be a fix~3d period common to the remlnding time si~nal~
55 to 58, while the flrst tlme T1 1~ changed to be T1A, T1B~ TlC~ and T1D aocordlng to a content of the remindlng ~on~rol ~l~nal XX 3B as follow~.

REMINDING CON~ROI, ~EM~NDING TIME
SIG~AJJ ~8 SI~ALS 55 ~O 58 X X . ~N PE~IO~
.. . ..
TlA T2 A~ desorlbed ~bove, the degrae of an importance 1Q transmitt~d ~rom a calle~ to a calle~ by changlng a "high" duratlon of a remlnding call, ~ perlod thereof, etc. conseguen~ly, the following remlnding mode~ are possible to b~ c~rried out.
(1) An importan~ mesaage ~uah a~ an appolntment, a busine~ informatlon~ etc. i~ Rupplied from a caller to a callee by us~ o a periodical remlnding ~all~ whlle an ordinary me~sage whlch 1~ not GO important 18 supplled rom the caller 'co the callee '9~-06-213 i6:48 HIR~TR~F~SSOCI~TES 03 Z39 5463 2 0 19 ~ 4 9 P 6 by u~e of an ~rdlnary calling aler~. Accordlngly, the caller i8 not alway~ to re6pond to the call by dlscrlminatlng the lmportant and ordln~ry me~ages, when the caller can not spare a time to do 80 due to the bu~ls~t ~ate, (2~ In the prefe~red embodiment, the first to fourth clas~ emergencles can be clas~i~ied by use of the remlndlng tlme slgnal~ havlng different "high"
duratlon~ and perlod~ a~ ~hown ln ~igs. 3 and 4.
Although the ln~entlon has been de~crlbed wlth re~pect to speciflc embod~ment for complete and cle~r di~clo~ure, the ~ppended claim3 are no~ to ~e thu~
limite~ but are to be con~tru~d a~ embodying all modlflcation and alternative con~truc~ion~ that may occur to one ~killed in th~ ar~ whlch fairly fall ~ithin the ba~lc teaching herein set forth.

Claims (6)

1. A control apparatus for a call reminder in a paging system, comprising:
means for detecting a reminding control signal in a signal received in a paging receiver;
means for reminding a user carrying said paging receiver to respond to said received signal; and means for driving said reminding means to remind said user in a driving manner selected from a periodical reminding mode and an ordinary calling mode, said periodical reminding mode being carried out by detecting said reminding control signal in said detecting means.

2. A control apparatus for a call reminder in a paging system, according to claim 1, wherein:
said driving means drives said reminding means to operate in accordance with a reminding time signal having a waveform selected from a first signal having a fixed "high" duration and a period changeable according to the degree of an importance, and a second signal having a fixed period and a "high" duration changeable according to said degree.

3. A control apparatus for a call reminder in a paging system, according to claim 1, wherein:
said reminding means includes an audio apparatus, a visual apparatus, and a vibrator; and said driving means selects at least one from said apparatus of said reminding means to be driven according to a selecting signal included in said received signal.

4. A paging receiver, comprising:
means for detecting from a paging signal a paging number assigned to said receiver to produce a page detect signal;
means responsive to said page detect signal for generating an initial alert signal for a first predetermined period of time;
means for generating a reminder alert signal for a second predetermined period of time when a third predetermined period of time has elapsed after the cessation of said initial alert signal;
means for detecting from said paging signal a reminding control signal; and means responsive to said reminding control signal for changing the length of either one of said first, second and third predetermined periods of time.

5. A paging receiver, comprising:
means for detecting from a received signal a paging number assigned to said receiver to produce a detect signal;
means responsive to said detect signal for generating an initial alert signal;
means for detecting a reminding control signal in said received signal to produce a detected control signal; and means responsive to said detected control signal for generating a reminder alert signal subsequent to the cessation of said initial alert signal.

6. A paging receiver, comprising:
a decoder for detecting a reminding control signal representing one of plural degrees of importance on a message included in a received signal, and generating a driving signal corresponding to said one of said plural degrees, said reminding control signal being included in said received signal together with an address signal assigned to said paging receiver; and a driver for driving an alert apparatus to remind a user carrying said paging receiver by receiving said driving signal, said alert apparatus being driven by a driving pattern selected from a first driving pattern having a fixed high duration and a period variable dependent on said one of said plural degrees and a second driving pattern having a high duration dependent on said one of said plural degrees and a fixed period.