EP0724244A1 - Récepteur d'appel sélectif - Google Patents

Récepteur d'appel sélectif Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0724244A1
EP0724244A1 EP96300554A EP96300554A EP0724244A1 EP 0724244 A1 EP0724244 A1 EP 0724244A1 EP 96300554 A EP96300554 A EP 96300554A EP 96300554 A EP96300554 A EP 96300554A EP 0724244 A1 EP0724244 A1 EP 0724244A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
alert
mode
audible
alert mode
pager
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP96300554A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Michael S. Lang
Louis H. Weiss
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sony Electronics Inc
Original Assignee
Sony Electronics Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Sony Electronics Inc filed Critical Sony Electronics Inc
Publication of EP0724244A1 publication Critical patent/EP0724244A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B21/00—Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
    • G08B21/02—Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
    • G08B21/0202—Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child
    • G08B21/0222—Message structure or message content, e.g. message protocol
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B21/00—Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
    • G08B21/18—Status alarms
    • G08B21/24—Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B6/00—Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Definitions

  • This invention relates to the field of selective call radio receivers.
  • Radio pagers which provide multiple alert modes are commonly available in the market place. For example, a familiar audible alert is used to notify the user of an incoming message. However, in many instances it is undesirable for the user to be notified by an audible alert. For example, if the user is in church or a courtroom setting or in a setting where the audible alert will not be loud enough to be heard over ambient noise a tactile alert is more desirable. Such tactile alerts are commonly generated by a vibrating device which is set into motion upon receipt of an appropriate selective call signal. Other alert modes, such as chirps, are also common.
  • pagers include a switch which is used to manually select the type of alert mode desired by the user.
  • a switch which is used to manually select the type of alert mode desired by the user.
  • a selective call receiver such as a pager has multiple alert modes.
  • the alert mode is manually selectable by the user but can be overridden remotely in order to produce an audible and visual alert to facilitate location of a lost pager.
  • a selective call receiver includes a receiver/demodulator for receiving and decoding selective call radio signals.
  • a switch is provided for manually selecting between an audible alert mode and a tactile alert mode.
  • an alert mode override code is detected as a part of the selective call radio signal the manually selected alert mode is overridden.
  • An alert is then generated in response to receipt of the alert mode override code.
  • the pager includes a display, and a "lost pager" message is displayed on the display in response to detecting the alert mode override code.
  • an alert selected by the override includes a repeating alert sequence of a first alert for a first period of time followed by a second alert for a second period of time.
  • the first alert includes an audible alert operating at a high audio level and the second alert includes an audible alert at a lower audio level.
  • the first alert includes an audible alert operating at a high audio level and the second alert includes audible chirp alert.
  • the first predetermined time period preferably is short compared with the second predetermined time period.
  • a selective call receiver includes a receiver/demodulator for receiving and decoding selective call radio signals. Responsive to an alert mode override code as a part of the selective call radio signal, the device selects an alert mode to override the manually selected alert mode.
  • a method for operation of a selective call radio receiver includes the steps of: detecting a selective call signal including a predetermined address; detecting an alert mode override code; and overriding a manually selected alert mode in response to the alert mode override code.
  • a paging device includes an antenna 10 which responds to radio frequency signals such as those formatted in the POCSAG format or other common paging format. Such signals are provided by the antenna to a receiver/demodulator 14 which amplifies, converts the signal to a demodulated signal and provides such demodulated signal to a microcomputer 18 for processing.
  • Microcomputer 18 includes a read only memory reprint (ROM 20) and a random access memory (RAM) 22.
  • ROM 20 includes an operational program for controlling the function of the pager with RAM 22 serving, for example, as operating memory for carrying out various paging processes which might include digital signal processing, code comparison and the like.
  • Such radio pagers are commonly provided with a display 28 which is coupled to microcomputer 18 via a display interface 30 which provides appropriate drivers for the display.
  • Display 28 may, for example, be a liquid crystal display (LCD) or light emitting diode display or other suitable display device.
  • LCD liquid crystal display
  • a switch interface 34 provides debouncing and latching functions and other interface functions for one or more switches such as an alert mode switch 36 and a reset switch 38 so that appropriate switch signals are provided by the switch interface 34 to microcomputer 18.
  • Microcomputer 18 provides control signals to a tactile alert device 40 such as a vibrator when the pagers alert mode is set to provide a tactile alert.
  • a tactile alert device 40 such as a vibrator
  • the pagers alert mode is set to provide an audible alert
  • microcomputer 18 provides a control signal to an audible alert driver 42 which generates an audible alert and drives a loudspeaker 48 to produce an audible alert tone, chirp, beep or other suitable alert sound.
  • a buzzer or other audible alert device may be used to provide the audible alert function.
  • selective call radio signals are received by antenna 10 and receiver/demodulator 14 which provide such signals to microcomputer 18.
  • Many systems typically include an address field 52 and a message field 54 as illustrated in FIGURE 2.
  • microcomputer 18 compares the address in field 52 with an address stored in memory 20 (or in a code plug or the like.) When a match is found between the address 52 and the address stored in the pager, an alert is typically generated and message 54 is stored in RAM 22 and displayed on display 28.
  • the type of alert which is generated depends upon an alert mode which is selected by the user or a default alert mode which is encoded at the time of manufacture of the pager.
  • a predetermined lost pager code (or approximately synonymous alert mode override code) (LPC) 58 as illustrated in FIGURE 3 is inserted in the message field of the selective call signal. It is desirable that such message 58 be a message which is known only to the user to avoid override of the alert mode by others when the user desires that the tactile alert mode be used. For this reason, it is desirable that the message 58 be encoded either by the user or be a unique code associated with each individual paging device and provided by the manufacturer. Those skilled in the art will appreciate many variations on such a message 58 may be possible.
  • the alert mode for the pager is converted to audible as indicated by an indicator 62 forming a part of the pager display 28. It is also desirable that a predetermined message be generated for display on display 28. Such message may be simply "lost pager.” However, it may be beneficial to provide a more informative display such as "lost pager call Mike at 555-1234" or similar message which permits someone who finds the pager to contact the owner or paging service provider in order to return it. Such a message can be scrolled or segmented as required to fit in a pager's limited display area.
  • FIGURE 5 a first embodiment of operation of the paging device embodying the invention illustrating the overall concept is shown in the form of a flow chart.
  • the process starts at step 100 where microcomputer 18 compares received addresses with the pager's stored address at step 104. If no match is found, the pager waits for the next address.
  • microcomputer 18 compares received addresses with the pager's stored address at step 104. If no match is found, the pager waits for the next address.
  • Various processes which are known in the art are used during this process for battery conservation and are not relevant to this discussion.
  • the microcomputer 18 examines the message at step 108 for a special "alert mode override code” or “lost pager code” (LPC) which can be placed in the message area of a selective call packet as shown in FIGURE 3, or alternatively can be provided for by the paging protocol. If the LPC is placed in the message area of the packet, the message should be a message which one would not normally expect to encounter in conventional messages. Also, such a message should be secret and individually assigned to the user so that others cannot remotely change the user's alert mode without the user's consent.
  • LPC loss pager code
  • step 108 the operation of the pager proceeds in a conventional fashion including use of the alert selected manually by the user, for example by operation of the alert mode switch 36. Control then returns to step 104 and the pager operates in a conventional manner.
  • the alert mode is set to audible alert, overriding any selection made by the user, at step 114.
  • the pager alert is then activated at step 118 to provide an audible alert to facilitate locating the lost pager at step 118.
  • a simple alert is initiated, but other variations are possible as will be discussed.
  • the "lost pager" message is displayed on display 28 at step 124. The display continues to display the "lost pager message" until someone presses the reset switch (or otherwise resets the pager) at step 130. In other embodiments, the pager may be reset by another encoded transmission received by the pager.
  • FIGURE 6 a variation of the above embodiment is shown which substitutes for steps 114 through 130 in the process of FIGURE 5.
  • the "lost pager" message is displayed on display 28 at step 124.
  • several alert modes are available and a loud (preferably the loudest) audible alert is selected at step 156 and the alert is initiated at step 158 along with the timer T.
  • This loud alert is maintained for a first predetermined period of time, e.g. 10 seconds, to assist in locating the pager. It is, however, undesirable to maintain this alert mode for extended periods of time since it produces substantial battery drain.
  • step 162 the timer T is inspected to determine how much time has lapsed since initiating the alert at step 158. If the first predetermined time (10 seconds) has not elapsed, control passes to step 166 where the reset switch 38 is inspected. If the reset switch has not been actuated at step 166, control returns to step 162 until either the time T reaches the first predetermined time (10 seconds) or the reset switch is actuated.
  • the alert is ended at 168 and the timer is reset at 172.
  • the alert mode is then set to produce a periodic "chirp" sound (e.g. every one or two seconds) at step 176.
  • the alert is then initiated again at step 180 and the timer is initiated.
  • the timer T is inspected to determine if a second predetermined time (e.g. 60 seconds) has been reached. if not, the reset switch is inspected at 186 to determine if someone has reset the pager. If not, control shuffles between switch inspection and timer inspection until either the reset switch is activated or the timer expires.
  • the alert is stopped at step 190 and the counter N is incremented at step 192.
  • an extended alert sequence which enables the user to have a search time of about 3 minutes and 30 seconds for finding the lost pager.
  • a loud pager alert is sounded for a relatively short period of time to facilitate gross location of the pager. This should be the loudest alert possible in the preferred embodiment. This is helpful if the pager is in another room or has fallen under furniture, etc.
  • the pager enters a second alert mode which can be a comparatively lower audio level or a chirp for a much longer time period (i.e. 5 to 10 times as long) which should allow the user to home in on the pager without an excessive penalty in terms of battery life.
  • a user is provided with an opportunity to search, e.g. different rooms or floors of a house or office, without having to repeatedly stop to dial the pager number.
  • the pager's alert mode is overridden to select audible alert modes in the event the pager is manually in a silent mode.
  • the present invention has been described in terms of a selective call receiver such as a pager in which the alert mode can be remotely modified for purposes of locating a lost pager, the present invention can also be used for other purposes where a remote override of the alert mode is useful. For example, in the event of an emergency, it may be desirable to override a pager alert to create an alert which signals such an emergency. In other cases, it may be desirable to allow the person who is placing the page call to select the page alert mode to account for the pager user's environment. For example, in a high noise environment, it may be useful to provide a caller with the option of trying several alert modes, for example, each of which would be associated with a different code residing in the message field of the paging protocol.
  • the objective is to permit adequate time during the audible alert to locate the pager while optimizing battery drain in the event that the pager is lost outside of audible range.
  • Numerous variations of alert modes may be used to provide maximal opportunity to recover a lost or stolen pager using the concepts outlined herein while optimizing battery consumption without departing from the present invention.
  • the reset switch 38 may be held in position for an extended period of time, e.g. 5 seconds, in order to reset the pager from a lost pager event in order to assure that a person finding the pager does not inadvertently remove the lost pager message without writing down instructions.
  • Other reset mechanisms e.g. turning off the pager, may also be used for this purpose.
EP96300554A 1995-01-27 1996-01-26 Récepteur d'appel sélectif Withdrawn EP0724244A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US37942895A 1995-01-27 1995-01-27
US379428 1995-01-27

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0724244A1 true EP0724244A1 (fr) 1996-07-31

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Family Applications (1)

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EP96300554A Withdrawn EP0724244A1 (fr) 1995-01-27 1996-01-26 Récepteur d'appel sélectif

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0724244A1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH08251644A (fr)
NO (1) NO960324L (fr)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2320164A (en) * 1996-11-05 1998-06-10 Nec Corp Restricting a function of a radio communication device in a specific area
WO2003005314A1 (fr) * 2001-07-02 2003-01-16 Swissvoice Ag Procede de controle d'un terminal mobile, et terminal mobile y relatif
EP1898662A1 (fr) * 2005-01-14 2008-03-12 Research in Motion Limited Système et procédé pour localiser à distance un dispositif de communication mobile perdu
US8392554B2 (en) 2005-01-14 2013-03-05 Research In Motion Limited System and method of remotely locating a lost mobile communication device

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1173A (en) * 1839-06-18 Doob-lock
WO1982001780A1 (fr) * 1980-11-14 1982-05-27 Lander David R Moyens contribuant a reperer un objet
WO1992001352A1 (fr) * 1990-07-06 1992-01-23 Shimon Neustein Systeme d'appel a distance
EP0501282A1 (fr) * 1991-02-19 1992-09-02 Nec Corporation Récepteur sélectif d'appel de personnes
WO1993015590A1 (fr) * 1992-01-22 1993-08-05 Motorola, Inc. Radio a alarmes silencieuses et sonores
US5319349A (en) * 1992-04-13 1994-06-07 Smith Iii Frank E Pager safety system
EP0631262A1 (fr) * 1993-06-28 1994-12-28 Nec Corporation Récepteur d'appel avec moyen d'alerte sélectable
US5430440A (en) * 1992-11-19 1995-07-04 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Urgent call displaying method for a radio paging receiver

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1173A (en) * 1839-06-18 Doob-lock
WO1982001780A1 (fr) * 1980-11-14 1982-05-27 Lander David R Moyens contribuant a reperer un objet
WO1992001352A1 (fr) * 1990-07-06 1992-01-23 Shimon Neustein Systeme d'appel a distance
EP0501282A1 (fr) * 1991-02-19 1992-09-02 Nec Corporation Récepteur sélectif d'appel de personnes
WO1993015590A1 (fr) * 1992-01-22 1993-08-05 Motorola, Inc. Radio a alarmes silencieuses et sonores
US5319349A (en) * 1992-04-13 1994-06-07 Smith Iii Frank E Pager safety system
US5430440A (en) * 1992-11-19 1995-07-04 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Urgent call displaying method for a radio paging receiver
EP0631262A1 (fr) * 1993-06-28 1994-12-28 Nec Corporation Récepteur d'appel avec moyen d'alerte sélectable

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
BESHARAT M ET AL: "AUTO RADIO BY PAGE", MOTOROLA TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTS, vol. 23, 1 October 1994 (1994-10-01), pages 5, XP000468358 *
DELUCA M: "LOCAL INFRARED CONTROL OF RECEIVER ALERTS", MOTOROLA TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTS, vol. 12, 1 April 1991 (1991-04-01), pages 168, XP000229328 *

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2320164A (en) * 1996-11-05 1998-06-10 Nec Corp Restricting a function of a radio communication device in a specific area
GB2320164B (en) * 1996-11-05 1999-07-07 Nec Corp Radio communication device for restricting specific function and method for restricting the function
US6131045A (en) * 1996-11-05 2000-10-10 Nec Corporation Radio communication device for restricting specific function and method for restricting the function
WO2003005314A1 (fr) * 2001-07-02 2003-01-16 Swissvoice Ag Procede de controle d'un terminal mobile, et terminal mobile y relatif
EP1898662A1 (fr) * 2005-01-14 2008-03-12 Research in Motion Limited Système et procédé pour localiser à distance un dispositif de communication mobile perdu
US8392554B2 (en) 2005-01-14 2013-03-05 Research In Motion Limited System and method of remotely locating a lost mobile communication device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPH08251644A (ja) 1996-09-27
NO960324D0 (no) 1996-01-26
NO960324L (no) 1996-07-29

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