Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
  • H04M1/26—Devices for calling a subscriber
  • H04M1/27—Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously
  • H04M1/274—Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously with provision for storing more than one subscriber number at a time, e.g. using toothed disc
  • H04M1/2745—Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously with provision for storing more than one subscriber number at a time, e.g. using toothed disc using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04B—TRANSMISSION
  • H04B1/00—Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission
  • H04B1/38—Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
  • H04B1/40—Circuits
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
  • H04M1/26—Devices for calling a subscriber
  • H04M1/27—Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously
  • H04M1/274—Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously with provision for storing more than one subscriber number at a time, e.g. using toothed disc
  • H04M1/2745—Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously with provision for storing more than one subscriber number at a time, e.g. using toothed disc using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
  • H04M1/27485—Appending a prefix to or inserting a pause into a dialling sequence
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
  • H04M1/72—Mobile telephones; Cordless telephones, i.e. devices for establishing wireless links to base stations without route selection
  • H04M1/724—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
  • H04M1/72403—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
  • H04M1/7243—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality with interactive means for internal management of messages
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
  • H04M1/26—Devices for calling a subscriber
  • H04M1/27—Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously
  • H04M1/274—Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously with provision for storing more than one subscriber number at a time, e.g. using toothed disc
  • H04M1/2745—Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously with provision for storing more than one subscriber number at a time, e.g. using toothed disc using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
  • H04M1/27453—Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata

Definitions

• the present invention is related generally to wireless communication devices, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for duplicating user input into a wireless communication device via command shortcuts.
• Wireless communication devices such as cellular telephones
• cellular telephones are extremely popular. They allow a user to send and receive telephone calls from virtually any location.
• Cellular telephones sometimes have many of the features presently found in conventional land-line telephones, but additional features and functions are often needed in order to conveniently use cellular telephones.
• safety, utility, and courtesy considerations require that the user spend as little time as possible dialing destination telephone numbers and inputting other information with a keypad of the cellular telephone. For instance, when the user is driving the vehicle, it is extremely hazardous for the user to try to dial a destination telephone number, and at the same time, try to focus attention on traffic.
• Speed-dialing involves the storage of favorite or commonly dialed destination phone numbers in a memory of the telephone. When a call is to be placed to that destination telephone number, the user simply presses one or two keys on the keypad to retrieve the stored destination telephone number and to automatically place a call to that destination telephone number. Therefore, the user is provided with a command shortcut such that the user does not need to enter a long sequence of numbers that make up the telephone number.
• speed-dialing does provide some convenience for conventional land-line and cellular telephones, speed-dialing does not permit more extensive programming capabilities. Therefore, it can be appreciated that there is a significant need for programming capability in a wireless communication device. The present invention provides this and other advantages as will be apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying figures.
• An embodiment of the present invention provides a wireless communication device comprising a keypad to allow a user to enter information, with the information including a destination telephone number and additional data.
• a data storage is communicatively coupled to the keypad and stores the information entered by the user.
• a processor communicatively coupled to the keypad and to the data storage is responsive to a command from the user entered via the keypad to retrieve the information from the data storage and to transmit the retrieved information from the wireless communication device.
• the information stored in the data storage comprises an alphanumeric sequence.
• the information comprises timing information in addition to the alphanumeric sequence.
• the data storage with a plurality of addressable memory locations.
• the addressable memory locations have information stored therein that is separately identifiable by a corresponding keypad combination.
• the keypad is structured to allow the user to enter the keypad combination to trigger the processor to retrieve selected information from one of the addressable memory locations.
• the wireless communication device further comprises a display.
• the display displays a menu representative of the information stored in the data storage to allow the user to view the information.
• the processor triggers a transmission of the additional data after a wireless communication link to the destination is separately established by first transmitting the destination telephone number.
• the present invention also provides a method of operating a wireless communication device.
• the method comprises storing information including a destination telephone number and additional data in addressable memory locations of a data storage, assigning a separate keypad combination to a corresponding addressable memory location, retrieving the information in one of the addressable memory locations by entering the keypad combination corresponding to the one addressable memory location, and transmitting the retrieved information from the wireless communication device to establish a wireless communication link with a destination communication device associated with the destination telephone number.
• the method can further comprise displaying a menu representative of the information stored in the addressable memory locations.
• Another embodiment includes using a keypad to store the information in the addressable memory locations and to enter the keypad combination to retrieve the stored information.
• the method further comprises transmitting the information to the destination as a sequence of portions of information and waiting for acknowledgment from the destination before transmitting a subsequent portion of information.
• Embodiments of the invention also provide a device and method of transmitting information stored in a data storage as part of an ongoing wireless communication link and subsequent to establishing the wireless communication link.
• FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of a wireless communication device of the present invention.
• FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an illustrative operation of the wireless communication device of FIG. 1.
• Embodiments of the present invention allow a user to program a wireless communication device with a variety of alphanumeric data and other information, thereby substantially eliminating the need to manually enter long sequences of information via the wireless communication device's keypad each time a telephone call is made. That is, with conventional land-line and cellular telephones, dialing an overseas destination telephone number, accessing a voicemail system, or accessing various account information often requires a transmission of long and complicated sequences of numbers or other alphanumeric characters once a connection is established with the destination telephone number. For instance, to remotely access and use a voicemail system, the user first needs to dial the telephone number of the voicemail system and then enter a series of passwords and alphanumeric commands to retrieve, listen, save, or delete voicemail messages. Embodiments of the present invention described herein make these types of telephone calls dramatically more convenient.
• the present invention is embodied in a system 100 illustrated in the functional block diagram of FIG. 1.
• the system 100 is incorporated into a wireless communication device 101, which may be embodied in a cellular telephone.
• the system 100 includes a housing 102 that contains a transmitter 104 and a receiver 106 to allow transmission and reception of data, such as audio communications, between the system 100 and a remote location, such as a cell site controller (not shown).
• the transmitter 104 and the receiver 106 may be combined into a transceiver 108.
• An antenna 110 is attached to the housing 102 and is electrically coupled to the transceiver 108.
• the operation of the transmitter 104, receiver 106, and antenna 110 is well known in the art and need not be described herein.
• the principles of the present invention are applicable to a variety of wireless communication devices including, but not limited to, cellular /PCS, radio telephone, conventional radio, and the like. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited by the specific form of wireless communication device.
• the wireless communication device 101 also includes a central processing unit (CPU) 112, which controls operation of the system 100.
• the CPU 112 may perform all the tasks involved in the operation of the system 100, or only a portion of them, where the remaining tasks are delegated to other processing units included in the system 100.
• the wireless communication device 101 can include, in addition to the CPU 112, a call processor 114 that controls processing of outgoing and incoming telephone calls.
• the call processor 114 can be located in the system 100 or it can be at a remote external location, such as a cell site (not shown).
• the call processor 114 can be a combination of hardware and software, and in some instances, can be integrated with or a part of the CPU 112.
• the specific functions of the call processor 114 will be described in greater detail below.
• the call processor 114 and the CPU 112 will be used interchangeably herein, and it is understood that either or both of these components can perform the various functions described herein.
• the wireless communication device 101 further includes a computer- readable medium, such as a memory 116, which may include both read-only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM). A portion of the memory 116 may also include non-volatile random access memory to store information that must be present upon powering the wireless communication device 101.
• the memory 116 is generally used to store instructions and data for processing by the CPU 112 or by the call processor 114, including addresses of information stored within a data storage 118.
• the data storage 118 is another memory within the wireless communication device 101 that stores, for example, user- entered alphanumeric sequences, timing and delay information. Although the data storage 118 is shown in FIG. 1 as being separate from the memory 116, it is to be appreciated that one skilled in the art can make the data storage 118 part of the memory 116.
• the data storage 118 could be divided into a plurality m of addressable memory locations 120 where the user-entered information may be stored and accessed by the CPU 112, or by any other processing unit, such as the call processor 114.
• each of the addressable memory locations 120 stores distinct user-entered information and is assigned a corresponding keypad combination to allow the user to identify the particular addressable memory location 120 and to retrieve and transmit the information stored therein.
• the wireless communication device 101 also includes an audio input device, such as a microphone 122 and an audio output device, such as a speaker 124.
• the microphone 122 and the speaker 124 operate in a conventional manner to provide two-way audio communication using the wireless communication device 101.
• the speaker 124 is driven by driving signals generated by an output driver 126.
• the driving signals provided by the output driver 126 are converted by the speaker 124 into audible signals to transmit the voice of the caller to the user, or to produce audible cues and alerts that inform the user when an incoming call is being received and when an outgoing call is being made.
• Examples of audible cues and alerts that can be created by the output driver 126 and the speaker 124 include a ring that alerts the user of an incoming call, a key beep to indicate when a key on the wireless communication device is pressed, and a series of beeps to indicate when alphanumeric sequences (e.g., destination telephone numbers) are being automatically transmitted from the wireless communication device 101.
• a timer circuit 128 operated by timing software allows the user to program the wireless communication device 101 with timing and delay information.
• One function of the timer circuit 128 can be to assist in recording timing and delay information entered by the user.
• Another function of the timer circuit 128 can be to use the timing and delay information to control the timing of data transmission from the transceiver 108. This transmission is explained later below.
• the wireless communication device 101 also includes a display 130 to conveniently display operational settings of the wireless communication device 101, as well as user-entered data, such as destination telephone numbers and alphanumeric text. This information can appear on a menu 132 on the display 130. As will be described in more detail below, the menu 132 can also inform the user when information stored in the data storage 118 is retrieved and transmitted, or provide the user with a listing of the information stored in the data storage 118, along with their corresponding keypad combination.
• a keypad 134 is attached to the housing 102 for operation by the user to input information and commands into the wireless communication device 101.
• the keypad 134 provides a convenient input device by which destination telephone numbers, commands, and alphanumeric information may be entered and retrieved by the user.
• the keypad 134 is used to enter, record, store, and select alphanumeric sequences, timing and delay information, and other information to and from the data storage 118.
• bus system 136 of the wireless communication device 101 which may include a power bus, control bus, and status signal bus in addition to a data bus.
• bus system 136 may include a power bus, control bus, and status signal bus in addition to a data bus.
• the various buses are illustrated in FIG. 1 as the bus system 136.
• FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating operation of the wireless communication device 101 according to an embodiment of the invention.
• the user presses one or more keys on the keypad 134 of the wireless communication device 101 to enter a "RECORD" mode.
• the key(s) pressed during step 140 triggers the CPU 112 to place the memory 116 or the data storage 118 in the RECORD mode such that the identity and timing of keys subsequently pressed on the keypad 134 are stored.
• step 142 the user uses the keypad 134 to enter an alphanumeric sequence, timing, and delay information.
• Data entered by the user at step 142 can comprise any combination and length of alphanumeric sequences, timing, and delay information.
• an alphanumeric sequence can be a local destination telephone number, a destination telephone number along with an extension number, or an international telephone number.
• Lengthier alphanumeric sequences can include a telephone number followed by additional alphanumeric sequences corresponding to menu selections, account information, identification information, social security numbers, etc.
• the alphanumeric sequence entered in step 142 can include the telephone number of the voicemail system, the user's password, and a menu selection of the voicemail system (such as numeral "1" to check new voicemail messages, numeral "2" to review old voicemail messages, numeral "3" to delete voicemail messages, etc.).
• an alphanumeric sequence that can be recorded in step 142 is information used for long distance calling cards.
• the user can record an access telephone number of the calling card, a personal identification number (PIN) or account information indicated on the calling card, the destination telephone number, and menu selection information (e.g., when a system recording played after connecting to the access telephone number says, "Press 1 if you wish to make a long distance call.”). Therefore, the recording of alphanumeric information and sequences in step 142 eliminates the need for the user to repeatedly and manually enter all of the calling card information each time the user wishes to place a telephone call.
• PIN personal identification number
• menu selection information e.g., when a system recording played after connecting to the access telephone number says, "Press 1 if you wish to make a long distance call.”
• alphanumeric sequences can be entered and recorded at step 142. For instance, if the user frequently checks bank account information, then a bank telephone number, account number, social security number, and menu selections can be recorded at step 142 so that the user does not need to manually enter all of this information during subsequent telephone calls to the user's bank. It is not required that the destination telephone number be recorded at step 142 as part of the alphanumeric sequence. That is, the information recorded at step 142 can be used in combination with speed-dial telephone numbers stored elsewhere in the wireless communication device 101.
• the user can press a first set of keys on the keypad 134 to speed-dial a destination telephone number (e.g., to transmit just the destination telephone number), and once the communication link with the destination is established, the user can press a second set of keys to subsequently transmit additional data, such as alphanumeric sequences corresponding to menu selections, passwords, etc., to the destination as part of an ongoing communication.
• a destination telephone number e.g., to transmit just the destination telephone number
• the user can also enter timing and delay information.
• timing and delay information is useful, for example, in some voicemail systems that require a prerecorded greeting or instruction of the voicemail system to be completed before the user can enter a menu selection.
• the wireless communication device 101 can be programmed such that at step 142, the time to enter individual digits of the alphanumeric sequence is recorded.
• the user can record a telephone number of a voicemail system and then wait for 10 seconds before entering additional information via the keypad 134, with the 10 seconds corresponding to a length of the voicemail greeting. After the 10-second delay, the user can record a password, menu selection, etc.
• the timer circuit 128 operates in conjunction with the CPU 112 or with the call processor 114 to trigger a software routine to store the delay between pressed digits, along with the alphanumeric information itself, in the data storage 118.
• the system 100 can accommodate a broad range of programming features.
• step 144 the user presses one or more keys on the keypad 126 to enter an "END RECORD" mode.
• This mode notifies the CPU 112 or the call processor 114 that the user has finished entering information, and at step 146, the user chooses an addressable memory location 120 in the data storage 118 to store the recorded information.
• step 148 the user assigns a name or a keypad combination in association with the recorded information. For example, if the user has programmed the wireless communication device 101 to store the telephone number and account number of the user's bank account, then at step 148 the user can assign an alphanumeric keypad combination that spells "BANK.”
• the keypad combination can be any alphanumeric sequence or name.
• the keypad combination assigned to each of the addressable memory locations 120 can be as simple as a single-digit or double-digit number. Theoretically, an infinite number of keypad combinations can be assigned to identify each addressable memory location 120. In practice, it is expected that the number of valid keypad combinations will be limited to the number of available addressable memory locations 120 in the data storage 118. Further, the data storage 118 need not be physically located in the wireless communication device 101. The data storage 118 can be located at an external location, such as at a cell site (not shown), so that the user is provided with additional memory locations beyond the physical capacity allowed within the wireless communication device 101 itself.
• the information recorded by the user at step 142 can be stored in the wireless communication device 101, at a cell site, or in both locations, so long as the stored information is accessible by the CPU 112 or by the call processor 114.
• steps 144-148 shown in FIG. 2 shows that the user enters the END RECORD mode at step 144 after recording a single entry (e.g., a single telephone number) at step 142, it is to be appreciated that it is possible to record any number of entries at step 142 before the user enters the END RECORD mode at step 144.
• FIG. 2 shows that the user enters the END RECORD mode at step 144 after recording a single entry (e.g., a single telephone number) at step 142, it is to be appreciated that it is possible to record any number of entries at step 142 before the user enters the END RECORD mode at step 144.
• FIG. 2 shows that the user enters the END RECORD mode at step 144 after recording a single entry (e.g.
• steps 146 and 148 as occurring after the user enters the END MODE at step 144, it is to be further appreciated that the user can choose an addressable memory location at step 146 and assign a name or keypad combination for the recorded information at step 148 before the user enters the END RECORD mode at step 144. Consequently, the embodiments of the invention are not limited by the particular order of the steps shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2.
• the user can view or select the recorded information stored in the data storage 118 by scrolling through the menu 132 on the display 130. This is particularly useful if the user has stored a large number of telephone numbers in many different addressable memory locations 120, and needs to remember which keypad combination corresponds to a given addressable memory location 120.
• the menu 132 can display the keypad combination and an indication of the information stored in the addressable memory location 120 associated with that keypad combination. That is, the menu 132 can display the "BANK" keypad combination along with corresponding textual identification data, such as "Verify Bank Account Information.”
• the user can retrieve information stored in a given addressable memory location 120 by using the keypad 134 to directly enter the corresponding keypad combination or name associated with the stored information.
• the user at step 152 presses one or more key(s) (such as a "SEND" key, not shown) on the keypad 134. If the information includes a destination telephone number, selection of the SEND key will trigger a dial-up to the destination telephone number.
• the call processor 114 performs the dial-up by retrieving the selected information from the particular addressable memory location 120, extracting the destination telephone number from the selected information, and triggering a transmission to the destination telephone number via the transceiver 108.
• Step 152 includes displaying indication data on the menu 132 to indicate to the user that the call is being placed to the destination telephone number.
• the output driver 126 and the speaker 124 can also generate audible sounds to indicate to the user that the transmission is occurring.
• the transmission that occurs at step 152 may simply be a dial-up to the destination telephone number. If there are timings and delays that the user has recorded at step 142, the transmission at step 152 will include the programmed timings and delays after an initial connection is established with the destination.
• the timer circuit 128 assists the transceiver 108 and other components of the wireless communication device 101 with sending and processing the timings and delays.
• step 152 can be complementary to a separate speed-dialing operation, such that after a connection to the destination is established by speed-dialing the destination telephone number, pressing a key on the keypad 134 performs step 152 to transmit additional information as part of the ongoing communication.
• the description provided herein describes the stored information as being transmitted to the destination at step 152 as a single sequence of information, it is to be appreciated that the stored information can be transmitted to the destination in portions.
• This implementation may be used when the call processor 114 of the wireless communication device 101 is programmed to receive acknowledgments from the destination before transmitting subsequent portions of the selected information.
• the following example illustrates this implementation.
• the call processor 114 triggers a transmission to a destination telephone number, such as to a voicemail system, based on a first portion of information stored in the data storage 118 that is selected by the user and that contains the destination telephone number.
• an acknowledgment (such as a voicemail greeting) is transmitted from the voicemail system to the wireless communication device 101.
• the call processor 114 detects this return transmission (e.g., the greeting /acknowledgment) from the voicemail system, and in response, the call processor 114 triggers a transmission of a second portion of the stored information, which can be the user's password.
• the call processor 114 then waits for the voicemail system to acknowledge /transmit a receipt and authentication of the user's password.
• the call processor 114 sends a third portion of the stored information to the voicemail system, with the third portion of the stored information corresponding to a menu selection (such as a menu selection to listen to new voicemail messages).

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)
• Telephone Function (AREA)

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• 2001
  • 2001-01-12 JP JP2001552603A patent/JP2003520503A/ja active Pending
  • 2001-01-12 CN CN01803618A patent/CN1416637A/zh active Pending
  • 2001-01-12 WO PCT/US2001/000938 patent/WO2001052508A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-01-12 AU AU2001229373A patent/AU2001229373A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-01-12 EP EP01942490A patent/EP1247388A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2001-01-12 KR KR1020027008920A patent/KR100687507B1/ko not_active IP Right Cessation

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