FR2748176A1 - Integrated portable telephone directory apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus includes a data memory which stores a series of telephone numbers. Each telephone number has associated audio information. The memory is selectively addressed. Digital data messages containing at least one sequence of data representing a message are received from a remote transmitter by radio paging. On reception of the message, the data sequence is compared with the corresponding stored numbers in the memory. A synthesiser generates the audio data associated with the telephone number when a concordance is found.

Description

 The invention relates to a portable electronic device with integrated telephone directory.

 Although, in the following description, the apparatus of the invention is mainly described in the form of an independent apparatus forming a telephone dialer, this form is not limiting and the invention also applies to other types of electronic apparatus, in particular in a form incorporated into a portable radiotelephone (the invention then being essentially implemented by the software for controlling the radiotelephone) or of a car, or even in the form of a radiotelephone accessory in which the composer is incorporated into a removable battery case.

 Devices with an integrated telephone directory are well known.

include a data memory containing a series of selectively addressable correspondent telephone numbers. This memory can even be coupled to a transducer making it possible to directly convert the numbers found in the memory into a series of Si.

acoustic signals (voice frequencies or "DTMF") corresponding to the different digits of the correspondent's number, so as to allow automatic dialing of this number without using a keyboard. In the case of a device already having a built-in telephone or radiotelephone block, the voice frequencies are transmitted directly to the number dialing circuits, without the need to provide an acoustic transducer, or else the pilot directory directly telephone dialing circuits.

 It has also been proposed, in particular by EP-A-0 650 283, to incorporate voice data information associated with each call number into the data contained in the memory. The addressing of the memory is then controlled by a speech recognition device comparing a name of correspondent, sent by the user in front of a microphone, to the different vocal images contained in the memory, so as to find the one that can be consider as the closest and reproduce it acoustically by means of a voice synthesis circuit. The user then confirms that it is indeed the name of the correspondent he has articulated, and the device can then, after a confirmation action such as a "click" or "double-click" on a button , emits the series the acoustic signals allowing the composition of the nu méro.

 This document describes various circuits incorporated in this device, which make it possible to manage the memory, to include new headings there, to update the existing headings, to propose various modes of operation to the user, etc. in the most ergonomic and interactive way possible.

 There are also known paging receivers (or "pagers", hereinafter simply referred to as "receivers"), which make it possible to receive digital or alphanumeric messages sent by a person wishing to come into contact with the wearer of the receiver. The message is for example composed on a videotex terminal or, if it is a simple series of numbers, composed by the caller on the keypad of his telephone, and the information is broadcast throughout the area where the user is likely to be located (regional or national coverage), for example by modulating a subcarrier of a broadcasting program. The transmitted data, which essentially comprise a receiver address (to identify the recipient) and the digital or alphanumeric message, is received by the recipient receiver, which detects the arrival of a message intended for it, stores this message and for example emits an audible signal to notify the user of this reception.

 WO-A-91/1 1875 describes, for example, such a receptor.

 The user has an acknowledgment button allowing him to read the message or messages in memory. In the simplest case of a digital message, the sequence of numbers corresponds to a telephone number to be recalled by the recipient, or to a particular action to be taken according to a predefined code.

We will assimilate to this technique that of Short Message Services (SMS) provided for by GSM specifications, which makes it possible to address radiotelephones digital messages of a few tens of bytes either from a particular caller (SIMS-MP / PP: Mobile Originating SMS, Point to Point) or by general broadcast (SMS-CB: Cell
Broadcast SMS). The present invention therefore also covers the use of such a "paging" technique in the sense in which this term is understood.

 One of the aims of the invention is to combine in the same electronic device both an integrated telephone directory and a paging receiver, not only by placing the two elements in the same housing, but by combining the two functions of so as to allow direct control of the telephone directory by the receiver.

 The starting point of the invention is, as indicated above, an apparatus of the type described by EP-A-0 650 283, that is to say of the type comprising: a data memory containing a series of correspondent telephone numbers and, for each telephone number, at least associated correspondent voice image information; and means for selective addressing of this memory. This device is characterized, according to the invention, in that it further comprises: paging receiver means, for receiving digital messages comprising at least one sequence of digits representative of the remote transmitter of the message; associating means, for comparing, on receipt of a message, the sequence of digits received with the call numbers of correspondents contained in the memory; and voice synthesis means, suitable for generating in the event of a match the corresponding voice image found in the memory by the associating means.

 It will be noted that the invention covers, as has been pointed out above, different levels of integration: fully autonomous device associating directory and receiver in the same housing; device incorporated into a GSM radiotelephone provided with an SMS function (the invention then being essentially implemented by the radiotelephone control software, with little or no additional components); or, at an intermediate degree of integration, in the form of a radiotelephone accessory in which the dialer is incorporated in a removable battery case.

Advantageously: - there is further provided means of acknowledgment by the user,
upon receipt of a message, activation of these acknowledgment means
triggering the activation of speech synthesis means - speech synthesis means add to the vocal image of the corresponding
laying a addressed vocal image in memory
tive of the time of reception of the associated message - it is further provided dialing means, to transform the
call number addressed in memory in a corresponding sequence
laying of number dialing signals; in this last
in case, a suscep acoustic transducer can also be provided
tible to be paired with a handset microphone, to
transform the sequence of number dialing signals into
acoustic signals, or the device may include a set
integrated telephone or radiotelephone receiving the sequence of
number dialing signals produced by means com
installers. Finally, in the event of a lack of agreement found by the
associating means, the composing means can be activated
to transform the sequence of digits received into said sequence
corresponding number dialing signal.

0
We will now describe an example of implementation of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

 Figure 1 is a front view of the apparatus of the invention showing the arrangement of the various controls.

 FIG. 2 is a schematic representation by functional blocks of the internal structure of the device of the invention.

0
As can be seen in Figure 1, the housing of the invention is externally in a form similar to that described in the aforementioned EP-A-0 650 283, to which reference may be made for further details.

 Essentially, the box 10 of the device comprises a digital or alphanumeric display 12 (a digital display, associated with a few symbols indicating the operating mode of the device, being generally sufficient) as well as a side acknowledgment button 14, a microphone 16 and a speaker 18.

 The apparatus includes a certain number of additional commands, normally concealed by a flap 20 articulated at 22. These commands include a keyboard 24 with the twelve basic telephone keys for entering a new number into the memory of the directory telephone, keys 26 for movement in this memory and function keys 28 (for example "yes" - "no" - "deletion" - "modification").

 Reference is made to the aforementioned EP-A-0 650 283 for further information on the role of these keys and the operation of the apparatus in its configuration of directory and telephone dialer with recognition and speech synthesis. Essentially, when the user wants to search for a name, he presses the key 14 and utters a corresponding name in front of the microphone 16. Associating means then search the memory of the device for the vocal image closest to the name which has been articulated and reproduce this vocal image on the loudspeaker 18. If it is indeed the name of the person that the user wishes to reach, the user "double-clicks" the button 14 for acknowledgment. The series of voice frequencies is then composed on the loudspeaker 18 which has previously been applied to the microphone of the telephone handset.

 Alternatively, the device can be directly integrated into a radiotelephone. In this case, the acknowledgment triggers the generation of an appropriate sequence of activation and dialing commands, instead of doing so by transmitting DTMF frequencies via an acoustic transducer.

 In another variant, the device is incorporated into a box associated with a radiotelephone, for example a removable battery box.

In this case, the radiotelephone data transfer socket is used to send the aforementioned sequence of activation and dialing commands to the latter.

 FIG. 2 describes in the form of a functional block diagram the various internal elements of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

 Essentially, this comprises a control circuit 30 with which, according to the invention, a paging receiver or "pager" 32 is associated. The latter receives signals picked up by an antenna 34 (which can be, in such a way - even known, a small antenna integrated into the housing) and delivers as output, at 36, a digital signal comprising at least one sequence of digits representative of the sender of the message, typically a telephone number that the sender requests from recipient to call back. This sequence of digits is transmitted to the control circuit 30 which consists of a digital circuit 38, an analog circuit 40, a read only memory 42 and a random access memory 44. The digital circuit 38 receives, in addition to the sequence of digits received by the receiver 32, the commands coming from the keyboard 24 and from the function keys 26 and 28 as well as from the acknowledgment button 14. This circuit 38, which can in particular be constituted around a signal processing microprocessor (DSP), ensures the execution of various algorithms for voice recognition, voice coding and speech synthesis, as well as the management of memories 42 and 44, the management of real time (block 38 comprising a clock) as well as application software.

 The analog circuit 40, which cooperates with the digital circuit 38 and the memories 42 and 44, receives the signals picked up by the microphone 16 and controls the loudspeaker 18 and the display 12.

 Here again, more detailed information on the structure and operation of these circuits can be found in the aforementioned EP-A-0 650 283.

 Characteristically of the invention, when the receiver 32 receives a message for the device, it transmits this message to the digital block 38 which loads it into the memory 44 for further processing. Simultaneously, a "beep" can be emitted on the loudspeaker 18 to warn the user of the arrival of a message, this one being also presented on the display 12. The device then goes on standby and waits user acknowledgment.

 During this acknowledgment (press by the user on the side button 14), means are then triggered to compare the sequence of digits received by the receiver with the various call numbers contained in the memory 44. The telephone numbers can be stored in the memory in different forms, in particular with or without country code, international access, long distance, etc., the software takes into account its particularities by performing, if necessary, several searches or a search according to several criteria, because the number received may or may not have these different prefixes.

 Once it has found a matching number, the apparatus controls the voice synthesis circuits so as to reproduce on the loudspeaker 18 the voice image of the correspondent associated with the call number which has been found in the memory of data. If for example the number picked up by the receiver is that of the correspondent "So-and-so", the device will say for example "So-and-so called you" or "So-and-so called you at 9:55 am" if you plan to concatenate the voice image of the correspondent a voice image of the arrival time of the message, given by the internal clock of the digital circuit 38.

 The user can then for example order the automatic numbering by a "double-click" on the button 14, this automatic numbering being carried out either by emission of vocal frequencies on the speaker 18 which will have been applied beforehand on the microphone d 'A telephone handset, either by transmitting voice frequencies to the radiotelephone circuit (or by direct control of the radiotelephone circuits), when the apparatus of the invention is incorporated into this radiotelephone.

 If a matching number has not been found by the device, the device may say "Number missing". As the received number remains stored, it is however possible to dial it directly by "double-clicking" on the side button 14, in the same way as above.

 Of course, various variants are possible. For example, the digital message may not correspond to a telephone number to be called back, but to a particular action to be taken, according to a code provided in advance between the sender of the message and the recipient. For example, the code "555" could mean "Come back to the office on the way home"; if a corresponding message has been recorded in the memory, the acknowledgment by the side button 14 will cause the transmission, in clear, of the message. We can thus foresee a very wide variety of actions for which it will not be necessary to remember a particular mnemonic since the message will be stated in clear.

 The management of the memory of received messages is carried out in a conventional manner in itself: browsing of the history of calls received in the memory sorted by date and time of reception, deletion of a section, listening to the message again, insertion the number received in the directory memory, with activation of the microphone to speak the corresponding voice image, etc.

 In the case where the device of the invention is integrated into a radiotelephone, the transmission of the message can be carried out by the intermediary of the service provider in the form of a voice mailbox.

Thus, when a person wishes to get in touch with the radiotelephone carrier but the latter cannot be reached (the cell where he is located could not be determined, the radiotelephone is deactivated, etc.), the center divert the caller to the voice server, where a welcome message prompts him to leave a message, for example in the form "You are in the mailbox of Mr. So-and-so. Say your message and tap sharp." After the caller has done this, the server says "Type the telephone number on your keyboard where you want to be called back, then type pound". The server then performs the general broadcast of a paging signal to the desired subscriber. When the latter's receiver detects the arrival of a signal intended for it, it will decompress and decode the voice message to reproduce it on the loudspeaker, and display the telephone number to call back. On a user order, the search in the directory will be carried out as indicated above and the user will be able to dial the transmitted number.

 In the event that the caller calls from an ISDN line or a line capable of transmitting the call number, it is not even necessary to ask them to enter the telephone number; just ask them to confirm that the number to call is their own.

 Various variants or supplements are of course conceivable, such as the reception and the enunciation of text or spoken messages, or the updating of appointments stored in the memory of the device in addition to the correspondent numbers, these various functions being carried out within the framework of specific application software.

Claims (7)

 1. A portable electronic device with integrated telephone directory, comprising: - a data memory (44) containing a series of telephone numbers  pel of correspondents and, for each telephone number, at least  associated correspondent voice image information, and - means for selective addressing (38) of this memory, device characterized in that it further comprises: - paging receiver means (32), for receiving  digital messages with at least one number sequence  fres representative of the remote sender of the message, - associating means (38), for comparing, upon receipt of a message  wise, the sequence of digits received at the correspondence numbers  layers contained in the memory, and - voice synthesis means (38, 40), suitable for generating in the event of  concordance of the correspondent voice image found in the me  moire by associative means.  2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein there is further provided means of acknowledgment (14), by the user, of the reception of a message, the activation of these acknowledgment means triggering activation of voice synthesis means.  3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the voice synthesis means add to the voice image of the correspondent addressed in the memory a voice image representative of the time of reception of the associated message.  4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein there is further provided dialing means, for transforming the call number addressed in the memory into a corresponding sequence of number dialing signals.  5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein there is further provided an acoustic transducer (18) capable of being coupled to a telephone handset microphone, for transforming the sequence of number dialing signals into acoustic signals.  6. The electronic device of claim 4, in which this device comprises an integrated telephone or radiotelephone assembly receiving the sequence of number dialing signals produced by the dialing means.  7. The electronic device of claim 4, in which, if there is no match found by the associating means, the dialing means can be activated to transform the sequence of digits received into said corresponding sequence of number dialing signals .