IL118971A - Method for improving telephone calling procedures - Google Patents

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEPHONE CALLING PROCEDURES IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEPHONE CALLING PROCEDURES Field of the Invention The invention relates to improvements in telephones, particularly but not exclusively cellular telephones and, more specifically, to a method and apparatus for permitting cellular telephones to be called by means of a customized call signal, in place of or in addition to the standard call ring, as desired by the cellular telephone owner.

Background of the Invention Cellular telephones are often used in public places, and several such phones may be present within a limited space, such as a restaurant, a bus or railway station, a waiting room of any kind, and so forth. As a result, it often occurs that several cellular telephones ring concurrently, and it is not always immediately clear from which one the ring issues, so that several persons pick up their phone and operate it in the expectation of hearing a message. This creates a degree of confusion and sometimes some embarrassment.

In standard, non cellular telephones too the regular call ring may sometimes prove unsatisfactory. Though its intensity may be controlled to a certain degree, it may still prove to be a disagreable sound and disturb sleeping children or sick persons.

It would be therefore highly desirable, and it is a purpose of this invention, to provide a system for assigning to each telephone, in particular, but not exclusively, a cellular telephone, an acoustic call of its own, in place of or in addition to, the standard ring.

It is another purpose of this invention to provide a system which permits each telephone owner and user - hereinafter, "the subscriber" - to choose and determine his personalized call, whether it be a sound, bars of music, a name, a message, and any other call chosen by the subscriber.

It is a further purpose of this invention to provide such a system that does not require extensive and costly modification of the telephone, in particular the cellular telephone, itself, nor significant complications in its relationship with the telephone company and exchange with which the telephone is connected.

It is a further purpose of this invention to provide such a system which is easy to use and actually requires no operations other than those to which a subscriber is already accustomed.

Other purposes and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

In order for the invention to be well understood, certain preliminary observations are in order.

Hereinafter, the terms "caller" and "receiver" will respectively indicate the apparatus which sends a call and the apparatus which receives it. Persons using them will be called respectively "the calling subscriber" and "the receiving subscriber". Reference will always be made hereinafter, for purposes of illustration, to cellular telephones, but it should always be understood that this is not a limitation, since the invention is equally applicable to standard, non-cellular telephones. In any case, even when the receiver is a cellular telephone apparatus, the caller may always be any kind of telephone apparatus.

In a normal operation of telephones, when a caller requests the telephone exchange to place it into a connection with a receiver, having a certain number, the exchange sends out a signal at the frequency assigned to the particular receiver - hereinafter called "a dial signal" - which activates a ring in the receiver. Typically, the ring is produced by a loudspeaker -hereinafter "the ring loudspeaker" - driven by an oscillating circuit. This circuit is normally open, and the call from the station - which may merely generate a pulse - causes it to be closed. The same call, generally, causes a display to be lighted on the receiver. Concurrently, the exchange sends to the caller an intermittent ring, corresponding to that which is emitted by the receiver ring loudpseaker. If the receiving subscriber is ready to receive the call, he performs what will be called "a hookup procedure", which will permit a caller to establish contact with the receiver. This is generally done, in cellular telephones, by pressing a button or by lifting a cover which protects the keyboard or in similar ways, or, if the receiver is a standard apparatus, by lifting the earpiece. As soon as the hookup procedure has been performed, the ring is discontinued, the circuit of the ring loudspeaker being once again open, and the exchange places the caller in communication with the receiver for carrying out the desired conversation. During the conversation, a second loudspeaker - hereinafter "the earphone loudspeaker" - much less powerful than the first-mentioned one, so that it has to be placed close to the ear clearly to distinguish the sounds emitted by it, permits the receiving subscriber to hear the message of the calling subscriber. If the receiver is not switched on, the exchange communicates to the caller, after a given number of rings, that the receiver is not available for communication. Cellular telephones are provided with a power source generally in the form of a battery (though the telephone may also be connectable to an outside power source, such as a car battery, or to a power line), and they comprise a controller, essentially a microcircuit, which controls their operations.

It must further be recalled that modern telephone exchanges have a number of what may be called "memory cells", one for each subscriber, wherein messages may be registered from a caller when the receiver is not available for communication, or communication is not requested. Any subscriber can hear the messages destined for him by dialing a certain code, consisting in a number or a key or combination of keys, which automatically places him into communication with the memory cell assigned to him, which is then actuated by the telephone exchange, through suitable computer means, to transmit the recorded message as if it were an outgoing call.

Summary of the Invention Keeping the above facts in mind, the system according to the invention comprises providing, first of all, in the telephone, particularly the cellular telephone, what will be called hereinafter a "boosted loudspeaker", viz. loudspeaker means that are more powerful than the standard earphone loudspeaker, so that it emits sounds loud enough to be heard in the environment without placing it near the ear. The boosted loudspeaker may be an additional loudspeaker, or the earphone loudspeaker itself, driven, when required, by what will be called a "booster circuit", viz. an additional circuit which delivers more power than the standard one. In non cellular apparatus such boosted loudspeakers are generally provided anyway and are used in telephones to permit to conduct conversations without lifting the earpiece; however, they must be actuated by the subscribers for this purpose. In any case, switch means, practically transistor means, is provided to switch between the different loudspeakers, as required, and particularly as will be described hereinafter.

Means are provided in the telephones according to the invention for the dial call, which is emitted by the telephone exchange when calling the telephone as a receiver, to actuate the boosted loudspeaker instead of the ring loudspeaker. By "telephone exchange" is meant herein the exchange with which the cellular telephone in question is connected. The telephone exchange transmits with the dial call what will be called "a customized call message", that is registered, as will be explained hereinafter, in the memory cell assigned to the particular cellular telephone. The customized call message - be it a sound code or a few bars of music or a spoken message - is heard through the boosted loudspeaker in the environment in which the receiver is located.

When the receiving subscriber carries out the hookup procedure, the boosted loudspeaker is disactivated, the earphone loudspeaker is activated, and the receiver is ready to carry out a conversation in a normal way. If the boosted loudspeaker is the earphone loudspeaker itself driven by a booster circuit, the earphone loudspeaker is disconnected from the booster circuit and connected to its ordinary low power circuit.

Concurrently, the telephone exchange discontinues the communication of the memory cell with the receiver and places the caller in communication with the receiver in the ordinary way.

Since the boosted loudspeaker draws from the telephone power source more power than the ring loudspeaker, it is desirable, at least in cellular telephones in which the power source is a battery, that it operate for as short a time as possible. Therefore, in an embodiment of the invention means are provided for discontinuing the customized call message and returning to the normal call ring if, after a predetermined short time, the hookup procedure has not been performed. Said means are essentially switch means which switch off the boosted loudspeaker and switch on the ring loudspeaker. In a further embodiment of the invention, said switch means may be actuated by the subscriber, or other switch means may be provided, to keep the boosted loudspeaker switched off, so that the ring louidpseaker is actuated by call signals and the telephone behaves in a coventional manner, for as long a period of time as the subscriber desires.

When a subscriber wishes to create a customized call message or to change an existing customized call message, he activates his telephone, dials a predetermined code - a number or a key or a combination of keys -and thus establishes communication with the telephone exchange. When that particular dialing occurs, the telephone exchange places the calling cellular telephone - by means already present for the registration of messages - in communication with the memory cell assigned to it and actuates registration means in the memory cell to register sounds or a words which the calling cellular telephone sends. These are registered in a particular section of said memory cell as a customized call message, to be sent as hereinbefore described when another telephone calls.

In the phones according to the invention, the ring loudpseaker may be missing, but preferably is present and may be activated or disactivated by switch means, as hereinafter more fully explained.

The method according to the invention comprises therefore the following steps: I - creating for each telephone a customized call message by: a - calling from said telephone the telephone exchange through a predetermined code; b - sending to the telephone exchange the desired customized call message; and c - registering said message in a section of the memory cell assigned to said telephone; II - providing boosted loudspeaker means in said telephone; III - when said telephone is switched on, but is not in communication with another telephone, causing all loudpseakers to be disactivated, viz. switched off; IV - when a caller telephone dials the number of said telephone, for it to become a receiver, activating the boosted loudspeaker and sending to this latter from the telephone exchange the customized call message registered for said receiver; V - when the hookup procedure is performed, disactivating the boosted loudspeaker, if not already disactivated, and activating the earphone loudspeaker; and VI - placing the caller telephone in communication with said receiver in the normal way.

The activation of the loudspeakers is effected generally by connecting their circuits to a source of power and their disactivation is effected generally by disconnecting their circuits from the source of power.

In a form of the invention, the telephone which creates a customized call message is a cellular telephone.

In a preferred form of the invention: when a caller dials the receiver's number, the telephone exchange sends to this latter a call signal which activates the boosted loudspeaker; then the customized call message is sent from the exchange to the receiver; at the end of the customized call message, or thereafter at the end of a predetermined period of time, the boosted loudspeaker is disactivated and the ring loudspeaker is activated; and when the hookup procedure has been carried out, the ring loudspeaker is disactivated and the earphone loudpseaker is activated.

The apparatus according to the invention comprises, in each telephone which comprises an earphone loudspeaker: A - a boosted loudspeaker, consisting of an additional loudspeaker more powerful than the earphone loudspeaker or of an additional circuit driving the earphone loudspeaker with greater power, sufficient to produce sounds that can be heard in the environment; B - switch means for connecting a source of power alternatively to at least said earphone loudspeaker and said boosted loudspeaker; C - means for controlling the operation of said switch means; D - means in the said telephone for signalling to the telephone exchange that said telephone wishes to register a customized call message; and in the telephone exchange: E - means for placing said telephone, when the same signals that it wishes to register a customized call message, in communication with a predetermined section of the memory cell assigned to said telephone; F - means for registering in said memory section the customized call message sent by said telephone; and G - means for signalling to a receiver telephone that its customized call message is about to be transmitted and for transmitting said customized call message.

In a preferred form of the invention, the telephone additionally comprises a ring loudspeaker and the switch means connects the source of power alternatively to said boosted loudspeaker, said ring loudspeaker and said earphone loudspeaker.

Preferably, the said telephone is a cellular telephone. In this case, the power required by the boosted loudspeaker can be provided by available cellular telephone batteries, as long as it is required for limited periods of time.

Brief Description of the Drawings In the drawings: Figs, la and lb schematically illustrate of the connection between a caller and a receiver through a telephone exchange, according to the prior art; Fig. 2 is a schematic illustration of the creation of a customized call message, according to an embodiment of the invention; and Figs. 3a and 3b schematically illustrate the response of a receiver to an incoming call, according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments Figs, la and lb schematically illustrate the connection between a caller and a receiver, according to the prior art. In the drawing it is assumed that the receiver is a cellular telephone, but this, as has been said, is not necessary. The caller, which is illustrated as a conventional telephone but could be a cellular telephone as well, is indicated at 10. As show in Fig. la, he caller 10 dials the desired receiver and the dial call reaches the telephone exchange, schematically indicated at 11. Since the caller is illustrated as a conventional telephone, the dial call is assumed to be transmitted to a telephone exchange through a conventional wire line. So far, there is no direct connection between the caller and the receiver, as schematically indicated by a switch 12 in the telephone exchange, which is shown as open. At this stage, the receiver phone 13 is switched on, but a hookup procedure is not performed. The telephone exchange transmits the dial call to the receiver 13, and this causes the ring loudspeaker to produce a ring. The receiving subscriber hears the ring and performs the hookup procedure, shown in Fig. lb as the lifting of the cover, resulting in the receiver's being ready to receive the incoming call, as is shown at 13'.

The telephone exchange then places the receiver in communication with the caller, as symbolically indicated in Fig. lb by the closure of switch 12 as at 12', and the conversation between caller and receiver can take place.

Fig. 2 schematically illustrates the creation of a customized call message or the substitution of a new customized call signal for an old one. The telephone exchange 11, only sumbolically indicated, is shown as comprising a memory cell, indicated at 20, for each subscriber, which memory cell is comprised of various sections 21, in each of which a message can be registered. One of them is shown as having the number of the subscriber's telephone registered therein. One cell, indicated as 22, is left free for registering a customized call message and on such possible message is marked on the drawing. The telephone, which is assumed in this schematical illustration to be the cellular telephone receiver 13 of Fig. la, dials a code, which, as has been said, can be constituted by a number or by the result of actuating a single key or a combination of keys. The call reaches the exchange, as symbolically indicated at 23, and is transferred to the memory section 22, which could be empty or contain a previously registered, customized call message. Telephone 13 then transmits the customized call message which it wishes to register, and this is registered in memory section 22. If an older customized call signal was present, it is canceled and substituted by the new one, in an overwrite operation.

Figs. 3a and 3b schematically illustrate how the communication between a caller and a receiver is established, when the receiver is provided with a customized call message. A power source (PS) 30, which, in the case of a cellular phone will be a battery and in other case may be a connection to a power line, can be connected to three circuits, that of the ring loudspeaker (RC) 31, that of the earphone loudspeaker (low power circuit LP) 32, and that of the boosted loudspeaker (calling message circuit CMC or high power circuit HP) 33. In this embodiment, the boosted loudspeaker may consist of the earphone loudspeaker, driven by a circuit which delivers a greater power than the normal circuit, so that the sounds emitted by the loudspeaker can be heard in the environment without placing the receiver next to the subscriber's ear, or may be a separate loudspeaker. A switch 34 permits to connect the power source to any one of the said three circuits. In Fig. 3a, switch 34 is shown in position zero, viz. is open.

Fig. 3b schematically illustrates the calling procedure when the receiver has a customized call message registered in the telephone exchange. Position 1 on the time axis indicates the moment in which the call signal (CS) is sent from the exchange. This signal generally is merely a pulse of a certain frequency. When it is received by the receiver, which is assumed to be switched on, switch 34 shifts to position 1 and connects power source 30 to the boosted loudspeaker circuit 33. Then the customized call message (CCM) is sent from the exchange and is heard in the vicinity of the receiver from the boosted loudspeaker. At the end of the message, position 2 on the time axis is reached. At this point, switch 34 shifts to position 2 and connects power source 30 to the ring loudspeaker circuit 33. Since the duration of the message is predetermined and is short, the power consumed by the boosted loudspeaker is limited and can be supplied by a cellular phone battery for a considerable length of time. From position 2, the ring loudspeaker operates until the hookup procedure is carried out at position 3. Said procedure causes switch 34 to shift to position 3 and connect power source 30 to the earphone loudspeaker circuit 32. Thereafter the conversation between caller and receiver is carried out in the normal way. If the receiving subscriber responds promptly to the customized call message and carries out the hookup procedure before position 2 on the time axis is reached, switch 34 will shift directly from position 1 to position 3 and the ring loudspeaker will not be actuated.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been described for the purpose of illustration, it will be understood that the invention may be carried into practice by skilled persons with many modifications, variations and adaptations, without departing from its spirit or exceeding the scope of the claims.

Claims (12)

Claims

1. Method for improving the calling procedure of telephones, which comprises the steps of: I - creating for each telephone a customized call message by: a - calling from said telephone the telephone exchange through a predetermined code; b - sending to the telephone exchange the desired customized call message; and c - registering said message in a section of the memory cell assigned to said telephone; II - providing boosted loudspeaker means in said telephone; III - when said telephone is switched on, but is not in communication with another telephone, causing all loudspeakers to be disactivated; IV - when a caller telephone dials the number of said telephone, for it to become a receiver, activating the boosted loudspeaker and sending to this latter from the telephone exchange the customized call message registered for said receiver; V - when the hookup procedure is performed, disactivating the boosted loudspeaker, if not already disactivated, and activating the earphone loudspeaker; and VI - placing the caller telephone in communication with said receiver in the normal way.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the telephone is a cellular telephone.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the activation of the loudspeakers is effected by connecting their circuits to a source of power and their disactivation is effected by disconnecting their circuits from said source of power.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein: when a caller telephone dials the number of the telephone for which a customized call message has been created, for it to become a receiver, sending from the telephone exchange to said receiver a call signal which activates the boosted loudspeaker; thereafter, sending the customized call message from the exchange to the receiver; at the end of the customized call message, or thereafter at the end of a predetermined period of time, disactivating the boosted loudspeaker and activating the ring loudpseaker; and when the hookup procedure has been carried out, disactivating the ring loudspeaker and activating the earphone loudpseaker.

5. Apparatus for improving the calling procedure of telephones which comprises, in each telephone which comprises an earphone loudspeaker: A - a boosted loudspeakers, sufficiently powerful as to produce sounds that can be heard in the environment; B - switch means for connecting a source of power alternatively to at least said earphone loudspeaker and said boosted loudspeaker; C - means for controlling the operation of said switch means; D - means in the said telephone for signalling to the telephone exchange that said telephone wishes to register a customized call message; and in the telephone exchange: E - means for placing said telephone, when the same signals that it wishes to register a customized call message, in communication with a predetermined section of the memory cell assigned to said telephone; F - means for registering in said memory section the customized call message sent by said telephone; and G - means for signalling to a receiver telephone that its customized call message is about to be transmitted and for transmitting said customized call message.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the telephone additionally comprises a ring loudspeaker and the switch means connects the source of power alternatively to the boosted loudspeaker, the ring loudspeaker and the earphone loudspeaker.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the switch means connects the source of power successively to the boosted loudspeaker, the ring loudspeaker and the earphone loudspeaker.

8. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the telephone is a cellular telephone.

9. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the boosted loudspeaker consists of an additional loudspeaker more powerful than the earphone loudspeaker.

10. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the boosted loudspeaker consists of an additional circuit driving the earphone loudspeaker with greater power.

11. Method for improving the calling procedure of telephones, substantially as described and illustrated.

12. Apparatus for improving the calling procedure of telephones, substantially as described and illustrated.