WO2001067722A2

WO2001067722A2 - Telephone comprising a caller check function

Info

Publication number: WO2001067722A2
Application number: PCT/EP2001/002574
Authority: WO
Inventors: Thomas Sonnweber; Lydia Ivanovski
Original assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd.
Priority date: 2000-03-07
Filing date: 2001-03-07
Publication date: 2001-09-13
Also published as: WO2001067722A3; AU2001256197A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a telephone comprising a caller check function. The switched-on telephone does not signal a call directly after said call has been received but transmits an item of information to the caller. Signalling of the call is carried out in such a way that said signalling is automatically released by means of the telephone after a certain waiting time has elapsed and/or that signalling of the call is released by the caller actuating an (optionally predetermined) additional key or combination of keys on his/her telephone.

Description

1 telephone with caller check function

Subject of the invention

5 Telephone that gives the user the option of receiving only those telephone calls that he wants to receive at this time (caller calling function, caller check function, ACF).

The drawing (FIG. 1) shows an example of the circuit arrangement for the technical implementation of the invention.

Phone users, especially mobile phone users, often have the need to be called only for important or other specific reasons and otherwise to be undisturbed.

1b

Telephone calls, for example, are particularly disruptive when the telephone user is talking to someone else. The call flow is interrupted by an uncomfortable call; the other party usually has to wait for the duration of the phone call without being involved. Also during the meal, during sports, during breaks, during the night's rest and also in other cases, a call can be quite annoying. On the other hand, cell phone owners in particular often did not want to switch off their phones in order to be reachable in urgent or other specific cases. ό

The subject matter of this invention is a sensible compromise. In the case of this invention, the called party does not himself reject an undesired call, rather the caller decides whether there should be a call signing and subsequently a voice connection. A further advantage of the invention is therefore that the called party is not uneasy about the caller.

The invention is based on the fact that a call is not signaled by the dialed telephone immediately after the call arrives or after the number of the desired telephone has been dialed. Only after a certain waiting time (delay) is there a call signaling (through sounds, other acoustic or optical signals, through vibrations etc.). This

REPLACEMENT DEVICE (RULE 26) 1 Waiting time is used in such a way that the caller receives information during this time. Accordingly, he is informed that the called party only wants a call in certain cases and that the called party may otherwise be undisturbed. The necessary duration of the waiting time therefore ranges from several to a few seconds in order to provide the caller with the information and to allow him a certain time to decide.

If the caller hangs up before the end of the waiting time, there is no signing of the call and, consequently, there is no speech connection between the phones of the caller and the called party. The potentially called party remains undisturbed.

If the caller does not hang up until the end of the waiting time, the called party's telephone signals the incoming call after the end of this waiting time. The end of the waiting time can the caller z. B. be notified by a beep. When the called party answers the call ("picks up"), a voice connection is established between the phones in the usual way.

0 An adjustability of the length of the waiting time by the telephone user (called party) might be advantageous.

Technically, this can be implemented, for example, as follows: A programmable central control unit (ZSt) (state of the art) of the telephone 6 is equipped, inter alia, with a time recording element (ZE) and a voice - recording, voice memory - and voice - Playback instrument (SAn, SSp and SWg) coupled and programmed so that when a call arrives, a signal (Sig) is not immediately triggered, but that the voice information instrument (SWg) sends the corresponding information via Tele-O fonverbmdung (AL) is forwarded to the caller. Only after the waiting time has elapsed is there a call signing (Sig)

In a modification of the possibility described above, another procedure leads to the goal that a telephone user receives only certain calls. Here, too, a call is not signaled by the dialed phone immediately after it arrives or after dialing the phone number of the phone. The phone (of the called party) first signals the call

SPARE BLADE (RULE 26) 1 if the caller presses another specific key on his phone. Another number key is conceivable here, as is a function key (#, *, etc ...). It makes less sense, because it is unnecessarily complex, if an entire key combination had to be pressed.

5

The caller is informed during the time after dialing the number of the desired subscriber until the further key (nkombmatιon) is pressed, with the aid of which further key (nkombιnatιon) a call signaling is triggered for called parties. At the same time, he is informed

10 that this is only desired in urgent and / or other specific cases and that he should otherwise hang up again. The possibility of signal triggering on the telephone of the called party by pressing the further key can be limited by a time limit, which the caller is informed of in the information should be.

15

If the caller hangs up after receiving the information without pressing the described button, the call is not signaled and, consequently, there is no connection between the phones. The potentially called party remains undisturbed.

20

If the caller presses this additional key, the phone of the called party signals the incoming call. When the called party answers the call ("picks up"), a voice connection is established between the phones in the usual way.

J.

The technical implementation largely corresponds to the first variant, only corresponding programming of the central control unit (ZSt) is necessary so that it only initiates call signing when the caller presses the additional key instead of having to do this independently after the waiting time described. Time recording (ZE) is not absolutely necessary for this function, for example, however, if the decision time for the caller is limited

It would also be a sensible solution to offer the caller an alternative option, by pressing another key (nkombmatιon) connected to the answering machine (AB) or the called party's mailbox

REPLACEMENT BLAπ (RULE 26) To become 1. If this option is available, the caller should of course also be informed.

In both possibilities of the "caller check" described above, the 5 information to the caller in a voice memory element (SSp), which in the

Telephone of the called party is integrated, saved and, if necessary, passed on to the caller by telephone. It was sensible for the telephone user to have several texts to choose from, preferably in such a way that he could save these texts himself by speaking on a voice recording and storage element (SAn and SSp), comparable to an answering machine or a mailbox ,

The "Caller Check" function (ACF) should be able to be activated and deactivated by the telephone user (called party) as required, so that when deactivated, the telephone signals an incoming call like a conventional telephone.

In telephones with caller group recognition (AGE) (prior art), a coupling of this function with the invention is conceivable. Here a 0 selection of the information text to the caller - depending on the affiliation to a certain caller group - is possible. The decision as to whether an incoming call is to be signaled immediately or whether the caller, in the sense of the invention, should decide whether the call is to be signaled only after receiving information, can be made dependent on belonging to a specific group of callers.

In all cases, in which an actuation of keys on the telephone is mentioned, the possibility is also included that the control of the telephone is no longer carried out by a keyboard in the conventional sense, but, for example, by means of a touch screen or by voice input.

The caller check function (ACF) can be integrated in the terminal of the called subscriber (TN), whereby the function of the answering machine (AB) can also be included or can be implemented on the part of the telephone network operator (TNB), also here an answering machine or mailbox function can be provided FIG. 1 shows the schematic structure of a possible circuit arrangement for the caller check function (ACF).

If the caller check function is not activated, the subscriber is connected (TA) directly to the outside line (AL) and an incoming call is signaled immediately in the usual way.

If the caller check function is activated, an incoming call on the trunk line (AL) of the telephone network operator (TNB) is connected to the voice playback element (SWg) of the voice memory (SSp) by means of the central control (ZSt). If the phone has a caller group recognition (AGE), the voice message transmitted can differ depending on the caller. The voice messages can be freely programmed by the called subscriber (TN) using the voice recording element (SAn). It is also possible that a text memory (TSp) is available in the phone, by means of which text messages that have already been permanently entered by the telephone manufacturer, standardized or programmable by the called party, can be transmitted to the caller in writing, for example using the display of his telephone. After a waiting time determined by the time recording element (ZE), or in the second variant of the invention, when the caller presses a certain key (nkombmatιon), the call on the subscriber line (TA) is displayed by means of signaling unit (Sig). In the second variant of the invention, the possibility of forwarding to the answering machine (AB) of the subscriber (called party) also appears to be very useful if the caller presses a specific key (combination) that differs from the above.

The caller group identification (AGE) and the answering machine (AB) are integrated in the circuit arrangement shown in FIG. 1; in the case of simpler variants of this invention, in which there is no coupling with the caller group recognition or with an answering machine, the respective element is omitted. Likewise, the voice recording element (SAn) can be dispensed with if the telephone owner is not given the opportunity to save the information to a caller independently as spoken text, but only if one or more standardized texts are available that are available from the Telephone manufacturers can already be entered in the voice memory element (SSp). The text memory (TSp) is also only necessary if the mog 1 possibility of passing on written information, e.g. B. on the display of the caller's phone.

If the caller check function (ACF) is offered as a service of the telephone network operator (TNB), the telephone owner had to go through the

Network operators are provided with the corresponding storage options for the speaking text (SAn, SSp and SWg) or for the written text (TSp). A combination with an existing mailbox seems to make sense here.

10

The transfer of an incoming call then takes place, for example controlled by a central control (ZSt) of the telephone network operator, only after the waiting time (with the aid of a tent detection element (ZE)), or in the second variant of the invention after the further l has been actuated Key (nkombmatιon) by the caller. Until the call is signaled, the information is transmitted from the voice memory and voice playback element (SSp and SWg) to the caller via the exchange line (AL). If the caller does not hang up before the end of the waiting time or presses the other key combination), the telephone network operator establishes the telephone connection to the telephone of the called party (TA), which immediately signals the call in the conventional manner (Sig). When the called party answers, there is a conventional telephone connection. The caller check function (ACF) is activated or deactivated by the telephone operator (TA) making an appropriate entry to the central control unit of the telephone network operator.

In summary, all of the elements of the caller check function (ACF) shown in FIG. 1, except for the signaling unit (Sig), which evidently remains with the subscriber line (TA), are operated by the telephone network operator, with simpler variants also being used here the corresponding elements ((AGE), (AB), (SAn), (TSp)) can be omitted

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a mobile telephone according to the invention c

The mobile phone has an antenna AN and an RF receiver RX and an RF transmitter (TX) for communication via the air interface 1 with a cellular communication system (e.g. GSM; Global System for

Mobil Communications).

A digital signal processor b is connected to the HF receiver RX or HF transmitter TX, which processes the received voice or data information so that they can be processed by the central control unit ZSt. In the case of data that are to be sent by the central control unit ZSt via the transmitter RX, the digital signal processor DSP ensures, for example, that the data is processed in accordance with the time slot structure of the GSM system before it is sent from the transmitter part TX to HF Signals are converted. Furthermore, the digital signal processor DSP takes over the control of the transmitter TX and receiver RX.

The central control unit ZSt is connected to a display device AN, for example an LCD display. Furthermore, the central control unit ZSt receives signals from a keyboard TA with which inputs can be made by the user.

A microphone M and a loudspeaker L 1 are arranged on the central control unit ZSt for voice input and output. A second loudspeaker L2 serves to signal an incoming call. The loudspeaker L2 can also be identical to the loudspeaker L l.

The central control unit 5 contains a time recording element ZE to implement the caller check function. The time recording unit ZE can be fed, for example, by an internal signal clocking (not shown), which also ensures the clocking of the central control unit.

Furthermore, a voice recording, voice memory and voice playback 0 instruments (SAn, SSp and SWg) are provided, with which voice messages can be recorded, stored and played back in accordance with the invention. With the text memory, texts can be saved and used accordingly.

o The central control unit ZSt also has a caller group recognition with which, for example, the priority of a caller can first be checked

SPARE BLADE (RULE 26) 1 Meaning of the abbreviations in the representation of the circuit arrangement

(Figure 1):

ZE: time recording element

5 ZSt: Central control

AL: trunk (connection to the caller)

TA: Participant at the end (called party)

SWg: voice playback element

SSp: voice memory element

10 SAn: voice recording element

TSp: text memory

AGE: Caller group detection

Sig: signaling unit

AB: answering machine

15 TNB: telephone network operator

ACF: Caller check function

TN: participant

20

^• .o

5

REPLACEMENT BUTT (RULE 26)

Claims

1 claims

1. Telephone with caller checking function, characterized in that the switched-on telephone does not signal a call immediately after it has been received, but that information is first transmitted to the caller, and that the signaling of the call is signaled in such a way that this is automatically triggered by the telephone after a certain waiting time has elapsed, and / or that the signaling of the call is triggered by the caller specifying one - if appropriate

10 - Another key or key combination pressed on his phone.

2. Telephone with the caller test function according to protection claim 1, characterized in that after the call has been accepted ("lifting") by the called party there is a voice connection in a conventional manner between the caller's and the called party's telephones.

3. Telephone with caller test function according to one of the preceding protection claims, characterized in that in the function of the call signaling described in claim 1 with waiting time the telephone of the 0 callee does not signal the incoming call and there is also no voice connection between the telephones of the called party and the caller comes when the caller cancels the call before the end of the waiting time ("hangs up").

4. Telephone with caller test function according to one of the preceding protection claims, characterized in that in the function of the call signing function described in claim 1, the telephone has a correspondingly programmed central control (ZSt), which is integrated into the telephone with the aid of a function Time recording element (ZE) and the signal unit (Sig) triggers the signaling of the call after the end of the waiting time, insofar as the caller does not cancel the call before the end of the waiting time

5 telephone with caller test function according to one of the protection claims before 1 to 3, characterized in that in the function of call signing with waiting time described in claim 1 the waiting time until call signing is accomplished in that the telephone network operator

ERSATZBLÄFT (PICH 28) 1 (TNB), with the help of a controller available with him and coupled with a time recording device (ZE), does not forward the received telephone call to the selected telephone until after a certain waiting time, the telephone of the called party signaling the call immediately after being transferred ,

6. Telephone with caller calling function according to one of the protection claims 1 to 3 and 5, characterized in that in the function of call signing described in claim 1 with waiting time of the call from

10 telephone network operator (TNB) is not forwarded to the called party's phone if the caller cancels the call before the end of the waiting time ("hangs up").

7. Telephone with caller test function according to one of the preceding lo protection claims, characterized in that in the function of call signing with waiting time described in claim 1, the duration of the waiting time by the telephone user (called party) - for example by keyboard input - via the central control ( ZSt) can be set.

0 8. Telephone with caller calling function according to one of the preceding protection claims, characterized in that in the function of call signing with waiting time described in claim 1, the end of the waiting time for the caller through his telephone - for example acoustically through his loudspeaker or optically with the help of his display - is signaled ö

9. Telephone with caller calling function according to one of the preceding protection claims, characterized in that in the case of the call signing function described in claim 1 with waiting time, the information described in claim 1 analogously informs the caller that the called party is only urgent Traps and / or only wants to receive a call in certain cases and / or only from certain people, and that the caller should otherwise hang up before the end of the waiting time.

10 Telephone with caller calling function according to one of the protection claims 1 and 2, characterized in that, in the function of call signing described in claim 1, by pressing a further key (n combination), the telephone of the called party does not make the incoming call

REPLACEMENT LEAF (LEVEL 26) 1 signals and there is also no voice connection between the phones of the called party and the caller if the caller does not press the other key (nkombmatιon).

b 1 1. Telephone with the caller test function according to one of the protection claims 1, 2 and 10, characterized in that in the function of call signing described in claim 1 by pressing a further key (n combination) the telephone via a correspondingly programmed central control (ZSt) who uses a signal unit (Sig) to

10 the call is triggered after the caller has pressed the additional key (combination) on his telephone.

12. Telephone with the caller test function according to one of the protection claims 1, 2 and 10, characterized in that in the case of the function of the call sign signaling which is claimed in claim 1, the described triggering of the call sign signaling is implemented by actuating a further key (n combination) is that an incoming call by the telephone network operator (TNB) is only forwarded to the selected telephone with the help of a controller that is available when the caller has pressed the additional key (combination), the telephone of the called party receiving the call signaled immediately after its placement.

13 telephone with caller calling function according to one of the protection claims 1, 2 and 10 to 12, characterized in that in the function of call signing described in claim 1 o by pressing a further key (n combination) the caller with the answering machine (AB) or the mailbox of the called party is connected when he presses a - possibly specific - further key or key combination, which differs from the key described in claim 1 (nkombmatιon), on his telephone.

14 telephone with caller -Prufungs function according to one of the protection claims 1, 2 and 10 to 13, characterized in that in the function of call signing described in claim 1 by pressing a further o ren button (nko bmatιon) the telephone of the called party incoming call is not signaled and there is no voice connection between the tele- 1 blow dryer of the called party and the caller comes when the caller presses the key (combination) described in claim 13.

15. Telephone with caller test function according to one of the protection claims 5, 1, 2 and 10 to 14, characterized in that, in the function of call signing described in claim 1, the connection is interrupted by actuating a further key (combination). or that the caller is connected to the answering machine (AB) or the mailbox of the called party if, after the end of the information, the caller does not press the key (combination) described within a certain period of time, which can be set by the called party.

16. Telephone with caller test function according to one of the protection claims 1, 2 and 10 to 15, characterized in that in the claim 1

15 described the function of call signing with actuation of a further key (combination) by the information described in claim 1, the caller is informed of all or part of the following:

20 - "The called party would like to receive a call only in urgent cases and / or only in certain cases and / or only from certain people".

The caller must - if necessary within a certain time span

'J. ne

- In the case of a desired connection with the telephone of the called party - press a possibly determined key (combination) (as described in claim 1) to make this connection

30 to manufacture.

- In the case of a desired connection with the answering machine or the mailbox of the called party, press another specific key (combination) (as described in claim 13).

35

REPLACEMENT SHEET (RULE 26) - If the caller no longer wants a connection to the called party or to the answering machine / mailbox of the called party, he should end the call and hang up again.

17. Telephone with caller check function according to one of the previous ones

Protection claims, characterized in that the information described in claims 1 and 9 or 16 as speech text in an integrated in the phone of the called party or in an external - for example by the telephone network operator z. B. provided as a mailbox - voice-memory and playback element (SSp and SWg) is already stored.

18. Telephone with caller test function according to one of the preceding protection claims, characterized in that optionally several stored standardized speech texts - optionally also in different languages - are available.

19. Telephone with caller test function according to one of the preceding protection claims, characterized in that the information from the telephone user (called party) itself as speech text into an integrated in the telephone or into an external one, for example from the telephone network operator, for. B. provided as a mailbox, combined voice recording, storage and playback element (SAn, SSp and SWg) can be entered by discussion.

20. Telephone with caller test function according to one of the preceding protection claims, characterized in that there is also the possibility to save several speech texts and to use them optionally.

21. Telephone with caller test function according to one of the preceding protection claims, characterized in that in the event of need

Claims 1 and 9 and 16 respectively described information modulated as an electrical signal - starting from the voice memory - and playback instrument (SSp and SWg) - is transferred over the telephone connection (AL) to the loudspeaker of the caller's telephone.

22. Telephone with caller test function according to one of the preceding protection claims, characterized in that the control of the tele- fon integrated voice recording, storage and playback element

(SAn, SSp and SWg) is also managed by the central control (ZSt).

23. Telephone with caller check function according to one of the previous ones

Protection claims, characterized in that the information described in claims 1 and 9 and 16 to the caller with the help of a display of his phone as written text, which is stored in an integrated in the phone (the called) text memory (TSp) and the Telefonver - Binding (AL) is transferred, optically transmitted.

24. Telephone with caller test function according to one of the preceding protection claims, characterized in that the caller test function on telephones with integrated caller group detection (AGE) can be coupled with the function of the caller group detection so that the selection the information to the caller can be taken depending on the caller's group membership.

25. Telephone with caller test function according to one of the preceding protection claims, characterized in that the caller test function in telephones with caller group detection (AGE) can be coupled with the function of the caller group detection in such a way that the caller - The check function is only active for certain caller groups, while incoming calls are immediately signaled by other caller groups.

26. Telephone with caller test function according to one of the preceding protection claims, characterized in that the caller test function described in claims 1 to 9 or in claims 1 and 10 to 16, for example using the keyboard of the Phone or by voice input can be activated and deactivated.

27. Telephone with caller test function according to one of the preceding protection claims, characterized in that in the event that the described caller test function is deactivated, an incoming call is forwarded in a conventional manner immediately by the telephone network operator and signaled by the dialed telephone, and that after accepting the calls ("Lift") through the called party to a voice connection between the phones of the caller and the called party.

28. Telephone with caller test function according to one of the preceding protection claims, characterized in that, when a key (combination) is pressed, inputs in the broader sense that are made without mechanical pressing of keys - for example by means of a touch screen or voice input - are to be understood.

29. Telephone with caller test function according to one of the preceding protection claims, characterized in that all the electronic functions described in the preceding protection claims are controlled by the central control (ZSt) integrated in the telephone. This applies in particular to functions such as the determination of the waiting time with the help of time recording (ZE), the transfer of information to the caller with the aid of voice playback (SWg) or the text memory (TSp), the signaling (Sig) after the end of the waiting time or after pressing another key (combination) by the caller, storing the speech text for information to the caller using the voice memory (SSp), activating the answering machine (AB) when entering a ( other) key (combination) and the different treatment of callers with the help of caller group recognition (AGE).

30. Telephone with caller test function according to one of the preceding protection claims, characterized in that the caller test function described in the preceding claims by the telephone manufacturer or by the telephone network operator as "caller test function", "caller -Selection function "," caller-check function "or" caller-check function ".