Radio communication apparatus

Abstract: A handy phone or similar radio communication apparatus of the present invention detects a calling apparatus, displays its identification for confirmation, displays a plurality of messages stored beforehand to allow the user of the apparatus to select an adequate message matching the calling apparatus, and then sends the message selected to the calling apparatus. This allows a person originating the call to take an adequate measure at the earliest possible time and keeps the third party from private messages or information.

Description: The present invention relates to a handy phone or similar radio communication apparatus and, more particularly, to a radio communication apparatus having the function of sending, on receiving a call, a message to a calling apparatus without the user of the apparatus answering the call. It is known to allow the user of, e.g., a handy phone (cordless telephone) to set up a rejection mode when the user cannot answer an incoming call for one reason or another. To set up the rejection mode, the user operates a particular button provided on the phone either on the receipt of the call or beforehand. A code representative of the rejection mode is sent from the phone to a calling phone via a base station. The code informs the calling person of the fact that the called person cannot answer the call. Such a rejection system, however, cannot show the calling person why the called person cannot answer the call. Therefore, the calling person must repeat the call origination or is apt to wait longer than necessary, failing to contact the called person at the earliest possible time. In the light of the above, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 4-258029 proposes a system in which a message representative of the state of the mobile station is coded and sent over, e.g., a control channel included in a telephone channel. When the mobile station rejects the incoming call, the coded message allows the calling person to see, e.g., whether the called person is absent or whether the called person is busy. It is also proposed to display the rejection on a display panel provided on the calling station. However, the above coded message scheme has the following problems left unsolved. In the rejection mode, the system causes only a preselected message to be unconditionally sent on the receipt of a call. This prevents a particular message appropriate for a given caller from being sent. Assume that a person prepares a private message with a substantial content and meant for a particular caller. Then, on the receipt of a call from the third party, the private message will be sent to the third party. This is undesirable from the secrecy standpoint. Our United Kingdom Patent Application 2,280,084 describes a radio telephone with an automatic answering function. The telephone has a telephone number memory in which telephone numbers are stored in groups. A different response message is associated with each group. When a call is received, the caller's telephone number is checked to see whether it is stored in the memory, and if it is, the response message associated with the telephone number group which contains the calling number is transmitted to the caller. United States Patent 5,434,906 describes apparatus which provides a telephone user with various automated attendant functions, including selecting one or many voice greetings to be given to the caller before sending the caller to voicemail. The invention is defined in claim 1 below to which reference may now be made. Advantageous features of the invention are set forth in the appendant claims. Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a radio communication apparatus embodying the present invention; FIG. 2 made up of FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B is a flowchart demonstrating a specific operation of the embodiment; and FIG. 3 shows exemplary messages appearing on a display included in the embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a radio communication apparatus embodying the present invention is shown and implemented as a handy phone by way of example. As shown, the handy phone, generally labeled T, has a transmitter section 2 and a receiver section 3 which are connected to an antenna 1. The transmitter section 2 and receiver section 3 respectively send and receive radio signals to and from a base station via the antenna 1. An input section 4 has various kinds of buttons and keys to be operated by the user of the phone T. A controller 5 controls the input section 4, transmitter section 2 and receiver section 3 as well as other sections which will be described. A storage device 6 stores messages, phone numbers, names each corresponding to a particular phone number, and other necessary data. An alert section 7 alerts, when the phone T receives a call, the user to the call by sound, vibration or the like, as desired. A received speech signal is output via a speaker 8. The user's speech is input to the phone T via a microphone 9. A display 10 displays messages and other information. The input section 4 has numeral keys 41 ("0" through "9"), a rejection set button 42 for rejecting the receipt of calls, a message key 43 for composing, displaying or deleting messages, an answer button 44 for answering an incoming call, a message select key 45 for selecting a message, a scroll key 46 for scrolling the display 10, and a message send key 47. A specific operation of the handy phone T will be described with reference to FIG. 2. Assume that while the phone T is in a stand-by state, the user presses the rejection set button 42. Then, the controller 5 sets up a rejection mode when the user presses the answer button 44 on the receipt of a call. Assume the phone T now receives a call incoming signal from a nearby base station (step S201). The incoming call signal includes an identification (ID) number assigned to the calling phone, and an ID number assigned to the called phone T. In the phone T, the controller 5 compares the ID number of the calling phone and that of the called phone T (step S202). If the two ID numbers compare equal (Y, step S202), the controller 5 drives the alert section 7 in order to alert the user to the receipt of a call by, e.g., sound or vibration (step S203). Subsequently, the controller 5 checks the storage 6 to see if the ID number, e.g., phone number of the calling station included in the received signal is stored therein (step S204). If the answer of the step S204 is positive (Y), the controller 5 displays the name corresponding to the ID number on the display 10 (step S205). If the answer of the step S204 is negative (N), the controller 5 displays the ID number of the calling station on the display 10 (step S206). After the step S205 or S206, the controller 5 determines whether or not the rejection set button 42 has been pressed (step S207). If the answer from the step S207 is NO, the controller 5 sets up a communication mode (step S212). If the answer from the step S207 is YES, the controller 5 sets up a rejection mode. In the rejection mode, when the user presses the answer button 44 (step S208), the controller 5 reads all the messages out of the storage 6 (step S209) and displays them on the display 10 (step S210). FIG 3 shows three exemplary text messages appearing on the display 10. If the user again presses the answer button 44 (YES, step S211), the controller 5 replaces the rejection mode with the communication mode and allows the user to hold a conversation with the caller. This communication mode can be used when the user has forgotten to reset the rejection mode or when the user must converse with the caller despite the rejection mode. If the answer of the step S211 is NO, the controller 5 determines whether or not the user has selected a message on the display 10 by using the scroll key 46 and message select key 45 (step S213). If the answer from the step S213 is YES, the controller selects the desired message (step S214) and then sends it on the operation of the message send key 47 (step S215). If the answer from the step S213 is NO, the controller 5 determines whether or not a preselected period of time has elapsed (step S216). If the answer from the step S216 is YES, the controller 5 automatically reads a preselected message out of the memory 6 (step S217) and then sends it to the calling station (step S215). This is also true when the user operates the message send key 47 without selecting any message (YES, step S218). Preferably, a particular message should be assigned to each phone which may call the phone T. Then, on the receipt of a call, a message matching a calling phone can be sent to the calling phone. This embodiment has the following advantage. When the user of the phone T does not select any message on the display 10, a particular message selected beforehand is automatically sent to the calling station. Therefore, when the received call is from, e.g., the third party, a common message not needing secrecy is automatically sent to the third party. In summary, it will be seen that the present system provides a radio communication apparatus capable of sending a particular appropriate message to each calling station and allowing the calling station to take an appropriate measure, and insuring secrecy by keeping the third party from private messages. Various modifications will become possible for those skilled in the art after receiving the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope thereof. For example, the present invention is applicable not only to a handy phone but also to any other radio communication apparatus having its own ID number and a rejecting function.

Claims: A method of receiving a radio communication call at a radio communication apparatus having inputting means including a first input means and a second input means, the method comprising, on the receipt of a call, the steps of: (a) detecting whether a rejection mode has previously been set by actuation of the first input means, and if not, allowing communication with the caller; (b) if the rejection mode has been set, reading and displaying a plurality of stored answer messages; (c) if the second input means is actuated, allowing communication; (d) if the second input means is not actuated, determining whether one of the plurality of displayed answer messages has been selected; (e) if an answer message is selected, then transmitting the selected message to the caller; and (f) if no message is selected, then after a predetermined period of time automatically transmitting a preselected message to the caller. A radio communication apparatus having a rejection function for informing a calling apparatus of the fact that a received call will not be answered, the apparatus comprising: inputting means (4), the inputting means comprising first input means (42) for setting a rejection mode prior to the receipt of a call, and second input means (44) for answering an incoming call; first display means (5,10,S201-S206) for detecting the calling apparatus on the receipt of a call and displaying an identification of the calling apparatus; storing means (6) for storing a plurality of answer messages; second display means (S210,10) for displaying answer messages stored in the storing means; selecting means (45) operable by the user for selecting one of the answer messages; transmitting means (5,6,2) for transmitting a selected answer message to the calling apparatus; and control means (5) responsive to the receipt of a call, the control means comprising: (a) means for detecting (S207) whether the rejection mode has been set by the first input means, and if not, then allowing communication (S212); (b) means for, if the rejection mode has been set, reading (S209) a plurality of answer messages out of the storing means and displaying them (S210) by the second display means; (c) means for, if the second input means (44) is actuated (S211), allowing communication (S212); (d) means for, if the second input means (44) is not actuated, determining (S213) whether one of the displayed messages is selected by the selecting means; (e) means for, if an answer message is selected (S214), transmitting (S215) the selected message to the calling apparatus; and (f) means for, if no message is selected (S214), after a predetermined period of time (S216) automatically transmitting a preselected message (217) to the calling apparatus. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which the control means further comprises, between the means (a) for detecting whether the rejection mode has been set (S207) and the means (b) for reading a plurality of answer messages (S209); (aa) means for detecting whether the second inputting means is actuated (S208), and if so, invoking the means (c) for reading a plurality of answer messages, and if not, allowing communication (S212). Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3, in which the second display means displays the messages in decreasing order of frequency of use. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4, in which a particular message is assigned to each calling apparatus stored in the storing means. Apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 5, comprising means for, if no message is selected, and a message send button (47) is pressed (S218), transmitting a pre-selected message to the calling apparatus. Apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 6, in which the inputting means (4) comprises a rejection set button (42) and an answer button (44).

Inventors: KIMURA MISA, KIMURA, MISA
Applicants: NIPPON ELECTRIC CO, NEC CORPORATION
Application year: 1996
Main classification: H04Q7
IPC codes: H04M1, H04W88