Abstract:
The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for adjusting a ring tone function of a communications device. The method includes: a) receiving incoming call signals; b) fetching a predetermined ring tone and a transition rule according to a predetermined age; c) adjusting the predetermined ring tone according to the transition rule; and d) outputting the adjusted ring tone.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The disclosure relates to a communications device and, more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for adjusting a ring tone function of the communications device. 
       GENERAL BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    In general, the frequency range of human hearing is between 20 and 20,000 Hz. However, as a person gets older the frequency range may narrow, particularly, the person may lose the ability to hear the higher frequencies. Commonly, people above the age of 35 cannot distinguish frequencies above 17,000 Hz. Therefore, communications devices with ring tones including frequencies near or above 17,000 Hz may fail to alert a number of users to incoming calls. 
         [0003]    Accordingly, what is needed in the art is an apparatus and a method for adjusting a ring tone function of a communications device that overcomes the aforementioned deficiencies. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the communications device. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a hardware infrastructure of a communications device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart for adjusting a ring tone of the communications device of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a hardware infrastructure of a communications device such as a cellular phone  1  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. The cellular phone  1  includes a processing unit  10 , a storage unit  20 , a communications unit  30 , an audio output unit  40 , and an input unit  50 . The communications unit  30  is configured, among other things, for receiving incoming call signals from an external wireless communications system (not shown). The input unit  50  is configured for generating input signals from a user. 
         [0008]    The storage unit  20  is configured for storing a ring-tone database  21  and a transition rule list  22 . The ring-tone database  21  stores a plurality of ring tones. The transition rule list  22  is provided to store relationships between user&#39;s age and transition rules. The transition rule list  22  includes an age column and a transition rule column. In this embodiment, the age column records a plurality of age ranges, such as less than 35 years old, more than 50 years old, and between 35 and 50 years old. The transition rule column records a plurality of transition rules corresponding to the age ranges, such as high frequency, intermediate frequency, and low frequency. 
         [0009]    For example, as shown in an exemplary transition rule list  22  below, where N equals the age of the user, there is no need to adjust frequencies for the transition rule in case of N&lt;35, this is a first frequency range; the transition rule for 35&lt;=N&lt;=50 is to adjust to a second frequency range, and the transition rule for 50&lt;N is to adjust to a third frequency range. The frequency ranges can be, for example, 20-20,000 Hz for the first frequency range, 20-18,500 Hz for the second frequency range, and 20-17,000 Hz for the third frequency range. 
       Transition Rule List 
       [0010]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Age 
                 Transition rule 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 N &lt; 35 
                 First frequency range = No adjustment 
               
               
                   
                 35 &lt;= N &lt;= 50 
                 Adjust to second frequency range 
               
               
                   
                 50 &lt; N 
                 Adjust to third frequency range 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0011]    The processing unit  10  is configured for controlling the cellular phone  1 . The processing unit  10  includes a setting module  11 , a fetching module  12 , an adjusting module  13  and an output control module  14 . The setting module  11  further includes a ring-tone setting module  112  and an age setting module  111 . The ring-tone setting module  112  is configured for setting a ring tone from the ring-tone database  21  according to a first input signal generated from the input unit  50 , for example, setting a song A as the ring tone of the cellular phone  1 . The age setting module  111  is configured for setting an age of the transition rule list  22  according to a second input signal generated from the input unit  50 , for example, setting 50&lt;N as the age of the cellular phone  1 . 
         [0012]    The fetching module  12  further includes a ring-tone fetching module  121  and a rule fetching module  122 . The ring-tone fetching module  121  is configured for fetching the predetermined ring tone from the ring-tone setting module  112  when the communications unit  30  receives the incoming call signals. The rule fetching module  122  is configured for fetching the transition rule from the transition rule list  22  according to the predetermined age from the age setting module  111  when the communications unit  30  receives the incoming call signals. For example, when the age setting module  111  sets the age of 50&lt;N, the rule fetching module  122  fetches the transition rule that is to adjust to the third frequency range. 
         [0013]    The adjusting module  13 , connected to the fetching module  12 , is configured for adjusting the ring tone from the ring-tone fetching module  121  according to the transition rule from the rule fetching module  122 . The output control module  14  is configured for controlling the audio output unit  40  to output the adjusted ring tone. The audio output unit  40  is configured for outputting the adjusted ring tone, such as a speaker (not shown). 
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart for adjusting a ring tone of the communications device such as the cellular phone  1  of  FIG. 1 . In step S 100 , The ring-tone setting module  112  sets a ring tone from the ring-tone database  21  according to the first input signal generated from the input unit  50  and the age setting module  111  sets an age of the transition rule list  22  according to the second input signal generated from the input unit  50 . In step S 110 , the communications unit  30  receives the incoming call signals from the external wireless communications system. In step S 120 , the ring-tone fetching module  121  fetches the set ring tone from the ring-tone database  21 , and the rule fetching module  122  fetches the transition rule from the transition rule list  22  according to the set age. In step S 130 , the adjusting module  13  adjusts the set ring tone according to the transition rule from the rule fetching module  122 . In step S 140 , the output control module  14  controls the audio output unit  40  to output the adjusted ring tone. 
         [0015]    In other embodiments, step S 100  may be omitted and the action may be automatically performed with default settings. In step S 120 , the ring-tone fetching module  121  automatically fetches the default ring tone of the cellular phone  1 , and the rule fetching module  122  fetches the transition rule from the transition rule list  22  according to the default age of the cellular phone  1 . 
         [0016]    It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the present examples and embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.