Patent Publication Number: US-2012028613-A1

Title: Messaging system

Description:
This invention relates to a messaging system and in particular to a voice messaging system intended for use with mobile or cellular telephones and related devices such as blue tooth ear pieces. 
     A number of service providers of mobile telephone services provide their customers with voice messaging services whereby, when the customer is unable to take an incoming telephone call or does not wish to take such a call, an outgoing message is transmitted to the caller by the telephone network system (the service provider) and the caller is given the option of recording a message. Subsequently, the customer can access and listen to the recorded message. Although such services often operate satisfactorily, many service providers charge their customers for the provision of their service with the result that customers may opt not to collect their messages or may become dissatisfied with the service they are receiving. A frequent complaint, becoming more prevalent over the past few years, is that it is possible for a caller to leave a message during, say, working hours on day one and for the receiver not to receive notification that this message is ready for collection, for up to 24 hours or more. The potentially disastrous consequences of this delay can easily be imagined, in terms of lost business, missed appointments, etc, and statistically there must have already occurred many situations when lives have been put at risk because the sender believes a message will be received within a ‘reasonable’ period of time from being left with the service provider. Additionally, the customer may wish to be able to screen incoming calls and this is not possible once a call has been diverted to the messaging service. 
     According to the present invention there is provided a messaging system comprising a mobile telephone apparatus, an outgoing message store, an incoming message store, and control means operable by a user to control the operation of the outgoing and incoming message stores. 
     The component parts of the messaging system may be housed within a common housing and so form a single unit. Alternatively, some of the component parts may be housed in separate housings and may communicate with one another by wireless transmission or through suitable electrical connections. For example, some of the component parts may be mounted upon or within an earpiece type housing. The earpiece type housing may be designed for use with other equipment, for example audio enabled sunglasses. Alternatively, the earpiece type housing may comprise a hands-free type device arranged to communicate with the mobile telephone apparatus via a wireless, for example blue tooth, communications link. 
     The control means is preferably operable to permit the input sound signal from a microphone to be muted to allow screening of calls. Preferably, the user can control the apparatus to determine whether or not the input sound signal is muted, thereby permitting mobile telephone conversations to be conducted in the normal manner, if desired. 
     The invention is advantageous in that as the messages are stored locally, there is no necessity to dial into or otherwise access a remote storage system. The inconvenience and cost associated therewith can thus be avoided. Further, if the message can be left on the system according to the invention, then it can be retrieved by the receiver, under most ‘reasonable’ conditions and in a ‘reasonable’ time, which is sometimes not the case with messages stored with a service provider. 
    
    
     
       The invention will further be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic representation of a messaging system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating part of the system of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an alternative embodiment. 
     
    
    
     The messaging system illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the accompanying drawings comprises a substantially conventional mobile telephone handset  10  which is capable of making and receiving mobile telephone calls using the services of a mobile telephone service provider and a mobile telephone communications network in the usual manner. Connected to the handset  10  is a transmitter/receiver device  12  which allows the handset  10  to communicate with other devices through a wireless communication system. Although a separate device  12  is illustrated in  FIG. 1 , this component could be incorporated into the mobile telephone handset  10  or may form part of the usual functionality of the handset  10 . For example, it could take the form of a blue tooth type communications device, but a number of other devices are also envisaged. 
     The messaging system further comprises an earpiece  14  in the form of a housing  16  carrying a speaker  18  adapted to be located adjacent or in a user&#39;s ear. The housing  16  is adapted to be mounted upon a temple  20  of a pair of spectacles or sunglasses  22 . 
     The housing  16  contains a transmitter/receiver device  24  adapted to communicate with the device  12  mounted upon or associated with the handset  10 . The device  24  is connected to a control unit  26  which, in turn, is connected to the speaker  18 . The control unit  26  is further connected to a microphone  28 . 
     In one mode of operation of the messaging system, the system allows the user to make and receive mobile telephone calls in a hands-free manner. In this mode of operation, voice or sound signals from the microphone  28  pass through the control unit  26  transmitter/receiver device  24  and transmitter/receiver device  12  to the mobile telephone handset  10  from which they are transmitted to the mobile telephone communication network in the usual manner. Signals received from the mobile telephone communications network by the handset  10  are transmitted by the device  12  and received by the device  24  from which they are passed through the controller  26  to the speaker  18 . 
     In addition to allowing the user to make and receive mobile telephone calls in a hands-free manner, the messaging system also provides a local messaging service. In order to do this, the messaging system further comprises an outgoing message store  30  and an incoming message store  32 , both of which are connected to the control unit  26 . Actuators  34  are further provided and connected to the control unit  26  to allow the user to control operation of the messaging system. 
     In use, upon receiving an incoming mobile telephone call, the user may if he wishes press an appropriate one of the actuators  34  to instruct the control unit  26  to answer the incoming call by playing the outgoing message stored in the outgoing message store  30  so that this message is transmitted to the caller. During this mode of operation, the microphone  28  is muted so that only the outgoing message from the outgoing message store  30  is heard by the caller. The outgoing message will give the caller the opportunity to leave a message, and so at the end of the transmission of the outgoing message from the outgoing message store  30 , the control unit  26  will control the messaging system so as to store incoming voice signals from the caller in the incoming message store  32 . During this phase in the operation of the messaging system, the microphone  28  continues to be muted. However, if desired the received signal may still be transmitted by the speaker  18  so as to give the user the opportunity to override the messaging system and take the incoming call after hearing the identity of the caller or the subject-matter about which the caller is calling. In the event that the caller wishes to accept a call answered in this manner, an appropriate one of the actuators  34  is depressed so as to instruct the control unit  26  to terminate storage of the incoming call data in the incoming message store  32  and to switch on the microphone  28  so as to allow the transmission to the caller of voice signals from the user. The telephone call can then continue in the usual manner. Alternatively, if the user does not wish to take the call, another of the actuators  34  may be depressed so as to mute the speaker  18 , the microphone  28  continuing to be mute, whilst allowing the caller to continue to record his message in the incoming message store  32 . 
     At a subsequent time when the user wishes to retrieve his messages, actuation of an appropriate one of the actuators  34  instructs the control unit  26  to replay the stored messages from the incoming data store  32  to the earpiece  18 . Subsequent actuation of a suitable one of the actuators  34  may be used to delete one or more of the recorded messages. 
     The outgoing message stored in the outgoing message store may be a pre-recorded standard message, or alternatively may be recorded by the user. 
     Message data stored in the incoming data store is conveniently stored in packets of a fixed length, for example in 4 second long packets, thereby allowing the memory capacity of the incoming data store to be used in an efficient manner. 
     If desired, the messaging system may be incorporated into or adapted for use with an audio-enabled pair of sunglasses which are also capable of playing, for example, MP3 files or other recorded music or data files to the user. 
     As well as allowing the storage of incoming mobile telephone calls, the messaging system may also be capable of being operated to allow the user to record memorandums or voice messages for himself. 
     Although described and illustrated as being suitable for use with a pair of spectacles or sunglasses  22 , it will be appreciated that the messaging system may take a wide range of forms and could, if required, all be incorporated into a mobile telephone handset or other device.  FIG. 3  illustrates, diagrammatically, one alternative form in which, rather than intended for use with audio enabled spectacles, the device forms a hands-free device for use with a mobile telephone. The functionality of the device is as described hereinbefore. In such a device, the actuators  34  which enable the user to navigate the various functions outlined above can all be contained in a single joggle wheel device, or other control device, to save space. As the earpiece is of fairly small dimensions in order to be of a compact design, minimising the number of actuators is advantageous. Alternatively, the device may be fully or partly voice activated to achieve a complete hands free operation for use when driving, etc. Further, in the case of a blue tooth ear piece, when the device is returned to a charger docking station, the stored messages may be automatically downloaded to a larger memory storage device in the docking station. This storage device may have a sufficient large capacity to store many hours of such messages, which may be automatically catalogued for ease of reference and retrieval, through a simple LCD window on the docking station. 
     The messaging system in accordance with the invention is advantageous in that voice messages are stored locally rather than remotely and so can be accessed without having to dial into a system operated by the mobile telephone communications network. As a result, the messages can be replayed conveniently, substantially instantaneously and without cost to the user. Further, the system may be operated to allow the user to screen incoming calls and to only answer those from specific individuals or relating to specific subjects, if required. 
     It will be appreciated that a range of modifications and alterations to the arrangement described hereinbefore are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.