Patent Abstract:
The invention relates to a communication terminal provided which selectively distorts an acoustic signal inputted by the user to the communication terminal during a call to another user of a communication terminal. The invention enables a user of a first communication terminal to selectively distort an acoustic signal inputted into the first communication terminal during a call with a user of a second communication terminal, where the method includes that the user of the first communication terminal inputs an acoustic signal. A processor in the first communication terminal distorts the signal according to a selection in the first communication terminal, where the selection is user defined or selected. The processor transfers the distorted signal and transmits the signal via a communication network to the second communication terminal, where a processor of the second communication terminal receives the distorted signal and uses the distorted signal as output acoustic signal in the second communication terminal to the user of the second communication terminal.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates to a communication terminal provided permitting a user to selectively distort an acoustic signal inputted by the user to the communication terminal during a call to another user of a communication terminal. 
   2. Description of Prior Art 
   In the development of mobile communication there is a trend towards more personalized ways of communication and expression forms. An example of this is the short message service (SMS), chat, picture messaging, animations, ringing tunes, operator logos, vibrations, exchangeable covers and picture holders for personal pictures. Users have however found out that there are some limitations with these features, and have been looking for something more advanced. In the communication between the young there is often used different kinds of fantasy-languages or other peculiar ways of addressing each other. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention provides a communication terminal permitting a user to distort an inputted acoustic signal during a call with a user of another communication terminal. 
   An object of the invention is to provide a method for enabling personalized communication between users of communication terminals. 
   According to a first preferred embodiment of the invention this objective is obtained by a method of enabling a user of a first communication terminal to selectively distort an acoustic signal inputted into the first communication terminal during a call with a user of a second communication terminal. 
   Another object of the invention is to provide a method for enabling a user to personalize the communication between users of communication terminals. 
   According to a second preferred embodiment of the claimed invention, this objective is obtained by a method for enabling a user of a first communication terminal to selectively distort an acoustic signal inputted into the first communication terminal during a call with a user of a second communication terminal, where the method includes that the user of the first communication terminal inputs an acoustic signal. A processor in the first communication terminal distorts the signal according to a selection in the first communication terminal, where the selection is user defined or selected. The processor transfers the distorted signal and transmits the signal via a communication network to the second communication terminal, where a processor of the second communication terminal receives the distorted signal and uses the distorted signal as output acoustic signal in the second communication terminal to the user of the second communication terminal. 
   A third object of the invention is to provide a communication terminal which enables personalized communication between user of communication terminals. 
   According to a third preferred embodiment of the invention, this objective is obtained by a communication terminal having input and output interfaces provided with means for distorting an acoustic signal, where the communication terminal includes a processor for distortion of an acoustic signal inputted from a user, and where the distortion is made according to a user selected setting of the distortion in the communication terminal. The communication terminal has a user interface, where the user can select the distortion settings and where the processor transmits the distorted signal to a second communication terminal. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     The invention will be explained more fully below, by way of example, in connection with preferred embodiments and with reference to the drawing, in which: 
       FIG. 1  shows in a perspective view a known embodiment of a communication terminal. 
       FIG. 2  schematically shows the essential parts of a telephone for communication with a cellular network. 
       FIGS. 3   a – 3   c  show different displays of communication terminals having different number of soft-keys. 
       FIG. 4  shows the general principles of speech encoding and decoding in a GSM system. 
       FIG. 5  shows a first embodiment having analog voice distortion according to the invention. 
       FIG. 6  shows a second embodiment having separate digital voice distortion according to the invention. 
       FIG. 7  shows a third embodiment having digital voice distortion incorporated in the speech encoder according to the invention. 
       FIGS. 8–11  show different windows of the display of a communication terminal having means for distorting an acoustic signal according to the invention. 
       FIGS. 12–16  show flow charts of selective distortion of an acoustic signal according to the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   According to a first aspect of the invention, distorting of an inputted acoustic signal during a call with a user of another communication terminal according to the invention is described with reference to a hand portable phone, preferably a cellular/mobile phone. An embodiment of this phone is shown in  FIG. 1 , where a cellular/mobile phone  1  is shown in perspective. The phone is provided with a front cover  2  having a window frame  3  encircling the protection window of the display assembly  3 . The cellular/mobile phone comprises a user interface having an on/off button  4 , a speaker  5  (only openings are shown), a keypad  7 , a battery  14 , a display/LCD  3  and a microphone  6  (only openings are shown). 
   The keypad  7  has a first group of keys  8  as alphanumeric keys, by means of which the user can enter a telephone number, write a text message (SMS), write a name (associated with the phone number), etc. Each of the twelve alphanumeric keys  8  is provided with a numeral “0–9” or a sign “#” or “*”, respectively. In alpha mode each key is associated with a number of letters and special signs used in the text editing. 
   The keypad  7  additionally comprises two menu selections or soft-keys  9 , two call handling keys  12 , and a navigation-key  10 . The functionality of the soft-key  9  depends on the state of the phone and the navigation in the menu by using a navigation-key. The present functionality of the menu selection keys  9  is shown in separate fields in the display  3  just above the keys  9 . The two call handling keys  12  are used for establishing a call or a conference call, terminating a call or rejecting an incoming call. This key layout is characteristic of e.g. the Nokia 6210™ phone. 
   The navigation-key  10  is an up/down key and is placed centrally on the front surface of the phone between the display  3  and the group of alphanumeric keys  8 . Hereby the user is able to control this key with the user&#39;s thumb. This is the best site to place an input key requiring precise motor movements. Many experienced phone users are used to one-hand handling. They place the phone in the hand between the fingertips and the palm of the hand. Hereby the thumb is free for inputting information. 
     FIG. 2  schematically shows the most important parts of a preferred embodiment of the phone/terminal, the parts being essential to the understanding of the invention. The microphone  6  records the user&#39;s speech, and the analog signals formed thereby are A/D converted in an A/D converter (not shown) before the speech is encoded in an audio part  20 . The encoded speech signal is transferred to a processor  18  (physical layer processor), which e.g. supports GSM terminal software. The processor  18  also forms the interface to the peripheral terminals of the apparatus, including RAM and ROM memories  17   a  and  17   b , a SIM card  16 , the display  3  and the keypad  7  (from  FIG. 1 ) as well as data, power supply, etc. The processor  18  controls the communication with the network via the transmitter/receiver circuit  19  and an antenna  21 . The audio part  20  speech-decodes the signal, which is transferred from the processor  18  to the speaker  5  via a D/A converter (not shown). 
   The processor  18  is via a bus  24  connected to a RAM memory  17   a  and a Flash ROM memory  17   b , a SIM card  16 , the display  3  and the keypad  7  (as well as data, power supply, etc.). A phonebook  23  is furthermore connected to the processor  18  via the bus  24 . The phonebook  23  may be stored on the SIM card  16 , and/or in the Flash ROM memory  17   a.    
   The processor  18  is connected to the user interface of the mobile phone. Thus, it is the processor  18 , which monitors the activity in the phone and controls the display  3  in response thereto. 
   Therefore, it is the processor  18 , which detects the occurrence of a state change event and changes the state of the phone and thus the display text. The user may cause a state change event, when he/she activates the keypad  7  including the menu selection key or keys  9 , and these types of events are called entry events or user events. However, the network communicating with the communication terminal may also cause a state change event. These types of events and other events beyond the user&#39;s control are called non-user events. Non user events comprise status change during call set-up, change in battery voltage, change in antenna conditions, message on reception of SMS, etc. 
   The functionality of distortion of an acoustic signal in a communication terminal is basically included in the menu structure and will be explained in connection with the menu structure. The starting point in each embodiment is idle mode, which means that the communication terminal is turned on and ready to be used for any possible operation. The idle mode display will differ from embodiment to embodiment depending on the number of soft-keys  9  that are used in each embodiment. In the illustrated embodiments, the communication terminal has two soft-keys, but it is obvious that communication terminals having one, three or more soft-keys can also be provided with the functionality of distortion of an acoustic signal in a communication terminal according to the invention. In  FIGS. 3   a – 3   c , the idle mode displays of communication terminals having different numbers of soft-keys have been shown. The other displays (not shown) of the communication terminal having a different number of soft-keys will also be changed accordingly to suit the inventive concept. 
   In  FIG. 4 , the general principles of speech encoding and decoding in a GSM system is shown. In the GSM specification (06.10) is specified the bit-exact algorithms for encoding and decoding. An acoustic signal is transcoded to an analog signal in the microphone  50  of a communication terminal. The analog signal is thereafter converted to a digital signal in the A/D-converter  51 , and inputted into a speech encoder  52 , where the signal is sampled, filtered, compressed etc. to be transmitted via a network/RF channel to a receiving communication terminal. The process also includes a voice activity detector  56 , a comfort noise generator  55  for averaging the background noise so that it is continuous and a discontinuous transmission control  54  for adjusting the efficiency of the speech encoder to the presence of information to be transmitted. After the signal has been received at the receiving communication terminal the signal will be sampled, filtered, expanded etc. in a speech decoder  58 , whereafter it is converted to an analog signal in a D/A-converter  61  and be made to sound in a speaker  62 . The receiving communication terminal also has means for adapting for background noise  60  and discontinuous transmission  57 . 
   In  FIG. 5 , a first preferred embodiment is shown, where a voice distortion unit  53  has been included in the speech encoding of an acoustic signal inputted to the microphone  50 . The voice distortion unit  53  is analog and includes filters to distort the acoustic signal in a preferred way. After the acoustic signal has been distorted in the voice distortion unit  53 , the acoustic signal is speech encoded in the normal way. 
   In  FIG. 6 , a second preferred embodiment is shown where a digital voice distortion unit  53  has been included in the speech coding of the acoustic signal. The digital voice distortion unit  53  differs from the analog voice distortion unit in that the distortions of the acoustic signal are more freely varied. The digital voice distortion unit  53  could be a digital signal processor of known type. 
   In  FIG. 7 , a third preferred embodiment is shown where the digital voice distortion unit  53  has been incorporated in the speech encoder unit  52 . 
   The distortion can be made according to many different algorithms or methods. A simple distortion method is using low-or high pass filters, where the speech has been cut-off above or below a certain frequency. Other examples could be adding an echo, add simulated background noise, removing background noise etc. The speech can also be distorted by using more advanced algorithms like Fourier or Doppler transformation giving a rather strange speech. 
   In the drawings, a couple examples of distortion profiles have been used like Donald Duck, Robot, Lower and higher, but there is no end to what kind of profiles that can be used. Different celebrities, Disney characters, other movie characters, animal sounds, human sounds, dialects, artists etc are also obvious material that can be used for creating distortion profiles. 
   In  FIG. 8  is shown an idle display  100  for the communication terminal or phone  1 , which includes two bars indicating the signal strength  105  and the battery level  103 . Furthermore there is a time indication  104 , an identification  102  of the operator or the network to which the phone  1  is presently connected, and two labels  101  indicating the present functionality (Menu: access to the Menu structure; Names: access to the Phonebook) of the two soft-keys  9 . 
   In idle mode the user can access the phonebook options by pressing the right soft-key  9  “Names” (shown in  FIG. 8 ), step  220 , and a display  106  will appear including a list of options  107 – 110 , step  221 . These are the options in the phonebook  23 . There are more options available by scrolling up or down in the list with the navigation-key  10 . The display  106  also includes an indicator line  111  in the display&#39;s right part that indicates with a bend on the line, where a highlighted option  110  is located in the list. The highlighted option  110  “Distortion profile” can be selected by pressing the soft-key  9  “Select”, step  222 , whereafter a display  112  will appear indicating with a list a number of options  113 – 115 , step  223 . These options can be selected by scrolling up or down in the list until a desired option is highlighted, and pressing the left soft-key  9  “Select” to execute the selection. If instead the right soft-key  9  “Back” is pressed, the terminal is returned to the previous display  106 . The terminal is also returned to the previous display, Idle mode, if the right soft-key  9  “Exit” is pressed when display  106  is shown, step  236 . 
   The first option  113  “Add distortion prof.”, in display  112 , is used to add a distortion profile to an entry  140  in the phonebook  23 . This selection is made by pressing the left soft-key  9  “Select” in display  112 , step  224 , whereafter a display  116  indicating a list of different distortion profiles  119 – 120 , step  227 . There could obviously be more profiles and these can be accessed by scrolling up or down in the list with the navigation-key  10 . One of the profiles  117 – 120 , the highlighted one, is selected with the left soft-key  9 , step  228 , and a display  121  where the first entry  140  is shown. The other entries in the phonebook can be accessed by scrolling up and down with the navigation-key  10  or by using the alphanumeric keys  8  corresponding to the initial letter of the desired phonebook entry  140 . In display  121 , a single entry  140  is shown, but it could also be a list of entries (not shown). The distortion profile is added to a selected entry  140  by pressing the left soft-key  9  “Select”, step  229  and the display  121  changes to appear such as display  141 , where the indication  101  of the left soft-key  9  has changed to “Options”. With these options (not shown) the user can delete the added profile or change to another profile. If the user scrolls down to the next entry, the left soft-key  9  changes to be as indicated in display  121 . If this entry is also selected, step  229 , the left soft-key changes to be indicated as in display  141 . This means that the user can see by the left soft-key  9  if the entry has a distortion profile added or not. By pressing the left sot-key  9  “Option” as indicated in display  141  the user can see what profile has been added. If instead the left soft-key  9  is selected while being in display  121  the terminal is returned back to display  116 , where another distortion profile  117 – 120  can be selected. The function is ended by pressing the right soft-key “Back” while being in display  112 , step  230 . 
   If the second option  114  “Modify” is selected in the list of display  112 , step  225 , on the display  116 , step  227 , the previous selected distortion profile  117  is highlighted. A new selection can be made by scrolling up or down to the preferred profile with the navigation-key  10  and executing the selection by pressing the left soft-key  9 , “Select”, step  231 . The communication terminal  1  proceeds to display  106 , step  232 . 
   If the third option  115  “Erase” is selected in the list of display  112 , step  226 , the entries in the phonebook having distortion profiles appear (not shown), step  233 . The user can erase the distortion profiles from the entries by pressing the left soft-key  9 , step  234 . A confirmation display appears (not shown), where the user can confirm that the distortion profile should be deleted from the selected phonebook entry  140 . After the distortion profile has been deleted from the selected phonebook entry  140 , the terminal proceeds to the next phonebook entry  140  having a distortion profile, step  235 . The deletion of the distortion profiles can be continued until the profiles are erased from all phonebook entries, whereafter the terminal proceeds to display  106 , step  232 . 
   Another way of adding a distortion profile to a phone entry is to access the entries of the phonebook directly. This is made by pressing the navigation-key  10 , step  240 , while being in idle mode, display  100 . If the navigation-key  10  is pressed a display  142  appears, step  241 , indicating the first entry  140  in the phonebook. The entries in the phonebook can as stated earlier be presented as a list as well. The details of the entry can be viewed by pressing the left soft-key  9  “Details”, step  242 , and a display  143  appears indicating a first detail  144  of the entry  140 . If the right soft-key “Exit” is pressed instead the phonebook  23  is closed and the communication terminal proceeds to idle mode, display  100 . 
   To change the entry  140 , the left soft-key  9  “Options” is pressed and a display  122  appears, step  243  indicating a list of options  123 – 126  how to change the entry  140 . In the list of display  122 , only a couple of options are indicated, more options are shown by scrolling up or down with the navigation-key  10 . By pressing the left soft-key  9  “Select”, while option  126  is highlighted, the Distortion profile sub-menu is entered, step  244 , display  112 , where the options  113 – 115  are indicated, step  245 . If the first option  113  “Add distortion prof.” is selected, step  246 , from the list by pressing the left soft-key  9  “Select”, a display  116  appears, step  247 , indicating a list of different distortion profiles  119 – 120  that can be added to the phonebook entry  140 . The distortion profile is added to a selected entry  140  by the pressing the left soft-key  9  “Select”, step  248 , and the terminal proceeds to display  122 , step  249 . The second option  114  “Modify” is selected, step  250 , in a similar way and the display  116  appears, step  251 , where present selection  117  is highlighted. A new selection can be made by scrolling up or down to the preferred profile with the navigation-key  10  and executing the selection by pressing the left soft-key  9 , “Select”, step  252 . The communication terminal  1  returns back to display  122  after the selection, step  253 . The third option  115  “Erase”, is also selected, step  254 , while being highlighted. A confirmation display appears, step  255 , (not shown) so that the user can confirm that the distortion profile should be erased from the phonebook entry  140 . After confirmation the terminal  1  is returns to display  122 , step  256 . The function is ended by pressing the right soft-key three times. 
   It is also possible to set a default distortion profile that can easily be selected for call set-up or during a call to user not in the phonebook  23 . The settings for distortion profiles can be located in many places in the menu structure, e.g. as main menu directly below idle mode or as a sub-menu in another main menu. The display  127  and  129  (see  FIG. 9 ) gives an example of this. Either menu is selected by pressing the left soft-key  9  “Menu”, step  200 , in idle mode and using the navigation-key  10  to locate the main menu and making another pressing of left soft-key  9 , step  201 , when the function is located in a sub-menu. From any of the displays  127  or  129  the function is started, step  202 , by pressing the left soft-key  9 , “Select”, and a display  136  appears, step  203 , indicating a list of options  137 – 139 . The first option  137 , “Activate”, is used to select a default distortion profile, and is selected by pressing the left soft-key  9 , “Select”, step  204 , while the first option  137  is highlighted. A display  131  indicating a list of the distortion profiles  132 – 135  is shown, step  205 . The preferred distortion profile is selected by pressing the left soft-key  9 , “OK”, step  206 , and the terminal returns back to display  127  or  129  respectively, step  207 . If the selection is regretted, the right soft-key  9 , “Back”, can be pressed and the terminal returns to display  136 , step  208 . 
   The second option  138 , “Erase”, is used to delete distortion profiles from the archive. It is activated by pressing the left soft-key  9 , “Select”, step  209 , while being highlighted and the display  131  indicating a list of the distortion profiles  132 – 135  is shown, step  205 . The distortion profile to be erased is highlighted with the navigation-key  10  and selected by pressing left soft-key  9 , step  210 . A confirmation display appears, step  211 , (not shown) so that the user can confirm that the distortion profile should be erased from the phonebook entry  140 . After confirmation is selected the distortion profile is erased and the terminal  1  brought back to display  136 , step  212 . The third option  139 , “Rename”, is used to rename distortion profiles. It is activated by pressing the left soft-key  9 , “Select”, step  213 , while being highlighted and the display  131  indicating a list of the distortion profiles  132 – 135  is shown, step  205 . The distortion profile to be renamed is highlighted with the navigation-key  10  and selected by pressing left soft-key  9 , step  214 . A display (not shown) for renaming the distortion profile appears, step  215 , where the alphanumeric keys  8  is used to enter new letters, the right soft-key  9  to erase letters and the left soft-key  9  to end the renaming of the distortion profile. After the renaming is ended the terminal is brought to display  136 , step  216 . Other options could be included in this menu like: fetch profile from WAP server, create profile, timed profiles etc. 
     FIG. 10  displays are shown of how settings for a distortion profile for a single call can be set. The first display  150  shows how a user has entered a phone number  151 , step  260 , and that the indication  101  of the left and the right soft-key  9  has changed to “Options” and “Clear” respectively. The right soft-key  9 , “Clear”, is used to clear the entered phone number  151  or parts of the entered phone number  151 . The left soft-key  9  is used to access a display  152 , step  261 , indicating a list of options  153 – 156  that can be used for the entered phone number  151 . These options can be saved with the number in the phonebook  23 , added to already existing entry in the phonebook  23 , e.g., make a call, send SMS, use the number to calculate foreign currency etc. There is also the option  156 , “Distort call”, that is used to distort a single call. It can be executed by pressing the left soft-key  9  “Select”, step  262 , while the option  156  is highlighted. A display  157  appears, step  263 , indicating a list of some available distortion profiles  158 – 161 . There can be more distortion profiles, but they have not been shown for practical reasons. The other distortion profiles can be shown by scrolling up or down with the navigation-key  10 . A preferred distortion profile is selected by scrolling up or down with the navigation-key  10  to highlight the preferred distortion profile and selecting it by pressing the left soft-key  9 , “OK”, step  265 . By the execution of the preferred distortion profile the call set-up is also initiated according to the normal call set-up process, step  270 . The communication terminal can also be set so that the default distortion profile as described earlier can be automatically selected when selecting option  156 , “Distort call”, step  264 , in display  152 . 
   In  FIG. 11  is shown displays of how distortion of a call can be started or ended during a call. A first display  162  indicates with a symbol  164  that a call is on-going, step  280  and with a header  163  the name of the called or calling party. The name of the called or calling party is only shown if the party is one of the entries in the phonebook  23 . During a call different options can be executed, which can be accessed by pressing the left soft-key  9 , “Options”, and a display  165  appears, step  281 , indicating a couple of options  166 – 169  that the user can select during an on-going call. If the distortion option  169  is selected by pressing the left soft-key  9 , “Select”, step  282 , the terminal  1  checks, step  283 , if a distortion is on-going. If a distortion of the call is on-going, a display  170  appears, step  284 , indicating a list of distortion options  172 – 173 . By executing the option  173  the distortion of the on-going call is ended, step  285 , and the terminal is returns to display  162 , step  286 , and the voice call is continued step  300 . The option  172 , “Select dist. Profile”, is used when the user of the communication terminal wants to select another distortion profile for the on-going call. It can be executed by pressing the left soft-key  9 , “Select”, step  287 , while the option  172  is highlighted. A display  157  appears, step  288 , indicating a list of some available distortion profiles  158 – 161 . A preferred distortion profile is executed by scrolling up or down with the navigation-key  10  to highlight the preferred distortion profile and selecting it by pressing the left soft-key  9 , “OK”, step  289 . After the execution of the preferred distortion profile, the new distortion is started and the terminal is returns to display  162 , step  290 , and the voice call is continued, step  300 . 
   If a distortion of the call is not on-going a display  170  appears, step  291 , indicating a list of distortion options  171 – 172 . The option  171 , “Distort call”, is used to start distortion, step  292 , of the on-going call using the default distortion profile, step  293 . It is executed by pressing the left soft-key  9 , “Select”, when option  171  is highlighted (as shown in display  170 ). After the left soft-key  9  is pressed the distortion of the call is started and the terminal returns to display  162  and the voice call is continued, step  300 . The option  172 , “Select dist. Profile”, is used when the user of the communication terminal wants to select a specific distortion profile for the on-going call. It can be executed by pressing the left soft-key  9 , “Select”, step  287 , while the option  172  is highlighted. A display  157  appears, step  288 , indicating a list of some available distortion profiles  158 – 161 . A preferred distortion profile is executed by scrolling up or down with the navigation-key  10  to highlight the preferred distortion profile and selecting it by pressing the left soft-key  9 , “OK”, Step  289 . After the execution of the preferred distortion profile, the distortion is started, step  290 , and the terminal returns to display  162  and the voice call is continued, step  300 . If instead the right soft-key  9 , “Back”, is pressed while in display  170 , the terminal returns to display  165 , step  294 . 
   The distortion profiles are preferably included into the software of the communication terminal. They could either be standard profiles that are included in the software delivered from the factory or profiles that can be downloaded to the communication terminal in after delivery from the factory. The downloaded profiles can possibly be created by the user with certain software available on the Internet or software provided by the communicator manufacturer. 
   The invention has been described as been as being a part of the software in the communication terminal, but it should be noted that the distortion profiles could also be located in the network. From liability point it could be advantageous to locate the distortion profiles in the network, since users that do not want to be exposed to distortion making the calling unrecognisable can select a reverse distortion as default. 
   The invention is not limited to the above-described examples or to the drawings showing examples of an embodiment, but can be varied within the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6