Patent ID: 7469155

Claim:
Apparatus for automatically alerting a user of a handheld communications device of an incoming transmission comprising: a plurality of sensors that produce signals indicative of a physical parameter of a surrounding environment of the handheld communications device, the sensors including a microphone that produces an audio signal, a global positioning system (GPS) sensor that produces a position signal, a motion sensor that produces a motion signal in response to movement of the handheld communications device, a proximity sensor that produces a proximity signal indicative of nearness to a human body, and a battery charging sensor that produces a charging signal which indicates when the handheld communications device is being charged; a memory that stores a database of transmission sensitive or restricted locations; one or more processors that executes a programmed set of instructions to determine an alert mode setting based on a combination of the signals; a plurality of output units that produce one or more sensory alert outputs in response to the alert mode setting; the one or more processors being operable to access the database to compare the position signal against the transmission sensitive or restricted locations, when the position signal indicates that the handheld communications device is in a transmission sensitive or restricted location, the alert mode setting being restricted to a non-audible alert output, when the position signal indicates that the handheld communications device is not in any of the transmission sensitive or restricted locations and the audio signal indicates that the handheld communications device is in a noisy environment, the alert mode setting comprising a high-volume audible alert output, and when the position signal indicates that the handheld communications device is not in any of the transmission sensitive or restricted locations, the audio signal indicates that the handheld communications device is in a noisy environment, the proximity signal indicates that the handheld communications device is near the human body, and the motion signal indicates movement of the handheld communications device, the alert mode setting including a vibration alert output and/or the high-volume audible alert output, and when the handheld communications device is being charged, the alert mode setting being automatically restricted to a non-vibration alert output responsive to the charging signal.