Cellular call mode determining device
AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorMark Salzwedel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A telephone system which allows manual selection of a mode for an incoming telephone call. Incoming telephone calls bring up a menu of options which includes answering in voice mode, data mode, and fax mode. The user can select one of those modes. Another option allows the handset to automatically detect which devices are attached, and bring up only that option. Yet another option uses caller ID of incoming information to detect which options to prepare.
Claims23
A portable handset system for operation in a telephone system, comprising:
- an incoming call detector, operating to detect an incoming call;
- a menu and selector, responsive to detection of said incoming call, displaying at least two options, one of said options being a voice mode, answering the call for voice, and another of said options being a non-voice mode, answering the call for a mode other than voice, and allowing selection of one of said modes;
- and
- a switching mechanism, operating to answer the phone in the voice mode when the voice mode is selected and operating to answer the phone in the non-voice mode when the non-voice mode is selected.
A method of operating a portable handset, comprising:
- receiving an indication of an incoming call;
- producing a dynamic menu, which has different alternatives at different times, said different alternatives at different times indicating external circumstances, and which, when said indication of the incoming call is received, indicates at least a first other option, other than answering the incoming call as a voice call;
- allowing a user to select a mode of the incoming call on said dynamic menu from a list of alternatives;
- and
- answering the incoming call according to the selected mode.
A portable handset with a dynamic menu for operation in a cellular telephone system, comprising:
- a cellular transceiver, within said handset, operating to receive incoming information and transmit information;
- a processor, which controls an operation of the handset by detecting an incoming call received from the cellular transceiver, and producing a dynamic menu depending on conditions which are detected;
- a display which displays said dynamic menu;
- a selector which allows the user to select from the dynamic menu, allowing the user to select at least one of a first call mode of answering which is a normal voice call mode of answering, and a second call mode of answering which is other than a normal voice call mode of answering;
- a connector device, including a connector for connecting to a device which operates in said other mode of answering;
- and
- said processor answering the call in the selected mode selected from the dynamic menu.
A method of operating a telephone, comprising:
- receiving an incoming call;
- obtaining caller ID information from said incoming call;
- comparing said caller ID information with a database of caller ID information, at least a plurality of which indicate whether the call is a voice call, or a non-voice call;
- and
- indicating that the call should be answered as a non-voice call or a voice call depending on result of said comparing said caller ID information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.