az United States Patent
`US 6,301,338 B1
`(10) Patent No.:
`Mikela et al.
`(45) Date of Patent:
`*Oct. 9, 2001
`
`
`US006301338B1
`
`(54) ACTIVATION OF A TELEPHONE’S OWN
`CALL ANSWERING EQUIPMENT
`ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF THE
`CALLING: PARTY
`Inventors: Jarmo Makela , Tampere (FI); Jens
`Jakobsen, Bochum (DE); Antti
`Jauhiainen, Oulu (11)
`.
`.
`.
`(73) Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd., Salo (FD
`
`(75)
`
`(*) Notice:
`
`This patent issucd on a continued pros-
`ecution application filed under 37 CFR
`1.53(d), and is subject to the twenty year
`patent
`term provisions of 35 U.S.C.
`154(a)(2).
`
`4,942,598
`T/1990 Davis. onsets sessessneeeneees 379/57
`
`4,985,913
`1/1991 Shalomet al.
`...
`. 379/76
`eo. : Lei toarcoalae
`“ picts
`5,327,
`olff
`et al.
`......
`wee
`§,388,150
`2/1995 Schneyeret al.
`....
`.. 379/67
`
`peas é Wasoe el etal
`“ SyoRy
`
`12/1995 Partridge, IIL...
`5,473,671
`. 379/59
`5,475,739
`12/1995 Norimatsu....
`. 379/70
`
`8/1996 Carlsen ...........
`5,550,907 *
`. 379/207
`9/1996 Hyde-Thomson
`5,557,659 *
`... 379/88
`
`9/1996 Mizikovsky .....
`5,559,860 *
`.. 379/58
`5,568,540 * 10/1996 Greco et al. veceeeceeeeseeeees 379/89
`List
`continued
`(List continued on next page.)
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`6/1987 (DE).
`3541898A1L
`3/1994 (EP) .
`0588101 A3
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term ofthis
`ioe (GB)
`2 280 Oe
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`4/1990 (WO)
`WO 90/03700
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days
`
`
`mh. yUdays. WO 93/26132 12/1993 (WO)
`
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`(21) Appl. No.: 08/779,708
`European Search Report dated Sep. 7, 2000, 2 pages.
`(22)
`Filed:
`Jan. 7, 1997
`Primary Examiner—Allan Hoosain
`(30)
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`Jan,
`8, 1996
`ED
`960075
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Perman & Green, LLP
`WGTOGcece rcsncsccepnsneressranereeemeremmenen
`57
`ABSTRACT
`(51)
`Int. Ch?ee H04M 1/64; HO4M 11/00;
`67)
`I104M 3/42
`In a communication device (20) comprising a message
`
`wee 379/88.21; 379/67.1; 379/76;
`function (SMS, Short Message Service) a certain short
`17; 379/93.24; 455/412; 455/414;
`message (7) or other reply message is sent in response to an
`455/466
`incomingcall in a situation where the user can’t answer the
`
`call him/herself. The reply message can be sent immediately
`(58) Field of Search 0... 379/67.1, 88.15,
`(9) or after a short delay (10, 11), whereby during the delay,
`379/88.11, 90.01, 201, 210, 211, 212, 214,
`the user can choose, whether he/she answers him/herself.
`220, 70, 76, 88.17, 88.19, 88.2, 88.21,
`The calling party (5) is identified from the CLI information
`93.09, 93.24, 170, 171, 185, 217, 372,
`(Caller Line Identity), whereby the reply message can be
`376; 455/556, 569, 575, 553, 414, 462,
`chosen according to the calling party. Time information can
`418, 228
`be included in the reply message in order to express at which
`time by the clock or after a how long timethe receiving party
`is reachable. After that time the automatic reply function
`based on the reply message is automatically disconnected.
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`(52) US. Che ec
`379
`
`
`4,481,382 * 11/1984 Villa-Real wo...ee 455/556
`4,916,726
`4/1990 Morley, Jr. et al. oe 379/88
`
`
`
`
`
`32 Claims, 2 Drawing Sheets
`
`
`4
`USUAL
`nop
`
`
`
`See REPLY >——>)
`“CALL
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`2
`
`5
`
`¢
`
`7
`
`8
`
`
`cu?
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`[mous]
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`SEND MESSAGE!
`
`FE-ROUTING
`
`1
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`APPLE 1004
`
`APPLE 1004
`
`1
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`

`

`US 6,301,338 B1
`Page 2
`
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`379/100
`5,608,786 *
`3/1997 Gord
`5
`>
`OLGON, wssssessesseesszssaesasspessassies
`5,652,789 *
`379/201
`7/1997 Miner et al.
`
`4/1998 Pepe et ale ..seesccssuessssnesseeee 455/461
`5,742,905 *
`5,764,731 *
`6/1998 Yablon veccecccescesesesessseseesee 379/88
`
`5,809,415 * O/1998 Rossman oes: 455/422
`5,903,832 *
`5/1999 Seppanen et al. wee 455/414
`e
`a
`6,018,671
`T/2000 Bremer ciseeccessessssesseecsesssseees 455/567
`
`;
`;
`* cited by examiner
`
`2
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Oct. 9, 2001
`
`Sheet 1 of 2
`
`US 6,301,338 B1
`
`1
`
`CALL
`
`CALLal
`
`NO
`
`USUAL
`
`YES
`
`ALARM ?
`
`CLI?
`
`READ MESSAGE
`
`4
`
`5
`
`o
`
`7
`
`SEND MESSAGE
`
`8
`
`RE-ROUTING
`
`Fig. 1
`
`3
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Oct. 9, 2001
`
`Sheet 2 of 2
`
`US 6,301,338 B1
`
`=O
`
`— Oo
`
`= —_
`
`NO ALARM
`
`
` NO REPLY
`
`
`
`
`
`Fig. 3
`
`4
`
`

`

`US 6,301,338 B1
`
`1
`ACTIVATION OF A TELEPHONE’S OWN
`CALL ANSWERING EQUIPMENT
`ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF THE
`CALLING PARTY
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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`code transferred with the call is compared by the apparatus
`to the list of the stored numbers and if the numberis on the
`list, certain special services are offered to the calling party.
`The publication proposes, e.g., that the message given by
`this caller can receive a priority treatment according to
`which this message will be played back prior to others when
`the receiver starts to playback the answering equipment.
`Alternatively,
`the answering equipment can reproduce a
`different message for those calling parties, the numbers of
`which are on the list. Further, a function is proposed,
`according to which the receiving user can afterwards initiate
`a callback to those persons who are on the list and have
`called the answering equipment, by depressing a single key.
`The method proposed by the reference publication has,
`however, drawbacks associated with the call answering
`equipment itself. As the exchange apparatus,
`in view of
`billing, treats the activation of the call answering equipment
`in the same way as the usual answering of the call,
`the
`calling party must pay at least a local call charge, although
`he/she is connected onlyto the answering equipment. Espe-
`cially for those who are calling from a slot machine this is
`often infuriating. ‘The operation of a call answering equip-
`ment requires a two-way connection,
`ie.
`transmission of
`speech in both directions in the network, by which the
`network capacity is reserved. Also storing of voice messages
`takes a lot of memory spacein digital systems. Further, a call
`answering machine located in the exchange requires for
`remote using through a terminal device that the receiving
`party gets in advance into a telecommunication with the
`exchange and gives a group of key commands, that can be
`difficult to know by heart. Also, these commands can’t be
`given whenthe telephoneis already alarming for an incom-
`ing call, so that it is not possible to react in fast situations
`according to the number of the calling party, but only to
`decide whether the call will be answered byoneself or given
`to the reply service.
`Known from the publication “Ericsson Review”, p. 145,
`No. 4, Stockholm 1988 there is an exchange apparatus BCS
`150, the telephone answering function of which can give
`instead of a voice reply a text message, if the telephone
`device of the calling party is equipped with suitable receiver
`and display means for producing text messages. In that case
`there is no need to reserve a telephone line for a two-way
`speech connection.In addition, the calling party can leave to
`the exchange an automatic callback request that does not
`reserve as much memory as a voice message to be stored.
`‘The apparatus is, however, still used by the exchange,
`whereby the controlling of the telephone reply service must
`be performed in advance, for which the receiving party is
`required to know the key commands. In addition,the receiv-
`ing party has no other way to express through the call
`answering equipment somecertain term but by storing anew
`reply message concerning the term in question.
`Knownfrom the patent publication WO-90/03700 there is
`much the same kind of an exchange apparatus, where the
`reply message can be in voice or text form. There the
`messagessent by a calling party are stored into a memory of
`a computer, whereby, in case they are in text form, they can
`be transmitted through the display of the receiving party or
`printed on paperbya printer. Also this system is used by the
`exchange and has no services concerning any fixed time
`limits.
`
`Knownfrom the patent publication EP-564,756 there is a
`sclective answering station that based on the identity code of
`the caller checks if the calling party is on a certain list of
`acceptable callers. If not, the call is not answered. If the
`identity code of the calling party is on thelist, the answering
`
`The present invention relates in general to message ser-
`vices between telephone devices and in particular to using
`the numberofthe calling party for transmitting a message in
`a situation that the receiving party is busy.
`Whenusing a telephone, there is often a situation that the
`receiving party can’t answer the incomingcall. In case of
`wire connected telephonesthis is in most cases because the
`useris not in the neighbourhoodofhis/her telephone. As the
`radio connected telephones are becoming common,
`the
`telephone is more often continuously carried along bythe
`user, but for example in the middle of a meeting it is not
`possible to answer it without disturbing the course of the
`meeting. As a knownsolution in those situations there is ,
`used a call answering machine that can be a separate device
`bought by the user or can be located at a telephone exchange
`apparatus operated by a companyora teleoperator. Typical
`of call answering machines is that they reproduce a short
`prerecorded notice to the calling party and after that give the
`calling party an opportunity to leave a messagethat will be
`stored into the answering machine and can be played back
`later by the receiving party.
`In certain situations the receiving party can, however,
`wish that different callers would be served in different ways
`when he/she is not able to answer him/herself. If the
`receiving party is, for example, having a long lunch with his
`fellow employees, it is to be recommended that the reply
`message informs, whenhis wife is calling, that he is attend-
`ing an important work meeting. Butif the caller is his own
`boss, the explanation of having a meeting won’t work but
`the answering equipment should inform that the receiving
`party is “on business”. Anothersituation requiring a different
`treatment according to the calling party is a prolonged
`meeting, after which the receiving party has appointed
`another meeting.In that case the person with whomthe latter
`appointment has been made can call and wonder what’s
`keeping him/her. The answering equipment should beable to
`tell him/her, how long the meetingis still goingto last. Calls
`from other callers can be ignored or they can be routed to a
`usual reply service, because the ending time of the meeting
`does not make any difference to them.
`The present mobile phones have, almost without
`exception, a display, by means of which the receiving party,
`whenthe telephone rings, can see the telephone numberof
`the calling party connected to a digital exchange. In fast
`situations it is preferable that the receiving party can still at
`that moment decide, which kind of a reply service will be
`applied to the calling party in question.
`Known from the patent publication EP-588, 101
`(Goldman & Wu, ROLM Company) there is a procedure,
`where the numberidentification of the calling partyis used.
`This function is knownin the art and called ANI (Automatic
`NumberIdentification) or CLI (Caller Line Identity). In the
`solution proposed by the reference publication,
`the tele-
`phone number of the calling party or a corresponding
`identitycodeis transmitted through the telephone network to
`that exchange apparatus, where the telephone reply service
`of the receiving party is operating. The recciving user has
`beforehand entered to the reply service as key commandsa
`list of those telephone numbers for which he/she wishes to
`have a special treatment. When a call is coming, the ANI
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`US 6,301,338 B1
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`3
`station decides, which of the receiving parties connected
`thereto will take the call. Also, certain calling parties can
`receive a priority treatment so that the calls given by these
`calling parties will be connected prior to other calls. No
`telephone reply service changing according to the numberof
`the calling party and no fixed-term mechanisms are
`described in this publication.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`An object of the present invention is to provide a method
`and an apparatus, by means of which the telephone answer-
`ing function can be adapted to operate in different ways
`according to the numberof the calling party and the use of
`which for the mentioned purpose is simple and flexible. An
`object of the present invention is also to provide a method
`and an apparatus, by means of which the messages to be
`given by the reply service can be tied up with certain fixed
`terms.
`
`é
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`the form of a character string, wherein no actual telephone
`connection is required to be formed butit is transferred as a
`so called signalling. Transmission of a short message can be
`effected automatically or through a key commandandit can
`be effected immediately after the call has come or with a
`short delay, so that the receiving party can choose between
`different alternative functions after having seen the tele-
`phone numberof the calling party on the display of the
`telephone. In addition to or instead of sending a short
`message, the call can be routed to a usual call answering
`machine, so that the calling party has the opportunity to
`leave a voice message or some other message. Also this
`routing can be based on the identification of the calling
`party.
`For implementing the fixed terms, a clock-time can be
`included in the messages, especially short messages, accord-
`ing to the invention to be sent as answers, to tell when the
`receiving party will be reachable next time. The clock-time
`included in the short message can be tied up with the real
`time clock of the device or to some other timer means, so
`The objects of the invention will be achieved by accom-
`that the device decreases automatically the time left. For
`plishing the incoming-call related calling numberidentifi-
`example, the first caller can get in reply a short message “I’Il
`cation in the telephone device that is receiving the call, and
`be still 20 minutes in a meeting” and a call coming five
`by giving the telephone user the possibility to choose a
`minutes later will be answered “I'll be still 15 minutes in a
`different replying function on the basis of the identified
`meeting”. After expiration of the given time,
`the short
`calling number. To achieve the object concerning fixed time
`message reply can be disconnected automatically, so that the
`limits, a clock-time part will be attached to the reply.
`user does not have to take care of removing the function.If
`The method in accordance with the present invention for
`the communication device of the receiving party is at the
`answering a call coming to a communication device in a
`same time a pocket computer including a calendar program,
`situation where the user of the communication device can’t
`the electronic markings madethereto can be used as a basis
`answer the call him/herself is characterized in that
`in
`for timing the messages. Then the message can be e.g. “Pl
`response to the incoming call, the communication device
`be in a meeting from 14 to 16 o’clock”.
`identifies the caller on the basis of an identification infor-
`As one of the special advantages of the invention can be
`mation included within the incoming call and sends a reply
`considered the fact
`that for storing for example a short
`according to a selection made by the user, or directs the
`message as an answering message onlyalittle of memory
`35
`incomingcall to another aswering service, said reply being
`space is required, so thatit does not burden unreasonably the
`one of the following: a voice message, an e-mail message,
`capacity of the user’s terminal device. Additionally, the use
`a facsimile, an SMS message in the form of a character
`of the method in accordance with the invention is soundless,
`string.
`whereby the eventually ongoing meeting will not be dis-
`The present invention also concerns a communication
`turbed. Further, it is more simple to store the messagesinto
`device characterized in that it comprises meansfor identi-
`one’s own terminal device by means of a menu controlled
`fying the caller on the basis of an identification information
`user interface preferably included therein, compared with
`included within the incomingcall and for sending, according
`the remote control of a telephone answering system located
`to a selection made by the user, a reply in response to the
`in the exchange apparatus, and accordingly, a standard
`call, said reply being one of the following: a voice message,
`message can be kept
`in the exchange apparatus and a
`an e-mail message, a facsimile, an SMS messagein the form
`message changing in accordance with each situation can be
`of a character string.
`kept in one’s own terminal device. As the method and
`The drawbacks of the prior art programmable answering
`apparatus in accordance with the invention does not require
`services arc mainly a consequence of the fact
`that
`the
`any additional requirements or limitations to the operation of
`asnwering function has been implemented wholly in a
`an exchange,
`they can be flexibly attached along with
`telephone exchange or comparable equipment. This is
`existing, exchange-used systems.
`understandable, because the prior art telephone devices have
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
`not given the opportunity to realize very complicated aswer-
`ing functions in the user’s own telephone device. According
`to the present invention one may use the telephone’s own
`functions instead of or in addition to those of the telephone
`exchangeor a separate auxiliary device, wherebythe calling
`number identification and the reaction based thereon are
`
`preferably implemented in the user’s telephone device. The
`user may him/herself make the decision, according to the
`incoming call, how he/she will answer to it; for example,
`should the voice mail service of the network take care of
`
`answering or should the Short Message Service (SMS)
`feature of the telephone be utilized, whereby the short
`message to be sent in response to a call given by a certain
`calling party is chosen based on the identification of the
`calling party. Short message refers in this patent application
`to data transfer determined by certain telephone systems in
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`The present invention will now be described in more
`detail with reference to the exemplified preferred embodi-
`ments and accompanying drawings, wherein
`FIG. 1 illustrates as a simple flow diagram a preferable
`embodiment of the method in accordance with the invention,
`FIG. 2 shows a detail of FIG. 1, and
`FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplified communication device,
`where the method according to the invention is applicable.
`In figures the corresponding parts are identified with the
`same reference numbers.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`INVENTION
`
`In FIG.1 there is a flow diagram of a function according
`to one simple embodiment of the invention in a mobile
`
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`

`US 6,301,338 B1
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`communication device comprising the short message func-
`tion. The operation starts from point 1, where an incoming
`call is noticed. The apparatus checks according to point 2 if
`the reply service employing the short message service (SMS
`Reply) is switched on. If not, it moves to point 3 corre-
`sponding the treatmentof the call in a usual and knownway.
`When the service is switched on, the apparatus then checks
`in point 4 which kind of an alarm procedureis applied to and
`in point 5 if the identity code of the caller (CLI, Caller Line
`Identity) is available. The latter is required for sending a
`short message. In point 6,
`the apparatus reads from the
`memory the short message stored therein and if it includes
`a time-dependentpart, it counts the required time informa-
`tion. In point 7, the message is sent to the calling party,
`supposing that
`the communication device of the calling
`party has the short message function. In order to check this,
`it
`is possible to judge e.g. from the telephone number
`included in the CLI information of the calling party, if the
`calling party has a GSM telephone. In point 8 the call can
`further be routed to a normal call answering machinethat ,,
`can be in connection with the same mobile communication
`device or some exchange apparatus.
`In FIG. 2 there is described in more detail one preferred
`embodimentof point 4, that has three different alternatives
`according to the alarm function that the user has selected.
`The first alternative 9 is transmitting a short message as a
`reply immediately without an alarm or other signal to the
`receiving party. In the second alternative 10 the apparatus
`gives an alarm that can be, in the way knownin the art, a
`sound alarm or a soundless alarm, and waits after that for a
`moment, so that the user can choose whether he/she answers
`the call in a normal wayornot. If the user does not answer,
`a short message will be sent. In the third alternative 11 the
`apparatus gives a sound or a soundless alarm, whereby the
`user can answer the call normally or give a certain key
`command that means sending a short message. In the last
`mentioned case there can be several key commandseach of
`them corresponding a different short message. The operation
`alternative 11 has the advantage that if there are certain
`standard messages stored into the memory of the device, it
`is applicable, even if the user has not taken any preliminary
`measures in order to take the reply service employing short
`Messages inlo use.
`Even more generally, the short messages used in reply to
`incoming calls can be standard messages stored into the
`device in connection with manufacturing or programming or
`the user can write his/her own messages him/herself. There
`are several procedures known in prior art, by which mes-
`sages consisling of letters can be wrilten by means of a
`numerical keypad of a usual mobile phone. If a special
`alphabetic keypad is included in the mobile station,
`the
`writing of messages is still easier.
`The identity code of the calling party read in point 5 can
`be used in many ways. The user can e.g. program his/her
`device in advance so that it sends a short message only in
`reply to the calls of certain, separately named callers,
`wherebythe others are not answered with the short message,
`or that it does not send the short message to certain named
`callers. There can also be several short message replies,
`wherebythe caller determines in advance, which messageis
`sent to each calling party. The choices can be based e.g. on
`a system that internal calls of the own company are sepa-
`rately identified or that it is judged from the country code of
`the telephone numberofthe calling party, which country the
`call is coming from,so that the short message can be sent in
`the language of the country in question. By comparing the
`country code to a certain data base, it can also be judged,
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`whatis the time in the position of the calling party, whereby
`a part applying to time zone can be attached to the short
`message. The user can also have simply named certain
`telephone numbers,
`the calls coming from which are
`answered with certain short messages. The marking can be
`based on an electronic notebook already included in the
`communication device or a short message notebookora list
`available to the reply service especially employing the short
`messages.
`If the telephone numberofthe calling partyrefers to some
`record of the notebook integrated to the device, where, in
`addition to the telephone number, also the subscriber’s name
`of the numberis stored into, the short message to be sent as
`a reply can be personified by attaching the name in question
`to it, so that the message is e.g.: “Hello Anne, I’m in a
`meeting, call again in 20 minutes”. If the number of the
`calling party has been read as CLI data but the correspond-
`ing number has not been stored earlier to any notebook,it
`can be automatically stored. At the same time the device can
`store into its memory means an automatic reminder asking
`after a certain time the user to call the number in question.
`If the samecaller calls again, the short message to be given
`in reply can be changedto a different one. If no identity data
`of the calling party is available, there can be sent a message
`asking the calling party to enter his/her telephone number,
`whereby the corresponding DTMF signals (Dual Tone
`MultiFrequency) are transmitted to the device of the receiv-
`ing party where they can be interpreted and registered.
`As mentioned above, a clock-time part can be attached to
`the short message to be sentin reply, in order to express the
`time by which the receiving party will be reachable again. In
`regard to the time by the clock, there are two principle
`allernatives:
`the message can include a fixed lime by the
`clock, saved as a part of the message or read by the
`communication device of the user from a calendar program
`included therein, or the device can specify the time infor-
`mation separately for each incomingcall based on a counter
`clock. The first alternative has the drawback that a caller
`
`calling from a different country is not necessarily aware,if
`the short message emerging in his/her telephone “Call again
`at 16 o’clock” means the time of the target country or the
`local time. The latter alternative is found to be the best of
`
`these two. There the user has entered the starting time of the
`meeting and its figured duration into his/her device in
`advance, or only the figured time by which he/she will be
`free again. The device can also read the above mentioned
`information from a calendar program. When a call comes
`into the device, the device checksitself how long timeis left
`until
`the receiver will be free and formulates the short
`
`message e.g. into the form “Call again in 20 minutes”. In
`both of the time alternatives an automatic quitting procedure
`is applicable, according to which the reply function is
`automatically disconnected when the time limit has expired.
`In the following,
`the method in accordance with the
`present invention will be described from the user’s point of
`view, with reference to a communication device according to
`FIG. 3. This kind of a communication device is described
`
`e.g. in the Finnish patent application no. 955,682 “Double-
`acting Communication Device”, which at the filing date of
`the present application is not public. It concerns a mobile
`communication device comprising substantially two sepa-
`rate user interfaces, the first user interface being a telephone
`user interface like present mobile phones located on the
`outer surface of the device. The sccond uscr interface
`
`comprises a larger display and an alphanumeric keypad for
`using of which the outer covering of the telephone will be
`opened. The data transfer is implemented, like with present
`
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`

`US 6,301,338 B1
`
`7
`digital mobile phones, in a cellular radio network. FIG. 3
`shows from the communication device 20 especially the
`second user interface comprising a display 21 and a keypad
`22 and function keys 23 located beside the display, to be
`used for choosing those functions and alternatives, the codes
`of which are on the display 21 by certain function keys 23
`respectively.
`It is assumed that the second user interface of the com-
`munication device 20 has a procedure for starting certain
`application programs. The user chooses amongthe applica-
`tion programs a program called SMS Reply Mode (Short
`message reply mode) and starts using it by depressing a
`certain Sclect key. The so called main windowof the SMS
`Reply Mode will be displayed in the display 21, said
`window including, among others, by the function keys 23 a
`list of available function alternatives e.g. in the following
`form
`Set On
`Predefined Messages
`Options
`Close.
`The user can now write the desired reply message through
`the keypad 22. The message will be displayed in the message
`region of the display 21 reservedto it and the writing will be
`ended by depressing the function key at the alternative “Set
`On”, wherebythe device 20 stores the messageinto a certain
`short message register (not shownin the figures). Finally, the
`user depresses the function key at the alternative “Close”,
`whereby the device returns to the basic mode. The reply
`service using the short message is thus switched on.
`When the user wants to disconnect the short message
`reply, he/she chooses again the program SMS Reply Mode.
`A list of available function alternatives will be displayed in
`the display 21 by the function keys 23, the alternatives being
`now
`Set Off
`
`Predefined Messages
`Options
`Close.
`The user depresses function keys “Set Off’ and “Close”
`one after the other, whereby the short message reply mode
`is switched off and the device returns to the basic mode.
`If the user depresses the function key “Predefined
`Messages”, the display 21 showsa list of ready messages
`that can include general notices and the following function
`alternatives
`Select
`Add
`Delete
`Cancel
`By a certain ready message there is some selection mark,
`that the user can move from one message to another by
`depressing a certain key which is preferably an arrow key
`(not separately shown in the figure). By depressing the
`“Select” key the user selects the message in question that
`will be copied onto the message region of the main window,
`where it can further be edited. Through the function keys
`“Add” and “Delete” the user can add and delete ready
`messages. By using the function key “Cancel” this window
`will be closed without copying any of the ready messages
`onto the message region of the main window.
`The alternative “Options” means a mode where the user
`can, in a more varied way than what has been described
`above, affect the operation of the application program con-
`trolling the short message reply mode. By depressing the
`function key “Options” in the main window,the user gets
`onto the display 21 instructions e.g. concerning the use of
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`the time information and the automatic disconnecting of the
`short message reply mode described above. In the mode
`Options the user can also make choices concerning the use
`of the CLI information expressing different calling parties
`for controlling the reply service.
`The operation modes and alternatives emerging onto the
`display described above are meant as examplesonly, without
`limiting the invention. In the futureit is e.g. possible, that the
`speech identification technique will be so much developed
`that the control of the whole operation can be implemented
`through speech commands. Additionally,
`the above
`described function can be implemented also in a usual
`mobile phone without an extended keypad and display user
`interface according to FIG. 3. In that case, different alpha-
`betic and control functions are attached to the numeric and
`other keys of the mobile phone in the way knownintheart.
`Meansin the mobile communication devicesfor transfer-
`
`ring short messages are known in prior art. Acommunication
`device in accordance with the invention further comprises
`display and data entering means for implementing the above
`described operation measures, which meansare also usual in
`present mobile phones. Additionally,
`the communication
`device in accordance with the invention must have means
`for controlling the operation. They are preferably imple-
`mented as software processes that are stored to the memory
`meansincluded in the communication device in a form to be
`performed by the microprocessor controlling its operation.
`The description above concentrates—for the sake of dem-
`onstrational clarity—on the use of SMS messages as
`answers. The invention is, however, not limited to SMS
`messages, but the answer may, according to other embodi-
`ments of the invention, be also a e-mail message or a
`facsimile, if the user’s communication device is capable of
`associating the caller to a certain e-mail address or facsimile
`numberby using the telephone directory information stored
`in its memory. The answer may also be a voice message, if
`the user’s communication device is capable of storing a
`voice message into its memory, from which it may repro-
`duce il as an answer to an incoming call. The user selects
`from his/her communication device, which answering ser-
`vice he/she wants to offer to each identified caller.
`Anadvantage of using a locally stored voice message as
`an answer to an incoming call according to the invention is
`that the caller momentarily reacts as if the receiving party
`had answered him/herself. That is, the caller does not for
`example hang up immediately when he/she perceives the
`answer, as could be the case if an SMS message would be
`sent as an answer together with an clectronic answering
`tune. We maysuppose that the receiving party is attending
`a lecture, where speaking is not permitted, and he/she wants
`the calling party to wait, without hanging up, until the
`receiving party has got out of the lecture room and reached
`the lounge where he/she may speak freely. According to a
`preferable embodiment of the method of the invention, the
`receiving part