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Mobile Phone Patent Abstract
Disclosed is an alerting device for an incoming call with an earphone
jack of a portable mobile phone for notifying a user of an incoming
call or an alarm from outside of the portable mobile phone. The
alerting device of a portable mobile phone including an earphone
jack for connecting an earphone with an earphone operator for operating
the earphone includes an external incoming notifying device. The
notifying system further includes a discriminator, an incoming notifying
operator, a selector and a controller installed in the portable
mobile phone. The external incoming notifying device includes at
least one incoming notifying element, and an earphone jack connector
for connecting the incoming notifying elements to the earphone jack.
The discriminator, connected with the earphone jack, determines
which device of the earphone and the external incoming notifying
device is connected to the earphone jack. The incoming notifying
operator operates the external incoming notifying device. The selector
connects the earphone operator or the incoming notifying operator
to the earphone jack. The controller receives the determination
from the discriminator and connects one of the earphone operator
and the incoming notifying operator to the earphone jack.
Mobile Phone Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A system for notifying a user of an incoming call of a portable
mobile phone having an earphone jack for connecting with an earphone
and an earphone operator for operating the earphone, the system
comprising: an external incoming call notifying device including
at least one incoming notifying element and an earphone jack connector
for connecting the at least one incoming notifying element to the
earphone jack; a discriminator contained in the portable mobile
phone for determining if one of the earphone and the external incoming
call notifying device is connected to the earphone jack; an incoming
call notifying operator, placed in the portable mobile phone, for
operating the external incoming call notifying device; a selector
contained in the portable mobile phone for selectively connecting
the earphone operator or the incoming notifying operator with the
earphone jack; and a controller contained in the portable mobile
phone for receiving the determination of the discriminator, and
connecting one of the earphone operator and the incoming notifying
operator to the earphone jack.
2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the earphone jack
and the earphone jack connector each comprises a ground terminal,
a microphone terminal and a speaker terminal.
3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the external incoming
call notifying device comprises a sensor element connected to the
microphone of the earphone jack connector for providing an incoming
notifying device signal to the discriminator.
4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sensor element
is a resistance element connected between the microphone terminal
and the ground terminal.
5. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the incoming call
notifying element is connected between the speaker terminal and
the ground terminal.
6. A system for notifying a user of an incoming call of a portable
mobile phone having an earphone jack for connecting with an earphone
and an earphone operator for operating the earphone, the system
comprising: an external incoming call notifying device including
a plurality of incoming call notifying elements, an earphone jack
connector for connecting the incoming call notifying elements to
the earphone jack, and a switch for selectively connecting the incoming
call notifying elements to the earphone jack connector; a discriminator
contained in the portable mobile phone connected with the earphone
jack, for determining one of the earphone and the external incoming
call notifying device is connected to the earphone jack; an incoming
call notifying operator contained in the portable mobile phone for
operating the external incoming call notifying device; a selector
contained in the portable mobile phone for connecting one of the
earphone operator and the incoming call notifying operator with
the earphone jack; and a controller contained in the portable mobile
phone for receiving the determination of the discriminator, and
connecting one of the earphone operator and the incoming call notifying
operator to the earphone jack.
7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the earphone jack
and the earphone jack connector each comprises a ground terminal,
a microphone terminal and a speaker terminal.
8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the external incoming
call notifying device comprises a sensor element connected to the
microphone terminal of the earphone jack connector for providing
an incoming call notifying device signal to the discriminator.
9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sensor element
is a resistance element connected between the microphone terminal
and the ground terminal.
10. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the incoming call
notifying elements are connected between the speaker terminal and
the ground terminal through the switch.
11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the incoming call
notifying elements include one or more of a lamp, a vibration motor
and a buzzer.
Mobile Phone Patent Description
PRIORITY
This application claims priority to an application entitled "Alerting
Device for Notifying Incoming Call by Using Ear Jack in Portable
Mobile Phone" filed with the Korean Industrial Property Office
on Sep. 8, 2000 and assigned Ser. No. 2000-53525, the contents of
which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a portable mobile phone,
and in particular, to an alerting device for notifying a user of
an incoming call or an alarm.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a portable mobile phone notifies a user of an incoming
call by sound, vibration or light. A user is also notified of an
alarm in the form of a sound, a vibration or of a light. However,
the sound of an incoming call can scarcely be recognized if the
user has poor hearing or is in a noisy surrounding. Further, if
the phone is in a pocket or in a bag of the user, an incoming call
or an alarm can hardly be recognized by sound, vibration or light.
In an attempt to solve the above problems, a technology has been
suggested to output an incoming call sound through an external earphone
connected to portable mobile phone. According to this technology,
a user is able to listen to the sound of an incoming call through
an external earphone even if the user is in a noisy surrounding
or has poor hearing, or even in the case when the phone is in a
bag or in a pocket.
However, with the existing technology, it is impossible to use
external vibration or light to notify the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide
a system for notifying a user of an incoming call or an alarm from
the outside of a portable mobile phone by using a standard earphone
jack.
To achieve the above object, there is provided a system for notifying
a user of an incoming call of a portable mobile phone according
to the present invention. The system of a portable mobile phone
having an earphone jack for connecting an earphone and an earphone
operator for operating the earphone, includes an external incoming
notifying system. The system further includes a discriminator, an
incoming notifying operator, a selector and a controller installed
in the portable mobile phone. The external incoming notifying system
has at least one incoming notifying element and an earphone jack
connector for connecting the incoming notifying elements to the
earphone jack of the portable phone. The discriminator, connected
to the earphone jack, determines which device of the earphone and
the external incoming notifying system is connected to the earphone
jack. The incoming notifying operator operates the external incoming
notifying system. The selector connects the earphone operator or
the incoming notifying operator to the earphone jack. The controller
receives the determination of the discriminator connects one of
the earphone operator ad the receiving notifying operator to the
earphone jack.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will become more apparent from the following detailed
description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing
in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a construction of an incoming
notifying system for an incoming call with an earphone jack according
to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described
herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the
following description, well-known functions or constructions are
not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in
unnecessary detail.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a construction of an incoming
notifying system for an incoming call with an earphone jack according
to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1,
a portable mobile phone 100 includes a conventional standard earphone
jack 102 for connecting a conventional earphone 200, an earphone
operator 108 for operating the earphone 200, an incoming notifying
operator 110 for operating an incoming notifying element, and a
controller 112. The phone 100 further includes a discriminator 104
and a selector 106 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Further, an external incoming notifying device 300 according to
the present invention, includes an earphone jack connector 302,
at least one incoming notifying element (i.e., a lamp 304, a vibration
motor 306, a buzzer 308) a switch 310, and a resistance unit RS
as a sensor element. The earphone jack connector 302 includes a
ground terminal GND, a microphone terminal MIC, and a speaker terminal
SPK for connecting to the earphone jack 102 of the portable mobile
phone 100. The lamp 304, the vibration motor 306 and the buzzer
308 are connected between the speaker terminal SPK and the ground
terminal GND through the switch 310, and the microphone terminal
MIC is grounded through the resistance unit RS. The switch 310 connects
the lamp 304, the vibration motor 306 or the buzzer 308 with the
speaker terminal SPK of the earphone jack connector 302. The switch
310 connects the lamp 304 or the vibration motor 306 to the speaker
terminal SPK of the earphone jack connector 302 by manipulation
of a user who does not desire a sound signal of a notification.
However, if the user desires a sound signal of notification, the
buzzer 308 is connected to the speaker terminal SPK of the earphone
jack connector 302.
The discriminator 104, connected with the microphone terminal MIC
and the speaker terminal SPK of the earphone jack 102, determines
which device of the earphone 200 and the external incoming notifying
device 300 is connected to the earphone jack 102. The discriminator
104 detects and determines whether the earphone connector 202 of
the earphone 200 is connected to the earphone jack 102 as in case
of the conventional art. On the other hand, when the external incoming
notifying device 300 rather than the earphone 200 is connected to
the earphone jack 102, the microphone terminal MIC of the earphone
jack 102 is grounded through the resistance unit RS connected to
the microphone terminal MIC of the earphone jack connector 302.
Then, the discriminator 104 detects and determines whether or not
the external incoming notifying device 300 is connected.
The selector 106, connected between the microphone terminal MIC,
the speaker terminal SPK of the earphone jack 102, the earphone
operator 108 and the incoming notifying operator 110, connects the
earphone operator 108 or the incoming notifying operator 110 to
the earphone jack 102.
The controller 112, connected to the discriminator 104, the selector
106, the earphone operator 108 and the incoming notifying operator
110, receives the determination from the discriminator and controls
the selector 106 so as to connect one of the earphone operator and
the incoming notifying operator to the earphone jack 102, and operate
the same.
If the earphone 200 is connected to the earphone jack 102, the
earphone 200 is normally used as in the conventional art. If the
external incoming notifying device 300 is connected to the earphone
jack 102, the device notifies a user of an incoming call or an alarm
by sound, light or vibration. The combinations thereof are only
limited by the amount of switches in the device and are not meant
to be exclusive as any notifying devices can be incorporated herein
without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
It is possible to notify a user of an incoming call or an alarm
from outside of the portable mobile phone 100, using the conventional
earphone jack, by making use of the external incoming notifying
device 300 including the same earphone jack connector 302 as the
standard earphone jack 102 of the portable mobile phone 100.
As described above, the alerting device for notifying an incoming
call according to the present invention provides advantages of notifying
a user of an incoming call and an alarm from outside of the portable
mobile phone and, at the same time, using the conventional earphone
jack, by making use of the external incoming notifying device including
the same earphone jack connector as the standard earphone jack of
a portable mobile phone. The kinds of incoming notifying elements
of the external incoming notifying device 300 may be varied. Further,
it is possible to operate the lamp 304, the vibration motor 306
and the buzzer 308 together without actuating the switch 310, or
adjust these elements in another structure from the structure shown
in FIG. 1.
While the invention has been shown and described with reference
to a certain preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood
by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details
may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope
of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
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