SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USER FEEDBACK IN A
WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field Of The Invention
The present invention is related generally to a wireless communication device and, more particularly, to a system and method for providing feedback signals to a user to assist in operating a wireless communication device.
II. Description Of The Related Art Wireless communication devices, such as cellular telephones, are widely used as a replacement for conventional telephone systems. In addition to functioning as a replacement for a conventional telephone, wireless communication devices offer the advantage of portability, thus enabling the user to establish a wireless communication link between virtually any two locations on Earth.
Although wireless communication devices provide communication capability equivalent to that provided by conventional telephone systems, there are operational and procedural differences between operation of the two different systems. For example, a conventional telephone is physically wired to a telephone exchange. A user activates the conventional telephone by picking up the receiver, thus placing the telephone in an "Off Hook" condition. If the user is making an outgoing call, the telephone exchange generates an audible dial tone in the receiver when the conventional telephone is in the Off Hook in. In this manner, the user knows that the telephone is active and ready to accept a destination telephone number. The user simply presses buttons corresponding to the desired destination telephone number. When the first button is pressed, the dial tone is eliminated. Thus, the conventional telephone system provides the user with some form of feedback to indicate that the telephone is working properly. Modern conventional telephone systems include a number of predetermined codes that the user can also dial to select certain special features.
For example, "Special Feature" codes may be entered by the user prior to dialing the destination telephone number. Examples of Special Feature codes are "*82" to transmit caller ID, "*67" to block caller ID, "*72" to activate call forwarding, and "*70" to cancel call waiting. Other predetermined special feature codes are well known. To select one of these special features, the user simply enters the feature code before dialing the destination telephone number.
The dial tone is eliminated when the user presses the first button (e.g., the "*" key) of the feature code. When the system has accepted a feature code, a feature confirmation tone, such as a series of audible "beeps" followed by a new dial tone, sometimes referred to as a secondary dial tone, is generated to indicate to the user that the user-entered action has been accepted by the telephone system. For example, the following sequence of events occurs when the user wishes to transmit caller ID to a particular long-distance number:
<primary dial tone> *82
<feature confirmation tone /secondary dial tone> 16195551234 where the primary dial tone is the tone initially heard by the user when the receiver is picked up and the secondary dial tone is generated by the telephone system following the user entry of a feature code. It should be noted that the primary and secondary dial tones may be identical tones, but occur at different points in the call processing sequence of events. In some embodiments, the secondary dial tone may generate a different tone, such as a pulsed dial tone, to distinguish it from the primary dial tone. Thus, the user interacts with the telephone system to enter the desired data and is provided with audible feedback from the telephone system to acknowledge receipt of the requested features.
In contrast, wireless communication devices do not typically generate a dial tone. The user turns on power to the wireless communication device, which results in a registration process. For example, a cellular telephone registers with a nearby cell site controller. However, the phone itself is not considered to be in the Off Hook condition. The user enters a sequence of digits corresponding to the destination telephone number. The cellular telephone
temporarily stores the digits in a dialed digits storage area. To establish a communication link, the user presses a "Send" button. In response, a transmitter within the cellular telephone transmits the data in the dialed digits storage area to the cell site controller. In turn, the cell site controller establishes a communication link with the telephone device corresponding to the destination telephone number. Thus, the typical wireless communication device does not provide a dial tone as feedback to the user.
Wireless communication devices also have the capability of special feature codes. To activate a particular special feature code, the user presses the buttons in a manner similar to that of a conventional telephone. However, as discussed above, the cellular telephone does not generate a dial tone. Thus, the special feature codes and destination telephone number are all entered into the dialed digits storage area and transmitted to the cell site controller when the user presses the Send button. Although some users can readily adapt to the procedural differences in using a wireless communication device, it is inconvenient for some users to learn different procedures for using a conventional telephone system in a wireless communication device. Therefore, it can be appreciated that there is a significant need for a system and method that simplifies operation of a wireless communication device. The present invention provides this and other advantages, as will be apparent from the following description and accompanying figures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is embodied in a system and method to provide feedback to the user of a wireless communication device. In an exemplary embodiment, the system includes a keypad comprising a plurality of keys that may be selectively activated by a user. The keypad senses user operation of the keys. The device also includes a data structure to store a state diagram indicative of a logical state of the wireless communication device wherein the particular logic state of the wireless communication device is based on a sequence in which the keys are activated by the user. The system also
includes a feedback device to provide feedback to the user when the wireless communication device is in a selected logic state.
In one embodiment, the system includes an audio output device, such as a speaker, to provide audio feedback signals to the user. The signals may take the form of a dial tone similar to that used in a conventional telephone communication system. Alternatively, the system may include a visual display and provide visual feedback to the user in the selected logic state.
The system may also include a transmitter to transmit data signals to a location remote from the wireless communication device. The transmitter transmits data, such as a destination telephone number, to the remote location when activated by the user. The transmitter may also transmit other data, such as special feature codes, or the like, when activated by the user. The transmitter may be manually activated by the user by pressing a button on the keypad.
Alternatively, the transmitter may be automatically activated when the user activates the keypad to place the wireless communication device in a predetermined logic state.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the wireless communication device of the present invention.
FIG. 2 illustrates the state data storage area of the wireless communication device of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 illustrates a data table implementing the state data storage area of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the wireless communication device of FIG. 1 to provide user feedback.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
EMBODIMENTS
The present invention provides a technique for providing feedback to the user of a wireless communication device to thereby emulate operation of a conventional telephone. The invention thereby increases the comfort level of the user in operating two different types of communication devices.
The present invention is embodied in a system 100 illustrated in the functional block diagram of FIG. 1. The system 100 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 102, which controls operation of the system. A memory
104, which may include both read-only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM), provides instructions and data to the CPU 102. A portion of the memory 104 may also include non-volatile random access memory
(NVRAM). As will be discussed in greater detail below, the (NVRAM) portion of the memory 104 may be used to store one or more destination telephone numbers and associated data. The system 100, which is typically embodied in a wireless communication device such as a cellular telephone, also includes a housing 106 that contains a transmitter 108 and a receiver 110 to allow transmission and reception of data, such as audio communications, between the system 100 and a remote location, such as a cell site controller (not shown). The transmitter 108 and receiver 110 may be combined into a transceiver 112. An antenna 114 is attached to the housing 106 and electrically coupled to the transceiver 112. The operation of the transmitter 108, receiver 110, and antenna 114 is well known in the art and need not be described herein.
The system 100 may include an optional display 116 to conveniently display instructions to the user as well as user-entered data, such as destination telephone numbers and alphanumeric text. However, the display 116 is not necessary for satisfactory operation of the present invention. A keypad 118 is attached to the housing 106 for operation by the user in a conventional manner. As will be described below, the keypad 118 provides a convenient input device by which destination telephone numbers and alphanumeric text may be entered by the user.
The system 100 also includes a state data storage area 122 which contains information regarding the current logic state of the wireless communication device. Specifically, the state data storage area 122 contains data related to the dialing plan for the geographic location in which the system 100 is used. The dialing plan data is used to determine which logic states require feedback to the user. The state data storage area 122 may be part of the memory 104 or a separate storage area. While depicted as a conventional
memory, those skilled in the art can appreciate that the state data storage area
122 may be any suitable data structure. Operational details of the state data storage area 122 are provided below.
An audible output device 124 provides audible feedback signal, such as a dial tone, to assist the user in the operation of the system 100. In an exemplary embodiment, the audible output device 124 is in the form of a speaker that serves to provide voice signals to the user as well as the audible feedback signals. As will be discussed in detail below, the audible output device 124 generates audible output signals for the user when the wireless communication device is in certain predetermined logic states, as determined by the state data storage area 122.
The system 100 also includes a dialed digits storage area 126. The dialed digits storage area 126 stores destination telephone numbers in preparation for transmission to their remote location (e.g., a cell site controller). When the user enters a destination telephone number via the keypad 118, the digits entered by the user are temporarily stored in the dialed digits storage area. Similarly, the user may select a destination telephone number from an electronic telephone number storage area, which is typically part of the NVRAM portion of the memory 104. The dialed digits storage area 126 receives the destination telephone number, whether manually entered by the user via the keypad or selected by the user from the NVRAM portion of the memory 104. In operation, the transmitter 108 transmits the data in the dialed digits storage area 126 to establish a communication link between the wireless communication device and the communication device associated with the destination telephone number. The dialed digits storage area 126 also stores any special feature codes that have been selected by the user. In typical operation, the user selects one or more special feature codes prior to selecting the destination telephone number. A conventional telephone systems processes the special feature codes as they are entered by the user. In contrast, the wireless communication device sequentially transmits these special feature codes and the destination telephone number only after the user has specified both special feature codes and the destination telephone number. For example, when the user presses the Send button on a cellular telephone, the cellular
telephone transmits any special feature codes and the destination telephone number to a cell site controller. The special feature codes are processed by the cell site controller along with the destination telephone number.
The various components of the system 100 are coupled together by a bus system 128 which may include a power bus, control signal bus, and status signal bus in addition to a data bus. However, for the sake of clarity, the various buses are illustrated in FIG. 1 as the bus system 128.
The user of the wireless communication device enters a destination telephone number by selectively activating keys of the keypad 118. The particular format and number of digits required to successfully complete a telephone call depend on the geographic location. Each country has its own set of rules regarding telephone numbers. For example, the United States is divided into geographic regions, each having a three-digit area code. In addition, subscribers within a particular area code are assigned a seven-digit telephone number comprising a three-digit telephone exchange number and a four-digit subscriber number. The number of digits required to successfully complete the call depend on the location of the caller and the called party. For example, calls may be made within one's area code by simply dialing the seven- digit local number (i.e., the exchange number and subscriber number). However, for calls outside one's area code, it is necessary to dial ten digits (i.e., the area code, the exchange number, and the subscriber number). In addition, subscribers in the United States must typically dial a 1 before the area code to indicate to the telephone system that a long-distance call is being made.
Each country generates its own set of rules regarding dialing procedures within that country. These rules, sometimes known as dialing plans, are used to control phone systems within each respective country. In addition, international agreements have been reached whereby country codes may be added to place an international long-distance call.
The state data storage area 122 contains data relating to the dialing plan for a particular country in which the wireless communication device is intended to be used. For example, the state data storage area 122 contains data relating to the United States dialing plan for wireless communication devices manufactured for use in the United States. Similarly, the state data storage area
122 may be programmed with data relating to dialing plans for other countries.
Alternatively, the state data storage area 122 may contain dialing plans for more than one country. For example, an individual using the wireless communication device in Europe may wish to have dialing plans for multiple European countries (e.g., France, Germany, Italy, and the like). The appropriate dialing plan may be selected using an option menu. The use of option menus is well known and need not be discussed herein.
The state data storage area 122 is used to determine the current logic state of the wireless communication device. The audible output device 124 is used to generate an audio feedback signal to the user when the wireless communication device is in predetermined ones of the logic states. FIG. 2 illustrates a state diagram 200 to further explain the operation of the state data storage area 122 for the United States dialing plan. The United States dialing plan for cellular phones itself is defined in an industry standard known as TIA/EIA 660. The system 100 begins at an initial state, State 1. Prior to the user entering any digits on the keypad 118. The first digit entered by the user on the keypad 118 causes the system 100 to change from the State 1 to a different state depending on the value of the digit entered on the keypad. If the user enters the numeric digit "0" on the keypad 118, the system 100 changes to a state, State 2. From the State 2, the user enters additional digits that cause the system 100 to change states as each digit is entered on the keypad 118. As illustrated in FIG. 2, if the user enters the numeric digit "1" while in the State 2, the system 100 changes from the State 2 to a State 5. If the user enters an additional numeric digit "1" while in the State 5, the system 100 changes to a state, State 8 that indicates the user's intention to place an international long-distance call. As can be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, a user will enter additional digits indicative of a country code, city code, telephone number, and the like. The specific sequence of digits entered by the user depend on the destination telephone number. Details of this sequence need not be described herein.
Similarly, from the State 1, the user can enter the numeric digit "1" on the keypad 118 causing the system 100 to change to a state, State 3. The entry of any numeric digit N, where N represents any number from 2 to 9,
causes the system 100 to change from the State 3 to a state, State 6. The entry of any subsequent numeric digit X, where X is any number from 0 to 9, causes the system 100 to change from the State 6 to a state, State 9. The entry of additional numeric digits from the State 9 would be indicative of a U.S. long-distance call. As those of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate, the entry of 8 additional numeric digits (1 + area code + telephone number) is required to complete a
U.S. long-distance call if the system is at the State 9.
From the State 1, the entry of any numeric digit N (i.e., 2-9) causes the system 100 to change to a state, State 4. The subsequent entry of any numeric digit X (i.e., 0-9) causes the system 100 to change from the State 4 to a state, State 7. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the entry of additional numeric digits is indicative of a local call.
Special feature codes are also included in the state diagram 200. From the State 1, the entry of the "*" digit causes the system 100 to change to a state, State 11. The subsequent entry of any digit N (i.e., 2-9) causes the system 100 to change to a state, State 12. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the subsequent entry of any digit X (i.e., 0-9) while in the State 12 causes the system 100 to change to a state, State 13.
As can be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, a total of 7 numeric digits, beginning with the numeric digit N (i.e., 2-9), is indicative of a local call. Thus, each entry on the keypad 118 causes the system 100 to change states. At each state of the state diagram 200, the system 100 determines whether or not to provide feedback to the user. For example, the system may provide a dial tone to the user in response to the entry of a special feature code. The system 100 may also provide feedback at other selected states of the wireless communication device. In an exemplary embodiment of the system, the system 100 determines a feedback condition at each state of the state diagram 200.
The state diagram 200 is readily stored in the state data storage area 122 in the form of a data table 202 illustrated in FIG. 3. While shown in FIG. 3 as the data table 202, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that any suitable data structure may be used to store the data corresponding to the state diagram 200. The present invention is not limited by the specific form of
data structure used to store data corresponding to the state diagram 200. Each state of the state diagram 200 is used as an index to the data table 202. At each state, the user may enter a numeric digit X (i.e., 0-9) or a control digit, such as the "*" key or the "#" key. The entry of an additional digit points to a specific location in the data table 202 that indicates the next state of the system 100. For example, if the wireless communication device is in the State 1, and the user presses the control digit *, the data in the data table 202 indicates the next state for the wireless communication device is the State 11. In addition, the data table
202 contains data indicative of the feedback that is applicable to that particular state. In an exemplary embodiment, the data table includes one bit of feedback data for each state of the system 100. The feedback data bit in the data table 202 indicates whether some form of feedback should be provided to the user based on the present machine state.
For example, if the user has entered a special feature code, such as the digits *82, placing the system 100 in the State 13, the feedback data bit is at a high logic level. Under these conditions, the system 100 triggers the audible output device 124 (see FIG. 1) to provide an audible feedback signal to the user. In an exemplary embodiment, the audible output device 124 provides audible feedback in the form of a dial tone, in a manner similar to the operation of a conventional telephone in which secondary dial tone is generated in response to the entry of a special feature code. Alternatively, the system 100 can provide visible feedback using the display 116 or some other form of visible output, such as a light-emitting diode (LED) (not shown). Similarly, the system 100 can provide feedback to the user for other feature codes, or other selected states. For example, if the wireless communication device is a wireless local loop (WLL) telephone, it is possible to generate a dial tone in State 1 when the user picks up the receiver. The system 100 may further generate a secondary dial tone if the user enters a special feature code on a WLL telephone. This form of feedback mimics operation of a conventional telephone system by making the WLL telephone operate in a manner familiar to users of a conventional telephone system, thus greatly simplifying operation for a user unfamiliar with the operational procedures of a wireless communication device.
It should be noted that the state diagram 200 in FIG. 2 and the data table 202 in FIG. 3 do not illustrate each possible state of the system 100. The number of possible machine states is dependent on the specific calling plan implemented in the country in which the system 100 is operated. For the sake of brevity, only a limited number of machine states are illustrated in FIGS. 2 and
3 for the United States dialing plan. It is possible to enter data entries on the keypad 118 (see FIG. 1) that result in inoperable or illegal logic states of the wireless communication device. For example, if the system 100 is in the State 3, the entry of a numeric digit "0" or a numeric digit "1" on the keypad 118 results in an illegal logic state. Therefore, the data entries illustrated in the data table 202 indicate that the system 100 is in an illegal state and the present call is terminated.
Special feature codes and the destination telephone number entered by the user are stored in the dialed digits storage area 126, in the manner previously described. That is, the user enters one or more special feature codes followed by the destination telephone number. The destination telephone number may be manually entered from the key pad or selected from a phone book storage area in the NVRAM portion of the memory 104. It should be noted that the system 100 transmits the data in a dialed digit storage area 126 in the manner identical to a conventional wireless communication device. The special feature codes and destination telephone number are transmitted together in response to the user pressing the Send button even though the feedback signal is generated for the user. Thus, the feedback signal is provided only to assist the user in the entry of data into the wireless communication device and does not affect the manner in which the wireless communication device interacts with a remote location (e.g., a cell site controller).
Alternatively, the system 100 can use the state diagram 200 (see Fig. 3) to automatically determine when to transmit the data in the dialed digits storage area 126. For example, the system 100 can determine when a complete and valid telephone number has been entered into the dialed digits storage area. For example, the entry of a special feature code followed by a seven-digit telephone number would be interpreted by the system 100 as a special feature code combined with a local telephone number. In response to the completion of
the local telephone number, the transmitter 108 (see Fig. 1) can automatically transmit the data in the dialed digits storage area to a remote location (e.g., a cell site controller). This technique is particularly effective with a WLL telephone, which may not include a Send button. Even when the data in the dialed digits storage area 126 is automatically transmitted to a remote location, system 100 transmits feature codes and destination telephone number together and thus does not affect the operation of the wireless communication system.
The system 100 may be advantageously programmed with a data table for different countries. For example, the data table 202, illustrated in FIG. 3, corresponds to the calling plan used in the United States. However, an additional data table 202' (not shown) may contain data related to the calling plan for a different country, such as India. Alternatively, the data table 202 may include data for a plurality of countries, as discussed above. The user may select the data table for use by the system 100 using a convenient menu feature in a well-known manner. With an appropriate menu selected, the system 100 may display a list of countries whose dialing plans are stored within the state data storage area 122 (see FIG. 1). The user can select the appropriate country based on the displayed list. For the sake of brevity, the state diagram 200 and data table 202 will not be discussed for other dialing plans. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the entry of digits on the keypad 118 (see FIG. 1) will cause the system 100 to change states in accordance with the specific dialing plan of the country. Details on the use of data tables to store dialing plans are provided in U.S. Patent Application No. 08/608,924, filed on February 29, 1996 and entitled "TELEPHONE NUMBER PARSER FOR WIRELESS LOCAL LOOP TELEPHONES," which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The operation of the system 100 is illustrated in the flowchart of FIG. 4 where, at a start 210, the system 100 is in the State 1 (see FIG. 2). As discussed above, a WLL telephone may provide audible feedback to the user in the State 1 when the user picks up the receiver. In step 212, the system 100 receives keypad data from the keypad 118 (see FIG. 1) in response to user operation of the keypad. Based on the user-entered digit, the system 100 enters a new machine state in step 214. In decision 216, the system 100 determines
whether or not to provide feedback. As discussed above, the feedback data bit in the data table 202 (see FIG. 3) indicates whether feedback will be provided for the particular state. If the feedback bit is set to a high logic level, the result of decision 216 is YES. In that event, the system 100 enables feedback in step 218. As previously discussed, the feedback may be in the form of audio feedback using the audible output device 124 or visual feedback using the display 116 or a dedicated device, such as an LED. For the sake of convenience, the feedback data bit is set to a logic high when feedback is applied. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that a low logic level may also be used to provide a similar indication. Thus, the present invention is not limited by the specific logic state used to enable feedback by the system 100.
If the feedback data bit in the data table 202 (see FIG. 3) indicates that feedback is not provided, the result of decision 216 is NO. In that event, or after the execution of step 218, the system 100 moves to decision 220 to determine whether the digit just entered by the user is the last digit in the sequence. The system 100 determines whether the digit is the last digit in the sequence based on the state data storage area 122 (see FIG. 1). If the digit is not the last digit in the sequence, the result of decision 220 is NO. In that event, the system 100 returns to step 212 to retrieve additional keypad data from the keypad 118. If the digit is the last digit in a sequence, the result of decision 220 is YES. In that event, the system processes the call in step 222. As discussed above, processing the call includes transmission of data in the dialed digits storage area 126. The data in the dialed digits storage area is transmitted by the transmitter 108 to a remote location, such as a cell site controller. As noted above, the special feature codes are also stored in the dialed digits storage area and transmitted along with the destination telephone number in step 222. Thus, special feature codes are not transmitted to the cell site controller until the entire destination telephone number has been entered. The system 100 ends the calling process at 224 with a communication link having been established using any special feature codes entered by the user. Thus, the system 100 advantageously mimics operation of a conventional telephone and eliminates the need to learn multiple different procedures for wireless communication devices and for conventional telephones.
It is to be understood that even though various embodiments and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, the above disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, yet remain within the broad principles of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is to be limited only by the appended claims.
What is claimed is: