Method and system for generating automated location indicating responses

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

0001The present invention relates generally, but not exclusively, to automated location-indicating electronic responses to telephone calls.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

0002Electronic devices such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and notebook computers are now ubiquitous and enable people to communicate with other people from remote and diverse environments. For example telephone calls using mobile phones are frequently placed and received from almost anywhere including moving busses and cars, parks, restaurant tables and elevators. Further, email is often sent and received using notebook computers or handheld devices in varied locations such as airplanes and other public transport vehicles.

0003In part because of the increased ease and convenience of mobile communications, the average number of mobile communications received by mobile phone users has also increased. However, the increased number of calls to mobile devices also means that an increased number of calls do not go through, because either a called mobile device is switched off or a callee is unavailable or otherwise unable to answer a call. For example, many governments have restrictions on the use of “hands on” mobile phones by a driver of a vehicle. Thus drivers must either use “hands free” mobile phones while driving or defer answering calls that are received while driving.

0004Instant and accurate geographic location data is a further feature provided by many mobile electronic devices. Many handheld devices are able to access location data from the Global Positioning System (GPS) or from other mobile location systems, and couple the data with Geographic Information System (GIS) data. The combined location/GIS services are then employed for example in handheld navigation and locating systems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

0005In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to exemplary embodiments as illustrated with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein like reference numbers refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views. The figures together with a detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate the embodiments and explain various principles and advantages, in accordance with the present invention, where:

0006<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is a schematic diagram illustrating a radio communications device in the form of a radio telephone that performs the present invention;

0007<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

0008<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> is a generalized flow diagram illustrating the steps of a method for generating an automated location-indicating response according to an embodiment of the present invention.

0009Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

0010Before describing in detail embodiments that are in accordance with the present invention, it should be observed that the embodiments reside primarily in combinations of method steps and apparatus components related to a method and system for generating automated location-indicating responses to a call. Accordingly, the apparatus components and method steps have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

0011In this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element preceded by “comprises a . . . ” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

0012Referring to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, there is a schematic diagram illustrating a typical radio communications device in the form of a radio telephone <b>100</b> comprising a radio frequency communications unit <b>102</b> coupled to be in communication with a processor <b>103</b>. The radio telephone <b>100</b> also has a display screen <b>105</b>, a keypad <b>106</b> and a camera <b>120</b> coupled to be in communication with the processor <b>103</b>. As will be apparent to a person skilled in the art, the screen <b>105</b> may be a touch screen thereby making the keypad <b>106</b> optional.

0013The processor <b>103</b> includes an encoder/decoder <b>111</b> with an associated code Read Only Memory (ROM) <b>112</b> storing data for encoding and decoding voice or other signals that may be transmitted or received by the radio telephone <b>100</b>. The processor <b>103</b> also includes a micro-processor <b>113</b> coupled, by a common data and address bus <b>117</b>, to the encoder/decoder <b>111</b>, a character Read Only Memory (ROM) <b>114</b>, a Random Access Memory (RAM) <b>104</b>, static programmable memory <b>116</b> and a SIM interface <b>118</b>. The static programmable memory <b>116</b> and a SIM (often called a SIM card) operatively coupled to the SIM interface <b>118</b> each can store, amongst other things, selected incoming text messages and a Telephone Number Database TND (phonebook) comprising a number field for telephone numbers and a name field for identifiers associated with one of the numbers in the name field. For instance, one entry in the Telephone Number Database TND may be 91999111111 (entered in the number field) with an associated identifier “Steven C! at work” in the name field. The SIM card and static memory <b>116</b> may for example also store data from an electronic calendar associated with a user of the phone <b>100</b>. Also operatively connected to the bus <b>117</b> is a Global Positioning System (GPS) module <b>119</b> that includes a transceiver and other appropriate GPS circuitry.

0014The micro-processor <b>113</b> has ports for coupling to the screen <b>105</b>, keypad <b>106</b> and camera <b>120</b>, and an alert <b>115</b> that typically contains an alert speaker, vibrator motor and associated drivers. Also, micro-processor <b>113</b> has ports for coupling to a microphone <b>135</b> and communications speaker <b>140</b>. The character Read Only Memory <b>114</b> stores code for decoding or encoding text messages that may be received by the communications unit <b>102</b>. In this embodiment the character Read Only Memory <b>114</b> also stores operating code (OC) for the micro-processor <b>113</b> and code for performing functions associated with the radio telephone <b>100</b>.

0015The radio frequency communications unit <b>102</b> is a combined receiver and transmitter having a common antenna <b>107</b>. The communications unit <b>102</b> has a transceiver <b>108</b> coupled to antenna <b>107</b> via a radio frequency amplifier <b>109</b>. The transceiver <b>108</b> is also coupled to a combined modulator/demodulator <b>110</b> that couples the communications unit <b>102</b> to the processor <b>103</b>.

0016Referring to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> there is a schematic diagram of a communication system <b>200</b> according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system <b>200</b> operates as follows. A caller device such as a telephone <b>205</b> initiates a voice call to a callee mobile device such as the radio telephone <b>100</b>. If a user of the callee mobile device is unable to answer the call, the callee device generates an automated response to the call including location data that indicates a present location of the callee device.

0017For example, when a voice call is received at the radio telephone <b>100</b>, a user of the phone <b>100</b> can have the phone <b>100</b> set to automatically generate a location-indicating response to the call. The phone <b>100</b> can acquire its precise location using, for example, mobile positioning data from mobile base stations <b>210</b> or from GPS satellites <b>215</b> communicating with the GPS module <b>119</b>. A user of the callee phone <b>100</b> can record a pre-drafted text message in a memory of the phone <b>100</b>, such as the static programmable memory <b>116</b>, which message includes variables concerning location data. An example of such a pre-drafted message may thus read “I am currently at {address variable} and am unable to take your call”. The generated response then includes real-time location data merged with the pre-drafted text message, so that the transmitted response in the above example may read “I am currently at 2028 Main Boulevard and am unable to take your call.”

0018An automated response to a caller can be transmitted in various ways according to different embodiments of the present invention. For example the response can be included in an email, where an address for the email is associated with the caller's telephone number in an electronic address book of the callee phone <b>100</b>. The caller may then access and read the email either directly from the caller device, if the caller device is capable of receiving emails, or from another device. The automated response also can be sent in other ways such as using a Short Messaging System (SMS) format.

0019Other embodiments of the present invention may merge additional information into a pre-drafted text message. For example, the callee phone <b>100</b> may be programmed, when generating an automated location-indicating response, to access the callee's electronic calendar that is stored on the phone <b>100</b>. Data from the calendar then can be used to provide a more detailed response. For example, such a response may read “I am presently at a {activity variable} in {address variable} and am unable to take your call. I should be finished by {free-time variable} and will return your call then.” Here the address variable is generated using the location indicating techniques described herein, and the activity variable and free-time variable are retrieved from a callee's electronic calendar. Thus a completed response may read “I am presently at a shareholder's meeting in New York City and am unable to take your call. I should be finished by 4:00 pm and will return your call then.” An address variable according to the present invention may yield a general address such as a city name or a specific address such as a street address number, or even the identity of a nearby landmark, depending on a level of location detail that a callee desires to provide to a caller.

0020A location-indicating automated response of the present invention can be generated based on various criteria. For example a user of the callee phone <b>100</b> can program the phone <b>100</b> to generate and transmit a response after a predetermined time period, such as when the phone <b>100</b> is not answered after a given number of “rings”, or alternatively the response can be generated and transmitted immediately if the user has set a callee unavailable flag on the phone <b>100</b> that activates for all received calls the automated response feature of the phone <b>100</b>. Further, the phone <b>100</b> can be programmed to select a specific response based on an identity associated with the caller mobile device. For example calls received from only designated individuals or groups of individuals, such as individuals who are listed as “family” in an electronic address book associated with the phone <b>100</b>, may receive an automated response to a call that includes detailed location information (e.g., “I am at {specific address}”); whereas other callers may receive an automated response that includes only general location information (e.g., “I am currently away from the office”). Also, a phone <b>100</b> can be programmed to generate a location-indicating response according to the present invention regardless whether a call is answered. For example a phone <b>100</b> owned by a child can be programmed according to the present invention to provide specific location information to the child's parents, whether the child answers a call from the parents or not, and programmed not to transmit location information to any other callers.

0021According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a callee phone <b>100</b> can be programmed to take a picture, using the camera <b>120</b>, whenever an automated location-indicating response is generated. The resulting image data are then transmitted to the caller with the automated response. Such a feature can be useful for example where drivers of delivery trucks routinely mount their mobile phones <b>100</b>, when not in use, in dashboard-mounted cradles. Dispatchers of such trucks are then able to obtain a near instantaneous image through the windshield of a given truck simply by calling the truck's driver. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that the camera <b>120</b> may be a device separate from the phone <b>100</b>, but operatively connected to the phone <b>100</b> using a wired or wireless connection.

0022Referring to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> there is a generalized flow diagram illustrating the steps of a method <b>300</b> for generating an automated location-indicating response according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method <b>300</b> is performed by the phone <b>100</b>. First, at step <b>305</b> a call, transmitted from a caller device (such as a phone <b>205</b>), is received at a callee mobile device (such as a radio telephone <b>100</b>). At step <b>310</b> it is then determined whether an automated response feature of the callee device is set to activate. If not, the process ends. If the response feature is set to activate, then at step <b>320</b> an automated response including location data that indicate a present location of the callee mobile device is generated according to the teachings of the present invention.

0023The automated response generated at step <b>320</b> may include various sub-steps as illustrated in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref>. For example, at step <b>325</b> it may be determined whether image data should be transmitted with the response. If so, then at step <b>330</b> such image data are captured by the camera <b>120</b>. At step <b>335</b> it may be determined whether a pre-drafted text message should be merged with the response. If so, then at step <b>340</b> the location data are merged with the pre-drafted text. At step <b>345</b> it may be determined whether calendar data should be merged with the response. If so, then at step <b>350</b> the calendar data are merged with the response. Finally, at step <b>355</b>, the response is transmitted to the caller using for example email or an SMS.

0024Advantages of embodiments of the present invention thus include the ability to quickly and conveniently transmit the location of a mobile device in response to a call. People such as parents and their children, salespeople, delivery personnel, maintenance personnel, managers, construction workers, etc. can thus employ their mobile devices to immediately inform others of their present location when a call cannot be answered. Automated responses can be transmitted using various means including email and SMS formats and can include features such as images, pre-drafted text messages and calendar data.

0025It will be appreciated that embodiments of the invention described herein may be comprised of one or more conventional processors and unique stored program instructions that control the one or more processors to implement, in conjunction with certain non-processor circuits, some, most, or all of the functions of generating an automated location-indicating response to a call as described herein. The non-processor circuits may include, but are not limited to, a radio receiver, a radio transmitter, signal drivers, clock circuits, power source circuits, and user input devices. As such, these functions may be interpreted as steps of a method for generating an automated location-indicating response to a call. Alternatively, some or all functions could be implemented by a state machine that has no stored program instructions, or in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), in which each function or some combinations of certain of the functions are implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination of the two approaches could be used. Thus, methods and means for these functions have been described herein. Further, it is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such software instructions and programs and ICs with minimal experimentation.

0026In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all of the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims.