IP Library Granted Patent US 8,208,912
Granted Patent B2
US 8,208,912 · App. 11/996,012 · Granted Jun 26, 2012

Mobile telephone, informing method, and program

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,208,912
App. No.
11/996,012
Granted
Jun 26, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A mobile telephone performs communication by transmitting voice, which is inputted by a speaker into a communication apparatus having a floor, via a server, to one or more communication devices of one or more listener(s) having no floor. A transmitter transmits a request signal, which requests an acquisition of a floor, to the server (Step S 104 ) when a predetermined operation is performed by a user (Step S 103 : YES). A receiver receives both a permission signal, which is transmitted from the server in response to the request signal for permitting the acquisition of a floor, and numerical information, which is transmitted from the server, indicating the number of communication apparatuses of the listener(s) (Step S 101 and S 106 ). An informing control subunit performs different informing controls in accordance with the number indicated by the numerical information when the receiver receives the permission signal (Step S 107 to S 109 ).

Claims (47)

1. A mobile telephone, comprising:

a communication performing unit operable to perform communication by transmitting voice, which is inputted by a speaker having a floor, via a server, to one or more communication apparatuses of one or more listeners having no floor;

a receiver operable to receive situation information, which is transmitted from the server, indicating a situation of the communication apparatuses of the listeners; and

an informing control unit operable to perform informing control to inform in different manners, other than by speech, in accordance with the number of the communication apparatuses of the listeners which is indicated by the situation information.

2. The mobile telephone of claim 1 , wherein

the informing control unit performs the informing control only when a predetermined operation is performed by the speaker.

3. The mobile telephone of claim 1 , further comprising:

a transmitter operable, when a predetermined operation is performed by the speaker, to transmit a request signal which makes a request for an acquisition of the floor to the server, wherein

the receiver is further operable to receive a permission signal, which is transmitted from the server, for the acquisition of the floor in response to the request signal, and

the informing control unit performs the informing control when the receiver receives the permission signal.

4. The mobile telephone of claim 1 , wherein

the situation information is numerical information that indicates the number of the communication apparatuses of the listeners, and

the informing control unit performs informing control to inform in different manners in accordance with the number of the communication apparatuses of the listeners which is indicated by the numerical information.

5. The mobile telephone of claim 1 , further comprising:

a loudspeaker, wherein

the informing control unit performs the informing control to inform by emitting a sound from the loudspeaker in different manners in accordance with the number of the communication apparatuses.

6. The mobile telephone of claim 1 , wherein

the informing control unit performs the informing control in a first manner when the number of the communication apparatuses is one and in a second manner when the number of the communication apparatuses is two or more.

7. The mobile telephone of claim 1 , further comprising:

a loudspeaker, wherein

the informing control unit performs the informing control by emitting a sound from the loudspeaker a number of times equal to the number of the communication apparatuses.

8. The mobile telephone of claim 3 , further comprising:

a storage unit that stores the number of the communication apparatuses of the listeners which is indicated by the situation information, wherein

the informing control unit, in receiving the permission signal and the situation information, compares the number of the communication apparatuses of the listeners which is indicated by the received situation information with the number of the communication apparatuses of the listeners which is stored in the storage unit and performs the informing control in a predetermined manner if the number of the communication apparatuses of the listeners which is indicated by the received situation information is more than the number stored in the storage unit, and

the storage unit updates the situation information, by storing the number of the communication apparatuses of the listeners which is indicated by the received situation information after the comparison is performed by the informing control unit.

9. The mobile telephone of claim 1 , further comprising:

a vibrator, wherein

the informing control unit performs the informing control to inform by vibrating in different manners using the vibrator, in accordance with the number of the communication apparatuses.

10. The mobile telephone of claim 1 , further comprising:

a light emission unit, wherein

the informing control unit performs the informing control to inform by emitting light in different manners using the light emission unit, in accordance with the number of the communication apparatuses.

11. The mobile telephone of claim 1 , further comprising:

two casings which are connected so as to be capable of overlapping each other via a connecting member;

a display unit mounted on a surface of at least one of the two casings, the surface being not visible from outside when the two casings overlap each other; and

a casing detection unit operable to detect that the two casings overlap each other, wherein

the informing control unit performs the informing control to inform in different manners in accordance with the number of the communication apparatuses, only when the casing detection unit detects that the two casings overlap each other.

12. The mobile telephone of claim 1 , further comprising:

a connection unit operable to connect to an external device capable of receiving output signal from the mobile telephone; and

a connection detecting unit operable to detect the connection with the external device via the connection unit, wherein

the informing control unit controls the output signal to the external device only when the connection detecting unit detects the connection with the external device, thereby performing the informing control via the external device.

13. An informing method used for a mobile telephone for performing communication by transmitting voice, which is inputted by a speaker having a floor, via a server, to one or more communication apparatuses of one or more listeners having no floor, the informing method comprising:

a situation information receiving step of receiving situation information, which is transmitted from the server, indicating information of the communication apparatuses of the listeners, and

an informing control step of performing different informing controls, other than by speech, in accordance with the number of the communication apparatuses of the listeners which is indicated by the situation information.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon a program causing a mobile telephone that performs communication by transmitting voice, which is inputted by a speaker having a floor, via a server, to one or more communication apparatuses of one or more listeners having no floor, to execute an informing control process, wherein

the informing control process includes:

a situation information receiving step of receiving situation information, which is transmitted from a server, indicating situation of the communication apparatuses of the listeners; and

an informing control step of performing different informing controls, other than by speech, in accordance with the number of the communication apparatuses of the listeners which is indicated by the situation information.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE INVENTOR'S NAME FROM KAMII, TOSHIRO PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 020380 FRAME 0954. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CORRECT SPELLING OF THE INVENTOR'S NAME IS KAMII, TOSHIHIRO. Recorded Apr 28, 2009
From: KAMII, TOSHIHIRO
To: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 022607/0650 →
ADDENDUM TO ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 24, 2009
From: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
To: KYOCERA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 022452/0793 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 18, 2008
From: KAMII, TOSHIRO
To: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 020380/0954 →