Granted Patent B2

US 12,126,753 · App. 18/141,419 · Granted Oct 22, 2024

Inventor: Lawrence R. Youst (Dallas, TX)

H04M1/72448H04L67/306H04M19/04H04M19/042H04W4/14H04W4/18H04W68/00H04M1/72451

Abstract

Claims (45)

1. A mobile phone having a silent notification mode, the mobile phone comprising:

means for storing profiles relating to a plurality of contacts, the profiles including a silent notification mode setting for incoming calls;

means for generating audible notifications responsive to incoming calls;

means for transitioning the mobile phone into and out of the silent notification mode based upon a schedule;

means for receiving a user selection of the silent notification mode setting for incoming calls on a contact by contact basis; and

a processor operably associated with the storing means, the generating means, the transitioning means and the receiving means;

wherein, in the silent notification mode, the processor is configured to prevent the generating means from generating audible notifications responsive to incoming call from the contacts without the silent notification mode setting for incoming calls disabled; and

wherein, in the silent notification mode, the processor is configured to cause the generating means to generate audible notifications responsive to incoming calls from the contacts with the silent notification mode setting for incoming calls disabled.

2. The mobile phone as recited in claim 1 wherein, the schedule further comprises a start time and an end time for the silent notification mode.

3. The mobile phone as recited in claim 2 wherein, the receiving means is configured to receive a user selection of the start time and the end time of the schedule.

4. The mobile phone as recited in claim 1 wherein, the schedule further comprises a daily start time and a daily end time for the silent notification mode.

5. The mobile phone as recited in claim 4 wherein, the receiving means is configured to receive a user selection of the daily start time and the daily end time of the schedule.

6. The mobile phone as recited in claim 1 wherein, the receiving means is configured to receive a user selection to enable and disable the schedule responsive to operation of a soft switch.

7. The mobile phone as recited in claim 1 wherein, the receiving means is configured to receive the user selection of the silent notification mode setting for incoming calls responsive to operation of a soft switch in the profile of each of the contacts.

8. A mobile phone configured to operate in a normal notification mode and an enhanced silent notification mode, in the normal notification mode, sounds associated with incoming calls from both general contacts and emergency contacts are generated and, in the enhanced silent notification mode, sounds associated with incoming calls from the general contacts are suppressed, but sounds associated with incoming calls from the emergency contacts are generated, the mobile phone comprising:

means for storing contact information for a plurality of contacts including the general contacts and the emergency contacts, the contact information including an emergency notification setting for incoming calls;

means for generating sounds;

means for transitioning the mobile phone between the normal notification mode and the enhanced silent notification mode based upon a schedule;

means for receiving a user selection of the emergency notification setting for incoming calls on a contact by contact basis; and

at least one processor operably associated with the storing means, the generating means, the transitioning means and the receiving means;

wherein, the general contacts are the contacts that do not have the emergency notification setting for incoming calls selected by the user;

wherein, the emergency contacts are the contacts having the emergency notification setting for incoming calls selected by the user;

wherein, in the normal notification mode, incoming calls from both the general contacts and the emergency contacts cause the generating means to generate sounds; and

wherein, in the enhanced silent notification mode, incoming calls from the general contacts do not cause the generating means to generate sounds, but incoming calls from the emergency contacts cause the generating means to generate sounds.

9. The mobile phone as recited in claim 8 wherein, the schedule further comprises a start time and an end time for the enhanced silent notification mode.

10. The mobile phone as recited in claim 9 wherein, the receiving means is configured to receive a user selection of the start time and the end time of the schedule.

11. The mobile phone as recited in claim 8 wherein, the schedule further comprises a daily start time and a daily end time for the enhanced silent notification mode.

12. The mobile phone as recited in claim 11 wherein, the receiving means is configured to receive a user selection of the daily start time and the daily end time of the schedule.

13. The mobile phone as recited in claim 8 wherein, the receiving means is configured to receive a user selection to enable and disable the schedule responsive to operation of a soft switch.

14. The mobile phone as recited in claim 8 wherein, the receiving means is configured to receive the user selection of the emergency notification setting for incoming calls responsive to operation of a soft switch for each of the contacts.

15. A mobile phone configured to operate in a normal notification mode and an emergency notification mode, in the normal notification mode, sounds associated with incoming calls from both non-emergency contacts and emergency contacts are generated and, in the emergency notification mode, sounds associated with incoming calls from the non- emergency contacts are suppressed, but sounds associated with incoming calls from the emergency contacts are generated, the mobile phone comprising:

means for storing contact information for a plurality of contacts including the non- emergency contacts and the emergency contacts, the contact information including an emergency notification setting for incoming calls;

means for generate sounds;

means for transitioning the mobile phone between the normal notification mode and the emergency notification mode based upon a schedule;

means for receiving a user selection of the emergency notification setting for incoming calls on a contact by contact basis; and

at least one processor operably associated with the storing means, the generating means, the transitioning means and the receiving means;

wherein, the non-emergency contacts are the contacts that do not have the emergency notification setting for incoming calls selected by the user;

wherein, the emergency contacts are the contacts having the emergency notification setting for incoming calls selected by the user;

wherein, in the normal notification mode, incoming calls from both the non-emergency contacts and the emergency contacts cause the generating means to generate sounds; and

wherein, in the emergency notification mode, incoming calls from the non-emergency contacts do not cause the generating means to generate sounds, but incoming calls from the emergency contacts cause the generating means to generate sounds.

16. The mobile phone as recited in claim 15 wherein, the schedule further comprises a start time and an end time for the emergency notification mode.

17. The mobile phone as recited in claim 16 wherein, the receiving means is configured to receive a user selection of the start time and the end time of the schedule.

18. The mobile phone as recited in claim 15 wherein, the schedule further comprises a daily start time and a daily end time for the emergency notification mode.

19. The mobile phone as recited in claim 18 wherein, the receiving means is configured to receive a user selection of the daily start time and the daily end time of the schedule.

20. The mobile phone as recited in claim 15 wherein, the receiving means is configured to receive a user selection to enable and disable the schedule responsive to operation of a soft switch.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (8)