Voice-response paging device and method

Abstract

The present invention solves the current problem of allowing ad-hoc (manual) voice response by a user to a page received by a paging device. In one aspect of the invention, a paging device includes a digital signal processor for receiving and compressing a voice response to a page prior to transmission back to the paging party. In further aspects of the invention, the speech is first recorded and compressed and then transmitted to a wireless base station for subsequent transmission to the calling party.

1 . A pager for use in a paging communications system comprising: 
 a microphone for converting the received voice signals into electrical signals;    a digital signal processor, coupled to the microphone, configured for receiving, compressing, and storing the electrical signals as compressed voice signals;    a switch coupled to the digital signal processor for selectively activating the digital signal processor, and    a radio frequency (RF) transmitter coupled to the digital signal processor for transmitting the compressed voice signals to a wireless base station within a paging network.    
     
     
         2 . The pager of    claim 1    wherein the digital signal processor includes an idle mode and a active mode, the digital signal processor being configured to normally operate in the idle mode and then to operate in the active mode during the receiving, compressing, or storing of the electrical signals.  
     
     
         3 . The pager of    claim 1    wherein the compressed voice is transmitted at a speed that is less than real time.  
     
     
         4 . The pager of    claim 3    wherein the compressed voice is packetized prior to transmission.  
     
     
         5 . The pager of    claim 1    wherein the compressed voice is transmitted at a time other than a time period in which the electrical signals are being compressed by the digital signal processor.  
     
     
         6 . The pager of    claim 1    wherein the switch is a integrated record, play, rewind, and stop switch.  
     
     
         7 . The pager of    claim 1    including a telephone keypad and excluding real time voice communication capabilities.  
     
     
         8 . The pager of    claim 1    including an infrared port.  
     
     
         9 . The pager of    claim 8    wherein the infrared port includes circuitry for outputting voice messages as digital signals.  
     
     
         10 . The pager of    claim 8    wherein the infrared port includes circuitry for inputting addresses.  
     
     
         11 . The pager of    claim 10    wherein the addresses include phone numbers.  
     
     
         12 . The pager of    claim 10    wherein the addresses include electronic mail addresses.  
     
     
         13 . The pager of    claim 1    including a display, a mode key and a select key for selecting an operating mode.  
     
     
         14 . The pager of    claim 1    including a display, a cursor up key and a cursor down key for scrolling through received messages.  
     
     
         15 . A method of reprogramming a paging device comprising downloading operating parameters over a paging network into a non-volatile memory in the paging device and using the operating parameters to modify the operations of a processor in the paging device.  
     
     
         16 . The method of    claim 15    wherein downloading operating parameters includes downloading updated operating code for controlling the operations of the paging device.  
     
     
         17 . The method of    claim 16    wherein using the operating parameters includes adding additional functions in the paging device.  
     
     
         18 . The method of    claim 15    wherein downloading operating parameters includes downloading updated phone numbers or updated E-mail addresses.  
     
     
         19 . A communications network comprising: 
 a paging network including a wireless cellular base station having a control channel;    a plurality of paging devices communicating with the paging network over the control channel, wherein each paging device includes a microphone for converting voice signals into electrical signals, a digital signal processor, coupled to the microphone, for receiving, compressing, and storing the electrical signals as compressed voice signals, a switch coupled to the digital signal processor for selectively activating the digital signal processor and a radio frequency (RF) transmitter coupled to the digital signal processor for transmitting the compressed voice signals to the wireless base station within the paging network.    
     
     
         20 . The communications network of    claim 19    including a local area network or a wide area network connected to the paging network for communicating the compressed voice signals to an intended recipient as an electronic mail message.  
     
     
         21 . The communications network of    claim 20    wherein the electronic mail message appears as an icon when the intended recipient opens the mail message which, when activated, plays the voice message input by the paging device.  
     
     
         22 . The communications network of    claim 20    wherein the local area network or wide area network includes the Internet.  
     
     
         23 . The communications network of    claim 19    including an input configured for enabling the user to initiate packetized, non-real time, voice calls to a user selected number.  
     
     
         24 . The communications network of    claim 19    including a user interface and a controller configured to enable the user to initiate packetized, non-real time, E-mail messages to a user selected E-mail address.  
     
     
         25 . The communications network of    claim 24    wherein the paging device includes an infrared port configured for inputting a plurality of user selectable E-mail addresses.  
     
     
         26 . A method of operating a paging device including configuring a communications network for transmitting electronic mail messages from an electronic calendaring system to a paging device to alert the paging device user to a scheduled event.  
     
     
         27 . The method of    claim 26    wherein the paging device displays a message describing the scheduled event.  
     
     
         28 . A method of operating a paging device including inputting, digitizing, storing, and compressing voice and then transmitting the compressed voice to a paging network.  
     
     
         29 . The method of    claim 28    wherein the compressed voice is transmitted at a rate that is less than real time.  
     
     
         30 . The method of    claim 28    including packetizing the compressed voice prior to transmission.  
     
     
         31 . The method of    claim 28    including transmitting the compressed voice at a time other than a time period in which the voice is being compressed.  
     
     
         32 . The method of    claim 28    including utilizing an integrated record, play, rewind, and stop switch for inputting the voice.  
     
     
         33 . The method of    claim 28    including transmitting the compressed voice as an E-mail message.