Method and apparatus for sender controllable modalities

Abstract

A method and apparatus ( 110 ) for sender controllable modalities includes the step of generating a communication command ( 108 ). The method and apparatus further includes generating a priority command ( 110 ) wherein the priority command includes a modality alert command. The priority command ( 108 ) may be any suitable command indicating a level of priority as it relates to the communication command ( 110 ). The method and apparatus further includes thereupon transmitting the communication command and the priority command ( 112 ) to the recipient device ( 120 ). The method and apparatus further includes the recipient device ( 120 ) verifying the sender device ( 100 ) and performing an internal verification ( 124 ) of whether the sender device ( 100 ) has the ability to override the internal modality setting and to verify if the priority level requests overriding the internal modality setting.

1 . An apparatus for sender controllable modalities, the apparatus comprising:
 a priority command generator capable of generating a priority command that includes a modality alert command that controls a modality of a recipient device;   a communication command generator capable of generating a communication command; and   a transmitter operably coupled to the priority command generator and the communication command generator such that the priority command and the communication command are transmitted to the recipient device wherein the recipient device may receive the modality alert command within the priority command.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an input device operably coupled to the communication command generator such that the communication command generator generates the communication command in response to an input communication command.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising:
 the input device operable coupled to the priority command generator such that the priority command generator generates the modality alert in response to an input priority command.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the modality alert command includes instructions such that an alert is at least one of the following: a vibration, a predetermined ring tone, one or more beeps, one or more flashing lights, a wake-up command and a defined output multi-modal output modality setting. 
     
     
         5 . A method for sender controllable modalities in a sender device, the method comprising:
 generating a communication command;   generating a priority command including a modality alert command that controls a modality of a recipient device, wherein the priority command relates to the communication command; and   transmitting the communication command and the priority command to a recipient device.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising:
 prior to generating the communication command, receiving a proximity indicator indicating a location of the recipient device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the modality alert command includes at least one of the following: a vibratory alert, a ring-tone, a wake-up command, a text-based alert, an illumination alert and a defined output multi-modal output modality setting. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the communication command may be at least one of the following: a caller identification, a text message, an auditory message and a visual message. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the step of transmitting the communication command and the priority command to the recipient device further includes transmitting the communication command and the priority command to an intermediate server prior to the communication command and the priority command being transmitted to the recipient device. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus for sender controllable modalities of  claim 1  wherein the modality alert command controls the modality of the recipient device by adjusting the modality of a notification system within the recipient device.