External control for answering an incoming call

Abstract

An earpiece unit is held adjacent to or within a cell phone. The earpiece includes a microphone and speaker and is wearable in a user's ear. The earpiece is docked within the housing of a cell phone and can be used in the docked position to operate the phone. A user can push on the back of the earpiece to eject the earpiece from the phone housing so that the earpiece can be easily inserted into the user's ear. The user can be provided with a “pause” control on the cell phone that indicates to the cell phone system that a call is going to be answered. Upon activation of the “pause” control, the cell phone system can pause its efforts to establish communications and/or temporarily reduce the intensity of transmissions. A message is sent to the caller notifying that the call is about to be answered.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
   
   
       9 . An apparatus for answering a caller's incoming call to a portable phone, the apparatus comprising:
 a control activated by a user for generating a pause signal; and   a playback circuit responsive to the pause signal for sending a predefined message over a cellular network, wherein the portable phone performs the following acts in response to the pause signal:
 i. answering the call at the portable phone; 
 ii. subsequent to the answering, presenting the caller with a pre-recorded message; and 
 iii. sending voice signals from the user to the caller when the user begins speaking. 
   
   
   
       10 . (canceled) 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the playback circuit is in the cellular network. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein one or more portable phone transmissions are temporarily suspended in response to the pause signal. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein one or more portable phone transmissions are at least temporarily reduced in power in response to the pause signal. 
   
   
       14 . A method for answering a call from a caller to a portable phone, the method comprising:
 receiving a control signal from a user-activated control;   performing the following acts in response to the control signal:
 i. answering the call at the portable phone; 
 ii. subsequent to the answering, presenting the caller with a pre-recorded message; and 
 iii. sending voice signals from the user to the caller when the user begins speaking. 
   
   
   
       15 - 16 . (canceled)