Communication terminal equipment

Abstract

A cellular phone having a telephone communication unit and a data communication unit is provided with the function of notifying a user of emergency data communication immediately even when the emergency data communication was received while a call was in progress. There is provided a communication terminal equipment according to the present invention, which includes a data communication unit which receives emergency data communication, a display unit which displays the contents of the received data communication thereon, and a communication unit which communicates with a base station by phone or the like. The communication unit establishes a call link through a cellular phone network, and the data communication unit allows received data to interrupt a call upon emergency, displays it on the display unit and notifies a user that emergency data has been received.

1 . A communication terminal equipment comprising: 
 a transmit-receive unit operative to transmit and receive communication signals including voice communication information and data communication information;    equipment identification information that identifies the communication terminal equipment; and    an attention signal handler operative to: 
 detect a first data pattern in a received communication signal that matches a data pattern among a plurality of predetermined data patterns; and  
 perform a notification action, if identification information contained in the received communication matches the equipment identification information,  
   wherein the notification action serves to inform a user of the communication terminal equipment of receipt of a the first data pattern while the user is in voice communication with another user via the communication terminal equipment,    wherein the first data pattern corresponds to an attention signal that is produced by a first device, the first device transmitting the attention signal to the communication terminal equipment which receives it in the form of the first data pattern.    
   
   
       2 . The communication terminal of  claim 1  wherein the attention signal handler is further operative to receive action information representative of one or more device actions that can be performed by the first device, wherein the action information is presented to a user, wherein user input is received and transmitted via the transmit-receive unit to the first device, the user input indicative of one of the device actions whereby the first device can be remotely operated by the user.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the received communication includes information that identifies the first device.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the received communication includes information indicative of a condition that is detected by the first device.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the attention signal handler is further operative to identify from the received signal information indicative of a condition that is detected by the first device and displays information indicative of a condition that is detected by the first device.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the attention signal handler is further operative to receive from the user an indication whether or not to break off the voice communication with the other user.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the notification action includes at least one of an illumination stimulus, an audio stimulus, or a mechanical stimulus.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the notification action is determined depending on a type of the first device.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a TV broadcast receive unit operable to receive a TV broadcast, wherein the attention signal handler is further operative to detect a second data pattern in a received TV broadcast that matches a data pattern among the plurality of predetermined data patterns and perform a notification action in response to detecting the second data pattern.  
   
   
       10 . A communication terminal equipment comprising: 
 a transmit-receive unit operative to transmit and receive data;    a TV broadcast receive unit operative to receive a TV broadcast signal; and    an attention signal handler operative to detect an attention signal in a received communication signal and to perform a notification action when the attention signal is detected,    wherein the notification action serves to inform a user of the communication terminal equipment of receipt of a the attention signal while the user is viewing a TV broadcast,    wherein the attention signal that is produced by a first device, the first device transmitting the attention signal to the communication terminal equipment.    
   
   
       11 . The communication terminal of  claim 11  wherein the TV broadcast receive unit is further operative to receive action information representative of one or more device actions that can be performed by the first device, wherein the action information is presented to a user, wherein user input is received and transmitted via the transmit-receive unit to the first device, the user input indicative of one of the device actions whereby the first device can be remotely operated by the user.  
   
   
       12 . Communication terminal equipment comprising: 
 a transmit and receive unit for transmitting and receiving communication signals;    an attention signal unit operative to detect an attention signal in a received communication signal and to produce a notification indication when the attention signal is detected, the attention signal being transmitted by a sending device; and    an input unit operable by a user to generate user-input data;    wherein when the attention signal is detected while a user is in voice communication with another user via the communication terminal equipment, a notification indication is produced to notify the user,    wherein in response to receiving first user-input data from the input unit, a communication link is established between the communication terminal equipment and the sending device,    wherein control over the sending device by the communication terminal equipment can be effected by subsequent user-input data received by the input unit.    
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  further comprising storage to store identification information that identifies the sending device and reason information that is transmitted in the attention signal by the sending device and contained in the received communication signal, the reason information indicating circumstances which caused the transmission of the attention signal to be made.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  further comprising a display unit to display the identification information, or the reason information, or both the identification information and the reason information.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 13  further comprising a store listing one or more sending devices, wherein the notification indication is produce if the identification information matches one of the sending devices and the notification indication is not produced if the identification information does not match one of the sending devices.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the transmit and receive unit establishes communication with the sending device and transmits signals representative of the subsequent user-input data to the sending device to effect control of the sending device.  
   
   
       17 . A communication terminal equipment comprising: 
 a communication unit for communicating with other communication terminal equipment including an information apparatus;    a notifying handler operable to notify a user when an attention signal from the information apparatus is received; and    an input unit operable to receive user input,    wherein the notifying unit notifies the user when the attention signal is received while the user is in communication with another user,    wherein the communication unit establishes a communication link to the information apparatus after the attention signal is received,    wherein control over the information apparatus by a user via the communication terminal equipment can be effected by subsequent user input received by the input unit.    
   
   
       18 . The communication terminal of  claim 17  wherein the attention signal includes condition information indicative of a condition that is detected by the information apparatus, wherein the notifying handler is further operable to display the condition information to the user.  
   
   
       19 . The communication device of  claim 17  wherein the notifying handler is further operative to receive action information from the information apparatus representative of one or more device actions that can be performed by the information apparatus, wherein the action information is displayed to a user, wherein user input user input indicative of one of the device actions can be selected by the user.  
   
   
       20 . The communication device of  claim 17  wherein the attention signal includes identification information that identifies the information apparatus, wherein the notifying handler is further operable to display the identification information to the user.