Security system with call management functionality

• US 20020054673A1
• Filed: 12/06/2001
• Published: 05/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, Raymond Walden III, Beardsley, John Roland
• Granted Patent: US 7,167,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A security system with call management functionality is coupled to a telephone network for providing a telephone service and at least one telephone line. This system also includes a call management controller for enabling, disabling or changing telephone service based on user presence and identity. User presence and identity is determined by a security controller coupled to a plurality of sensors for providing at least one home security function.

Claims

1. A security system with call management functionality coupled to a telephone network for providing at least one telephone service, said telephone network having at least one telephone line, said security system comprising:

a call management controller coupled to said telephone network for enabling, disabling or modifying said telephone service; and

a security system having a security controller coupled to said call management controller, said security controller coupled to a plurality of sensors for providing at least one home security function.

2. A security system with call management functionality as recited in claim 1 wherein said telephone service is selected from the group consisting of:

night mode privacy, automated attendant, follow me service, kid kontrol, maid minder, or voice mail delivery.

3. A security system with call management functionality as recited in claim 1 wherein said telephone network has a plurality of telephone lines.

4. A security system with call management functionality as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one user console coupled to said security controller for manual user identification.

5. A security system with call management functionality as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one receiver coupled to said security controller for automatic user identification; and

at least one transponder coupled to and in communication with said receiver.

6. A security system with call management functionality as recited in claim 1 further comprising a magnetically coded door key coupled to said security controller for user identification.

7. A security system with call management functionality as recited in claim 1 further comprising a voice processing system coupled to said security controller.

8. A security system with call management functionality as recited in claim 7 wherein said voice processing system further comprises a speaker verification module for user identification.

9. A security system with call management functionality as recited in claim 8 wherein said voice processing system further comprises a speech recognition module for verbal command processing.

10. A method of providing call management functionality for a security system coupled to a telephone network, said security system including, a call management controller and a security controller, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one telephone service;

identifying a user to generate a user identity; and

modifying said telephone service in response to said user identity.

13. A method of providing call management functionality for a security system as recited in claim 10 wherein the step of providing at least one telephone service includes providing automated attendant, comprising the steps of:

associating a phone line to correspond to said user identity;

determining user presence based upon said user identity;

allowing a caller to ring through to a telephone set if user presence is detected; and

transferring said caller to a voice mailbox that corresponds to said user identity if user presence is not detected.

18. A method of providing call management functionality for a security system as recited in claim 10 wherein the step of providing at least one telephone service includes providing follow me service, comprising the steps of:

monitoring at least two locations to determine user location based upon said user identity; and

transferring a caller to said user location.

19. A method of providing call management functionality for a security system as recited in claim 10 wherein the step of providing at least one telephone service includes providing kid kontrol, further comprising the step of restricting outbound calls based on user identity.

20. A method of providing call management functionality for a security system as recited in claim 10 wherein the step of providing at least one telephone service includes providing voice mail delivery, comprising the steps of:

determining user presence based upon said user identity; and

notifying said user of voice mail messages corresponding to said user identity.

11. A method of providing call management functionality for a security system coupled to a telephone network, said security system including, a call management controller and a security controller, the method comprising the steps of:

placing said security controller in night mode to generate a security controller state;

communicating said security controller state to said call management controller to place said call management controller in a night mode privacy state;

in response to an incoming telephone call, prompting the incoming caller to leave a message or ring through for an emergency;

transferring said caller to a voice mailbox unless said call is an emergency; and

allowing said caller to ring through to a telephone set if said call is an emergency.

12. A method of providing night mode privacy for a security system as recited in claim 11 wherein the step of allowing said caller to ring through to a telephone set further comprises the step of distinctively ringing said phone to denote an emergency.

14. A method of providing automated attendant for a security system as recited in claim 13 wherein the step of allowing said caller to ring through to a telephone set further comprises the step of distinctively ringing said telephone to denote which user is being called.

15. A method of providing automated attendant for a security system as recited in claim 13 wherein the step of transferring said caller to a voice mailbox further comprises the step of paging said user.

16. A method of providing automated attendant for a security system as recited in claim 13 wherein the step of allowing said caller to ring through to a telephone set further comprises the step of generating a call-waiting signal.

17. A method of providing automated attendant for a security system as recited in claim 16 wherein the step of generating a call-waiting signal comprises generating a distinctive call-waiting signal to denote which user is being called.