Access monitoring via piconet connection to telephone
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A small or large area such as a home or office may be remotely monitored by a properly authorized caller using wireless piconet networks between personal wireless piconet identifier devices worn or carried by particular persons and a remotely accessible access monitor base unit. Persons are monitored by an authorized remote person using a personal wireless piconet identifying device. The personal wireless piconet identifying device includes a wireless piconet transmitter/receiver using, e.g., BLUETOOTH protocols, and may be associated with jewelry or other personal item of the monitored person. Each personal wireless piconet identifying device includes a unique code serving as a personal identifier. An access monitoring base unit (e.g., a cordless telephone, a telephone answering device, or a personal computer having telephone access) includes a piconet network front end which establishes a piconet or scatternet network connection with a wireless piconet entrance/exit monitor, which in turn establishes temporary wireless piconet networks with the personal wireless piconet identifying units. The access monitoring base unit includes a piconet participant database including entries relating to persons who are within the monitored area, and time stamp information relating to when they have been present in the monitored area. The piconet participant database may be updated to reflect any appearances or disappearances of personal wireless piconet identifier units within the monitored area. A properly authorized caller may remotely access the access monitor base unit, enter a suitably secure access code, and request and download desired information from the piconet participant database, either in digital or audible form. The personal wireless piconet identifying devices need not utilize a full wireless communications channel with the wireless piconet, but rather need only have their presence known to the wireless piconet network.
23 Citations
30 Claims
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23. A telephone answering device, comprising:
a digital answering machine;
a wireless piconet front end; and
a monitoring module to determine a presence of a monitored person within a monitored area, said monitoring module determining a presence of a user of said telephone answering device when a piconet device uniquely associated with said user is present in a piconet including said wireless piconet front end of said telephone answering device;
wherein said telephone answering device automatically answers an incoming call when said monitoring module determines that said user is not present, and allows additional rings when said user is present- View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A method of automatically answering a telephone call, comprising:
searching for a presence of a user of a telephone answering device via a piconet communications device associated with said user'"'"'s presence;
automatically answering said telephone call if said user is not present; and
allowing said telephone call to continue to ring if said user is present as determined by a presence of said piconet communications device associated with said user'"'"'s presence.- View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. Apparatus for automatically answering a telephone call, comprising:
means for searching for a presence of a user of a telephone answering device via a piconet communications device associated with said user'"'"'s presence;
means for automatically answering said telephone call if said user is not present; and
means of allowing said telephone call to continue to ring if said user is present as determined by a presence of said piconet communications device associated with said user'"'"'s presence.- View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
Specification