Calling Party Announcement Apparatus

• US 20090268881A1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1992
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ClassCo Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ClassCo Incorporated
• Inventors: Luneau, David J.
• Application Number:
  US12/495,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20090268881A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/87
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/573 Line monitoring circuits for detecting caller identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72

Abstract

A calling party announcement apparatus that provides the identity of the caller in synthesized human speech. The invention captures the Incoming Caller Line Identification (ICLID) signal sent by the telephone company. The invention announces the calling party'"'"'s identity to the called party through a built-in speaker and over the telephone receiver. The called party can elect to accept or reject the call before the telephone company central office has connected the two parties together. The invention makes it possible to screen incoming telephone calls without the aid of a special Caller ID telephone set or auxiliary Caller ID display terminal. The invention is installed in the customer premises, such as a residence or office, between the telephone line demarcation point and the telephone sets. The invention is compatible with any standard telephone set and subscriber trunks provisioned with the Caller ID enhanced customer feature. One of the most important features of the invention is its ability to deliver a vocalized announcement of the caller'"'"'s identity over a standard telephone set'"'"'s receiver without the call having actually been declared answered by the telephone company, and without the caller having been cut through. The call is not considered “answered” nor is it billed by the telephone company unless the called party or a telephone answering device , such as an answering machine, accepts the call.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. An apparatus comprising:

first memory storage for a plurality of audio records;

second memory storage for storing records, each of a plurality of records in the second memory storage including a telephone number and a reference to an audio record stored in the first memory storage.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising a user interface for selecting an audio record from among the plurality of audio records stored in the first memory storage.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 where the user interface further provides for storing the selected audio record with a telephone number in a record in the second memory storage.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a microphone;

a recorder connected to the microphone that records signals received from the microphone to create audio records.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the created audio record is stored at an address in the first memory storage.

23. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the second memory storage is non-volatile RAM memory.

24. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the second memory storage is flash memory.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the signals received from the microphone are audio signals.

26. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising a user interface to either or both the first memory storage or the second memory storage.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the user interface provides the option of adding an audio record to the first memory storage.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the user interface provides the option of erasing an audio record from the first memory storage.

29. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the user interface provides the option of erasing a telephone number from the second memory storage.

30. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the user interface provides the option of adding an association between a telephone number and an audio record.

31. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the user interface provides the option of changing an association between a telephone number and an audio record.

32. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the user interface provides the option of associating plural telephone numbers with the same audio record.

33. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising circuitry for connecting to a telephone network for placing and receiving telephone calls on the network.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 further comprising a log memory for storing telephone numbers of calls received on the network.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 further comprising a user interface to the log memories.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the user interface provides the option of reviewing telephone numbers stored in the log memory.

37. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the user interface provides the option of erasing telephone numbers stored in the log memory.

38. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the user interface provides the option of associating a telephone number stored in the log memories with an audio record.

39. The apparatus of claim 33 further comprising circuitry for detecting signals provided by the network that identify a caller.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein the circuitry for detecting signals provided by the network identifies the telephone number of the caller.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein the apparatus is configured to identify an audio record associated with the telephone number of the caller.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the apparatus includes a speaker.

43. The apparatus of claim 42 wherein the apparatus is configured to play the audio record associated with the telephone number of the caller on the speaker.

44. Apparatus comprising:

a microphone;

a speaker;

a recorder connected to the microphone that records audio signals received from the microphone at one or more addresses;

a database for storing a plurality of telephone numbers in association with the addresses of a respective plurality of recorded signals;

wherein the apparatus is configured for connection to a telephone network for placing and receiving telephone calls on the network, and for detecting signals provided by the network that identifies a telephone number of a caller;

wherein the apparatus is further configured to search the database for the telephone number of the caller, and play the recorded signal associated with the telephone number of the caller on the speaker.

45. The apparatus of claim 44 further comprising a user interface to the database that provides the options of erasing a recorded signal from the database, erasing a stored telephone number from the database, adding or changing an association between a telephone number and a recorded signal.

46. Apparatus comprising:

a microphone;

a speaker;

a recorder connected to the microphone that records audio signals received from the microphone at one or more addresses;

a database for storing a plurality of telephone numbers in association with the addresses of a respective plurality of recorded signals;

wherein the apparatus is configured for connection to a telephone network for placing and receiving telephone calls on the network, and for detecting signals provided by the network that identifies a telephone number of a caller;

a log memory for storing telephone numbers of calls received on the network.

47. The apparatus of claim 46 further comprising a user interface to the log memory that provides the options of reviewing telephone numbers stored in the log memory, erasing telephone numbers stored in the log memory, and associating a telephone number stored in the log memory with a recorded signal.

48. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the apparatus is further configured to search the database for the telephone number of the caller, and play the recorded signal associated with the telephone number of the caller on the speaker.

49. Apparatus comprising:

a microphone;

a speaker;

a recorder connected to the microphone that records audio signals received from the microphone at one or more addresses;

a database for storing a plurality of telephone numbers in association with the addresses of a respective plurality of recorded signals;

wherein the apparatus is configured for connection to a telephone network for receiving telephone calls on the network, and for detecting signals provided by the network that identifies a telephone number of a caller;

a log memory for storing telephone numbers of calls received on the network;

wherein the apparatus is further configured to search the database for the telephone number of the caller, and play the recorded signal associated with the telephone number of the caller on the speaker;

a user interface that provides the options of erasing a recorded signal from the database, erasing a stored telephone number from the database, adding or changing an association between a telephone number and a recorded signal, reviewing telephone numbers stored in the log memory, and associating a telephone number stored in the log memory with a recorded signal.