Telephone apparatus

• US 3,925,622 A
• Filed: 02/14/1974
• Issued: 12/09/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stephen Perrin Robinson
• Original Assignee: Stephen Perrin Robinson
• Inventors: Robinson, Stephen Perrin
• Primary Examiner(s): Cooper, William C.
• Application Number:
  US05/442,607
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 179/18BE,6RT,5R,5P
• US Class Current: 379/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/006 Call diverting means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/909 Alternatives

Abstract

A telephone apparatus which includes means for automatically dialling a predetermined telephone number, means for verifying a coded response to the automatically dialled call, and means for inhibiting further automatic dialling to that predetermined number in the absence of a correctly coded response to the call.

Claims

1. A telephone apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an incoming telephone call over a first line;

means for announcing to the caller that an attempt will be made to divert the call to another telephone number;

means for automatically dialling a predetermined telephone number;

means for initiAting operation of the automatic dialling means over a second line;

means for verifying a coded response to the automatically dialled call;

means for connecting the incoming call to said predetermined number only in the event of a correctly coded response to said automatically-dialled call; and

means for inhibiting further automatic dialling to said predetermined number in the absence of a correctly coded response to the automatically dialled call.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, which includes means for recording a message, and means enabling the incoming caller to elect either to record a message or to await an attempt to direct the call to another number.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, which includes means, operative in the absence of a correctly coded response to the automatically-dialled call, for informing the caller that the redirection has been unsuccessful and recording any message that he may wish to leave.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, which includes means for recording a message left as a result of the incoming telephone call, means for subsequently initiating operation of the automatic dialling means, and means for replaying the message to the predetermined number only after a correctly coded response has been received to the automatically-dialled call.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, which includes means for detecting emergency conditions and thereupon initiating operation of the automatic dialling means to call an emergency number, means being provided for replaying an emergency message to that emergency number when the call has been established.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, which includes means for subsequently initiating operation of the automatic dialling means to call a further number and to replay a message indicating that an emergency message has already been delivered, if a correctly coded response is received from the further number.