Method and system for identifying telephone callers
First Claim
1. A telephone call identifying and handling apparatus comprising:
- switching and microprocessing means for connection to a central office through multiple DID access lines and multiple input lines and for connection to telephones of a plurality of subscribers, at least one output line connecting said switching and microprocessing means to each subscriber'"'"'s telephone, including;
(a) means for connecting output lines from said subscriber'"'"'s telephone to said input lines from said central office;
(b) means for assigning a plurality of numbers to each of said DID lines for each output line and for each subscriber'"'"'s telephone;
(c) means for identifying one of said plurality of assigned numbers called at a subscriber'"'"'s telephone;
(d) means for producing at a subscriber'"'"'s telephone a ring signal responsive to a call on an assigned number;
(e) means responsive to said means for identifying an assigned number called at a subscriber'"'"'s telephone to produce at said subscriber'"'"'s telephone a vocal announcement of the identity of the called assigned number; and
(f) means actuatable, at the election of the subscriber, at said subscriber'"'"'s telephone for connecting a caller placing a call on an assigned number to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus is disclosed for identifying who is placing a call to a telephone prior to answering. The apparatus, which is preferably located at the telephone central office, includes a switching matrix having a plurality of DID access lines coupling the switching matrix to the central telephone office. The switching matrix also has a plurality of input and output lines which are assigned to individual subscribers'"'"' telephones who desire to identify callers prior to answering. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, twenty DID access lines are used to couple the telephone central office to the switching matrix and one hundred subscription and input and output lines are used to couple the switching matrix to individual subscriber telephones. The switching matrix is coupled to a programmed microprocessor which controls the operation of the system including the generation of a digitally synthesized vocal announcement of at least the number being called. The vocal announcement is coupled to a subscriber'"'"'s telephone which is receiving an incoming call on one of a plurality of numbers assigned to that subscriber for which the subscriber desires to identify the caller prior to answering. Preferably, each subscriber is given a block of five or ten assigned numbers which the subscriber gives to individuals or organizations from which the subscriber wishes to identify telephone calls prior to answering. The subscriber'"'"'s knowledge of who was informed of each assigned number enables the vocal announcement of the number used for placing a call to serve as an identification of the caller.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A telephone call identifying and handling apparatus comprising:
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switching and microprocessing means for connection to a central office through multiple DID access lines and multiple input lines and for connection to telephones of a plurality of subscribers, at least one output line connecting said switching and microprocessing means to each subscriber'"'"'s telephone, including; (a) means for connecting output lines from said subscriber'"'"'s telephone to said input lines from said central office; (b) means for assigning a plurality of numbers to each of said DID lines for each output line and for each subscriber'"'"'s telephone; (c) means for identifying one of said plurality of assigned numbers called at a subscriber'"'"'s telephone; (d) means for producing at a subscriber'"'"'s telephone a ring signal responsive to a call on an assigned number; (e) means responsive to said means for identifying an assigned number called at a subscriber'"'"'s telephone to produce at said subscriber'"'"'s telephone a vocal announcement of the identity of the called assigned number; and (f) means actuatable, at the election of the subscriber, at said subscriber'"'"'s telephone for connecting a caller placing a call on an assigned number to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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11. A telephone call identifying and handling apparatus for connection to a central office through multiple DID access lines and multiple input lines and for connection to telephones of a pluraity of subscribers, at least one output line connecting said switching and microprocessing means to each subscriber'"'"'s telephone comprising switching and microprocessing means which includes:
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(a) means for connecting output lines from said subscriber'"'"'s telephone to said input lines from said central office; (b) means for assigning a plurality of numbers to each of said DID lines for each output line and for each subscriber'"'"'s telephone; (c) means for identifying one of said plurality of assigned numbers called at a subscriber'"'"'s telephone; (d) means for producing at a subscriber'"'"'s telephone a ring signal responsive to a call on an assigned number, said ring signal being distinguishable from a ring signal produced by the telephone central office to signal that a call is being placed on a listed number of the subscriber; (e) means responsive to said member for identifying an assigned number called at a subscriber'"'"'s telephone by producing at said subscriber'"'"'s telephone a vocal announcement of the identity of the called assigned number; and (f) means actuatable at said subscriber'"'"'s telephone for connecting to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone, at an election of the subscriber, a caller placing a call on an assigned number to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone.
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12. A method for identifying callers who place calls to a subscriber on any of a group of different numbers assigned by a central telephone office to a telephone line of the subscriber, the calls to any of the numbers assigned to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone being from any telephone installation which is coupled with the central telephone office to which the subscriber'"'"'s line is coupled, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) identifying one of the group of assigned numbers called at the subscriber'"'"'s telephone; (b) determining whether the subscriber'"'"'s telephone is off hook; (c) applying a ringing signal to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone if it has been determined tht the subscriber'"'"'s telephone is not off hook; (d) producing, subject to initiation by the subscriber, a vocal announcement of the number used to call the subscriber'"'"'s telephone; and (e) applying the vocal announcement to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone line so that a person answering the subscriber'"'"'s telephone receives the announcement prior to connection to the caller.
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13. A method in accordance with claim 13 comprising the further steps of:
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(a) storing information as to the identity of the assigned number used to call the subscriber'"'"'s telephone if it has been determined that the subscriber'"'"'s telephone is off hook; and (b) producing an announcement of said stored information on demand from the subscriber'"'"'s telephone.
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19. A centralized telephone apparatus providing a plurality of different assigned numbers for each of a plurality of subscribers thereto, wherein different callers access a subscriber by calling different respective ones of said plurality of numbers assigned to the subscriber, including means at a central station for identification of callers by identification of an assigned number being used by the caller to place an incoming call to the subscriber, comprising:
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(a) means for detecting the respective assigned number of a subscriber being called by the caller, (b) memory means for storing a plurality of caller identifying data for identifying a plurality of callers; (c) programmed microprocessor means responsive to the detected assigned number being called for addressing said memory means in accordance with the detected assigned number of the incoming call and for accessing data identifying the caller initiating the incoming call, (d) message generating means responsive to the caller identifying data for providing a caller identifying message to the subscriber, (e) signal generating means operable by the subscriber in response to a received caller identifying message for generating a signal indicative of the subscriber'"'"'s desire to be connected to the incoming call, and (f) switching matrix means responsive to said subscriber generated signal for connecting a DID line incoming to the centralized apparatus for a central office to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for identifying callers to a single telephone instrument of a subscriber, comprising the steps of:
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(a) assigning a plurality of different telephone numbers to said single telephone instrument; (b) associating different ones of said assigned telephone numbers with different callers; (c) at a centralized station, detecting a particular assigned number of a subscriber being called by a caller; (d) searching a central memory at the centralized station for a particular identifying message respectively associated with the called assigned number; (e) generating for the subscriber the identifying message from the memory, and (f) transmitting to the subscriber the identifying message from the centralized station, thereby identifying to the subscriber the caller based on the called number assigned to the telephone instrument. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification