Method and system for identifying telephone callers

• US 4,672,660 A
• Filed: 06/07/1985
• Issued: 06/09/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amtel Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Amtel Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Curtin, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/742,594
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 179/5.5, 179/2 A, 179/84 C, 179/18 BG, 179/18 BH, 179/18 FH, 179/18 B
• US Class Current: 379/88.19
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement

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.

Claims

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.

2. A telephone apparatus in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

(a) means for identifying a caller by storing the identity of the called number and the time of the telephone call thereto;

(b) means for determining the on/off hook condition of the subscriber'"'"'s telephone at the time a call is received on a DID line; and

(c) means responsive to said means for determining said on/off hook condition to actuate said means for storing when an off hook condition is determined.

3. A telephone apparatus in accordance with claim 2 further comprising:

(a) means actuatable by a subscriber to interrogate said means for storing; and

(b) means to generate and transmit to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone the stored information relating to identity of the called number and time of the call.

4. A telephone apparatus in accordance with claim 2 including:

(a) means for generating a ring back tone to the caller; and

(b) means for connecting said ring back tone to the caller during such time that a telephone of said caller is off hook and said caller either receives a busy signal or is connected to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone at the election of the subscriber.

5. A telephone apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means actuatable at said subscriber'"'"'s telephone comprises:

(a) means for sensing the flow of current in the telephone line between the central office and the subscriber'"'"'s telephone consequent from the said telephone being off hook; and

(b) means responsive to the means for sensing the flow of current to cause the connection of a call on an assigned number to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone when the sensed current has a discontinuity within a predetermined time interval.

6. A telephone apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means actuatable at said subscriber'"'"'s telephone comprises:

(a) means for electively generating a control signal by a person at said subscriber'"'"'s telephone;

(b) means for sensing the generation of said control signal; and

(c) means responsive to the means for sensing the generation of said control signal for connecting to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone, in response to the control signal electively generated at said subscriber'"'"'s telephone, a caller placing a call on an assigned number.

7. A telephone apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means actuatable at said subscriber'"'"'s telephone comprises:

(a) means for sensing the completion of the generation of the vocal announcement; and

(b) means responsive to the means for sensing the completion of the vocal announcement for causing the connection of the caller placing a call on an assigned number to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone.

8. A telephone apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein the control signal is a DTMF tone.

9. A telephone apparatus in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

(a) means for detecting calls to each of the assigned numbers which have not been connected to a person at the subscriber'"'"'s telephone;

(b) means responsive to the means for detecting for storing the called number, time and date of each unanswered telephone call to each one of the assigned numbers; and

(c) means responsive to a signal produced at the subscriber'"'"'s telephone for causing the generation of a message on the subscriber'"'"'s telephone of the called number, time and date of each unanswered telephone call to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone.

10. A telephone apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

(a) means for detecting the connection of a call to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone; and

(b) means responsive to the means for detecting the connection of a caller and to the concurrent placement of another call to one of the assigned numbers for producing a periodic signal for a predetermined time interval which is audible to a person talking on the subscriber'"'"'s telephone.

14. A telephone apparatus in accordance with claim 4 including:

(a) means for generating a ring back tone to the caller; and

(b) means for connecting said ring back tone to the caller during such time a telephone of said caller is off hook and said caller either receives a busy signal or is connected to the subscriber'"'"'s telphone at the election of the subscriber.

15. A telephone apparatus in accordance with claim 2 further comprising:

(a) means for detecting the connection of a call to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone; and

(b) means responsive to the means for detecting the connection of a caller and to the concurrent placement of another call to one of the assigned numbers for producing a periodic signal for a predetermined time interval which is audible to a person talking to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone.

16. A telephone apparatus in accordance with claim 3 further comprising:

(a) means for detecting the connection of a call to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone; and

(b) means responsive to the means for detecting the connection of a caller and to the concurrent placement of another call to one of the assigned numbers for producing a periodic signal for a predetermined time inteval which is audible to a person talking on the subscriber'"'"'s telephone.

17. A telephone apparatus in accordance with claim 4 further comprising:

(a) means for detecting the connection of a call to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone; and

(b) means responsive to the means for detecting the connection of a caller and to the concurrent placement of another call to one of the assigned numbers for producing a periodic signal for a predetermined time interval which is audible to a person talking on the subscriber'"'"'s telephone.

18. A telephone apparatus in accordance with claim 5 further comprising:

(a) means for detecting the connection of a call to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone; and

(b) means responsive to the means for detecting the connection of a caller and to the concurrent placement of another call to one of the assigned numbers for producing a periodic signal for a perdetermined time interval which is audible to a person talking on the subscriber'"'"'s telephone.

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:

(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.

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:

(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.

13. A method in accordance with claim 13 comprising the further steps of:

(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.

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:

(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.

20. A centralized telephone apparatus as recited in claim 19 wherein said message generating means comprises a digital voice synthesizing means, said memory means stores a plurality of messages to be voice synthesized by said voice synthesizing means, and said programmed microprocessor means is operable to decode the last three digits of the called number for addressing said member means to extract a particular message corresponding to a particular caller to be voice synthesized by said voice synthesizing means.

21. A centralized telephone apparatus as recited in claim 19, wherein said programmed microprocessor means is programmed for initiating operations by resetting initial conditions of the system and for detecting whether a DID line has been called,

when a DID line has been called said programmed microprocessor means also programmed for detecting and storing a predetermined subset of digits of a called number,

said programmed microprocessor means also programmed for determining whether the subset of digits corresponds to a number of a telephone having a plurality of assigned numbers for identification of callers, and if not for returning to initite operations again.

when the subset of digits corresponds to a number of a telephone having a plurality of assigned numbers for caller identification, said programmed microprocessor means also programmed for determining whether the called telephone is off-hook and, if off-hook for provding a busy signal to the caller, for storing the particular assigned number being called as well as the date and time of the unanswered call and for returning to initiate operations again,

when the called telephone is not off-hook, said programmed microprocessor means also programmed for initiating a ringing voltage for the called telephone and for providing to the caller a ring back tone,

said programmed microprocessor means also programmed for determining whether, after initiating the ringing voltage and providing the ring back tone, the called telephone has gone off-hook and, if not, for determining whether the caller has gone on-hook, said programmed microprocessor means also programmed for terminating ringing if the caller has gone on hook, continuing the ring back tone, and for executing the storing of the assigned number, date and time of the unanswered call and for returning to initiate operations again, while if the caller has not gone on hood for again determining whether the called telephone has gone off-hook,

if the called telephone has gone off-hook, said programmed microprocessor means also programmed for terminating ringing of the called telephone, for accessing the caller identifying data in the memory means and for causing said message generating means to provide to the subscriber the caller identifying message.

22. A centralized telephone apparatus as recited in claim 21 wherein said programmed microprocessor means is also programmed for determining whether the called subscriber wishes to be connected to the caller, and if not for returning to initiate operations again,

if the subscriber wishes to be connected to the caller, said programmed microprocessor means also programmed for causing said switching matrix means to connect a DID line carrying the incoming call to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone.

23. A centralized telephone apparatus as recited in claim 22 wherein said programmed microprocessor means is also programmed for, after causing said switching matrix to connect the call to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone, determining whether or not the telephone call has been completed and if so for returning to initiate operations again,

if the call has not been completed, said programmed microprocessor means also programmed for determining whether or not a new incoming call is being placed to one of the assigned numbers of the subscriber'"'"'s telephone, and if not to return to again determine whether or not the current telephone call has been completed,

if a new incoming call is being placed to one of the assigned numbers of the subscriber'"'"'s telephone while the presently connected call has not terminated, said programmed microprocessor means also programmed for initiating a call-waiting signal, for detecting and storing a subset of the digits of the assigned number being called in the new call, for providing a busy tone to the new caller and for returning to again determine whether or not the current telephone call has been completed and for responding to the determination as hereinabove recited.

24. A centralized telephone apparatus as recited in claim 21 wherein said message generating means comprises a digital voice synthesizing means, said memory means stores a plurality of messages to be voice synthesized by said voice synthesizing means, and said programmed microprocessor means is operable to decode the last three digits of the called number for addressing said memory means to extract a particular message corresponding to a particular caller to be voice synthesized by said voice synthesizing means.

25. A method for identifying callers to a single telephone instrument of a subscriber, comprising the steps of:

(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.

26. The method recited in claim 25 wherein said generating step is performed prior to connection of the caller to the telephone instrument of the subscriber, and comprising the further step of generating a control signal at the telephone instrument of the subscriber for controlling connection of the caller thereto, thereby providing the subscriber control over connection of a caller to the telephone instrument of the subscriber after identification of the caller.