Videotex with telephone call screening system

• US 4,922,523 A
• Filed: 08/07/1989
• Issued: 05/01/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hashimoto Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hashimoto Corporation
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): George, Keith E.
• Application Number:
  US07/396,721
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93, 379/94, 379/96, 379/215, 379/97, 379/98, 358/85
• US Class Current: 379/93.25
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/085 using a television receiver, e.g. viewdata system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold

Abstract

If a call waiting signal is supplied to a telephone line during reception of a videotex information through a videotex center, a control unit responds to the calling signal to actuate call waiting equipment and an associated switching unit for transmitting the calling signal to a videotex line and displaying an alarm signal at the videotex receiver. When the user of the videotex changes over the switches of the switch box and places his telephone receiver off-hook, he can communicate with the incoming calling party.

Claims

1. A telephone call screening apparatus incorporated within a videotex system wherein a first telephone line carries a videotex data call between a videotex center and a user station and a second telephone line carries incoming telephone calls from a general calling party to the user station, comprising:

a telephone exchange providing a call waiting receiving means on the second telephone line;

switching means for selectively connecting one of a user telephone and a videotex display at said user station to said call waiting receiving means to initially receive videotex data on said first telephone line for display thereof on said videotex display, then to receive a call incoming on said second telephone line to said user telephone without terminating the videotex call and thereafter, when the user finishes talking over the user telephone, to receive again said videotex data on said first telephone line; and

means for displaying at the videotex display an indication that a call is incoming on said second telephone line when said user station is connected to said first telephone line through said switching means and said call waiting receiving means.

2. In a videotex system having a videotex display, wherein a first telephone line carries a videotex data call between a videotex center and a user station and a second telephone line carries incoming telephone calls from a general calling party to a user telephone at the user station, a method of screening incoming calls on the second telephone line during reception of videotex data on the first telephone line, comprising the steps of:

providing a call waiting receiving means on the second telephone line and also providing a user controllable switching means operable to first receive said videotex data on said first telephone line for display thereof on said videotex display, then to receive an incoming call on said second telephone line to said user telephone without terminating said videotex data call and thereafter to receive again said videotex data on said first telephone line;

through the call waiting receiving means and said user controllable switching means, notifying a user of an incoming call on the second telephone line during use of the videotex system on the first telephone line; and

using the user controllable switching means, connecting the user telephone at the user station to said second telephone line and said call waiting receiving means to select said incoming call without terminating the videotext call and thereafter connecting the first telephone line and the videotex system to receive and display videotex data incoming on the first telephone line.