Automatic incoming telephone call originating number and party display system

• US 4,924,496 A
• Filed: 05/12/1988
• Issued: 05/08/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TT Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Romek Figa
• Inventors: Figa, Romek, Cohen, Jonathan H., Cohen, Samuel G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Application Number:
  US07/193,377
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142, 379/354, 379/355, 379/356, 379/357, 379/131, 379/199, 379/200
• US Class Current: 379/142.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/573 Line monitoring circuits for detecting caller identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13256 Call screening

Abstract

An automatic incoming telephone call number display system for detecting an incoming call and identifying the party associated with the incoming call number. The system includes a directory of telephone numbers and parties associated with those numbers. Circuitry detects the origin telephone number of an incoming telephone call and compares that number with numbers in the directory for identifying the calling party. A display permits the user to view the incoming call number and party associated with that number.

Claims

1. An automatic incoming telephone call number display device comprising:

a directory of telephone numbers and parties associated with those numbers;

means for detecting the origin telephone number of an incoming telephone call;

means for comparing the detected incoming telephone number with said directory of telephone numbers to identify the party associated with the incoming call number;

display means for displaying the incoming call number or the incoming call number and the identified associated party before the incoming call is answered;

means for logging the detected incoming telephone number;

means for retrieving telephone numbers of incoming calls logged by said means for logging; and

means for automatically entering telephone numbers retrieved by said means for retrieving into said directory.

2. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 1 further including means for storing the detected number of the incoming telephone call.

3. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 2 further including means for recording the date and time of the incoming call.

4. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 1 further including means for providing to said means for displaying the date, time, and duration of the incoming call.

5. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 2 further including means for switching the system to an off-hook condition when a number is dialed and means for timing the duration of the outgoing call.

6. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 5 further including means for storing the date, time and duration of the outgoing call.

7. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 5 further including means for providing to said means for displaying the date, time, and duration of the outgoing call.

8. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 1 further including means for searching the directory.

9. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 8 in which said means for searching includes means for searching the directory includes means for searching for a preselected party.

10. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 8 in which said means for searching the directory includes means for searching for a preselected number.

11. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 1 further including means for adding a party and an associated number to said directory.

12. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 1 further including means for deleting a party and an associated number from said directory.

13. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 1 further including means for editing said directory.

14. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 1 further including means for automatically dialing a number in said directory.

15. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 1 further including means for displaying the current time and date on said display means when said system is not being used during detection of incoming or placing outgoing calls.

31. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 1 further including telephone handset means for communicating over a telephone line.

16. An automatic incoming telephone call number display system comprising:

a directory of telephone numbers and parties associated with those numbers;

means for detecting the origin telephone number of an incoming telephone call;

means for comparing the detected incoming telephone number with said directory of telephone numbers to identify the party associated with the incoming call number;

display means for displaying the incoming call number and the identified associated party before the incoming call is answered;

means for logging all incoming calls chronologically;

means for retrieving telephone numbers of incoming calls logged by said means for logging; and

means for automatically entering into said directory telephone numbers retrieved by said means for retrieving.

17. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 16 further including means for recording the date and time of the incoming call.

18. The device of claim 16 further including means for dialing outgoing calls.

21. The device of claim 18 further including means for storing the date, the time, and the duration of the outgoing calls.

27. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 16 further including means for logging the outgoing calls chronologically.

28. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 27 further including means for retrieving telephone numbers of outgoing calls logged by said means for logging.

29. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 28 further including means for automatically dialing the telephone number retrieved by said means for retrieving.

32. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 16 further including means for manually dialing a telephone number.

19. An automatic incoming telephone call number display system comprising:

a directory of telephone numbers and parties associated with those numbers;

means for detecting the origin telephone number of an incoming telephone call;

means for comparing the detected incoming telephone number with said directory of telephone numbers to identify the party associated with the incoming call number;

display means for displaying the incoming call number and the identified associated party before the incoming call is answered;

means for logging outgoing calls chronologically;

means for retrieving telephone numbers of outgoing calls logged by said means for logging; and

means for automatically entering into said directory telephone numbers retrieved by said means for retrieving.

20. The device of claim 19 further including means for storing the date and time of the incoming call.

22. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 19 further including means for storing the duration of the incoming call.

23. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 22 further including means for sensing when a telephone has gone off-hook in response to an incoming call, and means for timing the duration of the incoming call.

24. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 19 further including means for logging all incoming calls chronologically.

25. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 24 further including means for retrieving telephone numbers of incoming calls logged by said means for logging.

26. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 25 further including means for automatically dialing the telephone number retrieved by said means for retrieving.

30. The automatic incoming telephone call number display system of claim 19 further including means for preventing a user from dialing a telephone number if an incoming telephone call is detected by said means for detecting.