Identifying telephone controller system

• US 5,127,045 A
• Filed: 11/16/1989
• Issued: 06/30/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elsie Wizer
• Original Assignee: David R. Cragun, John R. Irwin
• Inventors: Irwin, John R., Cragun, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US07/437,127
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 379/66, 379/67, 379/88, 379/105, 379/160, 379/159, 379/387, 379/395, 379/442, 379/441, 379/327, 379/332, 379/375
• US Class Current: 379/67.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5437 Wired telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5454 Adapter and plugs
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/65 Recording arrangements for recording a message from the calling party in the exchange H04M3/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/715 using two or more extensions per line cordless telephones H04M1/725
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C

Abstract

An identifying telephone controller system using a main computer component with a central processing unit coupled to an in-house AC wiring system and utilizing a plug-in ringer/appliance controller receive and a base-remote telephone system to provide multi-function telephone operations including caller identification and call patching and remote appliance control.

Claims

1. An identifying telephone controller system comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to an AC wiring circuit;

a speech synthesizer controlled by the central processing unit;

a dual tone multiple frequency encoder/decoder (DTMF/E/D) connected to the central processing unit;

a telephone interface connecting the dual tone multiple frequency encoder/decoder and speech synthesizer to an incoming telephone line and at least one receiving telephone;

at least one ringer/appliance controller means connected to the AC wiring circuit, said at least one ringer/appliance controller means comprising a microprocessor unit (MPU), address select switches, oscillator means and a speaker;

whereby an incoming call received by the central processing unit is responded to by the speech synthesizer and whereupon a subsequent code entered by a caller results in a signal code being annunciated by a speaker.

2. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one ringer/appliance controller means comprises an electrical outlet capable of receiving a plug of an electrically powered device and a relay operated by the MPU to control power to the electrical outlet.

3. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 1 wherein the telephone interface is connected to the tip and the ring lines of the incoming telephone line.

4. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 3 further comprising:

a modular adapter for said at least one receiving telephone;

a modular plug for said at least one receiving telephone and coupled to a modular adapter;

means for connecting the tip and ring lines of said at least one receiving telephone to a modular plug; and

A+ and A- lines interconnecting the interface with said at least one modular adapter, said at least one modular adapter interconnecting the tip and ring lines of the receiving telephone to the A+ and A- lines connected to the interface.

5. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 2 wherein the telephone interface is connected to the tip and ring lines of the incoming telephone line and said system further comprises:

a modular adapter for said at least one receiving telephone;

a modular plug for said at least one receiving telephone and coupled to a modular adapter;

means for connecting the tip and ring lines of said at least one receiving telephone to a modular plug; and

A+ and A- lines interconnecting the interface with each modular adapter, each said modular adapter interconnecting the tip and ring lines of the receiving telephone to the A+ and A- lines connected to the interface.

6. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 5 comprising:

a DTMF keyboard connected to the DTMF/E/D such that the central processing unit is capable of being programmed to acknowledge name and number data with DTMF data entered into the CPU by the DTMF keyboard.

7. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 5 wherein the CPU is programmed to operate the speech synthesizer to respond to an incoming call by requesting that a predetermined number of letters of the name of a person called be entered through the keyboard of a caller'"'"'s telephone.

8. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 6, wherein the CPU is programmed with system memory to compare an incoming signal representative of a person called with codes programmed in the system memory and upon finding a match to provide a ringing signal corresponding to a ringing signal established for the person called through an amplifier and speaker of said at least one ringer/appliance controller means.

9. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 6 wherein the CPU is further programmed to respond to a program signal from the keyboard of the telephone of an incoming call and a further code entered by said telephone that is compared with a code of the address select switches to send a coded signal to the MPU to activate an appliance responsive to a signal and coupled to the electrical outlet of said MPU.

10. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 8 wherein at least one MPU is programmed to receive a signal from a detector and to thereupon send a corresponding signal to the CPU and wherein the CPU is programmed to send a dialing signal to the telephone of a proper recipient corresponding to the signal received from the detector and to provide additional data when said recipient telephone is answered indicative of the nature of the signal received from the detector.

11. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 10 wherein the CPU is further programmed to operate the speech synthesizer such that the speech synthesizer provides the additional data.

12. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 8 wherein the CPU is further programmed to operate the speech synthesizer to advise an incoming caller that a person called is not available and to ask the caller to enter a code if it is desired to leave a message and upon entry of the code to receive and store a message.

13. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 11 wherein the CPU is further programmed to transmit the stored message from a first incoming caller to a second incoming caller upon entry of a code signal entered by the second caller and matched with the code signal previously entered by a CPU select input device for a person for whom the message is left.

14. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 1 wherein the CPU is programmed to provide for voice directed programming upon actuation of a selected program key by a caller and to operate the speech synthesizer to advise said caller to select a program key when an incoming call is received.

15. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 4 further comprising:

a DMTF keyboard connected to the DTMF/E/D;

whereby the CPU is programmed to acknowledge name and number data with DTMF data entered into the CPU through the DTMF keyboard.

16. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 1 wherein the CPU is programmed to operate the speech synthesizer to respond to an incoming call by requesting that a predetermined number of letters of the name of the person called be entered through the keyboard of the caller'"'"'s telephone.

17. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 4 wherein the CPU is programmed to operate the speech synthesizer to respond to an incoming call by requesting that a predetermined number of letters identifying the person called be entered through the keyboard of the caller'"'"'s telephone.

18. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 4 wherein the CPU is programmed to compare an incoming signal representative of a person called with codes programmed using a CPU input select device and upon finding a match to provide a ringing signal corresponding to a ringing signal established for the person called through an amplifier and speaker of said at least one ringer/appliance controller means.

19. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 8 wherein the CPU is programmed to compare an incoming signal representative of a person called with codes programmed using a CPU input select device and upon finding a match to provide a ringing signal corresponding to a ringing signal established for the person called through an amplifier and speaker of said at least one ringer/appliance controller means.

20. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 1 wherein the CPU is programmed to respond to a program signal from the keyboard of the telephone of an incoming call and a further code entered by said telephone that is compared with a code of the address select switches to send a coded signal to the MPU to activate an appliance responsive to a signal and coupled to the electrical outlet of one said MPU.

21. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 20 wherein at least one MPU is programmed to receive a signal from a detector and to thereupon send a corresponding signal to the CPU and wherein the CPU is programmed to send a dialing signal to the telephone of a proper recipient corresponding to the signal received from the detector and to provide additional data when said recipient telephone is answered indicative of the nature of the signal received from the detector.

22. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 21 wherein the CPU is further programmed to operate the speech synthesizer whereby the speech synthesizer provides the additional data.

23. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 22 wherein the CPU is programmed to receive incoming calls from outside telephones and to receive and store messages therefrom to be transmitted to a caller providing the CPU with a code to release such messages.

24. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 23 wherein the CPU is programmed to receive an auto-dial code signal whereupon the CPU will periodically redial the last number dialed by a receiving telephone.

25. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 23 wherein the CPU is programmed to contain telephone numbers corresponding to the names of the persons called, to receive a memory code signal from a receiving telephone, and a code corresponding to a person to be called and to periodically redial the telephone number corresponding to the name of the person called, until such call is completed and to then supply the signal to said at least one ringer/appliance controller means to cause said controller means to enunciate a signal for the party placing the call.

26. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 1 further comprising means responsive to an access code input into the CPU to patch an incoming call to another line through a call conferencing means of a telephone system.

27. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 26 wherein the CPU is programmed to compare an incoming signal representative of a person calling with codes programmed using a CPU input select device and upon finding a match to provide a ringing signal corresponding to a ringing signal established for the person calling through an amplifier and speaker of said at least one ringer/appliance controller means.

28. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 27 wherein the CPU is programmed to control a speech module to announce who is calling over an internal phone system by way of an AC modulator interface or a telephone connected to said system.

29. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 28 wherein the CPU is programmed to transmit signals over an AC line interface to said at least one ringer/appliance controlled means which will sound an off-hook indication through an amplifier and speaker of said at least one ringer/appliance controller means.

30. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 28 wherein the CPU displays the status of programmed data on an accompanying visual display.

31. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 1 further comprising a real time clock circuit capable of controlling the on/off condition of appliances on a timed basis.

32. An identifying telephone controller system as defined in claim 27 wherein said system is programmed to record a caller'"'"'s voice and notify the intended recipient of the identity of the caller by way of playback of that same voice before the recipient answers that call.