Shared line answering system with enhanced extension device features
First Claim
1. A telephone answering device system for use with a telephone line having a telephone connected to the telephone line, the answering device system comprising:
- a master telephone answering device (MTAD) coupled to the telephone line for receiving and answering calls on said telephone line; and
at least one extension telephone answering device (ETAD) coupled to said telephone line and also coupled to said MTAD via said telephone line;
paging code means, including touch tone keys in at least one of said telephone and said ETAD, for sending out on said telephone line any of a plurality of audible touch tone signals as paging codes; and
said at least one ETAD including means responsive to a predetermined audible touch tone signal paging code sent out by said paging code means for being activated to broadcast an audible paging signal upon detection of said predetermined audible touch tone signal paging code to alert a user being paged.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system of telephone answering devices includes a master telephone answering device (MTAD) and at least one (and often a plurality) of extension telephone answering devices (ETADs). If a telephone call is answered by someone, others nearby may be paged through the ETADs from any telephone. The ETADs can be temporarily disarmed so that they do not respond to tone codes that might otherwise activate them. When activated, the ETADs transmit back to the caller noticeably different ringback signals to indicate that the activated ETAD is responding to the caller'"'"'s commands. For telephone utilities offering a distinctive ring service, the ETADs may respond to distinctive rings corresponding to the ETADs by usurping the function of and disabling the MTAD and by subsequently answering the telephone call.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A telephone answering device system for use with a telephone line having a telephone connected to the telephone line, the answering device system comprising:
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a master telephone answering device (MTAD) coupled to the telephone line for receiving and answering calls on said telephone line; and at least one extension telephone answering device (ETAD) coupled to said telephone line and also coupled to said MTAD via said telephone line; paging code means, including touch tone keys in at least one of said telephone and said ETAD, for sending out on said telephone line any of a plurality of audible touch tone signals as paging codes; and said at least one ETAD including means responsive to a predetermined audible touch tone signal paging code sent out by said paging code means for being activated to broadcast an audible paging signal upon detection of said predetermined audible touch tone signal paging code to alert a user being paged. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12)
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7. A telephone answering device system for use with a telephone line having a telephone connected to the telephone line, comprising:
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a master telephone answering device (MTAD) coupled to the telephone line; and at least one extension telephone answering device (ETAD) coupled to said telephone line and also coupled to said MTAD via said telephone line; wherein said at least one ETAD includes disarming means responsive to an audible touch tone code input onto said telephone line by a user for temporarily ignoring subsequent audible touch tone codes on said telephone line, thereby causing said at least one ETAD to take a disarmed state. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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Specification