Telephone apparatus with automatic dialing function

• US 5,506,895 A
• Filed: 05/30/1995
• Issued: 04/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ueno, Hiroatsu, Hirai, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US08/453,352
• Time in Patent Office: 315 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142, 379/387, 379/396, 379/164, 379/142, 379/127, 379/130
• US Class Current: 379/142.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20

Abstract

A telephone apparatus, comprises: a memory for storing a telephone number; a switch for producing a switch signal in response to user operation; a dialing circuit for dialing in response a dialing control signal; a control portion responsive to the switch signal for reading out the stored telephone number and producing the dialing control signal in accordance with the stored telephone number; a telephone number detection circuit for detecting a telephone number data indicative of a telephone number of a caller sent from a telephone line; a comparing portion for comparing the detected telephone number data with the stored one to produce a indication signal when the detected telephone number agrees with the stored one; and indication portion responsive to the indication control signal for indicating that the detected telephone number agrees with the stored one. When the caller whose telephone number is registered in this apparatus for automatic dialing, the indication portion indicates the caller'"'"'s telephone number detected agrees with the registered one. N operational switches, N LEDs, and N nameplates may be correspondingly provided for indicating which person of registered persons in this apparatus is calling or has called.

Claims

1. A telephone apparatus with an automatic dialing function, comprising:

(a) storing means for storing a plurality of telephone numbers;

(b) operational key switch means having a plurality of key switches, each key switch producing a key switch signal in response to operation of a user, said storing means storing each of said plurality of telephone numbers in relation to a corresponding one of said key switches;

(c) a plurality of first indicating means each being provided to have a correspondence to one of said key switches and one of said telephone numbers, and each of said key switches being provided with a positional relationship to one of said first indicating means;

(d) dialing means for dialing in response to a dialing control signal;

(e) control means responsive to said key switch signal from each of said key switches for reading out a corresponding one of said stored plurality of telephone numbers and producing said dialing control signal in accordance with said read out telephone number;

(f) telephone number detection means for detecting a telephone number data indicative of a telephone number of a caller sent from a telephone line;

(g) comparing means for comparing said detected telephone number data with said stored plurality of telephone numbers to produce an indication control signal when said detected telephone number data matches one of said plurality of stored telephone numbers; and

(h) second indication means, provided in relation to said operational key switch means, responsive to said indication control signal for making an indication, said indication control signal being produced by said comparing means such that one of said plurality of first indicating means is indicated by said second indication means in accordance with said matched telephone numbers to inform said user that said detected telephone number data corresponds to one of said plurality of key switches which in turn corresponds to one of said plurality of stored telephone numbers.

2. A telephone apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

off-hook detection means for detecting an off-hook condition of said telephone apparatus, said indication means having first and second indication conditions; and

second control means responsive to said off-hook detection means and said comparing means for causing said indication means to change said first condition to said second condition when said detected telephone number agrees with said stored telephone number.

3. A telephone apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising off-hook detection means for detecting off-hook and on-hook conditions of said telephone apparatus and second control means responsive to said off-hook detection means and said comparing means for stopping said indication when said off-hook detection means detects said off-hook condition and then said on-hook condition when said detected telephone number agrees with said stored telephone number.

4. A telephone apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

(a) off-hook detection means for detecting an off-hook condition of said telephone apparatus;

(b) detection means responsive to said off-hook detection means and said comparing means for detecting a failure of off-hook condition within a predetermined interval from when said detected telephone number agrees with said stored telephone number, said indication means having first and second indication conditions; and

(c) second control means responsive to said detection means for changing said first indication condition to said second indication condition.

5. A telephone apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said key switches is provided adjacent to a corresponding one of said first indicating means.

6. A telephone apparatus with an automatic dialing function, comprising:

(a) N operational key switches for producing corresponding N key switch signals in response to operation of a user, said N being a whole number;

(b) storing means for storing N telephone numbers such that each of said N telephone numbers corresponds to one of said N operational key switches;

(c) N first indicating means each being provided to have a correspondence to one of said N operational key switches and to one or said N telephone numbers, each of said N operational key switches being provided with a positional relationship with one of said N first indicating means;

(d) dialing means for dialing in response to a dialing control signal;

(e) control means responsive to one of said N key switch signals for reading out one of said N stored telephone numbers which corresponds to one of said N operational key switches operated by said user, and for producing said dialing control signal in accordance with said read out telephone number;

(f) telephone number detection means for detecting a telephone number data indicative of a telephone number of a caller sent from a telephone line;

(g) comparing means for comparing said detected telephone number data with said N stored telephone numbers successively to produce an indication control signal when said detected telephone number agrees with one of said stored N telephone numbers; and

(h) second indication means, having N indication elements, each of said N indication elements corresponding to one of said N operational key switches, said second indication means responsive to said indication control signal for making an indication with one of said N indication elements which corresponds to one of said N operational key switches which in turn corresponds to said detected telephone number data.

7. A telephone apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

off-hook detection means for detecting an off-hook condition of said telephone apparatus, each of said N indication means having first and second indication conditions; and

second control means responsive to said off-hook detection means and said comparing means for causing said indication means to change said first condition to said second condition when said detected telephone number agrees with one of said stored telephone numbers.

8. A telephone apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising off-hook detection means for detecting off-hook and on-hook conditions of said telephone apparatus and second control means responsive to said off-hook detection means and said comparing means for stopping said indication by said one of said N indication means when said off-hook detection means detects said off-hook condition and then said on-hook condition when said detected telephone number agrees with one of said N stored telephone number.

9. A telephone apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

(a) off-hook detection means for detecting an off-hook condition of said telephone apparatus;

(b) detection means responsive to said off-hook detection means and said comparing means for detecting a failure of off-hook condition within a predetermined interval from when said detected telephone number agrees with said one of said stored telephone numbers, each of said N indication means having first and second indication conditions; and

(c) second control means responsive to said detection means for changing said first indication condition to said second indication condition by said one of said N indication elements.

10. A telephone apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of said N operational key switches is provided adjacent to one of said N first indicating means.

11. A telephone apparatus with an automatic dialing function, comprising:

(a) N operational key switches for producing corresponding N key switch signals in response to operation of a user, said N being a whole number;

(b) storing means for storing N telephone numbers such that each of said N telephone numbers corresponds to one of said N operational key switches;

(c) N first indicating means each being provided to have a correspondence to one of said N operational key switches and to one of said N telephone numbers;

(d) dialing means for dialing in response to a dialing control signal;

(e) first control means responsive to one of said N key switch signals for reading out one of said N stored telephone numbers which corresponds to one of said N operational key switches and for producing said dialing control signal in accordance with said read out telephone number;

(f) telephone number detection means for detecting a telephone number data indicative of a telephone number of a caller sent from a telephone line;

(g) second control means for comparing said detected telephone number data with said N stored telephone numbers successively and for producing an indication control signal to indicate which one of said N operational key switches corresponds to said detected telephone number when said detected telephone number matches one of said stored N telephone numbers; and

(h) N second indication means each having an identification mark corresponding to one of said N operational key switches and responsive to said indication control signal for indicating to said user which one of said N operational key switches corresponds to said detected telephone number.

12. A telephone apparatus with an automatic dialing function, comprising:

(a) an automatic dialing portion having N operational key switches and N indicators, said N operational key switches responsive to operation of a user for producing N key switch signals respectively, said N indicators being provided such that each of said N operational key switches corresponds to one of said N indicators, and each of said N operational key switches being provided with a positional relationship with one of said N indicators, said N being a whole number;

(b) storing means for storing N telephone numbers such that each of said N telephone numbers corresponds to one of said N operational key switches;

(c) dialing means for dialing in response to a dialing control signal;

(d) first control means responsive to one of said N key switch signals for reading out one of said N stored telephone numbers which corresponds to one of said N key switches operated by said user and for producing said dialing control signal in accordance with said read out telephone number;

(e) telephone number detection means for detecting telephone number data indicative of a telephone number of a caller sent from a telephone line; and

(f) second control means for comparing said detected telephone number data with said N stored telephone numbers, successively, for detecting which operational key switch of said N operational key switches corresponds to said detected telephone number when said one of said N stored telephone numbers matches said detected telephone number; and

for producing an indication control signal to cause one of said N indicators which corresponds to said detected one of said N operational key switches to effect indication to inform said user that a call by said caller corresponds to said detected one of said operational keys when said one of said N stored telephone numbers matches said detected telephone number.

13. A telephone apparatus with an automatic dialing function as claimed in claim 12, wherein said automatic dialing portion further comprises N nameplates provided such that each of said N nameplates corresponds to each of said N indicators.

14. A telephone apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

off-hook detection means for detecting an off-hook condition of said telephone apparatus, each of said N indicators having first and second indication conditions; and

second control means responsive to said off-hook detection means and said comparing means for causing said one of N indicators to change said first condition to said second condition when said detected telephone number agrees with one of said stored telephone numbers.

15. A telephone apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising off-hook detection means for detecting off-hook and on-hook conditions of said telephone apparatus and second control means responsive to said off-hook detection means and said comparing means for stopping said indication by said one of said N indicators when said off-hook detection means detects said off-hook condition and then said off-hook detection means detects said on-hook condition when said detected telephone number agrees with one of said N stored telephone numbers.

16. A telephone apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

(a) off-hook detection means for detecting an off-hook condition of said telephone apparatus;

(b) detection means responsive to said off-hook detection means and said comparing means for detecting a failure of off-hook condition within a predetermined interval from when said detected telephone number agrees with said one of said N stored telephone numbers, each of said N indicators having first and second indication conditions; and

(c) second control means responsive to said detection means for changing said first indication condition of said one of said N indicators to said second indication condition.

17. A telephone apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said each of said N operational key switches is provided adjacent to said each of said N indicators.

18. A telephone apparatus with an automatic dialing function, comprising:

(a) an automatic dialing portion having N operational key switches and N indicators, said N operational key switches responsive to operation of a user for producing N key switch signals respectively, said N indicators being provided such that each of said N operational key switches corresponds to one of said N indicators, each of said key switches being provided with a positional relationship with one of said N indicators, said N being a whole number;

(b) storing means for storing N telephone numbers such that each of said N telephone numbers corresponds to one of said N operational key switches;

(c) dialing means for dialing in response to a dialing control signal;

(d) first control means responsive to one of said N key switch signals for reading out one of said N stored telephone numbers which corresponds to one of said N key switches operated by said user and for producing said dialing control signal in accordance with said read out telephone number;

(e) ring signal detection means for detecting a ring signal to produce a detected ring signal;

(f) telephone number detection means tier detecting a telephone number data indicative of a telephone number of a caller sent from a telephone line;

(g) second control means for comparing said detected telephone number data with said N stored telephone numbers successively and for detecting which operational key switch of said N operational key switches corresponds to said detected telephone number when said one of said N stored telephone numbers agrees with said detected telephone number data;

(h) detection means responsive to said detected ring signal ,and said second control means for detecting the absence of said detected ring signal for a given interval when said one of said N stored telephone numbers agrees with said detected telephone number; and

(i) third control means for producing an indication control signal to cause said N indicator which corresponds to said detected N operational key switch to effect indication in response to said detection means to inform said user that there has been a call corresponding to said detected operational key switch when said one of said N stored telephone numbers matches said detected telephone number.

19. A telephone apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein said each of said N operational key switches is provided adjacent to said each of said N indicators.