Single line telephone answering system with access security features
First Claim
1. A telephone system coupled to receive telephone signals including a high voltage ringing signal issued to signal an incoming telephone call, and issue telephone signals through a telephone line, said telephone system comprising:
- at least one peripheral utility device coupled to the telephone line;
at least one telephone comprising a telephone handset, said handset comprising a receiver, said telephone coupled to the peripheral utility device;
a base unit coupled to the telephone line, said base unit comprising;
memory for storing a list of at least one authorized telephone number, said list stored in memory identifying telephone numbers of callers authorized to contact a called party,means for answering the incoming telephone call from a caller,means for prompting the caller of the answered incoming telephone call to input a telephone number of the caller,means for comparing the telephone number input by the caller to the list stored in memory to determine whether the caller is authorized to contact the called party,means for issuing a low voltage DTMF ringing signal on the telephone line to the at least one peripheral utility device, said means for issuing responsive to the means for comparing, and issues the low voltage DTMF ringing signal if the caller is authorized to contact the called party, said low voltage DTMF ringing signal at a voltage lower than the high voltage ringing signal, andmeans for connecting the caller of the answered incoming telephone call via the telephone line and the peripheral utility device to the telephone if the handset is picked up by the called party to answer;
said peripheral utility device comprising;
means for blocking the incoming high voltage ringing signal from reaching the telephone by preventing the high voltage ringing signal from reaching the telephone, andmeans for detecting the low voltage DTMF ringing signal on the telephone line and causing a low voltage ringing sound to be generated at a location of the peripheral utility device to notify the called party of the answered incoming telephone call;
wherein the called party is only notified of the answered incoming telephone call if the answered incoming telephone call is an authorized incoming call.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A versatile phone system, consisting of a base unit and one or more peripheral utility devices, is used on the user'"'"'s premises to provide an effective and private means of telecommunication. A plurality of telephone numbers and names are stored in the memory means of the base unit. The system responds to the ringing signals transmitted over the phone line from the caller without triggering ringer generators at the telephone sets. Alerting ringing sounds to alert the user of an incoming call will be generated only when the derived code of the received DTMF signals matches the derived identifier codes of the stored telephone numbers or the personal access code. Distinct ringing sounds will be generated if a match is on a derived identifier code of a telephone number indexed with priority. When no match occurs or a match occurs but the user does not answer after a predetermined number of rings, the caller is directed to a recording means for requesting to leave message.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A telephone system coupled to receive telephone signals including a high voltage ringing signal issued to signal an incoming telephone call, and issue telephone signals through a telephone line, said telephone system comprising:
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at least one peripheral utility device coupled to the telephone line; at least one telephone comprising a telephone handset, said handset comprising a receiver, said telephone coupled to the peripheral utility device; a base unit coupled to the telephone line, said base unit comprising; memory for storing a list of at least one authorized telephone number, said list stored in memory identifying telephone numbers of callers authorized to contact a called party, means for answering the incoming telephone call from a caller, means for prompting the caller of the answered incoming telephone call to input a telephone number of the caller, means for comparing the telephone number input by the caller to the list stored in memory to determine whether the caller is authorized to contact the called party, means for issuing a low voltage DTMF ringing signal on the telephone line to the at least one peripheral utility device, said means for issuing responsive to the means for comparing, and issues the low voltage DTMF ringing signal if the caller is authorized to contact the called party, said low voltage DTMF ringing signal at a voltage lower than the high voltage ringing signal, and means for connecting the caller of the answered incoming telephone call via the telephone line and the peripheral utility device to the telephone if the handset is picked up by the called party to answer;
said peripheral utility device comprising;means for blocking the incoming high voltage ringing signal from reaching the telephone by preventing the high voltage ringing signal from reaching the telephone, and means for detecting the low voltage DTMF ringing signal on the telephone line and causing a low voltage ringing sound to be generated at a location of the peripheral utility device to notify the called party of the answered incoming telephone call; wherein the called party is only notified of the answered incoming telephone call if the answered incoming telephone call is an authorized incoming call. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. In a telephone system coupled to a telephone line for receipt and transmission of telephone calls, said telephone system receiving a high voltage ringing signal indicative of an incoming telephone call, said system comprising at least one telephone comprising a handset and a receiver, said telephone coupled through an interface device to the telephone line, a method for providing an automated call screening process of an answered incoming telephone cab for limiting access to the telephone system to authorized callers authorized to contact a called party, said method comprising the steps of:
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preventing the high voltage ringing signal generated by the incoming telephone call from reaching the telephone; automatically answering the incoming telephone call; prompting a caller of the answered incoming telephone call to input a telephone number input by the caller; deriving a derived code from the telephone number of the caller; comparing the derived code to at least one authorization code from a list of at least one authorization code; issuing a low voltage DTMF ringing signal on the telephone line if the derived code matches the authorization code from the list of at least one authorization code, said low voltage DTMF ringing signal at a voltage lower than the high voltage ringing signal; generating a ringing sound at the interface device to the telephone in response to the low voltage DTMF ringing signal issued to notify the called party that the answered incoming telephone call is an authorized incoming telephone call; transferring the authorized incoming telephone call across the telephone line to the telephone when the handset is picked up by the called party to answer the authorized incoming telephone call; wherein the called party is only notified of the incoming telephone call if the caller is authorized to contact the called party.
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Specification