Method and system for automatically activating and deactivating a speakerphone

• US 5,712,911 A
• Filed: 09/13/1995
• Issued: 01/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Her, Ju-Won
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/527,561
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/211, 379/210, 379/418, 379/420, 379/63, 379/388, 379/389, 379/252, 379/375, 379/377
• US Class Current: 379/388.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08

Abstract

A novel telephone system and method for activating a speakerphone in response to an incoming call based upon the presence or absence of a subscriber within a predetermined proximity zone. The telephone system has a ring detector for detecting a ring signal in response to an incoming call received via a central switching network, a proximity sensor for sensing the presence or absence of a subscriber within a predetermined proximity zone of the telephone system, and a control unit for automatically activating the speakerphone to establish communication with the caller when the subscriber is within the predetermined proximity zone and deactivating the speakerphone in response to detecting a busy tone generated by the central switching network when the call is terminated.

Claims

1. A telephone system, comprising:

a ring detector for detecting when an incoming call placed by a caller via a central switching network is received at an installation maintained by a subscriber;

a proximity sensor for sensing whether the subscriber is present within a predetermined proximity zone of said installation;

a speakerphone comprising a microphone and a loudspeaker; and

controller means for enabling the subscriber to engage in conversation with the caller via said speakerphone when said proximity sensor senses that the subscriber is present within said predetermined proximity zone by automatically activating the speakerphone in response to said incoming call, and for automatically deactivating the speakerphone upon termination of said incoming call.

2. The telephone system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller means alerts the subscriber to said incoming call by generating a ringing tone when said proximity sensor senses that the subscriber is not present within said predetermined proximity zone, and when said proximity sensor subsequently senses that the subscriber is present within said predetermined proximity zone during said incoming call, automatically activating the speakerphone and enabling the subscriber to engage in the conversation with the caller via said speakerphone.

3. The telephone system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said proximity sensor comprises an infrared sensor for sensing whether body heat is present within said predetermined proximity zone.

4. The telephone system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said proximity sensor comprises a motion sensor for sensing whether motion is present within said predetermined proximity zone.

5. A telephone system for controlling a speech path between a speakerphone and a telephone line, said telephone system comprising:

ring detector means for detecting a ring signal representing an incoming call from said telephone line;

sensor means for sensing whether a subscriber is in the proximity of said telephone system; and

controller means connected to said ring detector means and said proximity sensor means, for responding to said ring signal representing said incoming call to automatically form said speech path between said speakerphone and said telephone line for enabling the subscriber to communicate with a caller of said incoming call via said speakerphone, when said subscriber is sensed to be in the proximity of said telephone system.

6. The telephone system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said controller means controls generation of a ringing tone for alerting the subscriber of said incoming call when said subscriber is not in the proximity of said telephone system, and then forms said speech path between said speakerphone and said telephone line for enabling the subscriber to communicate with the caller of said incoming call via said speakerphone when said subscriber approaches said telephone system to answer said incoming call.

7. The telephone system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said controller means automatically cuts off said speech path between said speakerphone and said telephone line upon termination of said incoming call between the subscriber and the caller.

8. The telephone system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said sensor means is an infrared sensor for sensing infrared radiation from a human body to determine whether the subscriber is in the proximity of said telephone system.

9. A telephone system for controlling a speech path between a speakerphone and a telephone line, said telephone system comprising:

ring detector means for detecting a ring signal representing an incoming call from said telephone line;

tone detector means for detecting a busy tone input from said telephone line;

sensor means for sensing whether a subscriber is in the proximity of said telephone system; and

controller means operatively connected to said ring detector means, said tone detector means, and said sensor means, for automatically forming said speech path between said speakerphone and said telephone line in response to detection of said ring signal representing said incoming call when the subscriber is sensed to be in the proximity of said telephone system, and for cutting off said speech path in response to detection of said busy tone.

10. The telephone system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said controller means controls generation of a ringing tone for alerting the subscriber of said incoming call when said subscriber is not in the proximity of said telephone system, and forms said speech path between said speakerphone and said telephone line for enabling the subscriber to communicate with the caller of said incoming call via said speakerphone when said subscriber approaches said telephone system to answer said incoming call.

11. The telephone system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said sensor means comprises an infrared sensor for sensing whether body heat is present in the proximity of said telephone system.

12. The telephone system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said sensor means comprises an infrared sensor for sensing whether motion is present in the proximity of said telephone system.

13. A method for controlling a speakerphone in a telephone system comprising a ring detector, a proximity sensor, a speakerphone comprising a microphone and a loudspeaker, and a controller for controlling operation of said speakerphone, said method comprising:

receiving an incoming call via a telephone line;

sensing whether a subscriber is within a predetermined proximity zone in response to reception of said incoming call;

automatically activating the speakerphone in response to said incoming call to allow the subscriber to engage in a conversation with a caller of said incoming call via said speakerphone when the subscriber is sensed to be within said predetermined proximity zone; and

automatically deactivating the speakerphone upon termination of said conversation.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising alerting the subscriber of said incoming call by generating a ringing tone when said subscriber is not within said predetermined proximity zone, and when the subscriber enters said predetermined proximity zone to answer the incoming call, automatically activating the speakerphone for enabling the subscriber to engage in the conversation with the caller via said speakerphone.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising monitoring for a busy tone from said telephone line for automatically deactivating the speakerphone.

16. A method for controlling a speakerphone in a telephone system having a built-in proximity sensor for sensing whether a subscriber is within a predetermined proximity zone of the telephone system, said method comprising:

determining whether a ring signal indicating an incoming call placed by a caller is detected from a telephone line at an installation maintained by said subscriber;

sensing whether said subscriber is within a predetermined proximity zone of said installation;

when said subscriber is not within said predetermined proximity zone of said installation, generating a ringing tone to audibly alert said subscriber of said incoming call;

when said subscriber is sensed to be within said predetermined proximity zone of said installation, automatically activating operation of said speakerphone to permit said subscriber to verbally communicate with said caller via said speakerphone; and

automatically deactivating operation of said speakerphone upon termination of said incoming call.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising automatically activating operation of said speakerphone to permit said subscriber to verbally communicate with said caller via said speakerphone, when said subscriber enters said predetermined proximity zone to answer the incoming call after said ringing tone to audibly alert said subscriber of said incoming call has been generated within a predetermined time period.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising monitoring for a busy tone from said telephone line for automatically deactivating said speakerphone.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said built-in proximity sensor is a motion sensor for sensing whether motion is present within said predetermined proximity zone.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said built-in proximity sensor is an infrared sensor for sensing whether body heat is present within said predetermined proximity zone.