System and method for avoiding undesired incoming telephone calls
First Claim
1. A method for avoiding undesired incoming telephone calls, comprising the steps of:
- enabling a called party'"'"'s telephone to ring in response to input of a ring signal to said called party'"'"'s telephone during a selective calling mode;
connecting a signal path between said called party'"'"'s telephone and a calling party'"'"'s telephone;
transmitting, during said step of enabling a called party'"'"'s telephone to ring in response to input of a ring signal, a voice message to said calling party requesting that said calling party input a telephone number corresponding to said calling party and then input a predetermined key to indicate that said telephone number has been completely input;
determining whether a busy tone indicating that said calling party has performed an on-hook operation is detected;
stopping said called party'"'"'s telephone from ringing and disconnecting said signal path between said called party'"'"'s telephone and a calling party'"'"'s telephone when said busy tone is detected;
waiting for inputs of a dual tone multi-frequency signal representative of said telephone number corresponding to said calling party during a predetermined time period when said busy tone is not detected;
storing said inputs of said dual tone multi-frequency signal received during said predetermined time period, and then reading said dual tone multi-frequency signal;
providing said called party with an aural message representative of said telephone number corresponding to said calling party;
determining whether said called party has performed an off-hook operation; and
stopping said called party'"'"'s telephone from ringing and enabling execution of a conversation between said calling party and said called party when said called party has performed said off-hook operation.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for avoiding undesired incoming calls provides a called party with an aural message indicating the telephone number of a calling party. The method includes the steps of: enabling the called party'"'"'s telephone to ring in response to input of a ring signal during execution of a selective calling mode; connecting a signal path between the calling party'"'"'s telephone and the called party'"'"'s telephone; transmitting a voice message to the calling party requesting that the calling party input his or her telephone number and then input a predetermined key; determining whether a busy tone indicating that the calling party has hung up is detected; stopping the called party'"'"'s telephone from ringing and disconnecting the signal path when the busy tone is detected; waiting for an input of a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal representative of the calling party'"'"'s telephone number during a predetermined time period when the busy tone is not detected; storing the dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal and then reading the dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal upon completion of the input; providing the called party with an aural voice message representative of the calling party'"'"'s telephone number; checking for an off-hook state of the called party'"'"'s telephone; and stopping the called party'"'"'s telephone from ringing and enabling execution of a conversation between the calling party and the called party when the off-hook state of the called party'"'"'s telephone is detected.
35 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method for avoiding undesired incoming telephone calls, comprising the steps of:
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enabling a called party'"'"'s telephone to ring in response to input of a ring signal to said called party'"'"'s telephone during a selective calling mode; connecting a signal path between said called party'"'"'s telephone and a calling party'"'"'s telephone; transmitting, during said step of enabling a called party'"'"'s telephone to ring in response to input of a ring signal, a voice message to said calling party requesting that said calling party input a telephone number corresponding to said calling party and then input a predetermined key to indicate that said telephone number has been completely input; determining whether a busy tone indicating that said calling party has performed an on-hook operation is detected; stopping said called party'"'"'s telephone from ringing and disconnecting said signal path between said called party'"'"'s telephone and a calling party'"'"'s telephone when said busy tone is detected; waiting for inputs of a dual tone multi-frequency signal representative of said telephone number corresponding to said calling party during a predetermined time period when said busy tone is not detected; storing said inputs of said dual tone multi-frequency signal received during said predetermined time period, and then reading said dual tone multi-frequency signal; providing said called party with an aural message representative of said telephone number corresponding to said calling party; determining whether said called party has performed an off-hook operation; and stopping said called party'"'"'s telephone from ringing and enabling execution of a conversation between said calling party and said called party when said called party has performed said off-hook operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A system for avoiding undesired incoming telephone calls, comprising:
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a calling circuit connecting said system to telephone lines; an on-hook sensing circuit for sensing an on-hook signal provided through said telephone lines and said calling circuit, said on-hook signal indicating that a calling party has performed an on-hook operation; a dual tone multi-frequency decoder for decoding a dual tone multi-frequency signal representative of a telephone number corresponding to said calling party to generate decoded data, said dual tone multi-frequency signal being generated in response to key inputs provided by said calling party; a ringer circuit for generating a ring signal in response to a telephone call initiated by said calling party; a central processing unit for controlling transmission of a voice message to said calling party in response to said ring signal, storing said decoded data representative of said telephone number corresponding to said calling party, and controlling connection of a signal path over said telephone lines between a telephone corresponding to said calling party and said system in dependence upon a sensed state of said on-hook signal; and a voice control unit for transmitting said voice message to said calling party under control of said central processing unit as said ring signal is simultaneously provided from said ringer circuit, said voice message requesting said calling party to provide said key inputs representative of said telephone number corresponding to said calling party and then provide a predetermined key input to indicate that said key inputs have been completed, said voice control unit enabling a speaker to aurally provide an indication of said telephone number corresponding to said calling party.
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5. A telephone system, comprising:
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first means for generating a ring signal in response to an incoming telephone call during a selective calling mode of said telephone system; second means, while said ring signal is being generated, for connecting a signal path between a telephone terminal of a calling party initiating said incoming telephone call and said telephone system, enabling transmission of a voice message to said calling party requesting said calling party to provide key inputs representative of a telephone number corresponding to said calling party and then provide a predetermined key input to indicate that said key inputs representative of said telephone number have been completed, and detecting a busy tone indicating that said calling party has performed an on-hook operation; third means for receiving a dual tone multi-frequency signal derived from said key inputs representative of said telephone number corresponding to said calling party during a predetermined time period, storing said key inputs represented by said dual tone multi frequency signal, and then reading said key inputs in dependence upon whether said second means detects said busy tone; fourth means for providing an aural indication of said telephone number corresponding to said calling party in response to said reading of said key inputs by said third means; and fifth means for enabling a conversation between said calling party and a called party corresponding to said telephone system when said called party chooses to respond to said incoming telephone call based on said aural indication. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A method for operating a telephone system, comprising the steps of:
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ringing a called party'"'"'s telephone and connecting a signal path between a calling party'"'"'s telephone and said called party'"'"'s telephone corresponding to said telephone system in response to a telephone call initiated from said calling party'"'"'s telephone;
transmitting a voice message to said calling party'"'"'s telephone requesting that said calling party provide key inputs of a telephone number corresponding to said calling party'"'"'s telephone and then provide a predetermined key input to indicate that said key inputs of said telephone number have been completely provided;awaiting receipt of said key inputs of said telephone number for a predetermined time period; receiving said key inputs of said telephone number during said predetermined time period and writing said key inputs into a buffer;
detecting an input of said predetermined key;reading said key inputs from said buffer when said input of predetermined key is detected; providing an aural message to said called party indicating said telephone number corresponding to said calling party'"'"'s telephone in response to said step of reading said key inputs from said buffer; detecting an off hook condition of said called party '"'"'s telephone after providing said aural message to said called party; and stopping said ringing of said called party'"'"'s telephone when said off hook condition is detected. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification