Apparatus and method for message recording and receipt-of-message notification to cordless station operating as cellular telephone

• US 5,745,851 A
• Filed: 01/18/1996
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Goto, Masataka
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAUNG, NAY AUNG
• Application Number:
  US08/588,318
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412, 455/413, 455/414, 455/415, 455/432, 455/445, 455/552, 455/553, 455/458, 455/567, 379/87, 379/88, 379/89
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/658 Means for redirecting recorded messages to other extensions or equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A cordless station is operable in a local mode when it is in a local area and in a global mode when it is outside of the local area. The cordless station is assigned a telephone number of a cellular mobile telephone network (CMTN) for establishing a connection therewith when it is operating in the global mode. A memory is provided for storing the cellular telephone number. A controller is connected to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) to receive an incoming call and forwards it to the cordless station when the latter is operating in the local mode, and operates a telephone answering unit to record a message of the call if the cordless station is operating in the global mode. When a message is recorded, the controller originates a call to the PSTN using the telephone number stored in the memory to establish a connection through the PSTN and CMTN networks to the cordless station operating in the global mode. A prerecorded announcement is then sent to the cordless station via the established connection indicating that a message has been recorded in the telephone answering unit. Preferably, the controller then operates the telephone answering unit to reproduce the recorded message and transmits it to the cordless station.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a cordless station operable in a local mode when the cordless station is in a local area and in a global mode when the cordless station is outside of the local area, the cordless station being assigned a cellular telephone number of a cellular mobile telephone network for establishing a connection with the cellular mobile telephone network when the cordless station is operating in the global mode;

a memory for storing the cellular telephone number;

a telephone answering unit for recording a message in a recording mode and reproducing the recorded message in a playback mode;

means for setting the telephone answering unit in the recording mode; and

a controller connected to a public switched telephone network for receiving an incoming call therefrom, forwarding the call to the cordless station when the cordless station is operating in the local mode, operating the telephone answering unit to record a message of a call if the call is received during the period the telephone answering unit is set in the recording mode, originating a call to the public switched telephone network using the cellular telephone number stored in the memory to establish a connection through said networks to the cordless station operating in the global mode, and transmitting a prerecorded announcement to the cordless station via the established connection indicating that a message has been recorded in said telephone answering unit.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller includes means for operating the telephone answering unit in the playback mode to reproduce the recorded message and transmitting the reproduced message to the cordless station via the established connection after transmission of said prerecorded announcement.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said controller includes means for operating the telephone answering unit in the playback mode to reproduce the recorded message and transmitting the reproduced message to the cordless station via the established connection after transmission of said prerecorded announcement.

3. An apparatus comprising:

a main station having a hold/forward key arranged to be manually operated when a call is received;

a cordless station operable in a local mode when the cordless station is in a local area and in a global mode when the cordless station is outside of the local area, said cordless station being assigned a cellular telephone number of a cellular mobile telephone network for establishing a connection with the cellular mobile telephone network when the cordless station is operating in the global mode;

a memory for storing said cellular telephone number;

a telephone answering unit for recording a message in a recording mode and reproducing the recorded message in a playback mode;

means for setting the telephone answering unit in the recording mode; and

a controller connected to a public switched telephone network for receiving an incoming call therefrom, forwarding the call from said main station to said cordless station when said hold/forward key is operated and said cordless station is operating in the local mode, operating the telephone answering unit to record a message of a call if the call is received during the period the telephone answering unit is set in the recording mode, originating a call to the public switched telephone network using the cellular telephone number stored in the memory to establish a connection through said networks to the cordless station operating in the global mode, and transmitting a prerecorded announcement to the cordless station via the established connection indicating that a message has been recorded in said telephone answering unit.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a main station;

a cordless station operable in a local mode when the cordless station is in a local area and in a global mode wherein the cordless station is outside of the local area, said cordless station being assigned a cellular telephone number of a cellular mobile telephone network for establishing a connection with the cellular mobile telephone network when the cordless station is operating in the global mode;

a memory for storing said cellular telephone number;

a telephone answering unit for recording a message in a recording mode and reproducing the recorded message in a playback mode;

means for setting the telephone answering unit in the recording mode; and

a controller connected to a public switched telephone network for receiving an incoming call therefrom, producing an announcement upon receipt of the incoming call and identifying one of said main station and said cordless station as a destination depending on digits received during the period said announcement is produced, forwarding the call to said cordless station when said cordless station is identified as the destination and said cordless station is operating in the local mode, operating the telephone answering unit to record a message of a call if the call is received during the period the telephone answering unit is set in the recording mode and if the cordless station is identified as said destination, originating a call to the public switched telephone network using the cellular telephone number stored in the memory to establish a connection through said networks to the cordless station operating in the global mode, and transmitting a prerecorded announcement to the cordless station via the established connection indicating that a message has been recorded in said telephone answering unit.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said controller includes means for operating the telephone answering unit in the playback mode to reproduce the recorded message and transmitting the reproduced message to the cordless station via the established connection after transmission of said prerecorded announcement.

7. A method for operating a cordless telephone system comprising a cordless station operable in a local mode when the cordless station is in a local area and in a global mode when the cordless station is outside of the local area, said cordless station being assigned a cellular telephone number of a cellular mobile telephone network for establishing a connection with the cellular mobile telephone network when the cordless station is operating in the global mode, and a telephone answering unit for recording a message in a recording mode and reproducing the recorded message in a playback mode, the method comprising the steps of:

storing said cellular telephone number in a memory;

setting the telephone answering unit in the recording mode when the cordless station is operating in the global mode;

receiving an incoming call from a public switched telephone network;

operating the telephone answering unit to record a message of said incoming call;

originating a call to the public switched telephone network using the cellular telephone number stored in the memory to establish a connection through said networks to the cordless station operating in the global mode; and

transmitting a prerecorded announcement to the cordless station via the established connection indicating that a message has been recorded in said telephone answering unit.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising die step of operating the telephone answering unit in the playback mode to reproduce the recorded message and transmitting the reproduced message to the cordless station via the established connection after said prerecorded announcement is transmitted.

9. A method for operating a cordless telephone system comprising a main station having a hold/forward key arranged to be manually operated when a call is received, a cordless station operable in a local mode when the cordless station is in a local area and in a global mode when the cordless station is outside of the local area, said cordless station being assigned a cellular telephone number of a cellular mobile telephone network for establishing a connection with the cellular mobile telephone network when the cordless station is operating in the global mode, and a telephone answering unit for recording a message in a recording mode and reproducing the recorded message in a playback mode, the method comprising the steps of

storing said cellular telephone number in a memory;

setting the telephone answering unit in the recording mode;

receiving an incoming call from a public switched telephone network;

operating the telephone answering unit to record a message of the incoming call when said hold/forward key is operated;

originating a call to the public switched telephone network using the cellular telephone number stored in the memory to establish a connection through said networks to the cordless station operating in the global mode; and

transmitting a prerecorded announcement to the cordless station via the established connection indicating that message has been recorded in said telephone answering unit.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising the step of operating the telephone answering unit in the playback mode to reproduce t he recorded message and transmitting the reproduced message to the cordless station via the established connection after said prerecorded announcement is transmitted.

11. A method for operating a cordless telephone system comprising a main station, a cordless station operable in a local mode when the cordless station is in a local area and in a global mode when the cordless station is outside of the local area, said cordless station being assigned a cellular telephone number of a cellular mobile telephone network for establishing a connection with the cellular mobile telephone network when the cordless station is operating in the global mode, and a telephone answering unit for recording a message in a recording mode and reproducing the recorded message in a playback mode, the method comprising the steps of:

storing said cellular telephone number in a memory;

setting the telephone answering unit in the recording mode; and

receiving an incoming call from a public switched telephone network;

sending an announcement to the public switched telephone network and identifying one of said main station and said cordless station as a destination depending on digits received during the period said announcement is sent;

operating the telephone answering unit to record a message of said incoming call when said cordless station is identified as said destination;

originating a call to the public switched telephone network using the cellular telephone number stored in the memory to establish a connection through said networks to the cordless station operating in the global mode; and

transmitting a prerecorded announcement to the cordless station via the established connection indicating that a message has been recorded in said telephone answering unit.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising the step of operating the telephone answering unit in the playback mode to reproduce the recorded message and transmitting the reproduced message to the cordless station via the established connection after said prerecorded announcement is transmitted.