Telephone system and bell sound detecting method thereof

• US 5,758,289 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 05/26/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uniden America Corporation (Cornwall Capital Management LP), Uniden Corporation (Cornwall Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: Uniden America Corporation (Cornwall Capital Management LP), Uniden Corporation (Cornwall Capital Management LP)
• Inventors: Kudo, Takahiro, Ohno, Hiroki, Shimizu, Kazuhiko, Odagiri, Takashi, Lipp, Ronald Lee, Ohashi, Susumi, Min, Zhao
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): TROST IV, WILLIAM GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US08/488,077
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/61, 379/100, 379/433, 379/435-36, 379/422, 379/424, 379/425-27, 379/448-50, 379/455, 379/279, 455/90, 455/74.1, 455/550, 455/555, 455/567, 455/462
• US Class Current: 455/462
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6545 mechanically actuating hook switch, e.g. lifting handset
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line

Abstract

A relay lifter comprises a hook switch unit for turning ON/OFF a hook switch in response to a talk switch, a voice switching unit for switching connection of an aural signal in said corded telephone set between a transmitter/receiver of said corded telephone set and a cordless telephone set, and a bell sound detection signal transfer unit, a bell sound is outputted from said cordless telephone set when a bell sound is detected and an incoming call is accepted, a hook switch is turned ON/OFF using a hook switch ON/OFF unit, and connection of an aural signal in said corded telephone set is switched to said cordless telephone set for transmitting and receiving voice using said cordless telephone set.

Claims

1. A telephone system comprising:

a corded telephone set having the CODEC function for converting a digital signal inputted from a digital line to an analog signal;

a cordless telephone set having a talk switch;

a relay lifter; and

a bell sound detector for detecting a non-electrical vibration of a bell sound in said corded telephone set, wherein said relay lifter comprises;

a hook switch ON/OFF unit for providing ON/OFF control over a hook switch of said corded telephone set according to a first control signal responding to said talk switch of said cordless telephone set;

a voice switching unit for switching connection of an aural signal between a corded telephone set and said cordless telephone set according to a second control signal responding to said talk switch of said cordless telephone set, wherein the operating of said talk switch of said cordless telephone set turns ON or OFF said hook switch of said corded telephone set, and said voice switching unit switches connection of an aural signal from said corded telephone set to said cordless telephone set; and

a detection signal transfer unit coupled to said bell sound detector for transferring a detection signal from said bell sound detector to said cordless telephone set when an incoming call is received, wherein said cordless telephone set compares a voltage waveform pattern of a detection signal over time to a predetermined waveform pattern and outputs a bell sound from said cordless telephone set when said comparison differentiates a bell sound pattern.

2. A telephone system according to claim 1, wherein said relay lifter is monolithically mounted to said corded telephone set with a mount bracket and a metal fitting, and said relay lifter is capable of lifting the handset of the corded telephone set.

3. A telephone system according to claim 1, wherein said corded telephone set is a telephone set which enables telephone calls following a communication protocol for a digital PBX, and said cordless telephone set is a telephone set not enabling telephone calls following the communication protocol for a digital PBX.

4. A telephone system according to claim 1, wherein, when voice is transmitted or received by using said cordless telephone set, voice is transmitted and received by means of radio communication between a handset of said cordless telephone set and a basic body of said cordless telephone set, or by means of wired communication via a voice input/output terminal section of said corded telephone as well as a signal input/output terminal section of said corded telephone set between said cordless telephone set and said corded telephone set.

5. A telephone system according to claim 1, wherein the operating of said talk switch of said cordless telephone switch to turn ON or OFF a hook switch of said corded telephone set using said hook switch ON/OFF unit, switching can be made between a first calling mode and a second calling mode by said voice switching unit, wherein voice is transmitted and received using said cordless telephone set in said first calling mode, and voice is transmitted and received using said corded phone in said second calling mode.

6. A telephone system according to claim 5, wherein said corded telephone set is a telephone set which enables telephone calls following a communication protocol for a digital PBX, and said cordless telephone set is a telephone set not enabling telephone calls following the communication protocol for a digital PBX.

7. A telephone system according to claim 5, wherein, when voice is transmitted or received by using said cordless telephone set, voice is transmitted and received by means of radio communication between a handset of said cordless telephone set and a basic body of said cordless telephone set, or by means of wired communication via a voice input/output terminal section of said corded telephone as well as a signal input/output terminal section of said corded telephone set between said cordless telephone set and said corded telephone set.

8. A telephone system according to claim 7, wherein said corded telephone set is a telephone set which enables telephone calls following a communication protocol for a digital PBX, and said cordless telephone set is a telephone set not enabling telephone calls following the communication protocol for a digital PBX.

9. A telephone system according to claim 1, wherein said bell sound detector is a vibration sensor for detecting vibration near a speaker of said corded telephone, and said cordless telephone set has a controller for comparing a voltage waveform pattern of a detection signal received via a detection signal transfer unit in said relay lifter to a specified waveform pattern to recognize a bell sound and causing a speaker of the cordless telephone set to output a bell sound when said controller recognizes a bell sound.

10. A telephone system according to claim 9, wherein said relay lifter is monolithically mounted to said corded telephone set with a mount bracket and a metal fitting, and said relay lifter is capable of lifting the handset of the corded telephone set.

11. A bell sound detecting method comprising the steps of:

a first step for obtaining a voltage waveform pattern of a detection signal from a vibration sensor detecting vibration near a speaker of a corded telephone set, a second step for comparing a voltage waveform pattern of said detection signal over time to a specified waveform pattern, and a third step for determining a voltage waveform pattern as a bell sound if said voltage waveform of said detection signal is the same as said specified waveform pattern, and a fourth step of causing a bell sound to be output at a handset of a cordless telephone set.