User programmable personal call manager
First Claim
1. A programmable personal call manager comprising:
- at least one extension port;
a plain old telephone system (POTS) telephone trunk line port wherein said POTS telephone trunk line port is connectable to a POTS telephone line;
a programmable switch matrix comprising;
a plurality of switch matrix input lines wherein said at least one extension port and said POTS telephone trunk line port are each coupled to a different one of said plurality of switch matrix input lines; and
a plurality of switch matrix output lines wherein said at least one extension port and said POTS telephone trunk line port are each coupled to a different one of said plurality of switch matrix output lines and further wherein each output line in said plurality of switch matrix output lines is programmably connectable to and disconnectable from each input line in said plurality of switch matrix input lines; and
a programmable controller coupled to said programmable switch matrix wherein said programmable controller programmably configures said programmable switch matrix to establish a connection between said switch matrix input line coupled to said POTS trunk line port and one of (a) said switch matrix output line coupled to said at least one of extension port and in turn to a local extension connected to said at least one extension port and (b) said switch matrix output line coupled to said POTS telephone trunk line port and in turn to a remote extension using a central office three-way call.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
With a personal call manager, when a caller calls a primary telephone number for the owner of the personal call manager, the personal call manager selectively routes the incoming call to any combination of local extensions on the owner'"'"'s premises, and to remote extensions such as a telephone instrument on another premises, a pager, a cellular telephone, a central office voice mail box, and a cellular telephone voice mail box. The personal call manager retains control over an incoming call throughout the duration of the call. Consequently, the owner can route the incoming call to multiple locations, or transfer the call to a telephone answering service at any time after taking the incoming call. Moreover, a call can be handled based on the type of call, e.g., voice, fax, or modem. The personal call manager also permits a user to monitor, either locally or remotely, a message being left with a telephone answering service, e.g., a telephone answering device on the user'"'"'s premises, a central office voice mail box, or another answering service, and can take the call at any time prior to the caller hanging up.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A programmable personal call manager comprising:
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at least one extension port; a plain old telephone system (POTS) telephone trunk line port wherein said POTS telephone trunk line port is connectable to a POTS telephone line; a programmable switch matrix comprising; a plurality of switch matrix input lines wherein said at least one extension port and said POTS telephone trunk line port are each coupled to a different one of said plurality of switch matrix input lines; and a plurality of switch matrix output lines wherein said at least one extension port and said POTS telephone trunk line port are each coupled to a different one of said plurality of switch matrix output lines and further wherein each output line in said plurality of switch matrix output lines is programmably connectable to and disconnectable from each input line in said plurality of switch matrix input lines; and a programmable controller coupled to said programmable switch matrix wherein said programmable controller programmably configures said programmable switch matrix to establish a connection between said switch matrix input line coupled to said POTS trunk line port and one of (a) said switch matrix output line coupled to said at least one of extension port and in turn to a local extension connected to said at least one extension port and (b) said switch matrix output line coupled to said POTS telephone trunk line port and in turn to a remote extension using a central office three-way 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)
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25. A programmable personal call manager comprising:
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a plurality of extension ports; a plurality of plain old telephone system (POTS) telephone trunk line ports wherein each POTS telephone trunk line port in said plurality of POTS telephone trunk line ports is connectable to a POTS telephone line; a programmable switch matrix comprising; a plurality of switch matrix input lines wherein said plurality of extension ports and said plurality of POTS telephone trunk line ports are each coupled to a different one of said plurality of switch matrix input lines; and a plurality of switch matrix output lines wherein said plurality of extension ports and said plurality of POTS telephone trunk line ports are each coupled to a different one of said plurality of switch matrix output lines and further wherein each switch matrix output line in said plurality of switch matrix output lines is programmably connectable to and disconnectable from each input line in said plurality of switch matrix input lines; an amplification and echo cancellation circuit connected to a first of said plurality of POTS telephone trunk line ports and to a second of said plurality of POTS telephone trunk line ports; and a programmable controller coupled to said programmable switch matrix wherein said programmable controller programmably configures said programmable switch matrix to establish a connection between one of said plurality of switch matrix input lines and one of said plurality of said switch matrix output lines. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A programmable personal call manager comprising:
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a plain old telephone system (POTS) telephone trunk line port having a passive listen output line wherein said POTS telephone trunk line port has a plurality of states including an on-hook state and an off-hook state; a DTMF decoder circuit programmably connectable to and disconnectable from said passive listen output line; and a programmable controller coupled to said POTS telephone trunk line port and to said DTMF decoder circuit wherein said programmable controller programmably connects and disconnects said passive listen line to said DTMF decoder circuit and further wherein when said POTS telephone trunk line port is in said on-hook state, said programmable controller connects said passive listen line to said DTMF decoder circuit and said DTMF decoder circuit detects DTMF tones on a POTS telephone trunk line connected to said POTS telephone trunk line port.
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Specification