Telephone communication system having a locator

• US 5,822,418 A
• Filed: 01/16/1996
• Issued: 10/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Executone Information Systems, Inc. (eLOT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yacenda, Michael W., Chaco, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/586,557
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211, 379/201, 379/210, 379/212, 379/213, 379/214, 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/38, 379/52, 379/217, 379/265, 379/309, 379/34, 379/209, 379/198, 379/199, 379/200, 379/95, 379/93, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 340/825.54
• US Class Current: 379/201.07
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1083 Pager locating systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/022 Paging systems personal calling arrangements or devices G08B3/1008; selective calling networks H04W84/022
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42127 Systems providing several special services or facilities from groups H04M3/42008 - H04M3/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5108 Secretarial services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/903 Password
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/913 Person locator or person-specific
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/914 Programmable telephone component

Abstract

A telephone communication system having a locator system for locating telephone users and generating location information. The telephone communication system includes a plurality of telephone functions which are user accessible for usage in conjunction with the location information. Each telephone of the system may be configured to facilitate interactive control and selection of the system features by the users.

Claims

1. A telephone communication system, comprising:

(a) a private branch exchange (PBX) having a processing unit and a plurality of telephones for facilitating telephone communication between a plurality of telephone users;

(b) a locator system connected to said PBX for providing location information, said locator system comprising;

a plurality of portable badges each associated with a respective one of a plurality of telephone users and transmits badge information including an identification signal for identifying the telephone user associated with said respective badge;

a plurality of transceivers, each operatively connected to said PBX and each adapted for receiving said badge information transmitted from said badges and for electrically forwarding at least a portion of said badge information to said processing unit of said PBX to determine location information of said telephone users; and

a database memory for storing said location information including an archival location data for each of said telephone users, said archival location data includes at least the last location and the time at the last location for each of said telephone users, wherein said archival location is accessible from any of said telephones;

said PBX having means for selectively accessing said locator system for retrieving said location information, said means for selectively accessing being accessible from any selected one of said telephones through said PBX;

means for communicating said location information to said selected one of said telephones; and

means for selectively activating one of a plurality of telephone functions for use in conjunction with said location information for communicating with a called telephone user.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means for selectively activating one of a plurality of telephone functions in conjunction with said location information is selectively activated from a telephone keypad of said selected one of said telephones by entry of one of a plurality of preassigned key sequences.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said telephone functions include connection to a voice mail storage device upon determination that the called person is not located by said locator system.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein a communication link between a calling telephone and a telephone determined by said locator system as closest to the location of the called person is established upon entry of a connection command from the calling telephone after communication of the location information to said calling telephone.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said telephone functions include a code representing a global-do-not-disturb function selectable by a user for instructing said PBX to not establish a communication link with a telephone determined by said locator system to be closest to said user.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said telephone functions includes a callback code representing an automatic callback feature for selection by a calling user after detection by said PBX of an off-hook signal at a telephone called by said calling user for activating said locator system for locating said calling user and ringing a telephone determined by the locator system to be closest to said calling user upon detection of an on-hook signal at said called telephone by said PBX.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said telephone functions include an identify-personnel command selectable by a telephone user for calling a telephone and activating said locator system to determine the identity of all persons located within reception range of transceiver associated with said called telephone.

8. The system according to claim 1, further including a paging system having a plurality of speakers for broadcasting an audio message over at least one of said speakers said paging system is connected to said PBX and is activated by a selection of a preassigned code from one of said telephones after said one of said telephones has received location information from said locator system.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of said telephones includes means for configuring the keys on the telephone keypad to represent commands for activating the telephone functions;

and

each of said telephones is automatically reconfigured to commands specific to a user when said user is detected by said locator system to have been at a location closest to one of said telephones for more than a predetermined duration.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said location information and said plurality of telephone functions are accessible from any of said telephones upon entry of one of a plurality of preassigned passwords at said any of said telephones.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of said badges includes means for housing a card having stored information and means for retrieving said stored information from said card.

12. The system according to claim 1, further including an operator station having a display for selectively displaying the locations of said telephone users determined by said locator system.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein said telephone functions include a code representing a ring-when-alone function for activation from one of said telephones for ringing said selected telephone only when, during an incoming call, the locator system determines that there is no more than one person at said selected telephone.

14. A telephone communication system, comprising:

(a) a private branch exchange (PBX) having a processing unit and a plurality of telephones for facilitating telephone communication between a plurality of telephone users;

(b) a locator system connected to said PBX for providing location information, said locator system comprising;

a plurality of portable badges each associated with a respective one of a plurality of telephone users and transmits badge information including an identification signal for identifying the telephone user associated with said respective badge; and

a plurality of transceivers, each operatively connected to said PBX and each adapted for receiving said badge information transmitted from said badges and for electrically forwarding at least a portion of said badge information to said processing unit of said PBX to determine location information of said telephone users;

said PBX having means for selectively accessing said locator system for retrieving said location information, said means for selectively accessing being accessible from any selected one of said telephones through said PBX;

means for communicating said location information to said selected one of said telephones; and

means for selectively activating one of a plurality of telephone functions for use in conjunction with said location information for communicating with a called telephone user, wherein said telephone functions include a code representing a do-not-disturb function selectable by a user at one of said plurality of telephones assigned to said user by entering said code for instructing said PBX to not establish a communication link with another telephone upon determination of location of said user by said locator system at said one of said telephones assigned to said user.

15. A telephone communication system, comprising:

(a) a private branch exchange (PBX) having a processing unit and a plurality of telephones for facilitating telephone communication between a plurality of telephone users;

(b) a locator system connected to said PBX for providing location information, said locator system comprising;

a plurality of portable badges each associated with a respective one of a plurality of telephone users and transmits badge information including an identification signal for identifying the telephone user associated with said respective badge; and

a plurality of transceivers, each operatively connected to said PBX and each adapted for receiving said badge information transmitted from said badges and for electrically forwarding at least a portion of said badge information to said processing unit of said PBX to determine location information of said telephone users;

said PBX having means for selectively accessing said locator system for retrieving said location information, said means for selectively accessing being accessible from any selected one of said telephones through said PBX;

means for communicating said location information to said selected one of said telephones; and

means for selectively activating one of a plurality of telephone functions for use in conjunction with said location information for communicating with a called telephone user, wherein said PBX further includes means for ringing a predefined ring tone at a called telephone to signify a telephone call routed to said called telephone based on location information accessed from said locator system by said PBX.

16. A telephone communication system, comprising:

(a) a private branch exchange (PBX) having a processing unit and a plurality of telephones for facilitating telephone communication between a plurality of telephone users;

(b) a locator system connected to said PBX for providing location information, said locator system comprising;

a plurality of portable badges each associated with a respective one of a plurality of telephone users and transmits badge information including an identification signal for identifying the telephone user associated with said respective badge; and

a plurality of transceivers, each operatively connected to said PBX and each adapted for receiving said badge information transmitted from said badges and for electrically forwarding at least a portion of said badge information to said processing unit of said PBX to determine location information of said telephone users;

said PBX having means for selectively accessing said locator system for retrieving said location information, said means for selectively accessing being accessible from any selected one of said telephones through said PBX;

wherein said telephone functions include a callback code representing an automatic call back feature selectable by a telephone user which automatically rings a telephone from which said callback code is selected and upon determination of the location of a searched person by said locator system;

means for communicating said location information to said selected one of said telephones; and

means for selectively activating one of a plurality of telephone functions for use in conjunction with said location information for communicating with a called telephone user.

17. A telephone communication system, comprising:

(a) a private branch exchange (PBX) having a processing unit and a plurality of telephones for facilitating telephone communication between a plurality of telephone users;

(b) a locator system connected to said PBX for providing location information, said locator system comprising;

a plurality of portable badges each associated with a respective one of a plurality of telephone users and transmits badge information including an identification signal for identifying the telephone user associated with said respective badge;

a plurality of transceivers, each operatively connected to said PBX and each adapted for receiving said badge information transmitted from said badges and for electrically forwarding at least a portion of said badge information to said processing unit of said PBX to determine location information of said telephone users;

means for grouping each of said telephone users into one of a plurality of groups;

means for locating all users belonging in a selected one of said groups; and

display means for displaying the locations of all users in said selected group, wherein each of said groups is classified into one of a plurality of levels and said locator system sends location information to a telephone only if a calling telephone user is determined to be at equal or higher level than a called telephone user;

said PBX having means for selectively accessing said locator system for retrieving said location information, said means for selectively accessing being accessible from any selected one of said telephones through said PBX;

means for communicating said location information to said selected one of said telephones; and

means for selectively activating one of a plurality of telephone functions for use in conjunction with said location information for communicating with a called telephone user.

18. A telephone communication system, comprising:

(a) a private branch exchange (PBX) having a processing unit and a plurality of telephones for facilitating telephone communication between a plurality of telephone users; and

(b) a locator system connected to said PBX for providing location information, said locator system comprising;

a plurality of portable badges associated with respective plurality of telephone users, each of said badges for transmitting badge information including an identification signal for identifying the telephone user associated with said respective badge;

a plurality of transceivers, each adapted for receiving said badge information transmitted from said badges and for forwarding at least a portion of said badge information to said processing unit of said PBX to determine location information of said telephone users; and

said PBX further having stored programs for implementing a plurality of telephone functions in conjunction with said location information, said telephone functions including a voice location function (VLS) accessible by a caller through said PBX, said VLS having means for interacting with said caller by audibly presenting a menu for selection by said caller;

means for receiving a called user'"'"'s name input by said caller;

means for audibly presenting said location information to said caller; and

means for retrieving location information of said called user for presentation to said caller with said means for audibly presenting.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said menu includes choices for entry of a called user by said caller entering the telephone extension of the called user or the called user'"'"'s name.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said VLS includes storage means for storing a voice version of telephone users'"'"'names whereby upon entry of a called user'"'"'s name by said caller, said means for audibly presenting retrieves said called user'"'"'s name from said storage means and presents said called user'"'"'s name to said caller.

21. The system according to claim 18, wherein said location information of said called user includes the identity of users located with said called user by said locator system.

22. The system according to claim 18, wherein said means for interacting presents said caller with options to retrieve the names of users located with said called user.

23. The system according to claim 18, wherein said means for interacting presents said caller with a menu to connect to a called user'"'"'s voice mail when said called user is not located by said locator system.

24. A telephone communication system, comprising:

(a) a private branch exchange (PBX) having a processing unit and a plurality of telephones for facilitating telephone communication between a plurality of telephone users;

(b) a locator system connected to said PBX for providing location information, said locator system comprising;

a plurality of portable badges associated with respective plurality of telephone users, each of said badges for transmitting badge information including an identification signal for identifying the telephone user associated with said respective badge;

a plurality of transceivers, each adapted for receiving said badge information transmitted from said badges and for forwarding at least a portion of said badge information to said processing unit of said PBX to determine location information of said telephone users; and

said PBX further having stored programs for implementing a plurality of telephone functions in conjunction with said location information, said telephone functions including a voice location function (VLS) accessible by a caller through said PBX, said VLS having means for audibly presenting said location information to said caller and storage means for storing data including the last time and location which received transmissions from each of said badges and selected portions of said data is retrieved and presented by said means for audibly presenting to said caller when a called user is not located by said locator system.