Wireless system for alerting individual to incoming telephone call

• US 5,892,817 A
• Filed: 07/10/1995
• Issued: 04/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Craig Alexander Will
• Original Assignee: Craig Alexander Will
• Inventors: Will, Craig Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US08/500,408
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: 379/56, 379/57, 379/58, 379/61, 379/62, 379/63, 379/102, 379/104, 379/105, 379/90, 379/110, 379/102.01, 379/102.02, 379/102.07, 379/90.01, 379/110.01, 379/201 , 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/373, 379/418, 455/414, 455/415, 455/417, 455/426, 455/456, 455/458, 455/31.2, 455/31.3, 455/462, 455/461, 340/825.44, 340/825.46
• US Class Current: 379/102.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/027 Annunciator systems for hospitals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/045 Call privacy arrangements, e.g. timely inhibiting the ring signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls

Abstract

A system for alerting some individuals in a large open space such as a store or restaurant to an incoming telephone call, but that avoids disturbing other individuals by loud ringing. Individuals carry miniature alerting units that are clipped to their clothing and that can also serve as identification badges. An incoming telephone call is received by a telephone ringer control which transmits a signal by a wireless medium to an alerting unit, which emits a low-level auditory (or vibratory or visual) signal to alert the user, and also transmits an acknowledgment signal by the same wireless medium back to the telephone ringer control. If such an acknowledgment signal is not received within a short time period at the telephone ringer control, a loud auditory ringing signal is broadcast. The acknowledgment signal--and resulting loud ring if it is not received--ensures that individuals will always be alerted to an incoming call, even if an individual forgets to carry an alerting unit or an alerting unit fails to operate because of an obstruction in the transmission path or a drained battery.

Claims

1. An apparatus for alerting an individual to an incoming telephone call at a telephone subscriber premises, comprising:

a ringer control located at said telephone subscriber premises, comprising;

a sensor for detecting a ringing signal on a telephone subscriber line;

a transmitter for transmitting a wireless ringing signal indicating the receipt of said ringing signal at said telephone subscriber line, in which said wireless ringing signal is transmitted by the propagation of wave-based energy directly through air;

a receiver and signal detector for receiving and detecting a signal by the propagation of wave-based energy directly through the air;

a generator of an auditory ringing signal and providing it to a ringer; and

a control mechanism that initiates generation of said auditory ringing signal, should a wireless ringing signal be transmitted and an acknowledgment signal not be received after a given period of time;

one or more alerting units, with each alerting unit comprising;

a receiver that receives the wireless ringing signal by the propagation of wave-based energy directly through the air;

a transmitter that transmits said acknowledgment signal by the propagation of wave-based energy directly through the air;

a transducer for providing a humanly perceptible signal to an individual carrying the alerting unit upon receipt of the wireless ringing signal;

a control mechanism that initiates transmission of said humanly perceptible signal and transmission of the acknowledgment signals; and

a combination clip and switch contained in the alerting unit configured so as to prevent the alerting unit from transmitting the acknowledgment signal, should the alerting unit not be clipped to a user'"'"'s clothing; and

a ringer located at said telephone subscriber premises for accepting a ringing signal and converting it to sound that is perceptible by humans.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the combination clip and switch contained in the alerting unit detects that the alerting unit is not clipped to a user'"'"'s clothing when the two jaws of the clip touch.