Caller information (CLID) controlled automatic answer feature for telephone
First Claim
1. A method for selectively automatically answering a telephone station apparatus in a telephone network, comprising the steps of:
- detecting incoming caller information from an incoming call at said telephone station apparatus;
searching a list of caller information stored in a memory of said telephone station apparatus for caller information matching said incoming caller information; and
in response to finding matching caller information, automatically placing said telephone station apparatus in an off-hook handsfree state where a voice communication path is established from a caller over at least a handsfree speaker of said telephone station apparatus.
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Accused Products
Abstract
On receiving a new call, a controller in a telephone station apparatus compares the incoming caller information with caller information in stored records. On a match, an associated name is spoken over a handsfree speaker and then the controller places the telephone station apparatus in a handsfree off-hook condition. In this way, someone in a hands-busy situation or a handicapped individual may have calls from pre-selected callers automatically connected. The controller may also store a two-way or one-way communication path indication with each record and, accordingly, establish either one-way communication path from the calling party to the telephone station apparatus or a two-way communication path to and from the telephone station apparatus.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for selectively automatically answering a telephone station apparatus in a telephone network, comprising the steps of:
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detecting incoming caller information from an incoming call at said telephone station apparatus; searching a list of caller information stored in a memory of said telephone station apparatus for caller information matching said incoming caller information; and in response to finding matching caller information, automatically placing said telephone station apparatus in an off-hook handsfree state where a voice communication path is established from a caller over at least a handsfree speaker of said telephone station apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A telephone station apparatus for a telephone network, comprising:
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a memory for storing a list of records including caller information; a detector for detecting caller information of an incoming call; at least an off-hook switch and a handsfree speaker switch switch for switching said telephone station apparatus into a handsfree off-hook state; a controller operatively associated with said memory, said detector, and at least said off-hook switch and said handsfree speaker switch for receiving incoming caller information from said detector, accessing said memory and searching said list of records for caller information matching said incoming caller information and, in response to finding matching caller information, automatically operating said at least one switch to switch said telephone station apparatus to a handsfree off-hook state. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification