Flash-hook Caller ID

• US 6,075,850 A
• Filed: 10/07/1998
• Issued: 06/13/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ali, Syed S., Greybush, James J., Berthoud, Charles William
• Primary Examiner(s): Loomis, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Quoc D.
• Application Number:
  US09/167,344
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142, 379/215
• US Class Current: 379/142.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/53 Generation of additional signals, e.g. additional pulses
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold

Abstract

In one embodiment according to the invention, a method is provided for handling a flash-hook signal from a telephone engaged in a first telephone call with a first distant party when a second telephone call with a second distant party is in a hold status. The method includes the steps of placing the first telephone call with the first distant party in the hold status, connecting the second telephone call, and providing a Caller ID indication to the telephone. In an alternative embodiment, a telephone according to the invention includes a flash-hook, and a Caller ID display. The telephone is adapted to display Caller ID data associated with a first call, and to be updated upon connection of a second call, in response to activation of the flash-hook, to display Caller ID data associated with the second call.

Claims

1. A method of handling a flash-hook signal from a telephone engaged in a first telephone call with a first distant party when a second telephone call with a second distant party is in a hold status, comprising the steps of:

placing the first telephone call with the first distant party in the hold status;

connecting the second telephone call; and

providing a Caller ID indication to the telephone.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the Caller ID indication is Caller ID data associated with the second distant party.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the Caller ID indication alerts the telephone that the flash-hook successfully resulted in a switch to the second telephone call.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the steps of placing, connecting and providing are accomplished at a central office of a telephone service provider.

5. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of providing the Caller ID data occurs during a muting period of the telephone.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the muting period is related to the flash-hook signal.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the muting period is a predetermined period of time after the flash-hook signal.

8. A method as recited in claim 5, further comprising the step of providing an alert signal to provide the telephone with information regarding the muting period.

9. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the Caller ID data is FSK data.

10. A telephone, comprising:

a flash-hook; and

a Caller ID display adapted to display Caller ID data associated with a first call, and to be updated upon connection of a second call, in response to activation of the flash-hook, to display Caller ID data associated with the second call.

11. A telephone as recited in claim 10, further comprising a memory adapted to store the Caller ID data associated with the second call, and to provide the Caller ID data to the Caller ID display.

12. A telephone as recited in claim 11, wherein the memory provides the Caller ID data associated with the second call in response to the activation of the flash-hook.

13. A telephone as recited in claim 11, wherein the memory is adapted to receive a signal issued by a central office of a telephone service provider, the memory providing the Caller ID data associated with the second call in response to the signal.

14. A telephone as recited in claim 11, wherein the memory is further adapted to store the Caller ID data associated with the first call, and to provide the Caller ID data associated with the first and second call to the Caller ID display.

15. A telephone as recited in claim 10, wherein the Caller ID display is adapted to display both the Caller ID data associated with the first call and the Caller ID data associated with the second call.

16. A telephone as recited in claim 15, wherein the Caller ID display is further adapted to provide an indicia of a presently connected call between the first call and the second call.

17. A telephone as recited in claim 10, adapted to receive the Caller ID data associated with the second call from a central office of a telephone service provider in association with activation of the flash-hook.