System and method for self-announcing a caller of an incoming telephone call

• US 6,122,347 A
• Filed: 11/13/1997
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Borland, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOOMIS, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US08/969,652
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 379/89, 379/70, 379/72, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.21, 379/142, 379/156, 379/157-177, 379/179, 379/180, 379/182, 379/199, 379/88
• US Class Current: 379/70
• 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 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set

Abstract

The present invention comprises a telephone system and method for self-announcing a caller of an incoming telephone call. After an incoming telephone call is received from a caller, the telephone answers the incoming telephone call before any ring signals are generated. A message is then generated requesting the caller to self-announce him/herself. A speaker on the telephone is activated to enable the telephone users to listen to the announcement. After the caller self-announces him/herself, a user, if present, may decide to answer the incoming telephone call. The user may answer the incoming telephone call either by placing the telephone in speakerphone mode or by activating the handset and engaging in a conversation with the caller. If the user is not present or chooses not answer the incoming telephone call, the telephone transfers control to an answering machine unit so that the caller is given the choice of leaving a message. In one embodiment, the answering machine is built-in to the telephone. In another embodiment, the answering machine is an external unit attached to the telephone.

Claims

1. A method for announcing a caller of an incoming telephone call, to a telephone the method comprising:

receiving an incoming telephone call from the caller to the telephone;

the telephone answering the incoming call prior to any ring signals being generated;

the telephone generating a message requesting the caller to identify the caller;

automatically activating a speaker on the telephone; and

receiving voice input from the caller identifying the caller, wherein the voice input is audibly presented over the speaker.

2. The method of announcing a caller as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

the telephone generating an alert that the telephone received an incoming call and that the caller is about to announce him/herself.

3. The method of announcing a caller as recited in claim 2, wherein the alert sound is different from the telephone ring signal.

4. The method of announcing a caller as recited in claim 1, wherein the caller has a length of time to respond to the message requesting the caller to identify the caller, wherein the length of time the caller has to respond is user programmable.

5. The method of announcing a caller as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

transferring the caller to an answering machine if no one answers after an allowable amount of time.

6. The method of announcing a caller as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

the telephone generating a message requesting the caller to enter a numeric code in order to access the answering machine if no one answers after an allowable amount of time.

21. The method of announcing a caller as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a switch to enable and disable the ability of the caller to identify the caller through the speaker.

22. The method of announcing a caller as recited in claim 1, wherein the incoming telephone call is an external seven digit number.

7. A method for announcing a caller of an incoming telephone call to a telephone, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming telephone call from the caller to the telephone;

the telephone answering the incoming call prior to any ring signals being generated;

the telephone comparing the identity of the caller with a database, wherein the database includes a list of users who are allowed to announce the identity of the caller;

the telephone generating a message requesting the caller to identify the caller if the identity of the caller matches a user in the database;

automatically activating a speaker on the telephone if the identity of the caller matches a user in the database; and

receiving voice input from the caller identifying the caller if the identity of the caller matches a user in the database, wherein the voice input is audibly presented over the speaker.

8. The method of announcing a caller as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

a caller ID unit to identity the caller.

9. A method for announcing a caller of an incoming telephone call to a telephone, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming telephone call from the caller to the telephone;

the telephone answering the incoming call prior to any ring signals being generated;

the telephone comparing the identity of the caller with a database, wherein the database includes a list of users who are not allowed to announce the identity of the caller;

the telephone generating a message requesting the caller to identify the caller if the identity of the caller does not match a user in the database;

automatically activating a speaker on the telephone if the identity of the caller does not match a user in the database; and

receiving voice input from the caller identifying the caller if the identity of the caller does not match a user in the database, wherein the voice input is audibly presented over the speaker.

10. The method of announcing a caller as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

a caller ID unit to identity of the caller.

11. A method for announcing a caller of an incoming telephone call to a telephone, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming telephone call from the caller to the telephone;

the telephone answering the incoming call prior to any ring signals being generated;

the telephone generating a message requesting the caller to identify the caller and callee;

automatically activating a speaker on the telephone; and

receiving voice input from the caller identifying the caller, wherein the voice input is audibly presented over the speaker.

12. The method of announcing a caller as recited in claim 11 further comprising:

the telephone generating an alert that the telephone received an incoming call and that the caller is about to announce the caller and the callee.

13. The method of announcing a caller as recited in claim 12, wherein the alert sound is different from the telephone ring signal.

14. The method of announcing a caller as recited in claim 13, wherein the caller has a length of time to respond to the message requesting the caller to identify the caller, wherein the length of time is user programmable.

15. The method of announcing a caller as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

transferring the caller to an answering machine if no one answers after an allowable amount of time.

16. The method of announcing a caller as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

the telephone generating a message requesting the caller to enter a numeric code in order to access the answering machine if no one answers after an allowable amount of time.

17. A method for announcing a caller of an incoming telephone call to a telephone, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming telephone call from the caller to the telephone;

the telephone answering the incoming call prior to any ring signals being generated;

the telephone comparing the identity of the caller with a database, wherein the database includes a list of users who are allowed to announce the identity of the caller and callee;

the telephone generating a message requesting the caller to identify the caller and callee if the identity of the caller matches a user in the database;

automatically activating a speaker on the telephone if the identity of the caller matches a user in the database; and

receiving voice input from the caller identifying the caller if the identity of the caller matches a user in the database, wherein the voice input is audibly presented over the speaker.

18. The method of announcing a caller as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

a caller ID unit to identify the caller.

19. A method for announcing a caller of an incoming telephone call to a telephone, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming telephone call from the caller to the telephone;

the telephone answering the incoming call prior to any ring signals being generated;

the telephone comparing the identity of the caller with a database, wherein the database includes a list of users who are not allowed to announce the identity of the caller and callee;

the telephone generating a message requesting the caller to identity the caller and callee if the identity of the caller does not match a user in the database;

automatically activating a speaker on the telephone if the identity of the caller does not match a user in the database; and

receiving voice input from the caller identifying the caller if the identity of the caller does not match a user in the database, wherein the voice input is audibly presented over the speaker.

20. The method of announcing a caller as recited in claim 19, further comprising:

a caller ID unit to identify the caller.