Telephone call screening device with power and telephone line failure alert, call answering, call routing, and caller ID

• US 6,233,330 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1998
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qixiz LLC (Mark Baerwaldt)
• Original Assignee: Command Communications Incorporated (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Copeland, Charles E., McClure, William C., Smock, Gary S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foster, Roland G.
• Application Number:
  US09/170,295
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/70, 379/74, 379/93.01, 379/88.19, 379/8.21, 379/8.24, 379/93.26, 379/102.01, 379/102.02, 379/106.09, 379/110.01, 379/142, 379/372, 379/387, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/213, 379/214
• US Class Current: 379/212.01
• 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 1/573 Line monitoring circuits for detecting caller identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/654 Telephone line monitoring circuits therefor, e.g. ring detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/665 by checking the validity of a code

Abstract

A telephone call screening device having an improved telephone call filtering mechanism which prevents unwanted disturbances and allows the user to designate which callers may ring the user'"'"'s telephone system. The present invention also monitors a connected power source and telephone line and notifies a user if power is lost, the line is severed, or a telephone set has been left off hook. The present invention comprises a router for routing the incoming calls to one or more connected telephone sets based on codes entered by callers; a recorder; and a processor for receiving and processing the codes entered by the callers and controllably connecting the routing and recording functions and telephone sets. In the preferred embodiment, the recorder may record and play messages to incoming callers as well as record messages from the callers. A caller identification function may be included to display caller identification to the user. An emergency and a paging function alarm may also be included which may be initiated at the user'"'"'s direction.

Claims

1. A telephone interface device for screening and routing incoming calls on a telephone line, said interface device being connected between the incoming telephone line and a telephone answering device, said interface device utilizing code signals entered by callers to route incoming calls to one or more designated telephone peripherals connected to said interface device, said interface device comprising:

a) a ring signal detection means to determine when a ring signal is present on a connected telephone line indicating an incoming call;

b) a ring signal suppression means, responsive to the ring signal detection means, for suppressing the ring signal received on said connected telephone line;

c) a code detection means for receiving code signals entered by callers and initiating an output signal indicative of the code signals received;

d) a routing means responsive to said code detection output signal for routing said incoming call to selected one or more telephone peripherals connected to said interface device or default to a telephone answering device, if no output signal is initiated;

e) a ring signal generating means for activating the selected peripheral or device; and

said interface device further including a processor means for operably performing the functions of the ring signal suppression means and routine means, said processor including a reset timer, operative to reset the processor if the processor fails to execute a function correctly within a predetermined time period.

2. The telephone interface device as defined in claim 1, further including a telephone answering device.

3. The telephone interface device as defined in claim 2, wherein said telephone answering device includes means for recording and playing messages to said callers.

4. The telephone ring interface device as defined in claim 2, wherein said telephone answering device includes means for recording messages from said callers.

5. The telephone interface device as defined in claim 1, wherein said code detection means includes a processing means for processing said code signals.

6. The telephone interface device as defined in claim 5, wherein said processing means includes a microprocessor.

7. The telephone interface device as defined in claim 5, wherein said processing means includes means for recognizing dual tone multifrequency code signals.

8. The telephone interface device as defined in claim 1, further including a telephone line monitoring means for detecting a telephone line failure and alerting a user to said detected telephone line failure.

9. The telephone interface device as defined in claim 1, further including a power source monitoring means for detecting a power failure and alerting a user to said detected power failure.

10. The telephone interface device as defined in claim 1, further including a caller identification means.

11. The telephone interface device as defined in claim 1, further including an alarm means for initiating an alarm at the direction of a user.

12. The telephone interface device as defined in claim 1, which further comprises a ring signal generating means.

13. The telephone interface device as defined in claim 12, wherein said ring signals are directed to and activate said telephone answering device.

14. The telephone interface device as defined in claim 12, wherein said ring signals are directed to and activate one or more of said telephone peripherals.

15. The telephone interface device as defined in claim 1, further comprising an off hook monitoring means for detecting when one or more of said telephone peripherals is off hook and unused for a predetermined length of time indicating that the telephone line is inoperable and an alarm means, said alarm means being activated by said monitoring means when said off hook unused condition is detected to indicate to a user that the telephone line is inoperable.

16. The telephone interface device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a paging means for initiating a page at the direction of a user.

17. The telephone interface device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a watchdog timer, operative to reset said telephone interface device if it becomes stalled.

18. A telephone interface device as defined in claim 1, further comprises an off hook monitoring means for detecting when there is an off hook condition and there is silence on said telephone line for a predetermined length of time indicating that the line is inoperable and an alarm means, said alarm means being activated by said monitoring means when said off hook silence duration is detected to indicate to a user that the telephone line is inoperable.

19. A method for screening incoming telephone calls on a telephone line, said method utilizing codes entered by callers to override a direct connection to a telephone answering device and route calls to one or more designated telephone peripherals, said method including the steps of:

a) detecting a ring signal which is indicative of an incoming telephone call received on a telephone line connected to a telephone answering device;

b) immediately suppressing said detected ring signal received on said telephone line;

c) receiving and detecting code signals entered on said telephone line by a caller;

d) routing and connecting said incoming call in response to the received code signals to one or more selected telephone peripherals or in the absence of the code signals to default said in-coming call to said telephone answering device; and

e) activating the selected, peripheral or device; and

f) performing step B and D by use of a digital processor and resetting the processor automatically if it fails to execute a process correctly within a predetermined time period.

20. A method for screening incoming telephone calls as described in claim 19, further including the step of initiating an alarm at the direction of a user.

21. A method for screening incoming telephone calls as described in claim 19, further including the steps of monitoring a telephone line and notifying a user if a line failure is detected.

22. A method for screening incoming telephone calls as described in claim 19, further including the steps of monitoring a local power source and notifying a user in the event of a local power failure.

23. A method for screening incoming calls as described in claim 19, further including the steps of identifying the origin of said incoming telephone call and displaying caller identification information to a user.

24. A method for screening incoming telephone calls as described in claim 19, wherein said step of routing includes generating a ring signal directed to the selected telephone peripheral to reactivate the peripheral or device.

25. A method for screening incoming telephone calls as described in claim 19, wherein said step of routing further comprises the step of generating ring signals directed to one or more of said telephone peripherals.

26. A method for screening incoming telephone calls as described in claim 19, further including the steps of detecting when one or more of said telephone peripherals is off hook, or if there is silence on said telephone line during a telephone call, for a predetermined length of time, and alerting a user to such off hook status.

27. A method for screening incoming telephone calls as described in claim 19, further including the step of initiating a page at the direction of a user.

28. A telephone interface device for screening and routing incoming telephone calls on a connected telephone line, said interface device being connected between the incoming telephone line and a telephone answering device, said interface device utilizing code signals entered by callers to route incoming calls to one or more designated telephone peripherals connected to said interface device, said interface device comprising:

a) a ring signal detection means to determine when a ring signal is present on a connected telephone line indicating an incoming call;

b) a ring signal suppression means, responsive to the ring signal detection means, for suppressing the ring signal received on said connected telephone line;

c) a code detection means for receiving code signals entered by callers and initiating an output signal indicative of the code signals received;

d) a routing means responsive to said code detection output signal for routing said incoming call to selected one or more telephone peripherals connected to said interface device or default to said telephone answering device, if no output signal is initiated;

e) a ring signal generating means for activating the selected peripheral or device;

f) an off hook monitoring means for detecting when one or more of said telephone peripherals is off hook and unused for a predetermined length of time indicating that the line is inoperable and an alarm means, said alarm means being activated when said off hook condition is detected to indicate to a user that the telephone line is inoperable; and

g) said interface device further comprising a processor for performing the functions of said ring signal suppression means and said routing means, said processor means further including a reset timing device operative to reset the processor if the processor fails to execute a function correctly during a predetermined time period.

29. A telephone interface device in combination with a telephone answering device for screening and routing incoming telephone calls on a connected telephone line, said interface device being connected between the incoming telephone line and the telephone answering device, said interface device utilizing code signals entered by callers to route incoming calls to one or more designated telephone peripherals connected to said interface device, said interface device combination comprising:

a) a telephone answering device capable of transmitting prerecorded messages and recording messages from a caller;

b) a ring signal detection means, to determine when a ring signal is present on said connected telephone line, indicating an incoming call;

c) a ring signal suppression means, responsive to the ring signal detection means, for suppressing the ring signal received on said connected telephone line;

d) a code detection means for receiving code signals entered by callers and initiating an output signal indicative of the code signals received;

e) a routing means responsive to said code detection output signal for routing said incoming call to selected one or more telephone peripherals connected to said interface device or default to the telephone answering device, if no output signal is initiated;

f) a ring signal generating means for activating the selected peripheral or device; and

g) said telephone interface combination device further including a processor means for performing the functions of said ring signal suppression mean and said routing means, said processor means further including a reset timer means operative to reset the processor if the processor fails to execute a function correctly within a predetermined time period.