Telephone disable feature

• US 6,339,643 B1
• Filed: 01/29/1999
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Guardian Corp. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Veschi, John P., Skorko, James, Mastrocola, Angelo Rocco
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US09/239,683
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 379/368, 379/370, 379/445, 379/433.06, 379/433.07, 379/428.01
• US Class Current: 379/433.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/02 Constructional features of telephone sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/673 the user being required to key in a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724

Abstract

Apparatus and process for allowing a user to selectively disable all or a portion of the manual controls, e.g., the keypad and/or other buttons (including switches, keys, on-hook button, and/or other buttons) of customer premises equipment. The customer premises equipment includes a button disabling module which allows subsequent control signals relating to the particular keys or buttons which have been disabled to be essentially ignored. Thus, for instance, if an on-hook button is inadvertently depressed while the on-hook button has been disabled by the button disabling module, the telephone line interface of the telephone will not signal the termination of the telephone call to the central office. The manual controls of the customer premises equipment can be disabled by the user in any of a number of different ways. For instance, a dedicated button at either the base unit or the handset of a telephone may be provided, or a sequence or simultaneous combination of alphanumeric keys and/or other buttons may be sensed. The disabled button(s) can be re-enabled either manually by the user, or automatically, e.g., after hanging up the telephone. A timer can be included to automatically re-enable any disabled manual controls (i.e., buttons) if the user failed to manually re-enable disabled buttons before terminating the previous telephone call.

Claims

1. A button set for customer premises equipment, comprising:

at least one manual control; and

a button disabling module adapted to selectively disable said at least one manual control on a call-by-call basis.

2. The button set for customer premises equipment according to claim 1, wherein said at least one manual control comprises:

a DTMF tone.

3. The button set for customer premises equipment according to claim 1, further comprising:

a button coupled to said button disabling module.

4. The button set for customer premises equipment according to claim 3, wherein:

said button is comprised in a handset of a telephone.

5. The button set for customer premises equipment according to claim 1, wherein:

said button disabling module is activated to disable said at least one manual function upon activation of a dedicated button.

6. The button set for customer premises equipment according to claim 1, wherein:

said button disabling module is activated to disable said at least one manual function upon activation of a plurality of buttons.

7. The button set for customer premises equipment according to claim 6, wherein:

said plurality of buttons are pressed substantially simultaneously.

8. A button set for customer premises equipment, comprising:

at least one manual control comprising an on-hook switch; and

a button disabling module adapted to selectively disable said at least one manual control on a call-by-call basis.

9. A button set for customer premises equipment, comprising:

at least one manual control;

a button disabling module adapted to selectively disable said at least one manual control on a call-by-call basis; and

a handset cradle detect module adapted to detect an insertion of a remote handset comprising said button set into a handset cradle.

10. The button set for customer premises equipment according to claim 9, wherein:

said button disabling module is adapted to re-enable said at least one manual control upon detection of said remote handset in said handset cradle.

11. The button set for customer premises equipment according to claim 9, wherein:

said button disabling module is adapted to re-enable said at least one manual control upon termination of a present telephone call.

12. A button set for customer premises equipment, comprising:

at least one manual control; and

a button disabling module adapted to selectively disable said at least one manual control on a call-by-call basis;

wherein said button disabling module is adapted to re-enable said at least one manual control upon time out of a timer.

13. A button set for customer premises equipment, comprising:

at least one manual control; and

a button disabling module adapted to selectively disable said at least one manual control on a call-by-call basis;

wherein said at least one manual control is located in customer premises equipment; and

said button disabling/enabling module is located at a telephone company central office.

14. A method of disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment, said method comprising:

establishing a telephone call; and

disabling at least one manual control on said customer premises equipment for a duration of said established telephone call.

15. The method of disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment according to claim 14, wherein:

said at least one manual control is an on-hook indicator.

16. The method of disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment according to claim 14, wherein:

said at least one manual control provides a DTMF tone.

17. The method of disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment according to claim 14, wherein:

said step of disabling is performed from a handset of said customer premises equipment.

18. The method of disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment according to claim 14, wherein:

said step of disabling is performed from a base unit of said customer premises equipment.

19. The method of disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment according to claim 14, further comprising:

re-enabling said at least one manual control at a conclusion of said established telephone call.

20. The method of disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment according to claim 14, further comprising:

automatically re-enabling said at least one manual control without user intervention.

21. The method of disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment according to claim 20, wherein:

said automatic re-enabling is periodically performed.

22. The method of disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment according to claim 14, wherein:

said disabling is performed after said establishment of said telephone call.

23. The method of disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment according to claim 14, further comprising:

timing an amount of time said at least one manual control is disabled; and

re-enabling said at least one manual control upon expiration of said amount of time.

24. The method of disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment according to claim 14, wherein:

said disabling is performed at a central office in communication with said customer premises equipment.

25. The method of disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment according to claim 24, wherein:

said disabling is terminated at said central office based on signaling from a far end customer premises equipment.

26. The method of disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment according to claim 25, wherein:

said signaling indicates an on-hook condition of said far end customer premises equipment.

27. The method of disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment according to claim 24, wherein:

said disabling is terminated at said central office based on signaling from said customer premises equipment.

28. The method of disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment according to claim 25, wherein:

said signaling is based on an on-hook condition of said far end customer premises equipment.

29. An apparatus for disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment, comprising:

means for allowing a user to disable at least one manual control on a button set of said customer premises equipment on a call-by-call basis.

30. An apparatus for disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment, comprising:

means for allowing a user to disable at least one manual control on a button set of said customer premises equipment on a call-by-call basis;

wherein said at least one manual control is an on-hook switch.

31. An apparatus for disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment, comprising:

means for allowing a user to disable at least one manual control on a button set of said customer premises equipment on a call-by-call basis;

wherein said at least one manual control is a DTMF tone.

32. An apparatus for disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment, comprising:

means for allowing a user to disable at least one manual control on a button set of said customer premises equipment on a call-by-call basis; and

timer means adapted to limit an amount of time that said at least one manual control is disabled such that upon expiration of a predetermined amount of time, said at least one manual control is automatically enabled.

33. Apparatus for disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment, comprising:

means for establishing a telephone call; and

means for disabling at least one manual control on said customer premises equipment for a duration of said established telephone call.

34. The apparatus for disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment according to claim 33, wherein:

said at least one manual control is an on-hook switch.

35. The apparatus for disabling a manual control of customer premises equipment according to claim 33, wherein:

said at least one manual control is a DTMF tone.