Security system with call management functionality

• US 6,370,233 B1
• Filed: 08/03/1999
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ameritech Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beardsley, John Roland, Bennett, Raymond Walden III
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Huyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US09/366,359
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 379/37, 379/38, 379/42, 379/43, 379/44, 379/93.35, 379/90.01, 379/102.01, 379/102.16, 379/215
• US Class Current: 379/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A security system with call management functionality is coupled to a telephone network for providing a telephone service and at least one telephone line. This system also includes a call management controller for enabling, disabling or changing telephone service based on user presence and identity. User presence and identity is determined by a security controller coupled to a plurality of sensors for providing at least one home security function.

Claims

1. A security system with call management functionality coupled to a telephone network for providing at least one telephone service, said telephone network having at least one telephone line, said security system comprising:

a call management controller coupled to said telephone network for enabling, disabling or modifying said telephone service; and

a security system having a security controller coupled to said call management controller, said security controller coupled to a plurality of sensors for providing at least one home security function;

wherein said telephone service is selected from the group consisting of;

night mode privacy, automated attendant, follow me service, kid kontrol, maid minder, and voice mail delivery.

2. A security system with call management functionality as recited in claim 1 wherein said telephone network has a plurality of telephone lines.

3. A security system with call management functionality as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one user console coupled to said security controller for manual user identification.

4. A security system with call management functionality as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one receiver coupled to said security controller for automatic user identification; and

at least one transponder coupled to and in communication with said receiver.

5. A security system with call management functionality as recited in claim 1 further comprising a magnetically coded door key coupled to said security controller for user identification.

6. A security system with call management functionality as recited in claim 1 further comprising a voice processing system coupled to said security controller.

7. A security system with call management functionality as recited in claim 6 wherein said voice processing system further comprises a speaker verification module for user identification.

8. A security system with call management functionality as recited in claim 7 wherein said voice processing system further comprises a speech recognition module for verbal command processing.

9. A method of providing call management functionality for a security system coupled to a telephone network, said security system including, a call management controller and a security controller, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one telephone service wherein said telephone service is selected from the group consisting of;

night mode privacy, automated attendant, follow me service, kid control, maid minder and voice mail delivery;

identifying a user to generate a user identity; and

modifying said telephone service in response to said user identity.

10. A method of providing call management functionality for a security system as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of providing at least one telephone service includes providing automated attendant, comprising the steps of:

associating a phone line to correspond to said user identity;

determining user presence based upon said user identity;

allowing a caller to ring through to a telephone set if user presence is detected; and

transferring said caller to a voice mailbox that corresponds to said user identity if user presence is not detected.

11. A method of providing automated attendant for a security system as recited in claim 10 wherein the step of allowing said caller to ring through to a telephone set further comprises the step of distinctively ringing said telephone to denote which user is being called.

12. A method of providing automated attendant for a security system as recited in claim 10 wherein the step of transferring said caller to a voice mailbox further comprises the step of paging said user.

13. A method of providing automated attendant for a security system as recited in claim 10 wherein the step of allowing said caller to ring through to a telephone set further comprises the step of generating a call-waiting signal.

14. A method of providing call management functionality for a security system as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of providing at least one telephone service includes providing voice mail delivery, comprising the steps of:

determining user presence based upon said user identity; and

notifying said user of voice mail messages corresponding to said user identity.