Telephone with ability to push audible read out data

• US 6,493,429 B1
• Filed: 11/24/1999
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johanson, James A., Mooney, Philip D., Cannon, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/448,932
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.01, 379/88.11, 379/88.14, 379/88.16, 379/88.27, 379/43.15, 379/93.17, 379/93.23, 379/93.35, 379/100.13, 379/142.08, 379/211.02, 379/212.01, 379/215.01, 379/265.01, 379/266.04, 379/88.04, 379/87
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form

Abstract

In one embodiment according to the invention, a telephonic apparatus includes an interface to a network, a memory adapted to store a telephone number, a text-to-speech module adapted to produce audible signals associated with the stored telephone number, a processor, and a local input unit. The local input unit is adapted to produce an input signal in response to user activation, and the processor is adapted to respond to the input signal by retrieving the stored telephone number from the memory and causing the text-to-speech module to produce the audible signals for transmission to the network via the interface. In an alternative embodiment according to the invention, a method of transmitting Caller ID data to a distant party includes the steps of receiving a local input command, retrieving stored Caller ID data in response to the local input command, producing audible signals based on the retrieved Caller ID data, and transmitting the audible signals to the distant party.

Claims

1. A telephonic apparatus, comprising:

an interface to a telecommunications network

a memory adapted to store a telephone number;

a text-to-speech module adapted to produce audible signals associated with the stored telephone number;

a processor; and

a local input unit,

wherein the local input unit is adapted to produce a keyed input signal in response to user activation, and the processor is adapted to respond to the input signal by retrieving the stored telephone number from the memory and causing the text-to-speech module to produce the audible signals for transmission to the telecommunications network via the interface.

2. A telephonic apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the local input unit comprises a keypad.

3. A telephonic apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the local input unit comprises a voice recognition module adapted to be respond to voice commands from the user.

4. A telephonic apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising an interface to a telephone.

5. A telephonic apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising conventional elements of a telephone.

6. A telephonic apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the memory comprises a Caller ID memory.

7. A telephonic apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the memory comprises a speed dial memory.

8. A telephonic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said telecommunications network comprises at least one of:

a PSTN;

a data network; and

an Internet.

25. The method of transmitting Caller ID data to a distant party according to claim 8, wherein said telecommunications network comprises at least one of:

a PSTN,

a data network; and

an Internet.

9. A telephone, comprising:

an interface to a telecommunications network

a microphone;

a speaker;

a processor;

a keypad;

a text-to-speech module; and

a memory,

wherein the processor is adapted to respond to input received from one of the keypad and the microphone by retrieving a telephone number from the memory and forwarding the telephone number to the text-to-speech module, and

wherein the text-to-speech module is adapted to produce audible signals based on the received telephone number, and to provide the audible signals to the interface for transmission over the telecommunications network.

10. A telephone as recited in claim 9, wherein the memory comprises a speed dial memory.

11. A telephone as recited in claim 9, wherein the memory comprises a Caller ID memory.

12. The telephone according to claim 10, wherein said telecommunications network comprises at least one of:

a PSTN;

a data network; and

an Internet.

13. The telephone according to claim 10, wherein said telecommunications network comprises at least one of:

a PSTN;

a data network; and

an Internet.

14. A Caller ID device, comprising:

a first interface to a telecommunications network;

a second interface to a telephone;

a display;

a processor;

a keypad;

a memory; and

a text-to-speech module,

wherein the processor is adapted to retrieve Caller ID date from the memory in response to activation of the keypad, and to provide the Caller ID data to the text-to-speech module, and

wherein the text-to-speech module is adapted to produce audible signals based on the received Caller ID data, and to provide the audible signals to the interface for transmission over the telecommunications network.

15. A Caller ID device as recited in claim 14, wherein the Caller ID data comprises a telephone number.

16. A Caller ID device as recited in claim 15, wherein the Caller ID data comprises a name associated with the telephone number.

17. The Caller ID device according to claim 14, wherein said telecommunications network comprises at least one of:

a PSTN;

a data network; and

an Internet.

18. A method of transmitting Caller ID data to a distant party from a terminal device, comprising the steps of:

receiving a local keyed input command;

retrieving stored Caller ID data in response to the local input command;

producing audible signals based on the retrieved Caller ID data using text-to-speech; and

transmitting the audible signals from the terminal device to the distant party over a telecommunications network.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the stored Caller ID data comprises a telephone number.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the stored Caller ID data comprises a name associated with the telephone number.

21. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting via a network.

22. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the receiving, retrieving, producing and transmitting steps occur while an on-going telephone call is in place with the distant party.

23. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the retrieving and producing steps occur a plurality of times, and wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting a plurality of Caller ID data.

24. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the receiving step occurs a plurality of times such that each occurrence of the retrieving and producing steps is responsive to a corresponding occurrence of the receiving step.