Telephony system with a key for accessing multiple answering machines or mailboxes

• US 6,625,441 B1
• Filed: 05/11/1999
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Coupigny, Jean-Paul, Vitel, Sandrine
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOBUTKA, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US09/310,088
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412, 455/413, 455/414, 455/403, 455/462, 455/463, 455/465, 455/517, 455/550, 455/554, 455/555, 455/561, 455/575, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 345/168, 379/67.1, 379/74, 379/88.25, 379/88.26, 379/102.01
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

A telephone communicates with a base station and a network, each having an answering machine. The telephone has a key and a controller which connects the telephone to the base answering machine of the base station in response to activating the key for a first period of time, and connects the telephone to the network answering machine of the network in response to activating the key for a second period of time.

Claims

1. A telephony system comprising:

a first telephone answering machine;

a second telephone answering machine; and

a handset having a control means for triggering access to the first telephone answering machine and the second telephone answering machine;

wherein, for effecting a first connection to the first telephone answering machine, the first telephone answering machine is activated solely in response to depressing a key of said handset for a first period of time, and for effecting a second connection to the second telephone answering machine, the second telephone answering machine is activated solely in response to depressing said key for a second period of time.

3. The telephony system of claim 1, wherein depressing said key for said second period of time does not display information related to a function performed in response to depressing said key for said first period of time.

4. A telephone for communicating with a base station and a network, said telephone having a key and a controller which connects said telephone to a base answering machine of said base station solely in response to activating said key for a first period of time and connects said telephone to a network answering machine of said network solely in response to activating said key for a second period of time.

2. The telephone of claim 4, wherein said control means provides access to a first mailbox of said first telephone answering machine in response to depressing said key for said first period of time and provides access to a second mailbox of said second telephone answering machine in response to depressing said key for said second period of time.

5. The telephone of claim 4, wherein said controller provides access to a first mailbox of said base answering machine in response to activating said key for said first period of time and provides access to a first mailbox of said network answering machine in response to activating said key for said second period of time.

6. The telephone of claim 4, wherein activating said key for said second period of time does not display information related to a function performed in response to activating said key for said first period of time.

7. A communication system comprising:

a handset having a controller and a key;

a first answering machine; and

a second answering machine;

wherein said controller connects said handset to said first answering machine solely in response to activating said key for a first period of time and connects said handset to said second answering machine solely in response to activating said key for a second period of time.

8. The communication system of claim 7, wherein said controller provides access to a first mailbox of said first answering machine in response to activating said key for said first period of time and provides access to a second mailbox of said second answering machine in response to activating said key for said second period of time.

9. The communication system of claim 7, wherein activating said key for said second period of time does not display information related to a function performed in response to activating said key for said first period of time.

10. A telephone having a key and a controller, wherein said controller performs a first function in response to activating said key for a first period of time, and performs a second function in response to activating said key for a second period of time, said second function not including information related to operation of said first function, wherein said first function includes connecting to a first answering machine, and said second function includes connecting to a second answering machine.

11. The telephone of claim 10, wherein said second function does not include display of said information related to said operation of said first function.