Apparatus for indicating caller availability

• US 6,738,460 B1
• Filed: 07/10/2002
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ralph A. Bruzesse
• Original Assignee: Ralph A. Bruzesse
• Inventors: Bruzesse, Ralph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US10/191,697
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.01, 379/142.04, 379/142.07, 379/142.1, 379/142.11, 379/142.13, 379/142.15, 379/142.17, 379/167.01, 379/156, 379/88.21, 379/93.05, 379/93.23, 379/93.19, 379/916, 379/419, 379/428.03, 455/415, 455/421
• US Class Current: 379/142.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/82 Line monitoring circuits for call progress or status discrimination for detecting caller identity H04M1/573
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/916 Touch screen associated with telephone set

Abstract

A caller identification availability apparatus located adjacent a caller'"'"'s telephone. The caller identification availability apparatus indicates who, among a select group of people, are available to receive telephone calls. Each caller within a select group has a similar apparatus adjacent their telephone. Caller'"'"'s within the group are able to indicate availability or nonavailability to each caller within the group by means of their individual apparatus.

Claims

1. A caller identification availability apparatus for use by a caller within a select group, comprising:

a housing having a front, rear, top, bottom, and two opposite sides, said housing having two standard telephone jacks, a first jack adapted to receive a telephone line connected to an external telephone outlet connected to a telephone network, and a second lack adapted to receive a telephone line connected to a telephone, said housing having a power input jack adapted to receive electrical power from a power source;

a display on said housing front, said display being comprised of a plurality of subdisplays, said display having a upper portion, middle portion, lower portion, left side portion and right side portion;

wherein said plurality of subdisplays are comprised of;

a time and date subdisplay adapted to display a current time and date, said time and date display being positioned centrally in the display upper portion near the housing top;

a personal subdisplay adapted to indicate a user'"'"'s name, said personal subdisplay being positioned below the time and date subdisplay;

a select group caller strip subdisplay adapted to show a select group caller name, a select group caller'"'"'s telephone number, and a select group caller'"'"'s time of day, said select group caller strip subdisplay being positioned beneath the personal subdisplay;

a strip subdisplay adapted to show a caller identification of anyone calling the user, said caller identification strip subdisplay being positioned in the display middle portion beneath said select group caller strip subdisplay; and

a pager subdisplay adapted to display a brief message from a select group caller, said pager subdisplay being positioned in the display lower portion;

a plurality of lights on said display, said lights adapted to indicate a status for a select subdisplay; and

a plurality of control function buttons on said display, said control function buttons adapted for indicating and controlling a plurality of apparatus functions.

2. A caller identification availability apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said housing is further comprised of:

a microprocessor with a hard drive storage area, said microprocessor being adapted to drive the said subdisplays;

a controller interconnected with said microprocessor, said controller adapted for determining a plurality of update codes and for using an interconnected telephone handset as an input mechanism for program functions;

wherein said control function buttons are adapted to act as program interrupts to the microprocessor.

3. A caller identification availability apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said plurality of control function buttons are comprised of:

two side-by-side scroll buttons, one up and one down, said scroll buttons being positioned adjacent the select group caller strip subdisplay, said scroll buttons being adapted to allow a user to access various select group callers;

three caller identification buttons positioned adjacent the caller identification strip subdisplay, a first button and a second button adapted for scrolling upward and downward through a plurality of calls received through said apparatus, and a third button for erasing any caller id records received;

a plurality of apparatus function buttons, positioned in the display lower portion, including a first button adapted to provide an edit function for adding, deleting or changing data in the apparatus, a second button adapted to provide an enter function, a third button adapted to permit a user to select said select group caller name, a fourth button adapted to permit a user to select said select group caller'"'"'s telephone number, a fifth button adapted to select the select group caller'"'"'s time of day, and a sixth button adapted to provide a delete function allowing the user to delete information shown on a selected subdisplay item;

wherein said interconnected handset is adapted to act as a keyboard for entering information for a selected subdisplay item.

4. A caller identification availability apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein said plurality of lights are comprised of:

two lighted switches, one adapted to indicate on and the other off, said lighted switches being positioned beside the personal subdisplay, said on switch adapted to being activated when a user indicated on said personal subdisplay is available for telephone calls, said off switch adapted to being activated when a user indicated on said personal subdisplay is not available for telephone calls; and

an availability light adjacent the select group caller strip subdisplay, said availability light being adapted to indicate whether or not a select group caller indicated on the subdisplay select group caller strip subdisplay is available to receive a telephone call.

5. A caller identification availability apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein:

the availability light is comprised of a light emitting diode driven by said microprocessor.

6. A caller identification availability apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein:

said availability light is a dual light, and adapted to light one color an indicated select group caller is available to receive a telephone call, and another color when said indicated select group caller not available to receive a telephone call.

7. A caller identification availability apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein:

said apparatus is adapted to contact through said telephone network each caller within said select group and update an availability light on each caller'"'"'s apparatus; and

said apparatus is adapted to transmit a code along with a normal telephone contact to prevent telephone handset ringing during an update process.