Calling apparatus and calling method in a telephone

• US 6,775,554 B1
• Filed: 04/14/2000
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugitani, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Gesesse, Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US09/549,529
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412, 455/414, 455/415, 455/550, 455/555, 455/566, 455/567, 455/575, 455/514, 455/67.7, 455/507, 455/561, 455/90, 455/435, 455/462, 455/463, 455/464, 379/418, 379/142, 379/93.23
• US Class Current: 455/463
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/36 Memories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]

Abstract

A telephone number memory circuit is provided in which data for determining the display of a call on a selected one of call receiving modules depending on the telephone number of a caller is stored. As the call is received from the service network, the telephone number of a caller is detected by a telephone number detecting circuit and transferred to a control module. The control module compares the detected telephone number with the data saved in the telephone number memory circuit to determine the display of the call on the selected one of a call display of a master unit, a call display of a first sub unit, and a call display of a second sub unit and directs the selected call display to indicate that the call is received. In a telephone system including a number of telephone terminals, a calling apparatus directs a selected one of the telephone terminals to display the call depending on the telephone number of a caller.

Claims

1. A calling apparatus comprising:

a master unit; and

at least one sub unit linked to said master unit, wherein

said at least one sub unit comprises;

key operation module setting means for setting at least one telephone number of at least one caller to be saved and transferring the at least one telephone number of the at least one caller to said master unit; and

dedicated telephone number memory means for storing the at least one telephone number of the at least one caller, and

said master unit comprises;

an interface circuit for connecting to the service network;

call detecting means connected to said interface circuit for detecting a call from the service network;

telephone number detecting means connected to said interface circuit for detecting a telephone number of a caller transmitted by the service network during a connection with the service network;

telephone number memory means for storing data, including the at least one telephone number of the at least one caller stored in said dedicated telephone number memory means, indicating that the call is to be displayed on at least one of said master unit and said at least one sub unit depending on the telephone number of the caller; and

controlling means for comparing, when said call detecting means detects the call from the service network and said telephone number detecting means detects the telephone number of the caller, the detected telephone number with the data stored in said telephone number memory means and directing the call to said at least one of said master unit and said at least one sub unit to display that the call is received from the service network.

2. A calling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one sub unit and said master unit each further comprise call displaying means for displaying the call with at least one of light, characters, and symbols.

3. A calling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one sub unit and said master unit each further comprise a radio circuit such that said at least one sub unit and said master unit communicate wirelessly.

4. A calling apparatus comprising:

a master unit; and

at least one sub unit linked to said master unit, wherein

said at least one sub unit comprises;

key operation module setting means for setting at least one telephone number of at least one caller to be saved and transferring the at least one telephone number of the at least one caller to said master unit; and

dedicated telephone number memory means for storing the at least one telephone number of the at least one caller, and

said master unit comprises;

an interface circuit for connecting to the service network;

call detecting means connected to said interface circuit for detecting a call from the service network;

telephone number detecting means connected to said interface circuit for detecting a telephone number of a caller transmitted by the service network during a connection with the service network;

telephone number memory means for storing data, including the at least one telephone number of the at least one caller stored in said dedicated telephone number memory means, indicating that the call is to be displayed on at least one of said master unit and said at least one sub unit depending on the telephone number of the caller; and

controlling means for comparing, when said call detecting means detects the call from the service network and said telephone number detecting means detects the telephone number of the caller, the detected telephone number with the data stored in said telephone number memory means and directing the call to said at least one of said master unit and said at least one sub unit to display that the call is received from the service network, and for directing, when no response to the call is made within a predetermined length of time by said at least one of said master unit and said at least one sub unit, the call to all of said master unit and said at least one sub unit to display that the call is received from the service network.

5. A calling apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said master unit further comprises call time measuring means for measuring a duration of time from when said controlling means directs the call to said at least one of said master unit and said at least one sub unit to one of when a response to the call is made and when the predetermined length of time has been reached.

6. A calling apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said at least one sub unit and said master unit each further comprise call displaying means for displaying the call with at least one of light, characters, and symbols.

7. A calling apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said at least one sub unit and said master unit each further comprise a radio circuit such that said at least one sub unit and said master unit communicate wirelessly.

8. A calling method for a calling apparatus connected to a service network, the calling apparatus comprising a master unit having a telephone number memory circuit and at least one sub unit having a dedicated telephone number memory circuit, said calling method comprising:

storing at least one telephone number of at least one caller in the dedicated telephone number memory circuit in the at least one sub unit;

transferring the at least one telephone number from the dedicated telephone number memory circuit to the telephone number memory circuit of the master unit;

storing data, including the at least one telephone number, in the telephone number memory circuit of the master unit indicating that the at least one telephone number is associated with at least one of the master unit and the at least one sub unit;

detecting, at the master unit, a received call from the service network;

detecting, at the master unit, a telephone number of the received call from the service network;

comparing the detected telephone number with the data stored in the telephone number memory circuit; and

directing the received call to at least one of the master unit and the at least one sub unit, based on said comparing of the detected telephone number and the data, to display the received call from the service network.

9. A calling method according to claim 8, wherein the at least one sub unit and the master unit communicate wirelessly.

10. A calling method for a calling apparatus connected to a service network, the calling apparatus comprising a master unit having a telephone number memory circuit and at least one sub unit having a dedicated telephone number memory circuit, said calling method comprising:

storing at least one telephone number of at least one caller in the dedicated telephone number memory circuit in the at least one sub unit;

transferring the at least one telephone number from the dedicated telephone number memory circuit to the telephone number memory circuit of the master unit;

storing data, including the at least one telephone number, in the telephone number memory circuit of the master unit indicating that the at least one telephone number is associated with at least one of the master unit and the at least one sub unit;

detecting, at the master unit, a received call from the service network;

detecting, at the master unit, a telephone number of the received call from the service network;

comparing the detected telephone number with the data stored in the telephone number memory circuit;

directing the received call to at least one of the master unit and the at least one sub unit, based on said comparing of the detected telephone number and the data, to display the received call from the service network; and

if no response is made by the at least one of the master unit and the at least one sub unit to which the received call is directed within a predetermined length of time, directing the received call to all of the master unit and the at least one sub unit to display the received call from the service network.

11. A calling method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one sub unit and the master unit communicate wirelessly.

12. A calling apparatus comprising:

a master unit; and

at least one sub unit linked to said master unit, wherein

said at least one sub unit comprises;

a key operation module operable to set at least one telephone number of at least one caller to be saved and operable to transfer the at least one telephone number of the at least one caller to said master unit; and

a dedicated telephone number memory operable to store the at least one telephone number of the at least one caller, and

said master unit comprises;

an interface circuit for connecting to the service network;

a call detection circuit connected to said interface circuit, said call detection circuit being operable to detect a call from the service network;

a telephone number detecting circuit connected to said interface circuit, said telephone number detecting circuit being operable to detect a telephone number of a caller transmitted by the service network during a connection with the service network;

a telephone number memory operable to store data, including the at least one telephone number of the at least one caller stored in said dedicated telephone number memory, indicating that the call is to be displayed on at least one of said master unit and said at least one sub unit depending on the telephone number of the caller; and

a control module operable to compare, when said call detecting circuit detects the call from the service network and said telephone number detecting circuit detects the telephone number of the caller, the detected telephone number with the data stored in said telephone number memory and direct the call to said at least one of said master unit and said at least one sub unit to display that the call is received from the service network.

13. A calling apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said control module is further operable, when no response to the call is made within a predetermined length of time by said at least one of said master unit and said at least one sub unit, to direct the call to all of said master unit and said at least one sub unit to display that the call is received from the service network.

14. A calling apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said master unit further comprises a call time measuring circuit operable to measure a duration of time from when said control module directs the call to said at least one of said master unit and said at least one sub unit to one of when a response to the call is made and when the predetermined length of time has been reached.

15. A calling apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said at least one sub unit and said master unit each further comprise a call display operable to display the call with at least one of light, characters, and symbols.

16. A calling apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said at least one sub unit and said master unit each further comprise a radio circuit such that said at least one sub unit and said master unit communicate wirelessly.