Corded telephone dialer emulation

• US 6,973,331 B1
• Filed: 10/05/1999
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johanson, James A., Mooney, Philip D., Cannon, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEST, LEWIS G
• Application Number:
  US09/412,182
• Time in Patent Office: 2,254 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/550.1, 455/564, 455/462, 379/355.01, 379/355.03, 379/37, 379/216.01, 379/355.09, 379/56.1
• US Class Current: 455/564
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line

Abstract

A cordless telephone according to one embodiment of the invention includes a base unit and a handset, wherein the handset includes a keypad, a key scan element adapted to scan the keypad for a predetermined key sequence, and a controller adapted to cause the initiation of an outgoing call based on a determination of the predetermined key sequence. In one embodiment, the predetermined key sequence is 9-1-1. In an alternative embodiment according to the invention, a method of placing a telephone call from a cordless telephone handset that is in an on-hook condition includes the steps of sensing the activation of a predetermined key sequence, and initiating a telephone call based on the sensed activation. The telephone call may be to a telephone number corresponding to the predetermined key sequence, such as 9-1-1.

Claims

1. A cordless telephone, comprising:

a base unit of said cordless telephone; and

a telephone line interface adapted to interface said base unit directly to a public switched telephone network;

wherein a handset of said cordless telephone is adapted to directly communicate with said base unit, said handset including

a keypad,

a key scan element adapted to scan said keypad for a predetermined key sequence while said handset is in an on-hook condition, without receiving an available dial tone, and

a controller adapted to cause said initiation of an outgoing call based on a determination of said predetermined key sequence without a need to manually instruct said cordless telephone to go off-hook.

2. A cordless telephone as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said outgoing call is initiated to a telephone number corresponding to said predetermined key sequence.

3. A cordless telephone as recited in claim 1, wherein said predetermined key sequence comprises:

9-1-1.

4. A cordless telephone as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said base unit is adapted to establish a link with a network based on a signal from said controller in said handset, to sense a dial tone, and to output dual tone multifrequency signals corresponding to a number to be dialed to said network.

5. A cordless telephone as recited in claim 4, wherein the network comprises:

a public switched telephone network.

6. A handset of a cordless telephone, comprising:

a keypad adaptively attached to said handset of said cordless telephone,

a key scan element adapted to scan said keypad for a predetermined key sequence while said handset is in an on-hook condition, without receiving an available dial tone, and

a controller adapted to cause initiation of an outgoing call by outputting a signal to a corresponding base unit, directly interfaced with said handset, with a telephone line interface in direct communication with a public switched telephone network based on a determination of said predetermined key sequence without a need to manually instruct said cordless telephone to go off-hook.

7. A handset of a cordless telephone as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

an RF transceiver;

wherein said signal is output to said base unit via said RF transceiver.

8. A handset of a cordless telephone as recited in claim 6, wherein:

said signal informs said base unit that said predetermined key sequence has been detected.

9. A handset of a cordless telephone as recited in claim 6, wherein the signal comprises:

a dialing sequence of a number to be dialed.

10. A handset of a cordless telephone as recited in claim 9, wherein:

said dialing sequence corresponds to said predetermined key sequence.

11. A method of placing a telephone call from a cordless telephone comprising a cordless telephone handset and a base unit with a telephone line interface that is in an on-hook condition, comprising steps of:

sensing activation of a predetermined key sequence while said cordless telephone handset is in the on-hook condition, without receiving an available dial tone; and

initiating a telephone call based on said sensed activation without a need to manually instruct the cordless telephone to go off-hook;

wherein said cordless telephone handset is adaptively interfaced directly with said base unit and said base unit is adaptively interfaced directly with a public switched telephone network.

12. A method of placing a telephone call from a cordless telephone comprising a cordless telephone handset and a base unit with a telephone line interface that is in an on-hook condition as recited in claim 11, wherein:

said telephone call is to a telephone number corresponding to said predetermined key sequence.

13. A method of placing a telephone call from a cordless telephone comprising a cordless telephone handset and a base unit with a telephone line interface that is in an on-hook condition as recited in claim 12, wherein the predetermined key sequence comprises:

9-1-1.

14. A method of placing a telephone call from a cordless telephone comprising a cordless telephone handset and a base unit with a telephone line interface that is in an on-hook condition as recited in claim 11, wherein the initiating step comprises:

sending a signal to a corresponding base unit.

15. A method of placing a telephone call from a cordless telephone comprising a cordless telephone handset and a base unit with a telephone line interface that is in an on-hook condition as recited in claim 14, wherein:

said signal indicates detection of said predetermined key sequence.

16. A method of placing a telephone call from a cordless telephone comprising a cordless telephone handset and a base unit with a telephone line interface that is in an on-hook condition as recited in claim 14, wherein the signal comprises:

a dialing sequence.

17. A method of placing a telephone call from a cordless telephone comprising a cordless telephone handset and a base unit with a telephone line interface that is in an on-hook condition as recited in claim 16, wherein:

said dialing sequence corresponds to said predetermined key sequence.

18. A method of placing a telephone call from a cordless telephone comprising a cordless telephone handset and a base unit with a telephone line interface that is in an on-hook condition as recited in claim 14, wherein:

said signal is sent via an RF link.