Home network telephone answering system and method for same

• US 7,162,013 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gavette, Sherman L., Mansfield, Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anwah; Olisa
• Application Number:
  US10/313,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20030142795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.12, 379/88.18, 379/88.22, 379/88.11, 379/70
• US Class Current: 379/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27457 Management thereof, e.g. manual editing of data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/715 using two or more extensions per line cordless telephones H04M1/725
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/53 using mediation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0172 : Mediation, i.e. device or program to reformat CDRS from one or more switches in order to adapt to one or more billing programs formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 : Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 : in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 : Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 : comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 : A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13039 : Asymmetrical two-way transmission, e.g. ADSL, HDSL
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 : Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 : Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 : PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet

Abstract

A system and method are provided for answering Home Network telephone calls. The method comprises: receiving telephone calls addressed to a Home Network endpoint; routing the received calls from a gateway to the endpoint; and, automatically recording the received call at a telephone answering device (TAD). The call can be recorded by an endpoint, the gateway, or an external line service provider facility central office or web site. Telephone calls can be addressed to an endpoint from external communication media or another endpoint. Some aspects of the method include sending notification that a message has been recorded. The gateway may initiate the notification. Alternately, the gateway may receive a request for any TAD information that may exist for an addressed endpoint, and if a message exists, the TAD creates a bridge between the TAD and a requesting entity to forward the notification.

Claims

1. A system for answering Home Network telephone calls, the system comprising:

a first and a second Home Network endpoint, each having a port to transceive Home Network telephone communications;

a gateway having a port to transceive telephone communication between an endpoint and external communication media, wherein the gateway receives calls addressed to the first endpoint, and wherein the gateway polls the Home Network for endpoints and registers the acquired endpoints for telephone answering device (TAD) services; and

a second endpoint TAD having a port to accept and automatically record received call messages addressed to, but not answered by the first endpoint.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an external line communication medium to transceive telephone communications with the gateway, the communication medium selected from the group including voice over ATM (VoATM), voice over cable modem (VoCM), voice over DSL (VoDSL), voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), fixed wireless access (FWA), fibre to the home (FTTH), integrated service digital network (ISDN), and plain old telephone service (POTS).

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the endpoints are selected from the group including telephones, fax machines, personal data assistants (PDAs), personal computers (PCs), modems, multi-function peripherals (MFPs), video-telephones, wireless communication devices, and hardwired communications devices.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the gateway polls the Home Network for endpoints and registers the acquired endpoints for TAD) services.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the gateway forwards received calls to the TAD.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the gateway initiates the sending of the notification message to the addressed endpoint and creates a bridge between the TAD and the addressed endpoint in response to a request from the addressed endpoint.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the gateway notifies an endpoint of a message in TAD, addressed to that endpoint.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the TAD sends a notification message to the gateway, indicating that a message has been recorded;

and,

wherein the gateway forwards the notification to the addressed endpoint.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the gateway sends notification information selected from the group including the calling telephone number, the name of the calling party, the time of the recording, the recording length, and the TAD memory state.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the gateway, in response to sending notification that a message has been recorded, receives a request for message playback.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the gateway receives a request for message playback of a message addressed to the first endpoint, from the second endpoint.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the gateway, in response to receiving a request for message playback, opens an audio path with the TAD and bridges the audio path with an audio path to the requesting entity.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the gateway opens an audio path with the TAD by using signaling selected from the group including in-band and out-of-band signaling for establishing audio path connections via the TAD and the requesting entity, and selecting the recorded message for playback.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the gateway opens an audio path with the TAD by signaling to dial the TAD, and signaling to pick the recorded message for playback.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the TAD, prior to sending the recorded message via the audio path, receives a password associated with the endpoint to which the call was addressed.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the endpoints include a user interface to select a call screening function.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the requesting endpoint receives caller identification information;

wherein a requesting endpoint selects the call screening function in response to a call; and

,

wherein the gateway establishes a bridge for the TAD to receive the call, establishes a bridge between the TAD and the requesting endpoint requesting the call screening function.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the second endpoint selects the call screening function for calls addressed to the first endpoint.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the TAD permits a bridge to be established between the TAD and the requesting endpoint in response to receiving a password from the requesting endpoint.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the requesting endpoint has a user interface microphone muting function.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the requesting endpoint, following the establishment of a bridge between the TAD and the requesting endpoint, elects to answer the call, and un-mutes the microphone;

and,

wherein the gateway removes the bridge to the TAD.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the TAD, in addition to automatically recording the received call message, plays a recorded announcement.

23. A system for answering Home Network telephone calls, the system comprising:

a first and a second Home Network endpoint, each endpoint having a port to transceive Home Network telephone communications;

a gateway having a port to transceive telephone communication between an endpoint and external communication media, wherein the gateway p0118 the Home Network for endpoints and registers the acquired endpoints for TAD services, receives calls addressed to the first endpoint, waits a predetermined amount of time for a response from the first endpoint, and reroutes the call from the first endpoint; and

,

a second endpoint telephone answering device (TAD) having a port to accept and automatically record received call messages addressed to, but not answered by the first endpoint, and to send a notification message to the addressed endpoint that a message has been recorded for the addressed endpoint.