Residential telephone system and method
First Claim
1. An apparatus for providing a residential telephone system, the system being electrically coupled to an external telephone service facility and electrically coupled to a user telephone, the system being configurable from a user of the user telephone contemporaneous with processing of an incoming call signal from a calling party, the apparatus comprising:
- a telephone facility interface for receiving an incoming call signal from the external telephone facility and transmitting an outgoing call signal to the external telephone facility;
a direct access module coupled to the telephone facility interface for processing the incoming call signal and the outgoing call signal;
a codec coupled to the direct access module converting an analog signal to a digital signal and converting the digital signal to the analog signal;
a digital signal processor coupled to the codec for receiving the incoming call signal and transmitting a recorded announcement, a prompt, and a message;
a memory storing one or more recorded announcements, one or more prompts, one or more messages as received by the digital signal processor, and an operating code, said digital signal processor and memory cooperating to operate in a messaging module mode;
a ringing subscriber line interface circuit coupled to the digital signal processor providing telephone interface functions;
a user telephone interface for electrically coupling to the user telephone, said user telephone interface transmitting the incoming call signal to the user telephone;
a relay electrically coupled to the telephone facility interface, the ringing subscriber line interface circuit, and the user telephone interface, said relay having two mutually exclusive states, a default state electrically coupling the external telephone facility to the user telephone, and a second state electrically coupling the ringing subscriber line interface circuit to the user telephone; and
a processor coupled to the direct access module, the digital signal processor, the codec, the ringing subscriber line interface circuit and relay, said processor utilizing the operating code having an administrative parameter for controlling an operation of the direct access module, digital signal processor, codec, ringing subscriber line interface circuit and relay, said processor enabling a specification of the administrative parameter without initiating an off-hook state on the external communication facility.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a telephone system and method for use by a residential user. A residential telephone system is electrically coupled to an external telephone service facility and electrically coupled to a user telephone. The system comprises a telephone service facility interface for receiving an incoming call signal from the external telephone service facility and a user telephone interface for transmitting the incoming call signal to the user telephone and for receiving an administrative signal from the user telephone. The system also comprises a memory and a messaging module for storing in the memory a calling party message received from a calling party in the incoming call signal. The system further comprises a connection module responsive to the administrative signal received from the user telephone via the user telephone interface for receiving an incoming call signal and processing the incoming call signal to either connect the incoming call signal to the messaging module or to transmit the incoming call signal to the user telephone via the user telephone interface. The invention also relates to a system for remotely administering a residential telephone system. The invention further relates a system and method for call management of incoming calls by a residential telephone system.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An apparatus for providing a residential telephone system, the system being electrically coupled to an external telephone service facility and electrically coupled to a user telephone, the system being configurable from a user of the user telephone contemporaneous with processing of an incoming call signal from a calling party, the apparatus comprising:
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a telephone facility interface for receiving an incoming call signal from the external telephone facility and transmitting an outgoing call signal to the external telephone facility; a direct access module coupled to the telephone facility interface for processing the incoming call signal and the outgoing call signal; a codec coupled to the direct access module converting an analog signal to a digital signal and converting the digital signal to the analog signal; a digital signal processor coupled to the codec for receiving the incoming call signal and transmitting a recorded announcement, a prompt, and a message; a memory storing one or more recorded announcements, one or more prompts, one or more messages as received by the digital signal processor, and an operating code, said digital signal processor and memory cooperating to operate in a messaging module mode; a ringing subscriber line interface circuit coupled to the digital signal processor providing telephone interface functions; a user telephone interface for electrically coupling to the user telephone, said user telephone interface transmitting the incoming call signal to the user telephone; a relay electrically coupled to the telephone facility interface, the ringing subscriber line interface circuit, and the user telephone interface, said relay having two mutually exclusive states, a default state electrically coupling the external telephone facility to the user telephone, and a second state electrically coupling the ringing subscriber line interface circuit to the user telephone; and a processor coupled to the direct access module, the digital signal processor, the codec, the ringing subscriber line interface circuit and relay, said processor utilizing the operating code having an administrative parameter for controlling an operation of the direct access module, digital signal processor, codec, ringing subscriber line interface circuit and relay, said processor enabling a specification of the administrative parameter without initiating an off-hook state on the external communication facility. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A central server for remotely administering a residential telephone system, the central server comprising:
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a memory for storing a configuration parameter and an administrative parameter; a first communication interface for transmitting the administrative parameter and the configuration parameter to a remote computer and for receiving a user instruction from the remote computer; a second communication interface for transmitting an administrative instruction to the residential telephone system; and a processor configured to associate the configuration parameter with the administrative parameter and to transmit the administrative instruction to the residential telephone system responsive to the received user instruction. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of administering a residential telephone system over a first network by a central server receiving user instructions from a remote computer connected by a second network with the central server, the method comprising:
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transmitting an administrative parameter and a configuration parameter to the remote computer over the second network; receiving at the central server a user instruction from the remote computer over the second network; and transmitting an administrative instruction to the residential telephone system over the first network responsive to the user instruction. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for remotely administering a residential telephone system comprising:
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a remote computer configured to receive an administrative parameter and a configuration parameter from a central server and receive input from a user, said remote computer further configured to transfer a user instruction to the central server responsive to the received user input; a central server configured to transmit the administrative parameter and the configuration parameter to the remote computer, and receive the user instruction, and further configured to transmit an administrative instruction to the residential telephone system responsive to the received user instruction; and a residential telephone system configured to be electrically coupled to an external telephone service facility and a user telephone for processing telephone calls to and from the external telephone service facility and the user telephone, said residential telephone system receiving the administrative instruction and performing an administrative operation responsive to the received administrative instruction.
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26. A method for remotely administering a residential telephone system comprising:
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At a remote computer; receiving an administrative parameter and a configuration parameter from a central server; receiving a user input; transmitting a user instruction to the central server responsive to the user input; At the central server; storing the administrative parameter and configuration parameter; transmitting the administrative parameter and the configuration parameter to the remote computer; receiving the user instruction from the remote computer; transmitting an administrative instruction to the residential telephone system responsive to the received user instruction; At the residential telephone system; receiving the administrative instruction from the central server; and performing an administrative operation responsive to the received administrative instruction. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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Specification