Guestroom telephone having single action message retrieval

• US 20020065051A1
• Filed: 10/15/2001
• Published: 05/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cetis, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Scitec Incorporated (Cetis, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sun, Bing N., Danner, Gregory J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,556,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/247 Telephone sets including user guidance or feature selection means facilitating their use user interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2477 for selecting a function from a menu display H04M1/2474 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/658 Means for redirecting recorded messages to other extensions or equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/715 using two or more extensions per line cordless telephones H04M1/725
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/82 Line monitoring circuits for call progress or status discrimination for detecting caller identity H04M1/573
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1083 for hotels
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message

Abstract

A telephone system is operatively coupled to a private automatic branch exchange (PABX) system and to a voice mail system, where the telephone system permits a user to retrieve recorded voice messages from the voice mail system. The telephone system includes one or more telephones, where each telephone further includes a handset, a message waiting indicator configured to inform the user that the voice message is pending with the voice mail system, a message retrieval key for retrieving the voice message from the voice mail system, and an audio speaker configured to provide the user with audio output corresponding to the voice message. A single action by the user of activating the message retrieval key causes the voice message to be retrieved and the audio speaker to be automatically activated such that the voice message is output on the audio speaker without the user lifting the handset.

Claims

1. A telephone system configured to be operatively coupled to a private automatic branch exchange (PABX) system and to a voice mail system, the telephone system permitting a user to retrieve recorded voice messages from the voice mail system, the telephone system comprising:

a telephone;

the telephone having;

a handset;

a message waiting indicator configured to inform the user that the voice message is pending with the voice mail system;

a message retrieval key for retrieving the voice message from the voice mail system, and

an audio speaker configured to provide the user with audio output corresponding to the voice message;

wherein a single action by the user of activating the message retrieval key causes the voice message to be retrieved and the audio speaker to be automatically activated such that the voice message is output on the audio speaker without the user lifting the handset.

2. The telephone system according to claim 1 wherein the single action by the user permits retrieval of the voice message without the user lifting the handset and without the user activating the speakerphone key.

3. The telephone system according to claim 1 wherein lifting of the handset while the voice message is output on the audio speaker causes the audio speaker to turn off and the voice message to be played through the handset.

4. The telephone system according to claim 1 wherein the audio speaker is selected from the group consisting of a loud speaker, piezo-electric element, electrostatic element, tweeter, woofer, horn speaker and moving coil speaker.

5. The telephone system according to claim 1 wherein the single action of the user of activating the message retrieval key places the telephone in an off-hook condition, turns on the audio speaker, and causes transmission of a predetermined sequence of DTMF tones to the PABX and voice-mail system so as to facilitate retrieval of the voice message.

6. The telephone system according to claim 1 wherein activation of the message retrieval key causes the telephone to transmit predetermined signals to the PABX, said transmission of signals causing the PABX to retrieve and transmit the voice message to the telephone.

7. The telephone system according to claim 1 wherein depression of the message retrieval key causes the telephone to transmit a sequence of audio tones to the PABX, said transmission of the audio tones causing the PABX to retrieve and transmit the voice message to the telephone.

8. The telephone system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the PABX and the voice mail system retrieve and transmit a stored voice mail message to the telephone in response to receiving a predetermined sequence of DTMF signals from the telephone.

9. The telephone system according to claim 5 wherein the DTMF signals include at least one of a flash command and a pause command and wherein the DTMF signals are between twelve and sixteen digits in length.

10. A telephone system configured to be operatively coupled to a private automatic Ibranch exchange (PABX) system and to a voice mail system, the telephone system permitting a user to retrieve recorded voice messages from the voice mail system, the telephone system comprising:

a telephone;

the telephone having;

a handset;

a message waiting indicator configured to inform the user that the voice message is pending with the voice mail system;

a message retrieval key for retrieving the voice message from the voice mail system, and

an audio speaker configured to provide the user with audio output corresponding to the voice message;

wherein a single action by the user of activating the message retrieval key automatically places the telephone in an off-hook condition, turns on the audio speaker, and causes transmission of a predetermined sequence of DTMF tones to the PABX so as to facilitate retrieval of the voice message from the voice-mail system such that the voice message is output on the audio speaker without the user lifting the handset.

11. The telephone system according to claim 10 wherein the single action by the user permits retrieval of the voice message without the user lifting the handset and without the user activating the speakerphone key.

12. The telephone system according to claim 10 wherein lifting of the handset while the voice message is output on the audio speaker causes the audio speaker to turn off and the voice message to be played through the handset.

13. The telephone system according to claim 10 wherein the audio speaker is selected from the group consisting of a loud speaker, piezo-electric element, electrostatic element, tweeter, woofer, horn speaker and moving coil speaker.

14. The telephone system according to claim 10 wherein at least one of the PABX and the voice mail system retrieve and transmit a stored voice mail message to the telephone in response to receiving a predetermined sequence of DTMF signals from the telephone.

15. The telephone system according to claim 10 wherein the DTMF signals include at least one of a flash command and a pause command and wherein the DTMF signals are between twelve and sixteen digits in length.