Telephone communication system having a locator
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A telephone communication system, comprising:
- (a) a private branch exchange (PBX) having a processing unit and a plurality of telephones for facilitating telephone communication between a plurality of telephone users;
(b) a locator system connected to said PBX for providing location information, said locator system comprising;
a plurality of portable badges each associated with a respective one of a plurality of telephone users and transmits badge information including an identification signal for identifying the telephone user associated with said respective badge;
a plurality of transceivers, each operatively connected to said PBX and each adapted for receiving said badge information transmitted from said badges and for electrically forwarding at least a portion of said badge information to said processing unit of said PBX to determine location information of said telephone users; and
a database memory for storing said location information including an archival location data for each of said telephone users, said archival location data includes at least the last location and the time at the last location for each of said telephone users, wherein said archival location is accessible from any of said telephones;
said PBX having means for selectively accessing said locator system for retrieving said location information, said means for selectively accessing being accessible from any selected one of said telephones through said PBX;
means for communicating said location information to said selected one of said telephones; and
means for selectively activating one of a plurality of telephone functions for use in conjunction with said location information for communicating with a called telephone user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A telephone communication system having a locator system for locating telephone users and generating location information. The telephone communication system includes a plurality of telephone functions which are user accessible for usage in conjunction with the location information. Each telephone of the system may be configured to facilitate interactive control and selection of the system features by the users.
367 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A telephone communication system, comprising:
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(a) a private branch exchange (PBX) having a processing unit and a plurality of telephones for facilitating telephone communication between a plurality of telephone users; (b) a locator system connected to said PBX for providing location information, said locator system comprising; a plurality of portable badges each associated with a respective one of a plurality of telephone users and transmits badge information including an identification signal for identifying the telephone user associated with said respective badge; a plurality of transceivers, each operatively connected to said PBX and each adapted for receiving said badge information transmitted from said badges and for electrically forwarding at least a portion of said badge information to said processing unit of said PBX to determine location information of said telephone users; and a database memory for storing said location information including an archival location data for each of said telephone users, said archival location data includes at least the last location and the time at the last location for each of said telephone users, wherein said archival location is accessible from any of said telephones; said PBX having means for selectively accessing said locator system for retrieving said location information, said means for selectively accessing being accessible from any selected one of said telephones through said PBX;
means for communicating said location information to said selected one of said telephones; and
means for selectively activating one of a plurality of telephone functions for use in conjunction with said location information for communicating with a called telephone user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A telephone communication system, comprising:
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(a) a private branch exchange (PBX) having a processing unit and a plurality of telephones for facilitating telephone communication between a plurality of telephone users; (b) a locator system connected to said PBX for providing location information, said locator system comprising; a plurality of portable badges each associated with a respective one of a plurality of telephone users and transmits badge information including an identification signal for identifying the telephone user associated with said respective badge; and a plurality of transceivers, each operatively connected to said PBX and each adapted for receiving said badge information transmitted from said badges and for electrically forwarding at least a portion of said badge information to said processing unit of said PBX to determine location information of said telephone users; said PBX having means for selectively accessing said locator system for retrieving said location information, said means for selectively accessing being accessible from any selected one of said telephones through said PBX;
means for communicating said location information to said selected one of said telephones; and
means for selectively activating one of a plurality of telephone functions for use in conjunction with said location information for communicating with a called telephone user, wherein said telephone functions include a code representing a do-not-disturb function selectable by a user at one of said plurality of telephones assigned to said user by entering said code for instructing said PBX to not establish a communication link with another telephone upon determination of location of said user by said locator system at said one of said telephones assigned to said user.
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15. A telephone communication system, comprising:
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(a) a private branch exchange (PBX) having a processing unit and a plurality of telephones for facilitating telephone communication between a plurality of telephone users; (b) a locator system connected to said PBX for providing location information, said locator system comprising; a plurality of portable badges each associated with a respective one of a plurality of telephone users and transmits badge information including an identification signal for identifying the telephone user associated with said respective badge; and a plurality of transceivers, each operatively connected to said PBX and each adapted for receiving said badge information transmitted from said badges and for electrically forwarding at least a portion of said badge information to said processing unit of said PBX to determine location information of said telephone users; said PBX having means for selectively accessing said locator system for retrieving said location information, said means for selectively accessing being accessible from any selected one of said telephones through said PBX;
means for communicating said location information to said selected one of said telephones; and
means for selectively activating one of a plurality of telephone functions for use in conjunction with said location information for communicating with a called telephone user, wherein said PBX further includes means for ringing a predefined ring tone at a called telephone to signify a telephone call routed to said called telephone based on location information accessed from said locator system by said PBX.
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16. A telephone communication system, comprising:
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(a) a private branch exchange (PBX) having a processing unit and a plurality of telephones for facilitating telephone communication between a plurality of telephone users; (b) a locator system connected to said PBX for providing location information, said locator system comprising; a plurality of portable badges each associated with a respective one of a plurality of telephone users and transmits badge information including an identification signal for identifying the telephone user associated with said respective badge; and a plurality of transceivers, each operatively connected to said PBX and each adapted for receiving said badge information transmitted from said badges and for electrically forwarding at least a portion of said badge information to said processing unit of said PBX to determine location information of said telephone users; said PBX having means for selectively accessing said locator system for retrieving said location information, said means for selectively accessing being accessible from any selected one of said telephones through said PBX;
wherein said telephone functions include a callback code representing an automatic call back feature selectable by a telephone user which automatically rings a telephone from which said callback code is selected and upon determination of the location of a searched person by said locator system;
means for communicating said location information to said selected one of said telephones; and
means for selectively activating one of a plurality of telephone functions for use in conjunction with said location information for communicating with a called telephone user.
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17. A telephone communication system, comprising:
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(a) a private branch exchange (PBX) having a processing unit and a plurality of telephones for facilitating telephone communication between a plurality of telephone users; (b) a locator system connected to said PBX for providing location information, said locator system comprising; a plurality of portable badges each associated with a respective one of a plurality of telephone users and transmits badge information including an identification signal for identifying the telephone user associated with said respective badge; a plurality of transceivers, each operatively connected to said PBX and each adapted for receiving said badge information transmitted from said badges and for electrically forwarding at least a portion of said badge information to said processing unit of said PBX to determine location information of said telephone users; means for grouping each of said telephone users into one of a plurality of groups; means for locating all users belonging in a selected one of said groups; and display means for displaying the locations of all users in said selected group, wherein each of said groups is classified into one of a plurality of levels and said locator system sends location information to a telephone only if a calling telephone user is determined to be at equal or higher level than a called telephone user; said PBX having means for selectively accessing said locator system for retrieving said location information, said means for selectively accessing being accessible from any selected one of said telephones through said PBX;
means for communicating said location information to said selected one of said telephones; and
means for selectively activating one of a plurality of telephone functions for use in conjunction with said location information for communicating with a called telephone user.
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18. A telephone communication system, comprising:
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(a) a private branch exchange (PBX) having a processing unit and a plurality of telephones for facilitating telephone communication between a plurality of telephone users; and (b) a locator system connected to said PBX for providing location information, said locator system comprising; a plurality of portable badges associated with respective plurality of telephone users, each of said badges for transmitting badge information including an identification signal for identifying the telephone user associated with said respective badge; a plurality of transceivers, each adapted for receiving said badge information transmitted from said badges and for forwarding at least a portion of said badge information to said processing unit of said PBX to determine location information of said telephone users; and said PBX further having stored programs for implementing a plurality of telephone functions in conjunction with said location information, said telephone functions including a voice location function (VLS) accessible by a caller through said PBX, said VLS having means for interacting with said caller by audibly presenting a menu for selection by said caller;
means for receiving a called user'"'"'s name input by said caller;
means for audibly presenting said location information to said caller; and
means for retrieving location information of said called user for presentation to said caller with said means for audibly presenting. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A telephone communication system, comprising:
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(a) a private branch exchange (PBX) having a processing unit and a plurality of telephones for facilitating telephone communication between a plurality of telephone users; (b) a locator system connected to said PBX for providing location information, said locator system comprising; a plurality of portable badges associated with respective plurality of telephone users, each of said badges for transmitting badge information including an identification signal for identifying the telephone user associated with said respective badge; a plurality of transceivers, each adapted for receiving said badge information transmitted from said badges and for forwarding at least a portion of said badge information to said processing unit of said PBX to determine location information of said telephone users; and said PBX further having stored programs for implementing a plurality of telephone functions in conjunction with said location information, said telephone functions including a voice location function (VLS) accessible by a caller through said PBX, said VLS having means for audibly presenting said location information to said caller and storage means for storing data including the last time and location which received transmissions from each of said badges and selected portions of said data is retrieved and presented by said means for audibly presenting to said caller when a called user is not located by said locator system.
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Specification