Communicator for a telephone system
First Claim
1. Apparatus for use in a communications system wherein an incoming call from a calling party is directed to a called party, said apparatus comprising a communications processor, said communications processor:
- responsive to said incoming call for determining a bidirectional communications device associated with said called party and for causing an alerting signal to be produced at said bidirectional communications device to alert said called party of said incoming call,responsive to a first signal transmitted by said bidirectional communications device for suspending further processing of said incoming call in a first call processing mode, andresponsive to a predetermined signal received from said bidirectional communications device, prior to said called party establishing a two-way telephone connection to said incoming call, for reinitiating processing of said incoming call in a different second call processing mode.
18 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A communication system for coupling incoming calls from a calling party to a called party. The system includes at least one paging device and a plurality of other communications devices associated with prospective called parties, each of the other communications devices possessing communications capabilities different from the paging device. A programmed computer is responsive to signalling information in an incoming call for determining which paging device is associated with the called party and for determining which of the other communications devices is associated with the called party. An alerting signal is coupled to that paging device to alert the called party of the incoming call and a signal transmitted by the called party is detected in order to control further processing of the incoming call.
173 Citations
57 Claims
-
1. Apparatus for use in a communications system wherein an incoming call from a calling party is directed to a called party, said apparatus comprising a communications processor, said communications processor:
-
responsive to said incoming call for determining a bidirectional communications device associated with said called party and for causing an alerting signal to be produced at said bidirectional communications device to alert said called party of said incoming call, responsive to a first signal transmitted by said bidirectional communications device for suspending further processing of said incoming call in a first call processing mode, and responsive to a predetermined signal received from said bidirectional communications device, prior to said called party establishing a two-way telephone connection to said incoming call, for reinitiating processing of said incoming call in a different second call processing mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 38, 39, 40, 41, 55)
-
-
10. A bidirectional communicator device for use in a communications system, said bidirectional communicator device comprising:
-
a receiver for receiving a first signal from said communications system in response to an incoming call for a called party associated with said bidirectional communicator device; and a transmitter for transmitting a second signal to said communications system, while said incoming call is being processed and without having established a bidirectional telephonic connection between said calling party and said called party, said second signal indicating a command from said called party to have said incoming call suspended from a first call processing mode, and to have said incoming call processed in a different second call processing mode. - View Dependent Claims (11, 42)
-
-
12. A communication system for processing incoming calls from a calling party to a called party, said system comprising:
-
at least one wireless bidirectional communications device; an incoming call processor responsive to signalling information in an incoming call for determining that said wireless bidirectional communications device is associated with said called party; a transmitting system for coupling an alerting signal to said wireless bidirectional communications device associated with said called party to alert said called party of said incoming call; a receiving system, responsive to a mode command signal transmitted by said wireless bidirectional communications device, while said incoming call is being processed, for directing said incoming call processor to terminate further processing of said incoming call in a first call processing mode, said receiving system also being responsive to a predetermined signal received from said wireless bidirectional communications device for reinitiating processing of said incoming call in a second call processing mode different from said first call processing mode. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 56)
-
-
13. A method for use in a communications system wherein an incoming call from a calling party is directed to a called party, said method comprising the steps of:
-
determining, in response to said incoming call, a wireless bidirectional communicator device associated with said called party; coupling an alerting signal to the determined wireless communicator device to alert said called party of said incoming call; temporarily suspending any further processing of said incoming call in a first processing mode in response to a mode command signal transmitted by said wireless communicator device without said called party having established a bidirectional telephone connection to said incoming call; and reinitiating processing of said incoming call in a different processing mode commanded by said mode command signal.
-
-
14. Apparatus for use in a communications system wherein an incoming call from a calling party is directed to a called party, said apparatus comprising:
-
means responsive to said incoming call for determining a paging device associated with said called party and at least one other communications device possessing communications capabilities different from that of said paging device and associated with said called party; means responsive to the determined paging and other communications device for coupling an alerting signal to said paging device to alert said called party of said incoming call; means responsive to a first signal transmitted from said pager for controlling further processing of said incoming call, including selectively coupling said incoming call to said other communications device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. Apparatus for use in a communications system wherein an incoming call from a calling party is directed to a called party, said apparatus comprising:
-
means responsive to said incoming call for determining a paging device associated with said called party and at least one other communications device possessing communications capabilities different from that of said paging device and associated with said called party; means responsive to the determined paging and other communications device for coupling an alerting signal to said paging device to alert said called party of said incoming call; means responsive to a first signal transmitted by said called party for controlling further processing of said incoming call, including selectively coupling said incoming call to said other communications device and coupling a predetermined voice announcement to said calling party announcing said called party'"'"'s intent to receive said incoming call.
-
-
23. A pager for use in a communications system, said pager comprising:
-
means for receiving a signal from said communications system in response to an incoming call for a called party associated with said pager; and means for transmitting a signal to said communications system indicating an intent of the called party to personally answer the call. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
-
-
26. A communication system for coupling incoming calls from a calling party to a called party, said system comprising
at least one paging device; -
a plurality of other communications devices associated with prospective called parties, each of said other communications devices possessing communications capabilities different from said paging device; means responsive to signalling information in an incoming call for determining if any said paging device is associated with said called party and for determining which of said other communications devices is associated with said called party; means for coupling an alerting signal to said paging device to alert said called party of said incoming call; means responsive to a signal transmitted by said paging device for controlling further processing of said incoming call. - View Dependent Claims (27)
-
-
28. A method for use in a communications system wherein an incoming call from a calling party is connected to a called party, said method comprising the steps of:
-
determining, in response to said incoming call, a paging device associated with said called party and at least one other communications device possessing communications capabilities associated with said called party and possessing communications capabilities different from that of said paging device; coupling an alerting signal to the determined paging device to alert said called party of said incoming call; temporarily suspending any further processing of said incoming call; and reinitiating processing of said incoming call in response to a signal transmitted from said paging device by said called party and coupling said incoming call to another communications device, said another communications device being any in a set of communications devices including said other communications device whereby said incoming call is received by said called party at one of said other communications devices. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
-
-
31. A method of directing an incoming call from a calling part to a called party, said method comprising:
-
determining a paging device associated with said called party and at least one other communications device possessing communications capabilities different from that of said paging device and associated with said called party in response to said incoming call; coupling an alerting signal to said paging device to alert said called party of said incoming call; detecting a signal transmitted from said paging device by said called party in response to said alerting signal; and in response to the detection of said signal, controlling further processing of said incoming call. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 37)
-
-
36. A method of directing an incoming call from a calling part to a called party, said method comprising:
-
determining a paging device associated with said called party and at least one other communications device possessing communications capabilities different from that of said paging device and associated with said called party in response to said incoming call; coupling an alerting signal to said paging device to alert said called party of said incoming call; detecting a signal transmitted by said called party in response to said alerting signal; and in response to the detection of said signal, controlling further processing of said incoming call by coupling said incoming call to a selected communications device and automatically selecting a communications device to be the selected communications device in response to physical movement of the called party between rooms in a building.
-
-
46. A method of processing an incoming telephone call initiated by a calling party and directed to a telephone network address associated with a called party, said method comprising the steps of:
-
initiating processing of said incoming call in a first call processing mode; sending an alerting signal to a bidirectional communications device associated with said called party to inform said called party of said incoming call; receiving a predetermined mode change command signal from said bidirectional communications device after sending said alerting signal, without a need for said called party to establish a direct telephone connection to said incoming telephone call; responding to said predetermined mode change command signal by changing the processing mode of said incoming telephone call to a second processing mode different from said first mode. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50)
-
-
51. A method of processing an incoming telephone call initiated by a calling party and directed to a telephone network address associated with a called party, said method comprising the steps of:
-
initiating processing of said incoming call in a first call processing mode; sending an alerting signal to a bidirectional communications device associated with said called party to inform said called party of said incoming call; receiving, while said incoming call is being processed and while a two-way telephonic connection between said calling party and said called party has at least not yet been established, a predetermined mode change command signal from said bidirectional communications device; responding to said predetermined mode change command signal by changing the processing mode of said incoming telephone call to a second processing mode different from said first mode and corresponding to said predetermined mode change command. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 57)
-
Specification