Access monitoring via piconet connection to telephone
First Claim
1. A telephone answering device, comprising:
- a digital answering machine;
a wireless piconet front end; and
a monitoring module to determine a presence of a monitored person within a monitored area, said monitoring module determining a presence of a user of said telephone answering device when a piconet device uniquely associated with said user is present in a piconet including said wireless piconet front end of said telephone answering device;
wherein said telephone answering device automatically answers an incoming call when said monitoring module determines that said user is not present, and allows additional rings when said user is present.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A home or office is remotely monitored by an authorized caller using wireless piconet networks between personal wireless piconet identifier devices worn or carried by particular persons and a remotely accessible access monitor base unit. Persons are monitored by an authorized remote person using a personal wireless piconet identifying device. Each personal wireless piconet identifying device includes a unique code serving as a personal identifier. An access monitoring base unit (e.g., a cordless telephone) includes a piconet network front end which establishes a piconet or scatternet network connection with a wireless piconet entrance/exit monitor, which in turn establishes temporary wireless piconet networks with the personal wireless piconet identifying units. A properly authorized caller may remotely access the access monitor base unit, enter a suitably secure access code, and request and download desired information from the piconet participant database, either in digital or audible form.
15 Citations
8 Claims
-
1. A telephone answering device, comprising:
-
a digital answering machine; a wireless piconet front end; and a monitoring module to determine a presence of a monitored person within a monitored area, said monitoring module determining a presence of a user of said telephone answering device when a piconet device uniquely associated with said user is present in a piconet including said wireless piconet front end of said telephone answering device; wherein said telephone answering device automatically answers an incoming call when said monitoring module determines that said user is not present, and allows additional rings when said user is present. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. A method of automatically answering a telephone call, comprising:
-
searching for a presence of a user of a telephone answering device via a piconet communications device associated with said user'"'"'s presence;
automatically answering said telephone call if said user is not present; andallowing said telephone call to continue to ring if said user is present as determined by a presence of said piconet communications device associated with said user'"'"'s presence. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5)
-
-
6. Apparatus for automatically answering a telephone call, comprising:
-
means for searching for a presence of a user of a telephone answering device via a piconet communications device associated with said user'"'"'s presence;
means for automatically answering said telephone call if said user is not present; andmeans of allowing said telephone call to continue to ring if said user is present as determined by a presence of said piconet communications device associated with said user'"'"'s presence. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
-
Specification