Automatic answering pick-up device

Details Automatic answering pick-up device Automatic answering pick-up device

2000-04-28

2001-09-04

Chiang, Jack (Department: 2642)

Telephonic communications

Terminal accessory or auxiliary equipment

Attachable to terminal housing

Reexamination Certificate

active

06285759

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of telephones. More particularly, this invention relates to the field of automatic telephone handset pick-up devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Since the advent of the telephone, a variety of accessories have been developed for making telephone usage more convenient and for meeting various needs of telephone users. Among these accessories are cordless telephones. Cordless telephones generally include a base unit and a cordless handset or a headset. The base unit is typically coupled to a telephone wall jack or to an existing corded telephone set and includes a radio transceiver for transmitting and receiving signals between the base unit and the handset or headset.
Contemporary cordless handsets offer users most, if not all, of the operational features currently associated with conventional corded telephones. This includes notification of an incoming call, an ability to answer the call, to initiate a call, dial a number, to converse with the other party, and to terminate the call by hanging-up. This allows a user to rely solely on the cordless handset for all operational features of the telephone. Cordless handsets, however, like corded handsets, require that the user occupy one hand with the handset or require that the user cradle the handset between the user's shoulder and ear.
Cordless telephone headsets have emerged as another popular telephone accessory. The cordless headset is worn by the user and typically incorporates a microphone boom, a microphone, a speaker and a transceiver housed within the headset which allow the headset to communicate directly with a base unit. As such, cordless headsets allow the user to converse with another party while having both hands free and while having freedom of movement within the range of the transceiver.
Headsets, cordless and corded, however, only replace the functionality of a handset and do not include all the functions of a telephone. For example, headsets are generally not configured to initiate a call, to dial a number or to answer an incoming call. As such, cordless headsets typically do not provide an ability to control the base unit to go off-hook for receiving an incoming call or to go on-hook to hang-up the call at the end of a conversation. Thus, their utility is limited in that the user must be stationed near the existing corded telephone set to answer an incoming call. Only after the call has been answered can the user walk freely away while continuing the conversation. The user must again return to the existing corded telephone set to terminate the call by hanging up.
Cordless headsets are often provided as an after-market add-on for an existing telephone. As such, a cordless headset from one source or manufacturer can generally be used with telephones from a variety of sources or manufacturers. An example of a prior art cordless headset
100
is illustrated in FIG.
1
. Headsets identical or similar to the headset
100
can be obtained from Hello Direct, Inc, located at 5893 Rue Ferrari, in San Jose, Calif. or by calling Hello Direct, Inc. at 1(800)444-3556.
The headset
100
includes a microphone
101
, a receiver speaker
102
and a transceiver
103
. The headset
100
is designed to allow hands free telephone conversations once a call is established. The headset
100
communicates via radio frequency signals with a base unit
104
which is coupled to the handset port of an existing telephone
105
. A battery powered radio transceiver
103
is included in the headset
100
. In operation, battery power is removed from the headset
100
when the microphone boom
106
is rotated upwards such that it is approximately perpendicular to the ground. When the boom
106
is rotated downward, battery power is applied to the headset
100
such that the user is able to converse with another party over the telephone. The headset
100
is designed so that it can be configured for use with an existing telephone
105
. Thus, to install the base unit
104
, the base unit
104
is electrically coupled to the telephone handset port. The handset
107
is disconnected from the handset port of the telephone
105
and reconnected to an appropriate port of the base unit
104
. The headset
100
and the handset
107
can be used interchangeably, but not at the same time.
To place or answer a call, the user must remove the handset
107
from the cradle
108
.
FIGS. 2 and 3
illustrate a prior art device for mechanically raising a telephone handset off-hook The device illustrated in
FIGS. 2 and 3
is currently available from Hello Direct, Inc., under the name TOUCH-N-TALK™ and is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. D358,594. By rotating a lever
201
, a bar
202
engages the handset
107
and lifts the handset
107
from the cradle
108
, thus placing the telephone off-hook. Rotating the lever
201
in the opposite direction replaces the handset
107
on the cradle
108
, placing the telephone on-hook. Therefore, this device allows a user to manually answer and hang-up calls without having to fully remove the handset
107
from the cradle
108
. The device illustrated in
FIGS. 2 and 3
has a drawback in that the user must be in a position to manually lift the handset from the cradle in order to answer and to terminate a call.
FIG. 4
illustrates a prior art hook switch On/Off device described in European Patent Application No. EP 680,188. When an On/Off control signal is applied to a XOR gate
401
, a driving motor
401
starts rotation of gears
402
,
403
and semi-circular gear
404
. Rotation of the gear
404
causes a member
104
b
to rise relative to a member
405
, lifting a telephone handset from its hook switch. When the separating member
104
b
rises sufficiently, a sensor
407
signals the motor
401
to stop. When the On/Off control signal indicates the call is over, the motor
401
rotates the gear
404
until the gear
404
no longer engages the member
104
b
.This causes the member
104
b
to fall, dropping the handset onto the hook switch. The sensor
407
then signals the motor
401
to stop. This device has a drawback in that repeatedly dropping the telephone handset onto the hook switch of the telephone may eventually damage the handset, the hook switch or the telephone. In addition, the handset may become misaligned from the member
104
b
or from the cradle such that the handset may not land directly on the hook switch, causing the hook switch to remain off hook. Failure to properly hang up after a telephone call can result in unnecessary telephone charges, while later callers can receive a busy signal. Also, the linear lift mechanism and mechanical configuration of the commercial embodiment of this device allow it to be readily configured to only a limited number of commercially available telephone sets.
What is needed is a device that will notify a headset user of an incoming call and that will allow the user to reliably answer calls and to hang-up the calls from a remote location using the cordless headset. What is further needed is a device of the aforementioned type that is compatible with existing telephone units.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is a cordless telephone headset and remotely controlled telephone handset pick-up device adapted for use in conjunction with an existing corded telephone set. A base unit is electrically coupled to the handset port of the corded telephone, while the handset of the corded telephone is electrically coupled to the base unit. The base unit communicates with the headset via radio signals. A mechanical lift arm of the pick-up device, driven by an electric motor with a slip clutch, lifts the handset away from the corded telephone cradle, placing the telephone handset in an off-hook position. From the off-hook position, the handset is lowered back down onto the cradle by the mechanical lift arm, returning the telephone set to arivn-hook position. The mechanical lift arm is activated and deactivated in response to a radio signal indicative of the lowering and raising of the microphone boom of the cordless headset

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