Call waiting-caller identification notification device

Details Call waiting-caller identification notification device Call waiting-caller identification notification device

1999-11-09

2001-11-13

Hoosain, Allan (Department: 2645)

Telephonic communications

Telephone line or system combined with diverse electrical...

Having transmission of a digital message signal over a...

C379S067100, C379S088110, C379S142080, C379S215010

Reexamination Certificate

active

06317488

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a system that provides Call Waiting notification when a phone line is currently being used by a computer modem.
Many residential Internet users only have one phone line into their homes. That one phone line is used for voice calls and modem based Internet calls. Frequently users are torn between logging onto the Internet via their computer modems or waiting for an expected phone call. Telephone companies provide a service called Call Waiting that notifies users of an incoming call while talking to a first caller. Call Waiting prevents a user that only has one phone line from missing important calls.
The Call Waiting service sends a signal on the phone line to notify the user of the incoming call. The user then has the option to either take the incoming call and put the current call on hold or to ignore the incoming call. An advanced version of this service is called Call Waiting-Caller ID. Call Waiting-Caller ID sends an alerting signal when a second call is coming in and also displays on a special Caller ID device, the name and number of the incoming caller.
When a modem is currently in use on the phone line, the user cannot hear the Call Waiting tone and therefore is not notified of the incoming call. Products have been developed that sense a Call Waiting tone from a central office switch when the phone line is currently being used for modem communications. A visual or audible indicator is then used to notify the user of the incoming call. These products however do not work with Call Waiting-Caller ID.
Accordingly, a need remains for a notification system that works in a Call Waiting-Caller ID environment to provide notification of incoming calls when the phone line is currently being used by a computer modem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An Internet Call Waiting Device (ICW) detects a Call Waiting signal even when a modem is currently using the phone line. Upon sensing the Call Waiting signal, the internet Call Waiting device alerts the user using one or more flashing lights and/or generating audible signals that the user can hear. If the user has a Call Waiting-Caller ID service the caller's name and number are also displayed if it is available from the phone company. A Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) or other type of digital display can also be used to notify a user of a waiting call. For example, a digital display is used in some phone systems for displaying Caller-ID information. The same digital display can be used to identify a Call Waiting condition for systems without Caller-ID.
After being notified, the user can choose to ignore the call or take the call by picking up a telephone. If the user picks up the telephone, the ICW signals the central office to put the first modem connection on hold. A connection is then made with the second call. When the second call is completed and the user hangs up the telephone for the second call, the ICW signals the central office to reconnect the first modem call. If the invention is used with a speaker phone, a user simply presses a button to talk with the caller via a speaker without physically picking up the telephone handset.
The ICW includes a signal detector for detecting a Call Waiting or Call Waiting-Caller ID signal on the phone line. A switch automatically disconnects the modem from the phone line when a Call Waiting-Caller ID signal is detected by the signal detector. A signal generator then enables a central office switch to transmit Caller ID information while the modem is disconnected from the phone line.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.


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Hot Call Plus (HC3000) Users Manualfrom Command Communications (cover page with 5 additional pages).
Actiontec Electronics Call Waiting Modem website product and service information including Call Waiting Tutorial and Frequently Asked Questions about Call Waiting Modems (15 pages).

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