Telephonic communications – Reception of calling information at substation in wireline... – Blocking caller id transmission
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-25
2001-07-24
Kuntz, Curtis (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
Reception of calling information at substation in wireline...
Blocking caller id transmission
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266403
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a telecommunication device comprising
an input for receiving a signalling signal comprising a ringing signal and an identification signal, and
a detector coupled to said input for detecting said signalling signal.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Such a telecommunication device, like a telephone device or a facsimile apparatus or a separate unit for displaying the caller's number to the person to be called, is for example known from FR 2727271, which discloses an analog telecommunication system, in which an identification signal with identification information of a caller is transmitted between the first and the second ring of a ringing signal to the telecommunication device of the person to be called. This telecommunication device comprises a detector for detecting a signalling signal comprising said ringing signal and said identification signal.
The disclosed telecommunication device is disadvantageous, inter alia, because of being designed for a testing environment, and therefore being insufficiently friendly to users.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is an object of the invention, inter alia, to provide a telecommunication device as described in the preamble which is more friendly to users.
Thereto the telecommunication device according to the invention is characterized in that said telecommunication device comprises
a further detector coupled to said input for detecting a response to said signalling signal.
By providing the telecommunication device according to the invention with said further detector for detecting an incoming call (associated with said signalling signal) being responded or not (for example by an other person at a time a user was not present or via an other telephone situated at an other location but coupled to the same line), a user of said telecommunication device can get information about said call being responded or not, which makes the device more user friendly.
The invention is based on the insight, inter alia, that a user of the telecommunication device according to the invention should have the possibility of being informed of an other person already having responded to an incoming call at an other time the user was not present or via an other telephone situated at an other location but coupled to the same line.
The problem of a known telecommunication device being insufficiently user friendly is thus solved by providing it with said further detector.
At least a part of the inventivity of said solution is situated is the observation that a detection of somebody else having responded to an incoming call (at an other time a regular user was not present or via an other telephone situated at an other location but coupled to the same line) could be interesting information to said regular user of said device.
The telecommunication device according to the invention offers the possibility of introducing calling line identification for analog subscribers in a user friendly way, which is very advantageous.
A first embodiment of the telecommunication device according to the invention is characterized in that said response originates from a telephone coupled to said input in a parallel way.
By allowing many telephones to be coupled in parallel, which is often done in houses, each incoming call can be responded from each one of said telephones.
Said device will then show the numbers of the (most recent) callers and whether or not each one of these calls has been answered.
A second embodiment of the telecommunication device according to the invention is characterized in that said response comprises a voltage-drop due to an off-hook situation.
Each off-hook situation as a consequence of a handset being picked up corresponds to said telephone line being connected to a load, resulting in said voltage-drop. Due to the device according to the invention (like a telephone device or a facsimile apparatus or a separate unit for displaying the caller's number to the person to be called) being in parallel with at least one (other) telephone, such a voltage-drop is easier to detect than a current starting to flow.
A third embodiment of the telecommunication device according to the invention is characterized in that said further detector comprises a capacitor.
Said capacitor not only can be charged easily with the charge being dependent upon the presence or absence of a voltage-drop during the ringing signal, but also has got a memory function allowing the device to make a decision.
A fourth embodiment of the telecommunication device according to the invention is characterized in that said further detector comprises a threshold establisher coupled to said capacitor for establishing a threshold.
Said threshold establisher allows the establishment of said charge in this case being a voltage which will be higher when said voltage-drop has not been there and which will be lower when said voltage-drop has happened.
A fifth embodiment of the telecommunication device according to the invention is characterized in that said further detector comprises a time measurer coupled to said threshold establisher for measuring a time interval for said capacitor being charged up to said threshold.
The use of such a time measurer allows the use of a simple and cheap voltage establisher due to the fact that the threshold to be reached will always be the same, whereby the time interval that the capacitor needs to be charged up to the threshold determines whether or not an incoming call has been answered.
A sixth embodiment of the telecommunication device according to the invention is characterized in that said telecommunication device comprises a memory coupled to said detector and to said further detector for storing said identification signal and said response.
Such a device discloses much user friendliness due to the storage of a combination of identification signal and response, possibly to be extended with a storage of response-time and/or response-location (which telephone was used for responding).
A seventh embodiment of the telecommunication device according to the invention is characterized in that said telecommunication device comprises a display coupled to said memory for displaying said identification signal and said response.
Such a device discloses most user friendliness due to the possibility of displaying said combination of identification signal and response, possibly to be extended with displaying said response-time and/or response-location.
Neither from FR 2727271, which discloses an analog telecommunication system, in which an identification signal with identification information of a caller is transmitted between the first and the second ring of a ringing signal to the telecommunication device of the person to be called, nor from GB 2279203, which discloses a calling party identification apparatus, is it known to detect an incoming call already being answered, and to store and/or display said feature.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in light of the detailed description of a best mode embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
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Ananikian Daniel
Gomes Jean-Marc
Pellegrini Emmanuel
Alcatel
Barnie Rexford N
Kuntz Curtis
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