Patent · US Expired

Telephone communication apparatus including reply apparatus for responding to an incoming telephone call

US5671269A · kind A · utility

25Cited by
27References
39Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 27, 1996
Grant dateSep 23, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 27, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M1/6505
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A telephone communication apparatus includes computing equipment programmed to send and receive telephone calls over a telephone line and a communication board connected to the computing equipment and responsive to program control therefrom. The computing equipment is responsive to detection of an incoming telephone call from a remote terminal to connect the telephone line to the computing equipment. The computing equipment also includes a data storage and a processor for receiving the incoming call and recording the telephone number of the remote terminal in the data storage without intervention by the user at the apparatus, and further includes reply apparatus for sending a reply telephone call to the remote terminal in accordance with the recorded telephone number. The processor can detect the telephone number in the incoming telephone call in a variety of ways, including detecting the telephone number as part of an incoming voice message or as part of incoming control information. The apparatus also includes structure for recording a reply message to be sent to the remote terminal.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.