Animatronic creatures that act as intermediaries between human users and a telephone system
US8135128B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 18, 2006 |
| Grant date | Mar 13, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 22, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04M19/048
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An animatronic telephone agent consisting of a communications subsystem connected to a wired or wireless telephone network for receiving incoming telephone calls, and a robotic automaton coupled to the communications subsystem and responsive to incoming telephone calls for performing different movements that provide non-verbal visual cues to a human observer that are indicative of the status of each incoming call. The automaton preferably takes the form of an animatronic device that has movable appendages and a face with at least movable eyes or eyelids and which provides visual cues by making gestures and/or exhibiting facial expressions that are indicative of the receipt and progress of incoming calls.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.