Abstract:
A customer premise equipment (CPE) (105) is adapted to take advantage of a three-way calling feature in order to forward incoming calls on a flexible and less expensive basis. Thus, according to one embodiment of the invention, a method of automatically forwarding an incoming call in a CPE includes the steps of temporarily placing the incoming call in a hold status, calling a forwarding number, and retrieving the incoming call from the hold status to connect the incoming call to the forwarding number. In an alternative embodiment, a CPE includes a flash unit adapted to place an incoming call into a hold status, and a calling unit (113) adapted to call a forwarding number based on call related information associated with the incoming call.
Abstract:
An adjunct Type 11 caller ID/call waiting (CIDCW) receiver unit (100) is provided which has a greatly improved ability to detect tones and other call related information on a telephone line from a central office (504) while the customer premises equipment (502) is in an off-hook condition. The inventive adjunct CIDCW receiver unit is placed in series between the telephone line from the central office and the customer premises equipment, rather than in parallel with the customer premises equipment as in conventional adjunct CIDCW receiver units. A second telephone line interface (TLI) (104) is included in the adjunct CIDCW receiver unit for connection to the customer premises unit to simulate the impedance of the telephone line. The adjunct CIDCW receiver unit has the ability to disconnect, mute or suppress the microphone signal from the customer premises equipment from being included in the signal received by the call related information receiver portion of the adjunct CIDCW receiver unit.
Abstract:
According to one aspect of the invention, two lines (107, 109) are utilized to selectively forward calls based on caller ID data. Thus, according to one embodiment of the invention, a method of connecting a calling party to a called party includes the steps of a customer premise equipment (CPE) (105) receiving an incoming call from the calling party on a first line (107), the CPE (105) evaluating caller ID data associated with the incoming call, and the CPE (105) placing an outgoing call to the called party on a second line (109) based on the caller ID data. In another embodiment, a CPE (105) includes a first line (107), a second line (109), and a calling unit (113) adapted to place an outgoing call on the second line (109) based on caller ID data associated with an incoming call received on the first line (107). In yet another embodiment, a method of forwarding a call includes the steps of receiving the call on a first line (107), selectively calling a forwarding number on a second line (109) based on caller ID data associated with the received call, and coupling the first line to the second line (115).