摘要:
An on-hook EOH indicating telephone includes a parallel set detector, an EOH signal detector, and an indication module to activate a configurable audible and/or visual alert indicating that another telephone is off-hook and should be hung up. The audible alert may be a unique ringing of the otherwise conventional ringer (e.g., every 5 minutes, at a unique cadence or frequency, etc.), or may be an audible tone output from the speaker of the on-hook EOH indicating telephone. The visible alert may be, e.g., a text message on a display of the on-hook EOH indicating telephone, a blinking, flashing, etc. of an LED, or other visible attention getting technique. When the central office presents the extended off-hook (EOH) notification signal to the desired telephone line, the invention-equipped telephone detects a parallel set in use, and then listens for the EOH signal. Upon receiving the EOH signal, the inventionequipped telephone will uniquely ring, visibly illuminate, flash, or otherwise alert the users in the household that another telephone is off-hook. This audible and/or visible alert at the on-hook EOH indicating telephone is over and above that audibly output by the parallel telephone which caused the receipt of the EOH signal.
摘要:
Apparatus and processes of operating a telephone answering device (TAD) to record a message from a third party caller who calls when a first telephone line connected to the TAD is busy when the third party calls. After the third party hangs up, the automatic third party callback module calls the third party back based on a telephone number obtained from call related information, e.g., Caller ID information. The TAD may alternatively or additionally automatically answer selected third party callers to a second telephone line of the TAD possibly based on a match between call related information with respect to the third party caller, e.g., Caller ID, and pre-entered telephone numbers of those the user desires to have the TAD automatically answer when busy on the first telephone line.
摘要:
A voice messaging system and method includes a voice recorder/playback device to store a plurality of voice messages associated with a respective plurality of incoming calls. A receiver receives call related information associated with each of the respective plurality of incoming calls. A controller is provided to organize the plurality of voice messages for playback by the voice recorder/playback device based on pre-stored groupings of expected call related information irrespective of an order in which voice messages are stored. In one aspect the pre-stored groupings relate to various priority levels for playback sequencing. In another aspect the pre-stored groupings relate to a specific voice mailbox or bin to receive the voice message. In yet another aspect, voice recognition techniques may be utilized to query the voice messaging system, either locally or remotely, for voice messages grouped in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
摘要:
Apparatus and processes to automatically power-down a computer system upon determination of the presence, imminence, or forecast of severe weather in the local area. A computer system receives data relating to a weather forecast for a particular local area from a weather service communication server and, based on a determination of the presence, imminence or forecast of severe weather in the local area, initiates an automatic power-down sequence. A delay may be provided to allow the user time to abort the initiation of the automatic power-down sequence. The data may be transmitted in any suitable manner, e.g., over a telephone line through the PSTN, using the Internet, using a paging system, etc. The weather service communication server is provided with the particular local area relating to the computer system. For instance, in the case of a dial-up telephone call to the weather service communication server, call related information such as the telephone exchange number and/or the area code in Caller ID information can be used by the weather service communication server to determine the local area relating to the particular computer system. Thus, a user is provided additional security against damage which may be caused to all or a portion of a computer system due to lightning strikes, downed telephone poles, etc. as a result of severe weather in a local area.
摘要:
The features and settings of wireless devices, such as cellular and cordless telephones, can be configured through the use of a user friendly web page, website, e-mail menu or the like. After a user has identified a wireless device or devices to configure, she then selects the features and settings she desires. The selected settings are then transmitted to the identified wireless device or devices. In this manner, wireless devices can be remotely configured and there is no need to repeat identical steps to configure multiple devices with the same configuration.
摘要:
A voice messaging system such as a telephone answering device which allows a calling party to bypass the ring signal and substantially immediately allow the calling party to leave a voice message. To activate the no ring signal access to the telephone answering device, the calling party preferably enters a control sequence prior to entering the telephone number of the called party to signal the appropriate central office to signal the telephone line of the called party that the ring signal is to be bypassed. The central office includes an appropriate ring signal bypass request detection module adapted to detect a request for no ring signal from a calling party. In the disclosed embodiment, the calling party signals the central office using an appropriate sequence of DTMF tones, e.g., ‘*77’, and the central office in turn signals the telephone line using a non-ring signal, e.g., a line reversal. If the called party's telephone remains on-hook after a predetermined amount of time after the central office has signaled a no ring signal request, e.g., DirectAnswer™ signaling using a line reversal and appropriate DTMF tones as desired, the central office may proceed to send ring signals on the telephone line to the called party for functionality in a conventional sense.
摘要:
Confidential information is protected from unauthorized or accidental disclosure by requiring a successful comparison of near end and far end passwords prior to a facsimile transmission of the confidential information.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for an automatic ring again feature on a telephone set for a user that answers a telephone call not intended for that user is disclosed. If a user has answered an incoming telephone call not intended for that user, a “Ring Again” feature on the telephone set is activated. In response to the Ring Again feature being activated, parallel telephone sets will ring again to allow a different user to answer the call or, alternatively, another device, such as an answering device, to answer the call.
摘要:
An intelligent FAX machine monitors a shared telephone line after another telephone has taken it off-hook. If preliminary signals from a sending FAX machine to another telephone on the same line are detected, then the FAX machine also goes off-hook and tries to establish a link with the sending FAX machine. Presumably the other telephone will hang up. E.g., a telephone answering device (TAD) automatically detects a parallel set going off-hook, causing the TAD to go on-hook. If the parallel telephone is an ordinary telephone, then that user may merely hang up after hearing FAX signals. In another aspect, the FAX machine picks up incoming calls from known FAX machines before a second ring (or before a third ring), based on Caller ID information, so that other pre-configured ring-count telephonic devices such as a telephone answering machine can be operated in an automatic mode with a higher pre-configured ring count.
摘要:
A system and method for automatically forwarding calls directed to a wireless telephone device is disclosed. A call forwarding operation is automatically enabled in response to the wireless telephone device being at a particular location and is automatically disabled in response to the wireless telephone device leaving said predetermined location.