摘要:
A telephone or adjunct Caller ID device adaptively stores Caller ID data based, for example, on a blocked status of the Caller ID data. In a particular example, a telephone or Caller ID device includes a memory adapted to store Caller ID data associated with an incoming call, and a processor adapted to affect storage of the Caller ID data based on an attribute of the Caller ID data, such as a blocked status of the Caller ID data. In an alternative embodiment, a method of receiving an incoming telephone call includes the steps of receiving Caller ID data associated with the incoming telephone call, evaluating a portion of the Caller ID data, and making a storage decision based on the evaluation. The decision may be based on a blocked status of the Caller ID data. The decision may be made proximate in time to the reception of the incoming telephone call, or in response to a user input to affect Caller ID already stored. For example, the decision may be made in conjunction with other storage decisions regarding other Caller ID data in response to the same user input, such as the activation of a keypad.
摘要:
Cordless telephone technology provides a long range and highly sophisticated wireless extension between a plurality of wireless piconet networks. In one embodiment, base units of separate cordless telephones include respective piconet front ends (e.g., Bluetooth protocol bearing RF front ends) in addition to the otherwise conventional RF front end. The piconet-capable base units are placed and made members of separate piconet networks, but within conventional cordless telephone range of one another, e.g., within one mile of one another. To allow communications between piconet devices on the separate wireless piconet networks, the cordless telephone base units pass piconet content information (i.e., the messages passed by a piconet device on a first piconet network including a first cordless telephone base unit intended for receipt by another piconet device on a second piconet network serviced by the other cordless telephone base unit. In another embodiment, a base unit of a cordless telephone is made a member of a first wireless piconet network while its remote handset is made a member of a second wireless base unit, and piconet content information is passed from a device on one wireless piconet network to another device on the other wireless piconet network over the wireless cordless telephone (e.g., 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz range) channel established between the cordless telephone base unit and its remote handset.
摘要:
Apparatus and method to receive and record an Emergency Alert System warning message on a voice messaging system. A voice messaging system such as a telephone answering device includes an Emergency Alert System radio receiver and detector module to receive and record an Emergency Alert System warning message. The emergency message can be reviewed either locally or remotely. In another embodiment, an Emergency Alert System warning message is received by a telephone system, and played in the earpiece or speaker on a substantially real-time basis. In yet another embodiment, an Emergency Alert System warning message may be recorded and then forwarded to another location based on address information (e.g., telephone number, e-mail address, pager number, etc.) which would not otherwise be within the broadcast area of the original Emergency Alert System warning message.
摘要:
A wireless piconet network device includes a GPS receiver to determine and provide earth coordinates to a gatekeeper of a wireless network so as to provide a level of security to wireless networks which requires accessing wireless devices to be within predefined boundary coordinates. The automatic restriction of access to a wireless network (e.g., a wireless local area network (LAN) such as a piconet network) by requiring a wireless network device to provide earth coordinates (e.g., GPS location information) as part of an establishment or maintenance of a connection to a wireless network, independent of a range of communication of any device in the wireless network. A wireless piconet network device outside of predetermined earth coordinates of a secured area (e.g., a building, a room in a building, a desk in a room in a building, etc.) may be denied access to resources on the wireless network, and/or required to provide additional authorization information so as to confirm authorized secured status of the entering wireless device.
摘要:
A wireless piconet network device includes a GPS receiver to determine and provide earth coordinates to a gatekeeper of a wireless network so as to provide a level of security to wireless networks which requires accessing wireless devices to be within predefined boundary coordinates. The automatic restriction of access to a wireless network (e.g., a wireless local area network (LAN) such as a piconet network) by requiring a wireless network device to provide earth coordinates (e.g., GPS location information) as part of an establishment or maintenance of a connection to a wireless network, independent of a range of communication of any device in the wireless network. A wireless piconet network device outside of predetermined earth coordinates of a secured area (e.g., a building, a room in a building, a desk in a room in a building, etc.) may be denied access to resources on the wireless network, and/or required to provide additional authorization information so as to confirm authorized secured status of the entering wireless device.
摘要:
A wireless piconet network device includes a GPS receiver to determine and provide earth coordinates to a gatekeeper of a wireless network so as to provide a level of security to wireless networks which requires accessing wireless devices to be within predefined boundary coordinates. The automatic restriction of access to a wireless network (e.g., a wireless local area network (LAN) such as a piconet network) by requiring a wireless network device to provide earth coordinates (e.g., GPS location information) as part of an establishment or maintenance of a connection to a wireless network, independent of a range of communication of any device in the wireless network. A wireless piconet network device outside of predetermined earth coordinates of a secured area (e.g., a building, a room in a building, a desk in a room in a building, etc.) may be denied access to resources on the wireless network, and/or required to provide additional authorization information so as to confirm authorized secured status of the entering wireless device.
摘要:
Apparatus and method to minimize power usage by electronic devices. In a particular disclosed example, the battery power of a remote handset is reduced by extending the sniff period of a cordless telephone when the remote handset is remote from its base unit and the user is not likely to use the cordless telephone (e.g., when away from the house or when asleep). A low power mode module causes the electronic device, e.g., the remote handset of a cordless telephone, to remain in an extended low power STANDBY mode, or to extends the period of the periodic transition to a receive only STANDBY mode to check status registers at the base unit, at appropriate times. In one embodiment, a low power mode table contains entries defining periods of time during which the remote handset may transition between the low power STANDBY mode and the receive only STANDBY mode. The remote handset transitions to a fully powered transmit/receive (TDD) ON mode, e.g., in response to an appropriate status condition, or in response to the activation of a particular button or sequence of buttons at the remote handset. The extended STANDBY mode may alternatively be activated in response to input from an external device such as a home security system indicating that the user of the cordless telephone is not willing or able to answering any incoming telephone calls. The extended STANDBY mode may also be entered upon determination by the cordless telephone that the telephone line is already in use by another extension (thereby rendering unlikely any receipt of a ring signal condition from the base unit).
摘要:
Apparatus and methods for automatically (i.e., without requiring manual user adjustment) reducing gain in one or both acoustic feedback paths of a cordless telephone when the handset and its base unit are operating in close proximity to one another, preventing uncontrolled feedback and audible howling even before it begins. A proximity detection module determines a distance between the handset and its base unit using an appropriate technique, e.g., using RSSI, round trip delay times, and/or GPS measurements. If the distance indicates that the handset is within close proximity to the base unit, appropriate attenuation of the microphone gain and/or speaker volume of the base unit and/or the handset will be implemented. One or more fixed levels of attenuation may be implemented based on a corresponding one or more measured close proximity distances between the handset and its base unit. Thus, the attenuation may result in a muting, a fixed amount of attenuation (e.g., 6 decibels (dB), 12 dB, or other appropriate fixed amount), or may be a variable amount dependent upon a relationship to the distance between the handset and the base unit.
摘要:
A method and apparatus to perform a real-time drift correction of a remote handset's local oscillator in a digital cordless telephone. The remote handset begins in a standby (sniff) mode. The remote handset periodically wakes from a sleep mode and goes into a normal link verification mode. Once in the link verification mode, the remote handset enters a time division duplexing (TDD) mode and attempts to establish a link with a base unit based on the timing of the TDD data frame. After the remote handset establishes a link with the base unit, the remote handset requests a security word from the base unit. Upon receiving the requested security word, the remote handset determines if the requested security word matches a security word of the remote handset. The remote handset implements a software frequency adjustment of its local oscillator. Once per frame, the remote handset enters a timing recovery state where the current state of the frame is compared with a previous state. When the cumulative timing slip is greater than a designated threshold, a frequency adjustment is made. During this exchange of commands between the remote handset and base unit, the remote handset continuously adjusts its local oscillator to achieve frequency alignment within, e.g., 1 part per million (ppm). Alternatively, frequency alignment may be achieved to a specified value. The period of the frequency alignment can be lengthened (or even suspended) during certain power critical modes to reduce power consumption. For example, the period of the link verify operations (and thus the frequency alignment) can be lengthened or suspended when the remote handset is being quick charged. Moreover, the period of the link verify operations can be adjusted based on a voltage level of the battery in the remote handset.
摘要:
In a first embodiment of the invention, a method of providing a visual message waiting indicator signal to an off-hook telephone includes the step of receiving a voicemail message at a central location, and also includes the step of sending a visual message waiting indicator signal from the central location and destined for the off-hook telephone. In an alternative embodiment, a method of receiving a visual message waiting indicator signal in an off-hook telephone includes the steps of being in an off-hook condition, and receiving a visual message waiting indicator signal. This method may further include the step of displaying a visual message-waiting indicator based on the received visual message waiting indicator signal. This method may also include the step of receiving an alert signal, and the step of transmitting an acknowledgement signal in response to the alert signal. In another alternative embodiment, a telephone includes a visual message waiting indicator, and an interface unit adapted to couple the telephone to a network, such that the telephone is in an off-hook condition when coupled to the network and engaged in a communication activity, and is in an on-hook condition when coupled to the network and not engaged in a communication activity, wherein the interface unit is adapted to receive a visual message waiting indicator signal when in the off-hook condition.