Dual-line telephone bridging device that gives remote telephones access to communications features

Claim 2

A private branch exchange (PBX) system comprising: a plurality of feature telephones; and wherein each telephone includes: (a) a first telephone line connected to the PBX system to provide individual access to the telephone; (b) a second telephone line connected to provide individual access to a public telephone system by the telephone; and (c) processing means within the telephone for selectively connecting the first telephone line to the second telephone line via the telephone upon input of a password, the processing means within the telephone being operable to provide access to a plurality of features by a remote telephone exclusive of the PBX, wherein the access to the plurality of features is provided via the telephone.

Claim 3

The PBX of claim 1 wherein each telephone further includes a means, controlled by the processing means, for temporarily opening an electrical path from a dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) source to the first telephone line upon input of both the password and a DTMF signal to be transmitted via said second telephone line.

Claim 6

The method of claim 3 wherein the step of disconnecting the call occurs if the authorized password is not received within a predetermined fixed period of time.

Claim 7

The method of claim 3, comprising the further steps of: after the authorized password has been received, monitoring the first telephone line for a predetermined sequence of DTMF signals and, in response to the predetermined sequence of DTMF signals, causing the phone to forward incoming telephone calls to a remote station reachable by way of the second telephone line.

Claim 8

The method of claim 5 comprising the further step of: before forwarding the incoming telephone calls, checking an actual time-of-day against a programmed time-of-day range indicated by the sequence of DTMF signals; and forwarding the incoming telephone calls only if the actual time-of-day is within the programmed time-of-day range.

Claim 9

The method of claim 6 wherein a telephone number of the remote station is stored in a memory within the telephone and wherein the forwarding is performed by the processor within the telephone.

Claim 10

A feature telephone of a private multi-line network of feature phones comprising: a first hookswitch relay, connected to couple the telephone to the private multi-line network via a first telephone communications line; a second hookswitch relay connected to couple the telephone to a second telephone communications line having access to a public telephone system; a dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) decoder coupled to the first hookswitch relay; ring detector means for detecting when a call has been routed to the telephone on the first telephone communications line; memory means for storing data indicative of ON/OFF status of a call passthrough mode; password protection means for determining whether a user has entered an authorized password; a processor, coupled to the first and second hookswitch relays, the DTMF decoder, the ring detector means, the memory means and the password protection means; the processing comprising: means for enabling the call to ring through when the passthrough mode is OFF and for closing the first hookswitch relay when the passthrough mode is ON; means for opening the first hookswitch relay if the user at the remote station fails to enter an authorized password and for enabling the remote user to close the second hookswitch relay if the remote user timely enters an authorized password, wherein closing each of said first and second hookswitch relays couples said first communications line to said second communications line.

Claim 11

A feature telephone of a private multi-line network of feature phones comprising: a first hookswitch relay, connected to couple the telephone to the private multi-line network via a first telephone communications line; a second hookswitch relay connected to couple the telephone to a second telephone communications line having access to a public telephone system; a dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) decoder coupled to the first hookswitch relay; ring detector means for detecting when a call has been routed to the telephone on the first telephone communications line; memory means for storing data indicative of ON/OFF status of a call passthrough mode; password protection means for determining whether a user has entered an authorized password; a processor, coupled to the first and second hookswitch relays, the DTMF decoder, the ring detector means, the memory means and the password protection means; the processing comprising: means for enabling the call to ring through when the passthrough mode is OFF and for closing the first hookswitch relay when the passthrough mode is ON; means for opening the first hookswitch relay if the user at the remote station fails to enter an authorized password and for enabling the remote user to close the second hookswitch relay if the remote user timely enters an authorized password, wherein closing each of said first and second hookswitch relays couples said first communications line to said second communications line.

Claim 12

The feature telephone of claim 8 further comprising: a voice bridging relay coupled to the processor, the first hookswitch relay and the second hookswitch relay, the voice bridging relay being connected to temporarily open upon closing of said second hookswitch relay and upon entrance of a telephone number from said remote station, said voice bridging relay being an electrical connection between said first telephone communications line and a DTMF source.

Claim 13

The feature telephone of claim 9 further comprising a DTMF encoder coupled to the processor and the second hookswitch relay.

Claim 14

The feature telephone of claim 10 further comprising: a time-of-day clock coupled to the processor, wherein the memory means further comprises data indicative of an ON/OFF state of a call forwarding mode and data indicative of a telephone number reachable on the second telephone communications line; and, wherein the processor further comprises means, responsive to a detected ring occurring during a predetermined time of day range, for closing the first hookswitch relay and the second hookswitch relay when the memory means indicates that the call forwarding mode is ON and for dialing the telephone number via the DTMF encoder.