Patent US5602908A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5602908A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Calling party identifying apparatus and method therefor
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1995-05-18
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Granted: 1997-02-11
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Expires: 2015-05-18
Abstract
Abstract A calling party identifying apparatus electrically connected to an exchange system which can provide the calling number and the registered name of the phone set or the like includes a receiver, a microprocessor, a memory, an LCD, a key pad, a plurality of lights, and a speaker. The memory has a database installed therein including a plurality of potential callers' information each of which includes a specific caller's name, the calling number of the caller, the preference degree thereof, and the preferred hours for the caller to call. The apparatus is allowed to display the caller's name on the LCD instead of displaying the registered name of the calling device. When any call comes in, the apparatus will check the database and display the caller's name, the calling number thereof, and the preference degree thereof. In the meantime, the lights and the speaker will visually and audibly illustrate the preference degree of the call by a preset light pattern and audible pattern, thus helping the user to determine whether to receive the call or not. If the call is not coming in during the preferred hours, the call is automatically cut off by the microprocessor. A key pad allows the user to make a call by dialing one or more characters instead of the whole number. The microprocessor is also capable of calling a pager right after a high preference degree call is not answered by any person so an intended recipient will not miss the high preference degree call.
Inventors
- 👤 Yuan-Neng Fan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 20:03
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M19/00; H04M19/02; H04M19/04; H04M19/041; H04M1/00; H04M1/57; H04M1/575; H04M1/66; H04M1/663
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
277 words
A calling party identifying apparatus comprising, in combination: ring detector means coupled to a pair of external telephone lines for detecting a call from a calling party; code receiver means coupled to said pair of external telephone lines for detecting identification information from said calling party via said external telephone lines; microprocessor means coupled to said ring detector means and said code receiver means for responding to detection of said call and receiving identification information of said calling party from said code receiver means; memory means coupled to said microprocessor means for programmably storing different personal information each of which includes a name of a person, preference degree of said person, preferred hours for said person to call, and telephone number of said person; key pad means including a plurality of key switches coupled to said microprocessor for inputting personal information of a potential calling party; LCD means coupled to said microprocessor means for displaying said personal information of said calling party after said microprocessor means receives said identification information of said calling party; and first preference indicating means, including a plurality of lights thereon, for representing said preference degree; said microprocessor means responds to reception of said identification information of said calling party and searches for said telephone number of said calling party from said memory means and displays located personal information including the name of said calling party, preference degree of said calling party, and said telephone number of said calling party on said LCD means when said telephone number of said calling party is present in said memory means, otherwise said microprocessor means merely responds by displaying said telephone number on said LCD means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
277 words
A calling party identifying apparatus comprising, in combination: ring detector means coupled to a pair of external telephone lines for detecting a call from a calling party; code receiver means coupled to said pair of external telephone lines for detecting identification information from said calling party via said external telephone lines; microprocessor means coupled to said ring detector means and said code receiver means for responding to detection of said call and receiving identification information of said calling party from said code receiver means; memory means coupled to said microprocessor means for programmably storing different personal information each of which includes a name of a person, preference degree of said person, preferred hours for said person to call, and telephone number of said person; key pad means including a plurality of key switches coupled to said microprocessor for inputting personal information of a potential calling party; LCD means coupled to said microprocessor means for displaying said personal information of said calling party after said microprocessor means receives said identification information of said calling party; and first preference indicating means, including a plurality of lights thereon, for representing said preference degree; said microprocessor means responds to reception of said identification information of said calling party and searches for said telephone number of said calling party from said memory means and displays located personal information including the name of said calling party, preference degree of said calling party, and said telephone number of said calling party on said LCD means when said telephone number of said calling party is present in said memory means, otherwise said microprocessor means merely responds by displaying said telephone number on said LCD means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
A calling party identifying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising second preference indicating means including a transistor and a speaker for responding to said preference degree and emitting a corresponding sound pattern to illustrate the preference degree of said call.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
61 words
A calling party identifying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising dual tone multifrequency generator means coupled to said external lines and said microprocessor means for sending out multifrequency signals representing a corresponding character for a corresponding telephone number already stored in said memory means so that a user can dial out by said character instead of said telephone number.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A calling party identifying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ring detector means is a photo-coupler.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
A calling party identifying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said memory means is a programmable memory.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
A calling party identifying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said microprocessor means having means for cutting off ringing of a phone call if said call is received out of preferred hours.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
A calling party identifying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said microprocessor means having means for calling a pager right after a high preference degree call is not answered by any person so an intended recipient will not miss said high preference degree call.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
392 words
A calling party identifying apparatus comprising, in combination: ring detector means coupled to a pair of external telephone lines for detecting a call from a calling party; code receiver means coupled to said pair of external telephone lines for detecting identification information from said calling party via said external telephone lines; microprocessor means coupled to said ring detector means and said code receiver means for responding to detection of said call and receiving identification information of said calling party from said code receiver means; memory means coupled to said microprocessor means for programmably storing different personal information each of which includes a name of a person, preference degree of said person, preferred hours for said person to call, and telephone number of said person; key pad means including a plurality of key switches coupled to said microprocessor means for inputting personal information of a potential calling party; LCD means coupled to said microprocessor means for displaying said personal information of said calling party after said microprocessor means receives said identification information of said calling party; said microprocessor means responds to said reception of said identification information of said calling party and searches for said telephone number from said calling party from said memory means and displays located personal information including the name of said calling party, preference degree of said calling party, and telephone number of said calling party on said LCD means when said telephone number of said calling party is present in said memory means, otherwise said microprocessor means merely responds by displaying the telephone number on said LCD means; first preference indicating means, including a plurality of lights thereon, for representing said preference degree; second preference indicating means including a transistor and a speaker for responding to said preference degree and emitting a corresponding sound pattern to illustrate the preference degree of said call; and dual tone multifrequency generator means coupled to said external lines and said microprocessor means for sending out multifrequency signals representing a corresponding character for a corresponding telephone number already stored in said memory means so that a user can dial out by said character instead of said telephone number; and said microprocessor means having means for calling a pager right after a high preference degree call is not answered by any person so an intended recipient would not miss said high preference degree call.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
392 words
A calling party identifying apparatus comprising, in combination: ring detector means coupled to a pair of external telephone lines for detecting a call from a calling party; code receiver means coupled to said pair of external telephone lines for detecting identification information from said calling party via said external telephone lines; microprocessor means coupled to said ring detector means and said code receiver means for responding to detection of said call and receiving identification information of said calling party from said code receiver means; memory means coupled to said microprocessor means for programmably storing different personal information each of which includes a name of a person, preference degree of said person, preferred hours for said person to call, and telephone number of said person; key pad means including a plurality of key switches coupled to said microprocessor means for inputting personal information of a potential calling party; LCD means coupled to said microprocessor means for displaying said personal information of said calling party after said microprocessor means receives said identification information of said calling party; said microprocessor means responds to said reception of said identification information of said calling party and searches for said telephone number from said calling party from said memory means and displays located personal information including the name of said calling party, preference degree of said calling party, and telephone number of said calling party on said LCD means when said telephone number of said calling party is present in said memory means, otherwise said microprocessor means merely responds by displaying the telephone number on said LCD means; first preference indicating means, including a plurality of lights thereon, for representing said preference degree; second preference indicating means including a transistor and a speaker for responding to said preference degree and emitting a corresponding sound pattern to illustrate the preference degree of said call; and dual tone multifrequency generator means coupled to said external lines and said microprocessor means for sending out multifrequency signals representing a corresponding character for a corresponding telephone number already stored in said memory means so that a user can dial out by said character instead of said telephone number; and said microprocessor means having means for calling a pager right after a high preference degree call is not answered by any person so an intended recipient would not miss said high preference degree call.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
288 words
A method of providing a calling party identifying apparatus comprising the steps of: providing ring detector means coupled to a pair of external telephone lines for detecting a call from a calling party; providing code receiver means coupled to said pair of external telephone lines for detecting identification information from said calling party via said external telephone lines; providing microprocessor means coupled to said ring detector means and said code receiver means for responding to detection of said call and receiving identification information of said calling party from said code receiver means; providing memory means coupled to said microprocessor means for programmably storing different personal information each of which includes a name of a person, preference degree of said person, preferred hours for said person to call, and telephone number of said person; providing key pad means including a plurality of key switches coupled to said microprocessor for inputting personal information of a potential calling party; providing LCD means coupled to said microprocessor means for displaying said personal information of said calling party after said microprocessor means receives said identification information of said calling party; and providing first preference indicating means, including a plurality of lights thereon, for representing said preference degree; said microprocessor means responds to reception of said identification information of said calling party and searches for said telephone number of said calling party from said memory means and displays located personal information including the name of said calling party, preference degree of said calling party, and telephone number of said calling party on said LCD means when said telephone number of said calling party is present in said memory means, otherwise said microprocessor means merely responds by displaying said telephone number on said LCD means.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
288 words
A method of providing a calling party identifying apparatus comprising the steps of: providing ring detector means coupled to a pair of external telephone lines for detecting a call from a calling party; providing code receiver means coupled to said pair of external telephone lines for detecting identification information from said calling party via said external telephone lines; providing microprocessor means coupled to said ring detector means and said code receiver means for responding to detection of said call and receiving identification information of said calling party from said code receiver means; providing memory means coupled to said microprocessor means for programmably storing different personal information each of which includes a name of a person, preference degree of said person, preferred hours for said person to call, and telephone number of said person; providing key pad means including a plurality of key switches coupled to said microprocessor for inputting personal information of a potential calling party; providing LCD means coupled to said microprocessor means for displaying said personal information of said calling party after said microprocessor means receives said identification information of said calling party; and providing first preference indicating means, including a plurality of lights thereon, for representing said preference degree; said microprocessor means responds to reception of said identification information of said calling party and searches for said telephone number of said calling party from said memory means and displays located personal information including the name of said calling party, preference degree of said calling party, and telephone number of said calling party on said LCD means when said telephone number of said calling party is present in said memory means, otherwise said microprocessor means merely responds by displaying said telephone number on said LCD means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of providing second preference indicating means including a transistor and a speaker for responding to said preference degree and emitting a corresponding sound pattern to illustrate the preference degree of said call.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of providing dual tone multifrequency generator means coupled to said external lines and said microprocessor means for sending out multifrequency signals representing a corresponding character for a corresponding telephone number already stored in said memory means so that a user can dial out by said character instead of said telephone number.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 10 wherein said step of providing ring detector means further comprises the step of providing a photo-coupler.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said step of providing memory means further comprises the step of providing a programmable memory.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said step of providing microprocessor means further comprises the step of providing microprocessor means having means for cutting off ringing of a phone call if said phone call is received out of preferred hours.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said step of providing microprocessor means further comprises the step of providing microprocessor means having means for calling a pager right after a high preference degree call is not answered by any person so an intended recipient will not miss said high preference degree call.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-02-11 | 2000-08-12 | 2001-02-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-02-11 | 2004-08-12 | 2005-02-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-02-11 | 2008-08-12 | 2009-02-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |