Cordless telephone with voice announced calling party identification

Claim 1

A cordless telephone comprising: a handset including a receiver and a speaker device, said speaker device including a loudspeaker and an earpiece; a base unit including: a ring detector which detects ringing signals on a telephone line of an incoming telephone call from a central telephone office; a line interface which detects the presence of caller information in said incoming telephone call, said caller information including at least a caller's telephone number; a caller identification detector, coupled to said line interface, which detects said caller information responsive to said ring detector detecting said ringing signals, and which converts said caller information in said incoming telephone call to an identification signal; a speech synthesizer which converts said identification signal to a synthesized speech signal and which transmits said synthesized speech to said speaker device; a first controller which controls said ring detector, said line interface, said caller identification detector and said speech synthesizer such that at least the caller's telephone number is announced over said speaker device in real time at the time of reception of said telephone call when a caller ID/ring mode is set; a first radio frequency transmitter/receiver in said base unit which transmits said synthesized speech signal to said handset; and said handset further includes: a second controller which controls said loudspeaker; a second radio frequency transmitter/receiver which receives said transmitted synthesized speech signal and which supplies said transmitted synthesized speech signal to said second controller; an output switch unit which selectively connects an audio output of said second radio frequency transmitter/receiver to one of (a) said earpiece and (b) said loudspeaker.