Did You Know...
...that the Eveready Battery began as an invention called the "electric flowerpot," which was a tube with a battery and light bulb inside? The idea was to fasten this gizmo to the side of a flowerpot so it would illuminate the flowers from the bottom. The idea died on the vine and the businessman who licensed the flower pot, Conrad Huber, was left with a pile of useless tubes -- until he found a way to market them as batteries to light the world!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8442192 | Connecting wireless, wireline, and internet-protocol terminals An appliance for use at home or a business is disclosed that is inserted between the Public Switched Telephone Network and wireline terminal(s) in the home or business. The appliance also connects to the Internet and has a wireless transceiver for communicating with... | 05/14/2013 |
| 8249227 | Apparatus and method for converting control information Picture and speech communication between plural terminals connected to different networks, such as a circuit-switched network and IP network. A converting apparatus 400 for control information or media information for picture/speech communications is provided... | 08/21/2012 |
| 8085910 | Method and system for call center screening Methods and systems are provided for call center screening that enable a network service provider to dynamically control service request traffic directed to selected service centers. An Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) service is configured to intercept calls orig... | 12/27/2011 |
| 7848495 | Voice communication apparatus A voice communication apparatus is interposed between a telephone set and a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or a broadband network which can provide a frequency bandwidth broader than a frequency bandwidth of the public switched telephone network. The appar... | 12/07/2010 |
| 7715535 | Method and apparatus for line selection in a communication device The present invention includes embodiments of an apparatus and method for selecting a line from two or more lines on a communication device. The communication device comprises a display module, an input module, a line selection module, and a communication module for... | 05/11/2010 |
| 7680255 | Telephone outlet with packet telephony adaptor, and a network using same An outlet for a Local Area Network (LAN), containing an integrated adapter that converts VoIP to and from analog telephony, and a standard telephone jack (e.g. RJ-11 in North America) for connecting an ordinary analog (POTS) telephone set. Such an outlet allows usin... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7643621 | Apparatus and method for converting control information Picture and speech communication between plural terminals connected to different networks, such as a circuit-switched network and IP network. A converting apparatus 400 for control information or media information for picture/speech communications is provided... | 01/05/2010 |
| 7564957 | Method and system for call center screening Methods and systems are provided for call center screening that enable a network service provider to dynamically control service request traffic directed to selected service centers. An Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) service is configured to intercept calls orig... | 07/21/2009 |
| 7440556 | System and method for using telephony controls on a personal computer A system and method including telephony controls for handling telephony applications on a personal computer with integrated telephony capabilities is provided. The telephony controls include a hook switch, a talk button, a speakerphone button, a mute button, a flash... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7433465 | Systems and methods for providing application services A network interface system is provided with an addressable application device and a processor. The addressable application device is adapted to interface with a transport medium internal to a customer premises. The processor is adapted to selectively process telecom... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7403311 | Network facsimile device A network facsimile device capable of Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) receiving, via a network, electronic mail (email) to which facsimile image data is attached, the network facsimile device includes domain registration means for registering a domain of an add... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7397791 | Telephone communication system over a single telephone line An improved telephone system over a single telephone line within a residence or other building is disclosed, supporting exchange features and enabling easy expansion for multiple external lines. The existing telephone wiring is used as the medium for a local data co... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7376221 | Methods and apparatus for multi-mode telephone A multi-mode telephone, e.g., an enhanced cell phone, includes a battery powered telephone module and a POTS telephone module. The phone includes a telephone jack for coupling the phone to a landline. When connected through the landline, the phone includes a mode of... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7369544 | Internet telephone system with hunting diversion A method of diverting a hunting function of a PSTN central office switch is provided. The method diverts a hunting function in the event a channel within a hunting group is available but a call can not be completed. The method comprises detecting a status of a plura... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7363175 | Query based electronic battery tester An electronic battery tester for testing a storage battery provides a test output indicative of a condition of the battery. Electronic measurement circuitry provides a measurement output related to a condition of the battery. The battery condition is determined base... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7356351 | Method and apparatus for disabling the RF functionality of a multi-function wireless communication device while maintaining local functionality A method and apparatus for disabling the communication functionality (i.e., disabling the transmission and/or reception of RF signals) of an integrated device, while still providing access to the local functionality of such device. A control and select function, suc... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7336602 | Apparatus and method for wireless/wired communications interface An apparatus and method for wireless/wired Bluetooth™ communications interface are described. The method includes detection of a communications configuration of a device as one of a wireless communications interface and a wireless/wired communications interface. O... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7328049 | Pre-resource checking before file download The availability of one or more resources consumable in operating a mobile terminal and in downloading a file or collection of files to the terminal is reviewed before the file or collection of files is downloaded to the mobile terminal. An estimate is made of the a... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7324632 | Distribution device in a data signal processing installation, and data signal processing installation The invention relates to a distribution device (2) in a data signal processing installation (1), and a data signal processing installation (1). The distribution device comprises a distribution block (3) which has a receiving device contai... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7319304 | Shunt connection to a PCB of an energy management system employed in an automotive vehicle A method of coupling a shunt to a printed circuit board (PCB) of an energy management system is provided. The method includes coupling flexible electrical connectors to the shunt and soldering the flexible electrical connectors to connection points on the PCB of the... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7313231 | Methods, apparatus and computer program products for routing phone calls to a PSTN or a packet switched network based on called number A phone call is selectively routed to a public switched telephone network or to a packet switched network based on a called number to which the phone call is directed. A phone call may be made as a Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol call through, for example, the Internet... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7308086 | Telephone communication apparatus A cordless slave apparatus is connected to a host apparatus connected to lines via wireless communications. When the cordless slave apparatus is picked up from a charging apparatus to respond to a call from any of the lines, if the line at which the call has arrived... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7307963 | Architecture and method for using IEEE 802.11-like wireless LAN system to emulate private land mobile radio system (PLMRS) radio service An architecture is described for providing IP push-to-talk (IPP2T) service using a wireless local area network (WLAN) serving a plurality of subscriber terminals (STs), having at least one broadband access network terminal (BANT), the BANT coupled to and interacting... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7301939 | Mobile wireless internet portable radio An Internet-capable radio has a communication port for connection to a modem, a connection function for connecting to the Internet upon user initiation while connected to the modem, sound circuitry for rendering audio data packets received over the Internet as analo... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7295837 | Telecommunication module having a system-data processor for performing at least one telecommunication activity A telecommunication module is provided which includes a system-data processor for carrying out at least one telecommunication activity, a control data processor for automatically executing at least one control command sequence stored in the telecommunication module,... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7295936 | Electronic battery tester with relative test output An electronic battery tester for testing a storage battery determines a condition of the battery. The condition is a relative condition and is a function of a dynamic parameter of the battery and an empirical input variable. ... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7295569 | Selecting a profile for an interface of a network device according to a margin Selecting a profile for an interface of a network device includes accessing profile sequences, where each profile sequence corresponds to an interface. Each profile sequence includes profiles that provide parameters for communicating data. The following are repeated... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7295570 | Determining a profile for an interface of a network device Selecting a profile for an interface of a network device includes accessing profile sequences, where each profile sequence corresponds to an interface. Each profile sequence includes profiles that provide parameters for communicating data. The following are repeated... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7286488 | Multimedia communications in a telecommunications network A communications network configuration for delivery of multimedia services comprises a packet network to which a plurality of terminal devices are connected, a service provider network for providing multimedia services to the terminal devices, a virtual circuit swit... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7286492 | Private branch exchange (PBX) conditioning method and apparatus Method for maintaining a virtual presence of a first remote telephone user in a PBX system having a frame relay network connection between two endpoint routers while permitting the first remote user to make local calls includes first signaling a PBX to represent the... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7284050 | Method and system for a voice multicast hardware accelerator A method and system for a voice multicast hardware accelerator are disclosed in which a network device or system includes a host system coupled to a memory to store data and a line card to interface with a plurality of user devices. The host system is to receive a n... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7283583 | Adaptive rate transmission with dual noise margins A method for adaptive-rate communication includes setting a first target signal margin with respect to an actual noise level and a second target signal margin with respect to a predetermined noise level. The actual noise level is measured at a receiver on a communic... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7280592 | Hybrid digital/analog device A device is for communication between a digital adapter linked to an exchange by means of a digital interface and an analog adapter linked to an exchange by means of an analog interface, said exchanges being linked by means of a telecommunications network. Digital i... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7277530 | IP telephone apparatus and IP telephone system An IP telephone apparatus having a plurality of types of calling functions including a telephone calling function for telecommunicating via a telephone network and a network calling function for telecommunicating via a computer network. The IP telephone apparatus in... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7274686 | Method and apparatus for establishing communications with a remote node on a switched network based on hypertext calling received from a packet network Disclosed is a system and a methodology enabling a first provider party to provide to a second recipient party software and services to enable the recipient party to embed in an Internet e-mail of the recipient party directed to an addressee, an HTML hyperlink file ... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7266114 | Integrated information communication system To provide an integrated information communication system without using dedicated lines or the Internet, ensuring communication speed, communication quality, communication trouble countermeasures in a unified manner, wherein security and reliability in communication... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7266841 | Security and communications module The invention provides a module for use in a central service provider interface having access to security system and voice and data communications. The module is configured to allow the security system to seize the telephone line when necessary to indicate a securit... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7266122 | System and method for allocating bandwidth in a communications environment A method for allocating bandwidth in a communications environment is provided that includes receiving one or more data streams associated with one or more subscribers at a voice gateway. One or more algorithms included in the voice gateway are executed that are asso... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7266115 | Integrated information communication system To provide an integrated information communication system without using dedicated lines or the Internet, ensuring communication speed, communication quality, communication trouble countermeasures in a unified manner, wherein security and reliability in communication... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7266112 | Dial access stack architecture A Dial Access Stack Architecture (DASA) includes a stack of Network Access Servers (NASs) each independently establishing and processing information for communication links on a public telephone network. A primary interconnect couples the stack of network access ser... | 09/04/2007 |
