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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7424098 | Selectable audio and mixed background sound for voice messaging system Methods, systems, computer program products, and methods of doing business by selectably mixing one or more sound files with a telephone caller's voice message, either as background for that message or embedded within the message. Or, the mixing may occur within a t... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7356130 | Method and system for selecting speech or DTMF interfaces or a mixture of both A wizard that from a fixed design can create various audio interfaces. The generated interfaces can be speech only, DTMF only, or various mixed speech and DTMF UIs. When specifying both speech and DTMF prompts, a number of combinations of these interfaces could be a... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7200215 | Time based regulation of access to callees A method, system, and program for time based regulation of access to callees are provided. An authenticated identity of a caller placing a call is preferably detected. Then, a communication link from the caller to a callee is only attempted if the authenticated iden... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7181003 | Direct drive for a subscriber line differential ringing signal A method of generating a subscriber line ringing signal includes the step of applying a time-varying waveform W(t) to the tip line while maintaining the ring line at a pre-determined supply level for a duration T/2. The time-varying waveform is subsequently applied ... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7181300 | Single use media device The present invention discloses an audio-visual retrieval and playback apparatus for a single use which has a housing having a viewing screen thereon 22 which can be sealed and packaged 14 having a headphone 16 with a pair of earpiecess 18 | 02/20/2007 |
| 7181004 | Direct drive for a subscriber line differential ringing signal having a DC offset A method of generating a subscriber line differential ringing signal with a DC component includes providing a time-varying supply level, W(t), having a plurality of non-equidistantly spaced critical points along a folding line. W(t) is coupled to the tip line while ... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7162027 | Voice messaging system caller ring bypass control A voice messaging system such as a telephone answering device which allows a calling party to bypass the ring signal and substantially immediately allow the calling party to leave a voice message. To activate the no ring signal access to the telephone answering devi... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7155001 | System and method for restricting and monitoring telephone calls A telecommunications service controls and monitors telephone calls by storing at a service control point (SCP) restricted telephone numbers and priority telephone numbers. Upon receiving call data relating to a call between a subscriber telephone number and an outsi... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7142857 | Apparatus, method and system for maintaining call control at a gateway mobile switching center utilizing a packet network The apparatus, method and system embodiments of the present invention provide for maintaining call control at a gateway mobile switching center (MSC), for roaming mobile units, utilizing a packet network or link, such as an ATM link. The preferred system embodiment ... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7095842 | Enabling caller controlled hold queue position adjustment A method, system, and program for allowing callers to adjust in position within a call hold queue are provided. An advancement token earned by a caller is detected at a calling queue. The position of the caller within the calling queue is adjusted, in response to re... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7095835 | Time based regulation of use of a telephone line A method, system, and program for time based regulation of use of a telephone line are provided. An identity of a first caller requesting use of a telephone line is detected. Use of the telephone line by the caller is allowed only if a schedule for the telephone lin... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7085358 | Visual caller identification A visual caller identification system and method are provided. A caller identification device of a called party's telephone, whether integrated with the telephone or stand-alone, includes a series of colored lights for visually alerting the called party to an incomi... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7080051 | Internet download systems and methods providing software to internet computer users for local execution A customer computer connects to an online service provider by phone, Internet, or other telecommunications link. The link gives the customer access to additional processing and storage resources such as virtual storage, processing power and/or additional software or... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7068762 | Method and system for providing visual notification in a unified messaging system A method and system for interfacing a legacy e-mail, voice mail and facsimile system into a unified messaging system. The system includes visual message notification for notifying a user of incoming messages. Visual notification may include a flashing light emitting... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7062036 | Telephone call information delivery system A telephone call information delivery system includes answering circuitry to answer a telephone call incoming from a service provider and to attain information input by a caller. The system further includes an information signal provider to provide at least one sign... | 06/13/2006 |
| 6959081 | Expert hold queue management A method, system, and program for expert hold queue management are provided. A call is received at a call center. The call is placed on hold in a hold queue until a representative of the call center is available to answer the call. While on hold in the hold queue, t... | 10/25/2005 |
| 6870833 | Active voice messaging A method and system for delivering messages to customers/subscribers by “pushing” the message to the intended recipient(s) in voice form. By utilizing a digitized voice stream that can be routed over a packet switched network, the message can be distributed to m... | 03/22/2005 |
| 6714630 | System and method for screening calls A system for screening telephone calls is provided. The system includes a ring detector that generates ring status data, such as a first data value when a ring signal is being received and a second data value when no ring signal has been received for a predetermined... | 03/30/2004 |
| 6654447 | Method and system for pausing a session with an interactive voice response unit A system establishes a session with a voice response unit. The system receives a pause signal and pauses the session, and receives a resume signal and resumes the session. A message interrupted by the pause may be continued or replayed.... | 11/25/2003 |
| 6438214 | Answering system for a communication device The present invention provides an answering system for a communication device which, when set up with an automatic answering mode because a called party is absent or does not want to answer it, responds to a calling party by outputting automatically an re... | 08/20/2002 |
| 6418198 | Apparatus and method for verification of the presence of a remote user A telephone answering apparatus for verification of the presence of a remote user includes a detector, and a controller operatively connected to the detector and to a timer, wherein the controller restarts the timer upon detection of a telephone signal fr... | 07/09/2002 |
| 6381330 | False tone detect suppression using multiple frame sweeping harmonic analysis Detection of alerting or other tone signals in a composite signal are reliably detected with an improved false tone detect suppression technique which employs the use of a moving window analysis on a subset of frequencies detected within an underlying spe... | 04/30/2002 |
| 6222466 | Apparatus and a method for keyboard encoding The invention is related to a method and a device for use in an apparatus, preferably a portable radiotelephone, equipped with a number of keys. Upon activation of a key, the device detects which key has been activated. The device comprises a signal gener... | 04/24/2001 |
| 6115464 | Method and system for distinguishing valid DTMF signals from spurious DTMF noise A method and system for distinguishing valid DTMF signals from spurious DTMF noise includes detecting signals having a first signal component indicative of DTMF signals and having a second signal component having frequencies unrelated to DTMF frequencies.... | 09/05/2000 |
| 6058164 | Mode-switchable telephone and mode setting and switching methods for the same The present invention relates to a mode-switchable telephone and mode setting and switching methods for the telephone. The mode-switchable telephone has a comparing unit which compares a value of a ringer adjusting volume with a volume value for setting a... | 05/02/2000 |
| 5991367 | Telephone call screener A telephone call screener and method of use is disclosed for use with a user's telephone system. It rejects unwanted telephone calls, such as those from telemarketers, while still allowing personal calls to ring through to the user, all without any user i... | 11/23/1999 |
| 5963617 | Method for transferring registered speech message from automatic telephone answering system at a reserved time A method for transferring a speech message registered by a user from an automatic telephone answering system at a reserved time wherein the reserved time and speech message are registered along with a telephone number so that the registered speech message... | 10/05/1999 |
| 5953391 | Data communication apparatus having automatic data reception informing systems A data communication apparatus includes a receiving unit for receiving data, a memory unit for storing received data, an informing unit for, after memory reception is performed by the memory unit, automatically calling a predetermined destination and info... | 09/14/1999 |
| 5930339 | Leaving a message on a held connection This invention relates to arrangements for leaving messages from a held telephone. A recording device or system attached to the held telephone station, to a PBX or to a central office switch records the message in response to a request from the held party... | 07/27/1999 |
| 5875231 | Telephone call on hold service for a party placed on hold by another party An on hold telephony service that allows a party placed on hold, if he is a subscriber to the service, to also place the call on hold and then hang up. The on hold service can be implemented on a central office switch or an enhanced services platform conn... | 02/23/1999 |
| 5835573 | Method and system for call screening A method and system are disclosed for providing call screening in conjunction with a variety of network-based call services. An exemplary method for providing a called party at a called party station with call screening includes: (a) forwarding a call to ... | 11/10/1998 |
| 5822403 | Automated telephone hold device An automated telephone hold device including a housing with a visual indication mechanism, audible indication mechanism, and push button switch positioned on a top face thereof. Further included is a voice playback mechanism, decoder, phone interface, and... | 10/13/1998 |
| 5751790 | Voice information service device and voice information service method When a request to record is received from an information provider by way of a telephone network, a storage area is secured for each information number of provided information, and index numbers designated by the information provider and voice file numbers... | 05/12/1998 |
| 5751794 | Proactive voice mail service A method for providing a proactive voice mail service wherein a message is recorded by a voice mail server if the customer's phone line is busy or does not answer and the voice mail server then attempts to deliver the message proactively to the customer. ... | 05/12/1998 |
| 5751760 | Controller for a telephone system with code screening of incoming calls A remotely accessible telephone control system for connection to a telephone network and method of handling telephonic communications. The system includes a detector for detecting signals on received via the network. A signal generator is responsive to co... | 05/12/1998 |
| 5727046 | Personal electronic telephone directory apparatus with remote accessibility A stand alone Personal Electronic Telephone Directory (PETD) apparatus is provided, that includes an internal telephone line segment, an off hook circuit, a Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) receiver, a ring detection circuit, a micro-controller, a memory,... | 03/10/1998 |
| 5699421 | Telephone answering device with low cost dual tone multi-frequency detector A telephone answering device (TAD) includes a remote access mode which is operative responsive to dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signals. At least three bandpass filters each receive an input signal from a telephone line interface provided in the TAD. A... | 12/16/1997 |
| 5671268 | Telephone answering machine A telephone answering machine includes at least two tapes, the first of which records a subscriber's outgoing universal message (OGM) to all callers. A second of the two tapes records incoming messages from callers. A control device detects a tone code de... | 09/23/1997 |
| 5651049 | RF connected message recording device and method for a telephone system A system and method of remotely recording a telephone message at a selected recording device connected to a telephone receiver by an RF link may include a base station having an RF transmitter connected to a telephone receiver, and plural paging/recording... | 07/22/1997 |
| 5638436 | Voice detection In a voice processing system, a voice detection algorithm is disclosed wherein the sensitivity is adjusted based upon whether or not tones (e.g.; DTMF) are presently being received. In an additional embodiment, the adjustment is made only when the voice p... | 06/10/1997 |
