Apparatus and method for cost effective caller identification and call-waiting for a multi-line telephone
AssigneeCasio Communications, Inc.
InventorMARK J. KARNOWSKI
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Consumer process equipment (CPE) for cost effective caller identification (CID) and call-waiting (CW) for a multi-line telephone includes a single CIDCW detection circuit and a single switch for coupling the single CIDCW detection circuit between a plurality of telephone lines. The CPE is able to process CIDCW information over a plurality of telephone lines by dynamically switching the single switch from one telephone line to another, depending upon the current state of the CPE.
Claims37
A consumer premises equipment (CPE) for receiving caller identification (CID) information from plurality of telephone lines, said CPE comprising:
- a plurality of telephone line circuits corresponding to the plurality of telephone lines for receiving at least one of CID information and CPE alerting signal (CAS) tones from said plurality of telephone lines;
- a single detector for detecting said CID information and CAS tones from said plurality of telephone lines;
- a microprocessor coupled to said single detector and said plurality of telephone line circuits, the microprocessor providing a control signal;
- a switch coupled to said microprocessor and being interposed between the single detector and the plurality of telephone line circuits and being responsive to said control signal, for operatively switchably coupling one of said plurality of telephone line circuits to said single detector.
A consumer premises equipment (CPE) for receiving caller identification (CID) information from a plurality of telephone lines, said CPE comprising:
- a plurality of telephone line circuits corresponding to the plurality of telephone lines for receiving CID information from said plurality of telephone lines;
- a single detector for detecting said CID information provided by said plurality of telephone lines;
- a microprocessor being coupled to said single detector and said plurality of telephone line circuits, the microprocessor providing a control signal;
- a switch coupled to said microprocessor and being interposed between the single detector and the plurality of telephone line circuits, and being responsive to said control signal, for operatively switchably coupling one of said plurality of telephone line circuits to said single detector.
A method for a consumer premises equipment (CPE) to receive caller identification (CID) information over a plurality of telephone lines, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. determining whether to couple a single detector to one of said plurality of telephone line circuits;
- b. operatively coupling one of said plurality of telephone line circuits to said single detector;
- and
- c. utilizing a single detector to detect said CID information over a plurality of telephone lines.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.