Message signaling and alerting system and method thereof

A telephone signaling system for use with an answering unit that is interconnectable with a telephone so that a caller can record a message on said answering unit for later playback by an intended recipient, said system comprising:

• means operative with said answering unit for sensing the recording of a message by said unit and for providing an output indicative thereof;
• means operative upon receipt of said output therefrom for automatically establishing a communication path to said intended recipient;
• and
• means responsive to the establishment of said path for providing a signal to said intended recipient, said signal providing an alert to said recipient that a message has been recorded by said answering unit.

An alerting system having means for receiving a telephone message from a calling party, said message being for an intended party, means operative upon said received message for recording said message, means cooperative with said recording means for signaling the recording of said message, and a telephone at the location of said intended party for alerting said intended party, said signaling means comprising:

• means responsive to the recording of a message by said recording means for providing an output indicative thereof,
• an outgoing telephone line,
• means cooperative with said line for outpulsing the digits of a preselected telephone number over said line, said preselected number being the identity of said telephone,
• means responsive to the time duration of said message for enabling said outpulsing means only when said time duration exceeds a preselected value,
• means responsive to a busy signal indication from said called telephone appearing on said line for repeatedly activating said outpulsing means after each correspondingly repetitive reappearance of a busy signal on said line until said answer signal appears on said line, and
• means cooperative with said activating means for deactivating said activating means after a predetermined time interval has elapsed.

A telephone alerting system, comprising:

• a telephone link;
• an electronic answering unit having recording means whereby a telephone caller can record a message for later playback;
• means operative with said answering unit for sensing recording of a message on said answering unit and for providing a signal indicative thereof;
• means for automatically dialing a preselected telephone number over said telephone link upon receipt of said signal from said sensing means;
• and
• a generator for providing an audio tone over said telephone link to the called telephone identified by said dialed number whereby an intended recipient can quickly be alerted to the presence of a message recorded on said answering unit.

A telephone signaling system for use with an electronic answering unit that is connectable with a telephone so that when connected a caller can record a message for later playback by an intended recipient, said system comprising:

• a voice detector operative upon sensing a message recorded on said answering unit for providing an output signal indicative thereof;
• a trigger circuit operative upon receipt of said output signal for generating a trigger pulse;
• a tone generator for providing a predetermined tone signal;
• a trigger switch responsive to said trigger pulse enabling said tone generator;
• a clock operative with said generator for disabling said tone generator after a predetermined time interval;
• means responsive to said trigger pulse for dialing a preselected telephone number;
• selection means cooperative with said dialing means for selecting said preselected number;
• and
• means for connecting said tone generator with the called telephone identified by said preselected number so that said tone signal is coupled to said called telephone upon dialing of said number.

An alerting system having means for receiving a telephone message from a calling party, means operative upon said message for recording said message, means cooperative with said recording means for signaling the recording of said message, and means at the location of the intended party receptive of said signal for alerting said intended party, said signaling means comprising:

• means responsive to the recording of said message by said recording means for providing an output indicative thereof,
• means receptive of said output for establishing a path to said alerting means,
• means cooperative with said establishing means for extending to said alerting means over said path a unique coded signal, said coded signal corresponding to the identity of said recording means, and
• means responsive to a signal from said intended party after being alerted with said coded signal for disarming said establishing means.

An alerting system having means for receiving a telephone message from a calling party, means operative upon said received message for recording said message, means cooperative with said recording means for signaling the recording of said message, and means at the location of the intended party receptive of said signal for alerting said intended party, said signaling means comprising:

• means responsive to the recording of a message by said recording means for providing an output indicative thereof,
• means operative upon receipt of said output for repeatedly accessing said alerting means until said alerting means responds with an answer signal, said answer signal inhibiting said accessing means,
• means cooperative with said output for delaying delivery of said output to said accessing means, and
• means cooperative with said accessing means for delaying the time between each of said repeated accessing attempts.

A method for alerting a person of a recorded telephone message directed to said person from a calling party in a message retention system having means for receiving the message from the calling party, means operative upon the received message for recording the message, and means at the location of said person for alerting said person of the recorded message, said method comprising the steps of:

• detecting the recording of the message by the recording means,
• accessing said alerting means at periodic intervals until said alerting means responds with an answer signal to said system,
• enabling said accessing means only when the time duration of the message exceeds a predetermined value, and
• establishing a path to the alerting means upon receipt of said answer signal.

A method for alerting a person of a recorded telephone message from a calling party to a message retention system having means for receiving the message from the calling party, means operative upon the received message for recording the message, and means at the location of said person for alerting said person of the recorded message, said method comprising the steps of:

• detecting the recording of the complete message by the recording means,
• accessing the alerting means at periodic delayed intervals in response to the detection until the alerting means responds with an answer signal,
• establishing a path from the system to the alerting means in response to the answer signal, and
• inhibiting said accessing means from accessing the alerting means after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed.

A method for alerting a person of a recorded telephone message directed to said person from a calling party in a message retention system having means for receiving the message from the calling party, means operative upon the received message for recording the message, a telephone at the location of said person for alerting said person of the recording message, and an interconnecting telephone line, said method comprising the steps of:

• detecting the recording of a message by the recording means,
• enabling the aforesaid step of detecting only when the message exceeds a predetermined time interval,
• outpulsing digits of a preselected telephone number over said line in response to said enabling, said preselected number being the identity of said telephone,
• repeating said outpulsing of said digits over said line until said telephone responds with an answer signal,
• stopping the aforesaid step of repeating when a further predetermined time interval has elapsed, and
• establishing a path from the system to the alerting means in response to the answer signal.