Programmable telephone/dictation terminal and method of operating same

A programmable telephone/dictation terminal disposable in respective modes of operation for use with a local dictating machine connected thereto and a telephone network having a plural telephone lines, said terminal comprising:

• microphone and speaker means for transmitting and receiving audible sounds;
• means for dialing telephone numbers;
• dictate function switches manually operable to initiate predetermined dictate functions;
• programmable keys each being manually operable to carry out a function programmed for that key, said functions including telephone message recording for recording on at least said local dictating machine messages received over at least one of said telephone lines;
• control keys operable to select programmed functions to be carried out by said programmable keys;
• processor means having a programming mode for responding to operation of said control keys to select respective telephone lines over which messages to be recorded are received and to select the manner in which a message is recorded;
• said processor means being responsive to a predetermined programmable key to exhibit an operating mode for controlling the recording of a message received over a selected telephone line;
• and
• display means controlled by said processor means to display different messages as said control keys and said programmable keys are operated to prompt a user of said terminal in selecting a telephone line and the manner in which a message is to be recorded.

A programmable telephone/dictation terminal disposable in respective modes of operation to carry out a dictation function, and to carry out a telephone communication function for initiating and receiving telephone calls over a telephone network, said terminal comprising:

• microphone and speaker means for transmitting and receiving audible sounds;
• keypad means operable to dial telephone numbers;
• settable automatic dialing keys operable to dial respective preset telephone numbers;
• dictate switches manually operable to initiate predetermined dictate functions;
• programmable keys each being manually operable to carry out a function programmed for that key, said function including telephone number dialing capability of said terminal;
• control keys operable to select programmed functions to be carried out by said programmable keys;
• processing means having a programming mode for responding to operation of said control keys to selectively limit telephone numbers that may be dialed;
• and
• display means controlled by said processor means to display different messages as said control keys are operated to prompt a user of said terminal in limiting the telephone numbers that may be dialed.

A telephone/dictation system disposable in different modes of operation for dictation and for telephone communication, the system comprising:

• a supervisory station including display means for displaying messages;
• plural remote stations each coupled to said supervisory station and each including:
• dictate means for dictation by a user of information for recording;
• telephone means for initiating and receiving telephone calls;
• programmable keys for selecting different operating functions to be carried out by the remote station, each key being programmable to select a desired one of plural predetermined functions;
• processor means for changeably assigning respective functions to said programmable keys;
• and
• a selected one of the programmable keys in each of said remote stations being operable to transmit to said supervisory station information to cause a predetermined message to be displayed on said display means.

A method of assigning a desired one of predetermined operating functions to one of plural programmable keys provided in a telephone/dictation terminal such that the operation of that programmable key results in the selection of an operating function carried out by the terminal, said method comprising the steps of:

• displaying sets of operating functions that may be carried out by the terminal;
• selecting one of the displayed sets;
• selecting a desired programmable key;
• and
• entering an identification of a desired operating function, whereby the subsequent operation of the selected programmable key initiates said desired operating function;
• wherein said terminal is coupled to a supervisory station, and said desired operating function is the transmission of a predetermined message to said supervisory station.

A method of assigning a desired one of predetermined operating functions to one of plural programmable keys provided in a telephone/dictation terminal such that the operation of that programmable key results in the selection of an operating function carried out by the terminal, said method comprising the steps of:

• displaying sets of operating functions that may be carried out by the terminal;
• selecting one of the displayed sets;
• selecting a desired programmable key;
• and
• entering an identification of a desired operating function, whereby the subsequent operation of the selected programmable key initiates said desired operating function;
• wherein said terminal is operable with a telephone network to transmit and receive telephone calls and said terminal includes a recorder for recording and playing back audio messages;
• and,
• wherein said desired operating function is recording on said recorder of audio messages received from said telephone network.

A method of assigning a desired one of predetermined operating functions to one of plural programmable keys provided in a telephone/dictation terminal such that the operation of that programmable key results in the selection of an operating function carried out by the terminal, said method comprising the steps of:

• displaying sets of operating functions that may be carried out by the terminal;
• selecting one of the displayed sets;
• selecting a desired programmable key;
• and
• entering an identification of a desired operating function, whereby the subsequent operation of the selected programmable key initiates said desired operating function;
• wherein said terminal is operable with a telephone network having at least one telephone line, said terminal generating an audible ringing signal in response to an incoming ringing signal;
• and,
• wherein said desired operating function is the delay in generating said audible ringing signal until after a selected number of incoming ringing signals have been received.

A telephone/dictation system disposable in different modes of operation for dictation functions and for recording incoming messages received over a telephone network having plural telephone lines, said system comprising:

• a recorder for recording messages;
• line selector means for selection by a user of a particular one of said plural telephone lines to be coupled to said recorder for supplying an incoming message received on said particular telephone line;
• processor means for sensing an incoming telephone call on said particular telephone line to initiate a recording operation of said recorder;
• function selector means manually operable to condition said processor means for sensing incoming telephone calls;
• and
• means coupled to said processor means for selectively carrying out dictation functions with said recorder;
• a second recorder wherein said line selector means is operable to select another one of said telephone lines to be coupled to said second recorder to supply thereto an incoming message received on said other telephone line;
• and wherein said processor means is operable to sense an incoming telephone call on said other telephone line to initiate a recording operation of said second recorder, wherein said function selector means comprises a selected one of plural programmable keys, each being programmable to condition said processor means to carry out a different one of plural predetermined functions;
• control keys operable to select respective functions to be carried out, said functions being assignable by a user to desired ones of said programmable keys;
• and
• display means controlled by said processor means, said processor means responding to the operation of respective control keys to cause said display means to display different ones of said predetermined functions and to display the respective telephone line selected for coupling to the respective recorders, said processor means additionally responding to the operation of a desired programmable key to assign a selected function thereto.

A telephone/dictation system disposable in different modes of operation for dictation functions and for recording incoming messages received over a telephone network having plural telephone lines, said system comprising:

• a recorder for recording messages;
• line selector means for selection by a user of a particular one of said plural telephone lines to be coupled to said recorder for supplying an incoming message received on said particular telephone line;
• processor means for sensing an incoming telephone call on said particular telephone line to initiate a recording operation of said recorder;
• function selector means manually operable to condition said processor means for sensing incoming telephone calls;
• and
• means coupled to said processor means for selectively carrying out dictation functions with said recorder;
• display means controlled by said processor means to display indications that incoming messages have been recorded;
• and message selector means manually operable by a user to select a recorded message to be played back in accordance with said displayed indications;
• said processor means responding to the operation of said message selector means to play back a selected message corresponding to one of said displayed indications from said recorder.