System for selectively answering a telephone from a remote location

A system for selectively answering a telephone from a remote location, said system comprising:

• a stationary unit connectable in line with a telephone line extending to said telephone, said stationary unit including (i) a ring detector circuit for activating said system upon detecting a ringing signal received over said telephone line, (ii) a circuit for processing caller ID data signals received over said telephone line, (iii) a first antenna with transmitter-receiver, (iv) a switching circuit for seizing said telephone line, (v) an autodialer circuit for dialing a pre-programmed telephone number, and (vi) an enclosure for substantially housing said ring detector circuit, said caller ID data signals processing circuit, said first antenna with transmitter-receiver, said switching circuit, and said autodialer circuit;
• and
• a portable unit including (i) a second antenna with transmitter-receiver for establishing electromagnetic communication with said first antenna, (ii) a viewable display for visually presenting caller identification information generated from said caller ID data signals, (iii) a first activatable switch for selectively triggering seizure of said telephone line in response to any said ringing signal that is detected, (iv) a second activatable switch for selectively triggering seizure of said telephone line and activation of said autodialer circuit, (v) a microphone for transmitting verbal communications over said telephone line whenever said telephone line is seized, and (vi) a casing for substantially housing said second antenna with transmitter-receiver, said viewable display, said first activatable switch, said second activatable switch, and said microphone;
• wherein one of said stationary unit and said portable unit includes a counter-timer circuit for restrictively permitting activation of said autodialer circuit only when said second activatable switch is activated a predetermined plural number of times within a predetermined period of time.

A system for selectively answering a telephone from a remote location, said system comprising:

• a stationary unit connectable in line with a telephone line extending to said telephone, said stationary unit including (i) a ring detector circuit for activating said system upon detecting a ringing signal received over said telephone line, (ii) a first antenna with transmitter-receiver, (iii) a switching circuit for seizing said telephone line, (iv) an autodialer circuit for dialing a pre-programmed emergency response telephone number, and (v) an enclosure for substantially housing said ring detector circuit, said first antenna with transmitter-receiver, said switching circuit, and said autodialer circuit;
• and
• a portable unit including (i) a second antenna with transmitter-receiver for establishing electromagnetic communication with said first antenna, (ii) a first activatable switch for selectively triggering seizure of said telephone line in response to any said ringing signal that is detected, (iii) a second activatable switch for selectively triggering seizure of said telephone line and activation of said autodialer circuit in the event of a perceived emergency, (iv) a microphone for transmitting verbal communications over said telephone line whenever said telephone line is seized, and (v) a casing for substantially housing said second antenna with transmitter-receiver, said first activatable switch, said second activatable switch, and said microphone;
• wherein one of said stationary unit and said portable unit includes a counter-timer circuit for restrictively permitting activation of said autodialer circuit only when said second activatable switch is activated a predetermined plural number of times within a predetermined period of time.