AU709182B2

AU709182B2 - A telephone with exchange message light

Info

Publication number: AU709182B2
Application number: AU52402/96A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Peter Anton Goode; Ralph Price
Original assignee: Alcatel Australia Ltd
Current assignee: Nokia Services Ltd
Priority date: 1995-06-02
Filing date: 1996-05-21
Publication date: 1999-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 2016-05-21
Also published as: AU5240296A

Description

This invention relates to a method and arrangement for providing a potential message waiting indication at the subscriber's subset connected to an exchange based message storage facility. Such facilities can be provided by modem processor controlled exchanges.

Telephone answering systems which have a recording device at the subscriber's subset often include a visual indication that a message has been received, .0 in the form of an illuminated LED.

"With a domestic answering machine the line loop is closed by the subset's line IV* switch to enable the call to be received and recorded. Use may be made of the line switch operation to trigger the visual indication.

However in the case of an exchange based message recording system the subset's line switch is not closed and the call is intercepted at the exchange after a predetermined duration of ring signalling and the caller is offered the option of leaving a message. At this stage the subset is disconnected at the exchange line *000 circuit and the caller may leave a message which is stored at the exchange. Thus the called subscriber does not have any indication that an attempt to call his subset was made and that a message may have been recorded at the exchange.

Thus it is necessary for the called subscriber to initiate an inquiry call to see if a 20 message has been recorded at the exchange while the phone was unattended. A o ooo 0 stored message may be signalled to the subscriber when the handset is lifted by a modulated dial tone or a voice message.

This invention discloses an arrangement whereby a subscriber may be alerted to the possibility of a message having been recorded at the exchange.

A suitable arrangement comprises a telephone subset including: ring signal detector means producing a ring detect signal in response to ring signal being applied to the subsets exchange line; call answered monitor means to detect whether the call has been answered or not; logic means to cause indicator means to be activated in response to the nonanswering of the call while ring signal is present.

In order that the invention may be readily carried into effect, an embodiment thereof will now be described in relation to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a telephone including an exchange call waiting indicator in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1: 1 is the ring detector; 2 is the subset's processor; 3 is a hook switch control circuit; .1A 4 is an indicator control circuit; go. 5 is an indicator LED; *.Oo 6 is a hook-switch detection switch; 7 is the line hook-switch; 8 is the speech circuit; 9 is the line rectifier; 10 is the ringer transducer.

q*0 When ring signal is applied to the subset's line terminals this is detected in ring detector 1 which sends a ring detect signal to processor 2 via line 11.

Processor 2 also receives call answered information, information on the status of hook-switch 7, shown as a mechanical switch but which may be an electronic switch, via hook-switch detector 6, also illustrated as a mechanical switch but which •oo could also be an electronic detector arrangement. In our previous patent No.

59803/86 Goode 19-1) detector 6 is a mechanical switch operated when the handset is lifted to cause electronic line switch 7 to be closed via line switch control circuit 3.

The processor 2 controls the indicator control circuit by sending it a pulse to cause it to latch the indicator LED on when ring signal has been detected by detector 1 and hook-switch has not closed the speech circuit path to the exchanges.

Processor 2 or other decision logic implements the following truth table: RING H/S

LED

0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1* RING 0 no ring present RING 1 ring has been received and has ceased 0*@S H/S 1 off-hook hookswitch 0*00 H/S 0 on-hook hookswitch LIGHT 0 out/inactive LIGHT 1 active/on light is set active and then latched on ring on/off transition once latched, the light is reset to inactive on the H/S 0 1 transition.

Hook switch 7 may be a bi-polar switch as shown so that line power is 0o 0 available to the indicator control circuit 4 when the speech path is off, but the power is o00 removed from the indicator control circuit 4 when the speech loop is closed via hookswitch 7.

0 0Another embodiment using the processor would latch the light after the unanswered call and then leave it latched active until the user dials the code to access

S.

the network based facility. The processor software would be arranged to either send when the network access code had been sent on when the user had operated a particular button(s) storing the code and thereby causing it to be sent.

Power for the indicator LED 5 may be obtained by the use of a bleed current supply from the line as described in our application No. PM 8928.

According to this arrangement the indicator LED 5 is lit whenever ring signal is received and the call is not answered. Thus the subscriber is alerted to inquire whether or not there is a recorded message. When he lifts the handset the exchange may send a "message waiting" signal by e.g. modulating the dial tone or via a voice message. The subscriber may dial a specified number to access the recorded messages associated with his phone number.

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SS S S 55 6 The claims defining the invention are as follows: 1. A telephone subset including: ring signal detector means producing a ring detect signal in response to ring signal being applied to the subsets exchange line; call answered monitor means to detect whether or not the call in answered; logic means to cause indicator means to be activated in response to the nonclosure of the hook switch while ring signal is present.

2. A subset as claimed in claim 1, wherein the call answered monitor means 4• detects operation of the hook-switch.

*000 3. A subset as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the indicator means is a

LED.

o 4. A subset as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3, including a power supply circuit to provide power for the indicator means from the telephone line.

5. A telephone subset message waiting indicator arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

S 6. A method of indicating the presence of a recorded message to a telephone subset substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DATED THIS THIRTEENTH DAY OF MAY 1995 ALCATEL AUSTRALIA LIMITED 0 000 005 363) 9.

Claims

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