GB2337175A - Door answer phone - Google Patents

Abstract

A door answer phone, at the entrance to a block of flats, comprises a plurality of doorbell buttons 4, keypad 1, microphone 2 and speaker 3. The answer phone is plugged directly into a standard telephone line and is preprogrammed with the telephone numbers of each occupier 8 of the block of flats. When a doorbell is rung, the occupant of the corresponding flat dials the telephone number of the door answer phone and is thus able to converse with the visitor across a standard telephone connection. When the flat is unoccupied, or if the occupant choses not to answer the door, the visitor may dial one of the preprogrammed telephone numbers to thereby make a call to the occupant's telephone line and leave a message on the occupant's answering machine. The door answer phone may be set up to allow calls to be made to emergency services in addition to the preprogrammed telephone numbers.

Description

2337175 DOOR ANSWER PHONE This invention relates to a door answer phone.

Answer phones are very well known devices for a caller to leave a message by phone. However current answer phones do not allow a visitor arriving at a house to leave an audio message if the occupant is absent.

According to the present invention there is provided a door answer phone comprising of three elements, a door bell, when activated rings a buzzer in the corresponding house, a door phone allowing verbal communication between the visitor outside the front door and the occupant in the house, the same unit also acts as a answering phone. The unit has a memory containing a number of separate telephone numbers, pre-programmed by first entering a code which is unique to each device. The telephone is plugged directly in to a phone line in the house and connects no other telephone numbers except the pre-set telephone numbers and all emergency numbers. The telephone is mounted outside the front door, and when one of the pre-set numbers is dialled it activates the particular answer machine in the occupants flat via the standard phone line. This is the central concept 1 wish to protect in the present invention, that the use of the standard telephone line to record messages on already existing answer machines in the occupant's flat, enables the present invention to contain no specialised recording equipment.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 shows the door answer phone's function keys in detail.

Figure 2 shows in perspective the door answer phone as one unit in two halves.

Figures 3-5 illustrates the installation of one door answer phone unit to a wall.

Figure 3 shows the removal of bricks.

Figure 4 shows the base internally screwed in to the hole.

Figure 5 shows the front casing screwed to the base.

Referring to the drawing the door answer phone comprises of one unit in two halves as illustrated in Fie, 2. The base 2 is an aluminium case containing the workings, and the front casing 1 is an aluminium lid with WI the function keys. The casing is to be made from 1P57 which will secure it against weatheng, vandalism and theft in accordance with the B. T. British Standard. The casing is scaled with a rubber inlay 3. The bell and telephone wires are sealed in rubber tubing 9 which comes out of the device, runs along the wall and in to the house as illustrated in Figure 1.

To ip5tall a door answer phone unit outside the front door of a block of flats or house one must first remove a number of bricks from the wall as shown in figure 3. The base is internally screwed in to hole in the wall as shown in figure 4. The front casing is then screwed to the base as shown ip Figure 5.

In order to use the unit as a door phone the caller must press the appropriate door bell 4 opposite he name tag 9 of the occupant the caller wishes to visit as illustrated in Fig 1. The occupant then using his or her standard telephone, rings the door answer phone, which has it's own separate telephone line, outside the front door and converses with the visitor. The occupants voice can be he?Lrd through a speaker in the unit behind the grill 3. To respond the visitor speaks in to the receiver 2.

In order to pre-program a telephone number the code key 5 must first be pressed as illustrated in Fig 1. After which the code unique to that particular device must be entered using the dialling key pad 1, once the code is entered the hash key should be presses on the dialling pad 1 to signify the end of the code, a red light 7 indicates that the code is not recognised. To try entering the code again the unit must be reset by pressing the code key once more. If the code is recognised the green light 6 will light. Once recognised the door bell 4 of the occupant whose telephone number one wishes to program in to the unit is pressed. Using the dialling pad 1, the star key is first pressed and then the telephone number of the occupant entered. The star key is then pressed once more, to signify the telephone number is complete. The green light 6 will light up to confirm that the telephone number is now logged in to the memory of the unit.

To use the device to leave a message the star key, on the dialling pad 1 should be pressed to reset the unit as illustrated in Fig 1. The telephone number of the occupant the visitor wishes to leave a message for, should then be entered in using the dialling key pad 1. The caller should then press the star key again to signify the telephone number is complete. On the dialling pad 1 the hash key is then pressed and the unit will compare the number to see if it exists with in it's memory bank. If the number is not recognised then the red light 7 will light up and to try again the caller will have to reset the unit by pressing the star key on the dialling pad 1. If the green light 6 lights up it signifies that the unit recognises the number. The number is then routed through the telephone line 8. The telephone will then ring in the occupants flat and if unanswered the caller then leaves a message on the occupants standard answering machine by speaking through the receiver 2.

- S-

Claims (7)

Claims

1 A communication system for a building comprising:

i. an annuciator for announcing the presence of a visitor; ii, means for actuating the annuciator; ill a Microphone; and iv. means for recording a sound message.

2. A communication system as claimed in claim 1 wheremi the annuciator, is a bell.

3. A communication system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the microphone is provided in a telephone handset.

4. A communicatiOn system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the means for recording a sound message comprises a telephone answering machine.

5. A communication system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the telephone answering machine is connected to a telephone Imie.

6. A communication system as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims wherein the telephone circuit allows access to emergency services.

rj

7. A communication system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising a plurality of annuciators a plurality of recording means and means for activating a selected annuciator and recording on a selected recording machine and means for selecting the desired annuciator and recording means.

6. A communication system as claimed 'm any one of the preceding claims wherein means for dialling selected numbers on a telephone circuit are provided.

7. A communication system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the telephone circuit allows access to remote locations for example emergency services.

8. A communication system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising a plurality of annunciators a plurality or recording means and means for activating a selected annunciator and recording on a selected recordina machine and means for selectin. the desired annuciator and c C recording means C) 4- Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows Claims I. A communication systems for a building compnising: i. an annuciator for announcing the presence of a visitor; ii. means for actuating the annuciator; .. ill. iv.

a microphone; means for recording a sound message; and V. a telephone circuit adapted to contact only selected numbers selected from a telephone connected to a telephone answering machine and 10 telephone numbers of emergency services.

2. A communication system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the annuciator, is a bell.

3. A communication system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the microphone is provided in a telephone handset.

4. A communication system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the means for recording a sound message comprises a 20 telephone answering machine.

5. A communication system as claimed in claim 4 wheremi the telephone answering machine is connected to a telephone Iffle.