Patent ID: 6463129
Filing Date: 2002-10-08
Classification: H04M,H04N

Abstract:
A call screening method of a facsimile system having a stationary main unit connected to a telephone network and a cordless portable unit which is separate from said stationary main unit, comprising the steps of:providing said cordless portable unit with a speaker which is integrally constructed with and built into said cordless portable unit and with a microphone; further providing said cordless portable unit with a controller for controlling an overall operation of a call screening function, a radio frequency module connected to the controller for enabling wireless communication with the stationary main unit, and an audio processor connected to the controller, to the radio frequency module, to the microphone, and to the speaker for processing an audio signal received from the radio frequency module so as to output a processed audio signal to the speaker in order to alert the user to the incoming call, and for processing an audio signal input from the microphone so as to output a further processed audio signal to the radio frequency module for transmission to the stationary main unit; initiating a telephone answering function in the stationary main unit by forming a radio communication link between said stationary main unit and said cordless portable unit; initiating the call screening function by transmitting call screen start data from said stationary main unit to said cordless portable unit over said radio communication link; turning on the speaker of the cordless portable unit in response to reception of said call screen start data by said cordless portable unit; recording an incoming message of an incoming call received from said telephone network in a telephone answering device of the facsimile system while performing the telephone answering function; and outputting said incoming message to the speaker of said cordless portable unit through the radio communication link while said incoming message is being simultaneously recorded in said telephone answering device so as to permit a user to screen an incoming call by using said speaker of said cordless portable unit.