Patent ID: 6512823
Filing Date: 2003-01-28
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
A multiline telephone terminal including apparatus for providing a plurality of call appearances to a user at a terminal, each of said call appearances including an incoming call appearance path and an outgoing call appearance path, the apparatus comprising:means for controllably simultaneously supplying a first individual distinct signal incoming to the multiline telephone terminal on a first active one of said plurality of call appearances and at least a second individual distinct signal incoming to the multiline telephone terminal on an at least second active one of said plurality of call appearances to said user at the terminal, said first and said at least second incoming signals being from unrelated calls on said first call appearance and said at least second call appearance, respectively, wherein said means for controllably simultaneously supplying includes at least third combining means for controllably, selectively combining unrelated voice signals incoming on separate incoming call appearance paths of said first and at least second ones of said plurality of active call appearances and for supplying as an output on at least one circuit path a single fist combined incoming call appearance signal including first and at least second of said unrelated voice signals incoming on said separate incoming call apperance paths of said first and at least second active call appearances; first combining means for controllably, selectively combining one or more of a first plurality of voice input signals to form a first combined signal and for supplying said first combined signal to an outgoing call appearance path of a first call appearance of said plurality of call appearances; and at least second combining means for controllably, selectively combining one or more of a second plurality of voice input signals to form a second combined signal and for supplying said second combined signal to an outgoing call appearance path of at least a second call appearance of said plurality of call appearances, wherein said user is able to controllably communicate simultaneously with individual ones of a plurality of distinct and separate ones of said active call appearances but there is no communication among said individual ones of said plurality of said distinct and separate ones of said active call appearances.