Patent ID: 6697455
Filing Date: 2004-02-24
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
A telephone system, comprising:a base having telephone circuitry; a telephone handset having sound detection/generation (SD/G) circuitry; a transmission line having first and second ends, said first end of said transmission line coupled to said telephone circuitry of said base and said second end of said transmission line coupled to said SD/G circuitry of said telephone handset; a voice recognition/voice tone generation (VR/VTG) circuit coupled to said transmission line at a location intermediate to said first and second ends, said VR/VTG circuit detecting an audio signal originated at said SD/G circuitry and propagated along said transmission line and generating, in response thereto, a series of tones for propagation along said transmission line, said telephone circuitry within said base establishing a call in response to said series of tones; a first housing, said VR/VTG circuit located entirely within said first housing; first and second connector plugs supportably mounted to said first housing; said base further comprising a second housing, said telephone circuitry located entirely within said second housing; a third connector plug supportably mounted to said second housing, said third connector plug coupled to said telephone circuitry; a third housing, said SD/G circuitry located entirely within said third housing; and a fourth connector plug supportably mounted to said third housing, said fourth connector plug coupled to said SD/G circuitry; a storage facility coupled to said VR/VTG circuit, said storage facility located entirely within said first housing; said storage facility maintaining a plurality of entries therein, each one of said plurality of entries comprised of first and second data blocks, said second data block defining a first series of tones capable of causing said telephone circuitry within said base to establish a call to a first destination terminal and said first data block defining an audible identifier of said first destination terminal; said VR/VTG circuit generating said series of tones defined by said second data block upon detecting a first audio signal, originated at said SD/G circuitry matching said audible identifier defined in said first data block; said transmission line further comprising a first link extending from said telephone circuitry to said first connector plug, a second link extending from said first connector plug to said second connector plug, said second link located entirely within said first housing and coupled to said VR/VTG circuit, and a third link extending from said second connector plug to said SD/G circuitry; wherein a first end of said first link is coupled to said third connector plug, a second end of said first link is coupled to said first connector plug, a first end of said third link is coupled to said second connector plug and a second end of said third link is coupled to said fourth connector plug; and wherein said VR/VTG circuit further comprises: means for detecting a dial tone on said second link of said transmission line; means for generating a first electrical signal in response to detection of a dial tone on said second link of said transmission line, said first electrical signal convertible into audible sound by said SD/G circuitry of said telephone handset; means for detecting a second electrical signal on said second link of said transmission line, said second electrical signal generated by said SD/G circuitry in response to detection of an audible sound thereby; and means for convening said second electrical signal into said series of tones used by said telephone circuitry to establish a connection.